november 2005 houston business connections newspaper

ELECTION 2005

BUSINESS CONNECTIONSHouston

Published By Aubrey R. Taylor Communications Proudly Serving The Houston Community Since 1998 • Email: [email protected] • NOVEMBER 2005

HoustonBUSINESS CONNECTIONSCommunity News & Business ReportsCommunity News & Business Reports

Voters Guide

THIS VOTERS GUIDE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ROSA PARKS 1913-2005

The Spark That Lit The Modern CivilRights Movement has passed away

In 1943 and 1944 Rosa Parks tried to regis-ter to vote but was denied both times. To pushforward the quest for black voting rights, shejoined the Montgomery Voters League. Parksone of the most powerful icons of the civilrights era has passed away. However, its in part

due to her contributions that African Americanshave the privilege to cast their vote in this year’selection. All citizens should value their sacredright to vote and be thankful for the contribu-tions of individuals who were willing to standup for their beliefs. SEE PAGE, 10B

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2005

Statement From Houston City Controller Annise ParkerFor Houston Business Connections Readers

am one of the lucky elected officials. I do not havean opponent in my campaign for re-election asHouston City Controller. But I am still running acampaign, appearing at candidate forums, answer-

ing questionnaires, and speaking with citizens. I do itbecause I believe we deserve notonly to hear from our leaders, butto ask them tough questions, shareour ideas for a better city, and ulti-mately hold them accountable onElection Day. That is why I encour-age every Houston voter to exercisehis or her sacred right to vote.

Does your vote matter? Oneneeds only to look at the results ofthe last few elections to see thepower of a single vote cast, fromtwo consecutive Presidential elections decided by a smallnumber of votes in a single state to a Governors race inWashington state decided by less than 100 votes andtaking months to sort out. Two current Houston CouncilMembers won their seats by less than 40 votes out ofthousands of votes cast.

Much is at stake for our city. In my campaign, I talkabout making sure our city has the resources it needs todeliver the quality services our residents deserve. Thatmeans managing our tax dollars wisely, continually exam-ining the performance of city departments and programs,

and preparingaccurate estimatesof the budget so thatthe Mayor and CityCouncil can makeinformed decisions on spend-ing tax dollars. Many of the services of which I speak arenecessary to sustain life. The city provides the water youdrink and the sewage system to carry away waste, theroads you use to get to work and the ambulance that wouldcome in an emergency.

Much more, however, is at stake for our existenceas a free people. I want my daughters to know and appre-ciate how much has been sacrificed for our right to vote,and how the long struggle for civil rights sadly continuestoday. I want them to understand the power that comeswith freedom, and how quickly it can be lost. I want themto grow up and hold candidates and elected officials fullyaccountable for the trust we place in them. In short, I wantthem to exercise their right to vote, and to teach their chil-dren to do the same.

Please join me and vote in this and every election.Election Day is November 8. Early voting begins October24. Thank you.

Houston City Controller

Parker

I

By Reverend Jesse Jackson

“We are saddened by the pass-ing of Rosa Parks. We rejoice in herlegacy, which will never die. Inmany ways, history is marked asbefore, and after, Rosa Parks. Shesat down in order that we all mightstand up, and the walls of segrega-tion came down.

Paradoxically, her imprison-ment opened the doors to our longjourney to freedom. Known as themother of the civil rights move-ment, she wove glory with grace.

History knocked on her door,and with quiet courage sheanswered with non-negotiable dig-nity. She offered her body as a liv-ing sacrifice. She embodied the

hopes, healing and the longing ofthree centuries of prayers and thedesire for freedom. Her light indarkness illuminated the path forthe majestic leadership of Dr. King.Together, they changed the courseof American and world history.Long live the glory of this nobleprincess from God, Rosa Parks.

Ironically I am in South Africa

as the guest of Nelson Mandelapreparing to meet with him to dis-cuss poverty, peace and freedom.These three giants, Rosa Parks, Dr.King and Mandela - withoutbombs, bullets or wealth - haveshown the awesome power of rightover might in history’s long journeytoward peace and freedom.”

Rosa Parks Was A Noble Princes From God

Jackson

Your Vote Can Make A Difference!

“You may not be a city coun-cil person, you may not be alegislator, but, you can effectwhether or not those peopleget in. So, when you see peo-ple with your views, yourphilosophy, and your values,those are the people youshould vote for.”Jefferson

INSIDECandidates RESPOND to QuestionsAsked by Houston BusinessConnections Publisher.......................2B

2005 Internet Poll Results.................2B

Proposed Constitutional Amendments On The November 8, 2005 Ballot.....3B

Online Voting Results OnPropositions.......................................3B

First Time Using e-Slate?.................7B

NOW PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS • 832.212.8735 • NOVEMBER SPECIAL REPORT • 1B

2B • NOVEMBER SPECIAL REPORT • NOW PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNIC

2005 ELECTION SPECIAL

Mayors Race

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS BILL WHITE (i). Should prevail on election day.

At-Large Position #1

2005 InternetPoll Results (Voting Closed On These Polls On Tuesday, October 11, 2005 )

ver the past few weeks Houston BusinessConnections has been hosting a “MockElection” poll for the races and Propositions tobe voted on in the November 8, 2005 election.The charts below represent the voice of

the “Mock Poll” participants. The results of the “MockElection” polls do not serve as an indorsement of anycandidate in any race. Nor does the charts reflect theopinion of Aubrey R. Taylor Communications, it’sadvertisers, supporters, or in any way shape or formserve as a scientific poll for the 2005 election.However, the poll results do show the voter patterns ofHouston Business Connections readers. The polls fur-thermore show which candidates had the most namerecognition and support among voters participating in the“Mock Election” polls during the open voting period.

O

Candidates RESPONDto Questions Asked byHouston BusinessConnections Publisher

andidates vying to seek or retain seats at City Hall wererecently asked to respond to a series of questions by AubreyR. Taylor, president and CEO of Aubrey R. Taylor

Communications, the publisher of Houston Business Connections.The questions were submitted to each candidate that could be located.Below you will find Mayor Bill White’s response. All other responsesare on the following pages. We urge you to make an informed decisionin the upcoming election by voting for the candidate you feel will bestrepresent you at City Hall. The General Election will be held onTuesday, November 8, 2005. Exercise Your Right To Vote!

Bill WhiteCity Of Houston Mayor

TAYLOR: Tell us in 200 words or less whyHoustonians should vote for your candidacy?

MAYOR WHITE: Over the last twoyears, we’ve worked hard together to make ourcity even better. Thousands of new jobs and sig-nificant corporate relocations have come toHouston. A detailed and comprehensive plan forending our flooding and drainage problems hasbeen put into place. Traffic congestion has beendrastically curtailed, with commute times beingreduced as much as 20%. Our government isnow more efficient, while funding for importantservices like our Police and Fire Departmentshas been increased.

I want to continue to fight hard for what’simportant to our city, including revitalizingsome of our most blighted neighborhoods withProject Houston Hope. Project Houston Hope isaimed at cleaning neighborhoods and combatingurban blight. Abandoned properties will nolonger serve as magnets for crime and lifethreatening accidents. We want the communityto know we are serious about protecting neigh-borhoods from these conditions.

Overall, the quality of life in Houston isimproving with more parks and libraries, feweraccidents, and less flooding. I look forward to hav-ing the opportunity to work with you to improveHouston even more.

Please see WHITE, P.16B

ONLINE POLL RESULTS(At Time Of Printing Of This Issue)

C

White

81%

House

15% Terence

3%

Ullrich

0%Dutrow

1%

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS PETER BROWN. Should win without a runoff.


Morales

16% Brown

75%

Griffin

9%

Aiyer

45%

Neal

1%Acosta

5%Lovell

25%

Elford

ATIONS • 832.212.8735

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS JAY AIYER. Race could end in run-off.

25%

Proposition #1 HJR 54 — McClendon - Staples

Ballot Language: “The constitutionalamendment creating the Texas rail reloca-tion and improvement fund and authoriz-ing grants of money and issuance of obli-gations for financing the relocation, reha-bilitation, and expansion of rail facilities.”Brief Explanation: HJR 54 would create aTexas rail relocation and improvementfund in the state treasury and would

authorize grants of state revenue andissuance of public debt to relocate, reha-bilitate, and expand privately and publiclyowned passenger and freight rail facilitiesand to construct railroad underpasses andoverpasses.

Proposition #2 HJR 6 Chisum - Staples

Ballot Language: “The constitutionalamendment providing that marriage in this

state consists only of the union of one manand one woman and prohibiting this stateor a political subdivision of this state fromcreating or recognizing any legal statusidentical or similar to marriage.” BriefExplanation: HJR 6 would provide thatmarriage in Texas is solely the union ofa man and woman, and that the stateand its political subdivisions could notcreate or recognize any legal statusidentical to or similar to marriage,including such legal status relationshipscreated outside of Texas.

Proposition # 3 HJR80 Krusee - Ogden

Ballot Language: “The constitutionalamendment clarifying that certain eco-nomic development programs do not con-stitute a debt.” Brief Explanation: HJR80 would provide that local economicdevelopment program loans or grants

Houston City Council District BPaid for by Jarvis Johnson Campaign, Velika Hines, Treasurer

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

JOHNSONJarvis.

As a Father, Husband, Home Owner, Civic Leader, Businessman,and College Graduate, Jarvis Johnson pledges to listen andwork with all Residents to make Our Neighborhoods Safer fromcrime and more Secure from flooding. Vote for Jarvis Johnson!

Vote For Jarvis Johnson On November 8, 2005

ENDORSEMENTS:• Harris County Democrats

• Harris County YoungDemocrats (*Very Quality Rating).

• Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO

• Transportation WorkersUnion, AFL-CIO

• Mailhandler Union, AFL-CIO

• African Methodist EpiscopalMinisterial Alliance

• ACORN PAC

• American Postal WorkersUnion, AFL-CIO

Visit www.jarvisfordistrictb.houstonbusinessconnections.com

Proposed Constitutional Amendments On The November 8, 2005 Ballot

Please see PROPOSITIONS, P.20B

Online VotingResults OnPropositions (At Time of Printing Of This Issue)

Are You For or AgainstProposition #1? 60% For Proposition #131% Against Proposition#19% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #2?64% For Proposition #231% Against Proposition#25% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #3? 68% For Proposition #37% Against Proposition#325% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #4?23% For Proposition #472% Against Proposition#45% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #5? 66% For Proposition #519% Against Proposition#515% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #6?66% For Proposition #613% Against Proposition#621% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #7? 81% For Proposition #715% Against Proposition#74% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #8?40% For Proposition #810% Against Proposition#850% Haven’t Decided Yet...............................................Are You For or AgainstProposition #9?78% For Proposition #917% Against Proposition#95% Haven’t Decided Yet

The results of the online poll are not scientific andthe percentage of error is unknown.

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com

NOW PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS • 832.212.8735 • • NOVEMBER SPECIAL REPORT • 3B


Michael BerryCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large Position #5

TAYLOR: Tell us in 200 words or lesswhy Houstonians should vote for yourcandidacy?

BERRY: During my four years onCity Council representing Houstonianscitywide, I have remained committed tothe principles that led me to seek office inthe first place — improving transporta-

tion and increasing public safety. I votein the best interests of all Houstonianseven though my choices are sometimesunpopular with special interest groups.

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words or lessabout your greatest strength?

BERRY: I hired a great team ofpeople to help me serve at City Hall, and

4B • NOVEMBER SPECIAL REPORT • NOW PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS • 832.212.8735



Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS MICHAEL BERRY (i). Should be re-elected.

City Council District A

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS TONI LAWRENCE (i). Should be re-elected.

City Council District B

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS JARVIS JOHNSON. Race could end in runoff.


Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS SHELLY SEKULA-GIBBS (i). Should be re-elected.

Peter BrownCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #1


BROWN: Houston needs a coherentvision for its future, and a Plan for how toget there. Houstonians should support mycandidacy because government needs a

“man with a vision,” a “man with a plan.”I am running for City Council

because I believe we can and must Builda Better Houston. We have immensepotential, and as an architect and urbanplanner I understand that great cities mustbe built, neighborhood by neighborhood,for that potential to be realized.

Too many of our neighborhoods are

Please see BROWN, P.12B

Jay AiyerCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #2


AIYER: I believe Houstoniansshould support my candidacy because Iam the best qualified person in this raceto serve on Houston City Council. The

challenging events of the last severalweeks remind us of the importance ofhaving strong, experienced leadership atCity Hall – local government matters inpeople’s lives, now more than ever.

I have the public service and privatesector experience to get the job done onCity Council. I served as Chief of Staff toHouston Mayor Lee Brown, and am cur-

Please see AIYER, P.12B

John ElfordCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #2


ELFORD: I am the most experi-enced and qualified candidate for AtLarge Position 2. I am an experiencedand successful businessman and my envi-ronmental engineering, design and con-

struction experience is crucial in today’sinfrastructure oriented city climate. I amdetermined to make Houston the bestplace for all people to live, work, study,and worship and enjoy. We must expandour tax base, create jobs, improve thequality of life by adding parks and green-space and most importantly lower ourtaxes. We must also provide continuing

Please see ELFORD, P.12B

Sue LovellCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #2


LOVELL: When I moved toHouston at 19 years old I had 3 suitcases,$35, and 2 good friends. In the 33 yearssince I made Houston my home, I’vebeen blessed with a beautiful family, a

rewarding career and friends from allover this city. Houston is a city of oppor-tunity, and I want to make sure our peoplehave access to affordable housing, goodjobs, affordable healthcare, good publictransportation and safe neighborhoods.

I direct a jobs training program forThe Mills Corporation that helps peoplefind jobs by providing training, trans-

Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M.D.Candidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #3

TAYLOR: Tell us in 200 words orless why Houstonians should vote foryour candidacy?

SEKULA-GIBBS: My goal is tocreate a healthy Houston, a city wherefamilies will enjoy a better quality of life,and workers will earn a good living. As a

member of the Houston City Council forthe past four years, I have worked hard tobring about solutions to many problemsfacing Houstonians. I spearheaded thedevelopment of neighborhood clinics(Federally Qualified Health Centers),which provide health care for uninsuredand low-income Houstonians, reducing

Please see LOVELL, P.12B

Please see SEKULA-GIBBS, P.12B

Exercise Your Right To Vote On November 8, 2005! A message from Houston Highlights Publishing, L.L.C.


Please see BERRY, P.12B

Carter

14% Lawrence

86%

Berry

83%

Stoma

17%

Sekula-Gibbs

81%Partsch-Galvan

19%

Allen

29%Curtis

0%

Hunter

3%Bush

2%Lewis

0%

Johnson

48%Galloway-Hall

17%Ingram

0%

Gray

0%

Roy MoralesCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #1

TAYLOR: Tell us in 200 words or lesswhy Houstonians should voter for yourcandidacy?

MORALES: Houstonians are votingfor the security of their families and City.As a retired United States Air Force Lt Coland a former Executive for the City ofHouston, I am the most qualified candidate

because of my education, training, crisisplanning, and experience.

I have a B.A. in Psychology (summacum laude), a B.S. in Computer Scienceand M.S. in Space Operations from theAir Force Institute of Technology.

I have received commendations withthe Air Force in support of DOD/NASAmissions and as one of the top Air Force

Please see MORALES, P.16B

Paid for by Re-elect MJ Khan Campaign, Daniel Hrna, Treasurer

lected to Houston City Council from District F in 2003. M.J.Khan has worked tirelessly to fulfill his campaign pledge toimprove the quality of life for Houston and for District F. In

just a short time on City Council, M.J. has logged a number ofaccomplishments, and has defended the core values of hard workingfamilies in District F and the City.

E

Only one M.J. KhanEDUCATIONAL & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND• Bachelors of Science Degree, University of Sind• Bachelor of Civil Engineering, Karachi University• Masters Science in Civil Engineering, University of Illinois• Masters of Business Administration, Rice University• Professional Engineer in the State of Texas• President of MAK Development, Inc.

Only one M.J. KhanRECORD OF LEADERSHIPRecord of Community Leadership• Assigned U.S. Speaker by the U.S. Department of State• Member of the City’s Flooding & Drainage, MWBE,

Housing and Development, and Transportation committees• Served on the Small Business Advisory Board of the Texas

Natural Resource Conservation Commission• Past President of PAAGH• Past Vice-President of ISGH

Record of Fiscal Responsibility• Proposed$1.3 million in General Revenue Fund Saving• Voted to reduce 2004 property tax rate• Proposed zero-based budget for all city departments• Saved taxpayers’ money by eliminating duplication of city contracts

Record of Improved Quality of Life• Organized three crime summits with Houston Police to reduce gang

activity, prostitution and other serious crimes• Organized Itinerant Vendor Town Hall meeting to curb illegal “Flea

Market” activity in District F• Organized District F Community Cleanup Project (“C3”) in Sharpstown,Alief and Gulfton

• Represented community residents against sexually oriented video establishments and nightclubs that fail to control illegal activity aroundtheir establishments

• Protested liquor licenses for nightclubs that fail to control illegal activitiesaround their establishments

• Voted for smoking ordinance• Supported more comprehensive Neighborhood Protection initiatives

and enforcement

NOW PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS • 832.212.8735 •• NOVEMBER SPECIAL REPORT • 5B



City Council District C

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS GEORGE HITTNER. Race could end in run-off.

City Council District F

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS M.J. KHAN (i). Should be re-elected.

City Council District H

Source: www.houstonbusinessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS ADRIAN GARCIA (i). Should be re-elected.

City Council District I

Source: www.houston-businessconnections.com internet poll results throughOctober 11, 2005. Internet poll is not scientific and the error percentage isunknown. POLL WINNER IS CAROL ALVARADO (i). Should be re-elected.

Michael StomaCandidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position #5


STOMA: I am a Native Houstonianwho was born in St. Joseph’s Hospital in1952. I was raised in the Aldine area ofNorth Houston where I graduatedDouglas Mac Arthur High in 1971. The

Houston area has been my home, always,where I’ve parented my two children toadults; and, where I, actively, participatein my grandson’s life and education.

As a US Air Force, Vietnam EraVeteran, I know the value of public serv-ice. After my tour of military duty, Iserved as a civilian employee for theHouston Police Department; taught at


Toni LawrenceCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict A


LAWRENCE: A lifelong resident ofDistrict A, I attended Garden OaksElementary, Black Middle School,Waltrip High School, earned a Bachelorsof Science from the University of Texas

at Austin and a Masters of Educationfrom Sam Houston State University.After spending seven years as a teacher,my husband and I founded CraftsmanFabricated Glass Inc.

During my first term as a CouncilMember, I have prioritized City spendingby meeting our immediate needs first andthen focusing any available funds towards

Please see LAWRENCE, P.13B

Felicia Galloway-HallCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict B


GALLOWAY-HALL: I will contin-ue the much-needed progress that DistrictB deserves. I possess the leadershipskills, integrity, commitment and a service-oriented passion for the people of District B.

I am a homeowner, and a lifelong,thirty nine years resident of District B.

Serving the people should be theoverriding reason for seeking office. Asa United States Department of Defenseemployee, I served. In the United StatesDepartment of Social Security, I served.As a Claims Representative for theUnited States Railroad Retirement

Jarvis JohnsonCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict B


JOHNSON: Houstonians shouldvote for me because Leadership is deter-mined by what you are doing not whatyou are promising to do. Let me tell you

what I have done: I have rehabilitatedhomes over 25 homes for Senior citizens;I have provided over $100,000 in finan-cial aid for parents to help promotehealthy families; I employ over 40 full-time employees; I provided over 19Scholarships for District B students toattend college; I provide childcare forover 400 children; I provided 2000 com-

Tommie Ruth AllenCandidate for Houston City Council District B


ALLEN: Houstonians should votefor me because I have a proven trackrecord as a coalition and consensusbuilder that is experienced in culturaldiversity. I have over thirty years experi-

ence working with the community. Thisexperience includes eighteen years inCorporate America, HL&P, as a PublicRelations Representative andSpokesperson. There I coordinated thecompany’s first Black History Exhibitand Reception that invited over 4000 stu-dents from throughout the HL&P servicearea to view the exhibit. Was a member

Please see GALLOWAY-HALL, P.13B

Please see JOHNSON, P.14B

Please see ALLEN, P.14B

Anne ClutterbuckCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict C


CLUTTERBUCK: For 7 years Iserved as the District Director forCongressman Bill Archer. In that capacityI had 2 main responsibilities: overseeingconstituent service and flood control for

the 7th Congressional District. In the areaof flood control, I had direct, hands-onexperience for 7 years working withHarris County Flood Control, US ArmyCorps of Engineers, and FEMA in imple-menting the vital flood control projects inthe northwest part of the county.Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have high-lighted the importance of having quali-

Please see CLUTTERBUCK, P.14B

Please see STOMA, P.12B

Alvarado

71%

Parras

29%

Williams

26%Garcia

74%

M.J. Khan

70%K.A. Khan

22%

Shike

8%

Lee

24%

Jones

1%

Hittner

62%

Cweren

3%

Clutterbuck

5%

Siverson

1%Litt

3%

VOTE NOVEMBER 8, 2005!

Exercise Your Right To Vote On November 8, 2005! A message from HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS


1

2

34

5

6

7After entering all your choices,then review the summary listof your choices. When you are finished, press the CAST BALLOT button. You will see the American flag onscreen indicating your ballothas been recorded.

Press the HELP button onceto get instructions on thescreen; press it twice to askfor help from a pollworker.

Use the PREV and NEXTbuttons to move back andforth between ballot pages. Press the ENTER button to

mark your choice.

Turn the SELECT wheel tomove the blue bar over thechoice you wish to make.

Use the SELECT wheel andENTER button to enter thenumber code you willreceive, the ballot for yourprecinct appears on screen.

Use the SELECT wheel andENTER button to selectEnglish, Spanish, orVietnamese language.

Q: Is the system based on a touch screen?

A: No. The voter uses a SELECT wheel to navigatethrough the ballot and a button labeled ENTER to markhis or her choice – giving new meaning to the phrase“C’ville Counts…so ENTER your vote!” This interfacewas chosen because it is more accurate and durable thantouch screen systems, requires less maintenance, and voterswith limited or no vision find the system very easy to use.

Q: How can we be sure this system is working as it should be?

A: Before any vote is cast, there is a process of testingthe machines to be sure they are working as expected.This process, known as logic and accuracy testing, allowselection officials to be sure votes are counted as they are cast.

Q: How do I know that the way the votingsystem recorded my vote is the same

way I cast my vote?

A: After you have voted in the last contest on the ballot,a screen will appear listing all the choices you have madeand letting you know if you missed voting in any race. Ifyou choose not to vote in the last contest listed on the bal-

lot, simply press the NEXT button to get to your ballotsummary screen. From this screen, you can makechanges, as desired, to be sure your votes are counted theway you want them to be. When you are finished review-ing your ballot, press the CAST BALLOT button to putyour ballot into the electronic ballot box.

Q: How do I know my votes are private and there is not a database in the computer somewhere that records how I have voted?

A: There is no way for the system to connect your voteto you. When you vote, there is no identifying informa-tion recorded with your vote. You will be given a ran-domly generated four-digit access code tied to the ballotfor your precinct. The access code is not associated withyour name. Therefore, it is impossible to trace your vote.

Q: What if I change my mind or make a mistake after I have pressed the ENTER button?

A: You can change any vote at any time until the CASTBALLOT button is pressed from the Ballot Summarypage and you see the American Flag waving on thescreen. To change a vote, just use the dial to highlight thecandidate you want to vote for and then press ENTER.The earlier vote is erased, and the new vote is recorded.

Q: What if I don’t want to vote in a particular race?

A: Then you don’t have to. It is your decision and rightto choose not to vote in any race. Just use the dial toscroll past the race you want to skip. After you havevoted in the last contest on the ballot, a Ballot Summarypage will appear listing all the choices you have madeand lets you know if you missed voting in any race byshowing No Selection. You can either go back and votein the skipped race, or press the CAST BALLOT buttonto submit your ballot with no votes in the races youintend to skip.

Q: What if I accidentally vote twice in a race? Will my vote be discarded?

A: You cannot vote for more than one choice unless theinstructions specifically state you may select a highernumber. In that case you may vote for the number statedor less than that number. The system is programmed,however, to prevent "over voting," which is whensomeone accidentally casts more than the permit-ted number of votes in a race.

e-Slate Questions & Answers

First Time Using e-Slate?Follow These Easy Steps

NOW PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS • 832.212.8735 • NOVEMBER SPECIAL REPORT• 7B

Please see Q&A ON E-SLATE, P.19B

K.A. KhanCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict F


K.A. KHAN: I believe thatHoustonians should vote for me because Iam the only candidate that is reallyaddressing the problems in district F. I

am not a professional politician but am acommunity volunteer. I believe that theinterests of district F are not being met byour current councilmember and that I amthe solution to that problem. District F isone of the most diverse districts withinHouston and one needs to understand itsconstituents in order to serve them at CityHall. I have lived in the district for over


Mark LeeCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict C


LEE: The City Council District Cdoesn’t need a professional politician asits representative, but a qualified publicservant-someone who knows and lovesDistrict C as one of its own. My work as

President of my civic association, boardmember for SPARK Park board, BuffaloBayou partnership, Children at Risk andFriends of Westbury High SchoolFoundation gives me the hands-on experi-ence to serve the community. My educa-tion and work as a CPA and an attorneygives me the know-how to do so effec-tively and efficiently.

Please see LEE, P.14B

Ray JonesCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict C


JONES: At Houston City Council, Iwill continue to be a voice for the wholecommunity. In my community activitiesover many years, I consistently empha-size the importance of open government,

fiscal responsibility and citizen participa-tion in all public processes.

Maturity, experience, public trust,sound judgment, strong managementskills, determination and compassion arekey components of an effective publicofficial. I have demonstrated thesestrengths in my civic activism. Examplesof recent accomplishments are public

John ShikeCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict F


SHIKE: People should vote for mebecause: I want to be in the service ofAmerica with an idea to make it even abetter place for each man, woman and

child. I have been a member of manycivic and community organizations. Eversince 1960, moving from Canada, I havebeen residing in Houston, which gives methe standing as native

Houstonian. I am a successful busi-nessman and have ample knowledge ofmanagement techniques, marketingknow-how, accounts supervision and bal-

Please see JONES, P.15B

Please see SHIKE, P.15B

Who may vote in Texas?Any United States citizen residing in Texas who is: • Legally registered to vote in Texas • At least 18 years old on Election Day• Not a convicted felon (unless sentence, probation and parole are completed)• Not declared mentally incompetent by a court of law

Have you registered to vote in Texas?Register with the Department of Public Safety when

applying for or making changes to a driver’s license;Register in person at the county Voter Registrar’s Office. (Inmost Texas counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector is also theVoter Registrar. In some counties, the County Clerk orElections Administrator registers voters); or Register by mail.You may obtain an application from the county VoterRegistrar’s Office, the Secretary of State’s Office, libraries,many post offices, high schools and on the web athttp://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/reqvr.shtml. Readthe instructions on the form, fill it out and mail it, postage-free, to the Voter Registrar in your county; or take it to theVoter Registrar’s Office in your county.

You must be at least 17 years and 10 months of age onthe date you apply. With your permission, your spouse, par-ent or child may fill out and sign an application for you ifthat person is a registered voter or has applied for voter reg-istration. This person is known as your “agent.” The applica-tion must be received in the voter registrar’s office or post-marked 30 days before an election for you to be eligible tovote in that election.

Are you a first-time voter?If you register to vote by mail for the first time in a

county, then you are a first-time voter. A first-time voter mustenclose a copy of identification along with the voter registra-tion application or a first-time voter may instead presentidentification the first time the voter votes in a federal elec-tion. Acceptable identification includes: a driver's license,bank statement, utility bill, pay check, or other governmentdocument that shows your name and address.

Need a voter registration certificate?Once you apply, a voter registration certificate (proof of

registration) will be mailed to you within 30 days. Checkyour certificate to be sure all information is correct. (If thereis a mistake, make corrections and return it to the voter regis-trar immediately.) When you go to the polls to vote, presentyour certificate as proof of registration.

You may vote without your certificate by signing an affi-davit at the polling place and showing some other form ofidentification (for example, driver’s license, birth certificate,copy of electric bill).

If you lose your certificate, notify your county VoterRegistrar in writing to receive a new one. You will automati-cally receive a new certificate every two years, if you haven’tmoved from the address at which you are registered.

Have you moved within your county?If you move within the same county, promptly notify the

Voter Registrar, in writing, of your new address by: correct-ing your current voter registration certificate on the back andreturning it to the Voter Registrar; filling out a new voterregistration application form and checking the “change”box; or making simultaneous changes to your driver’slicense and voter registration when you apply for or updateyour driver’s license.

You will receive a new certificate with your newaddress. You will be able to vote in your new precinct 30days after your change of address is submitted. If you missthe deadline (30 days before an election), you may vote inyour former precinct as long as you still reside in the politi-cal subdivision conducting the election.

Your residence is located in a specific “precinct,” whichis an area within the county. There are many precincts withina county. The place where you will vote on Election Day islocated in your precinct. There may be combined precincts inorder to accommodate joint local elections; therefore, insome elections you may vote outside your designatedprecinct. The County Clerk or Elections Administrator cangive you the specific location of your polling place.

VOTER INFORMATIONFROM TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE

Please see VOTER INFORMATION, P.12B

Judy SiversonCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict C


SIVERSON: Houstonians shouldvote for Judy Siverson because I haveexperience working on neighborhoodimprovement projects throughout DistrictC. I led the effort to bring $40 million

worth of street improvements toBraeswood Place. I have worked to reha-bilitate a local park with improvementsvalued at $500,000. I joined with neigh-borhood volunteers to correct design andconstruction flaws at LinkwoodCommunity Center. I have been focusedon community improvement projects for15 years and have attended every District

Please see SIVERSON, P.14B

M.J. KhanCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict F


M.J. KHAN: It has been my honorand privilege serving the people ofDistrict F. I have worked very hard toimprove the quality of life in all the areasof the district, and have had great success.

I have worked to lower the crime in ourarea by bringing the Chief of Police,Harold Hurtt, and his command staff intoour district to assess the prostitution, graf-fiti, gang, drug and other illegal activity.I protested nightclubs that fail to controlillegal activity in and around their estab-lishments. I fought sexually oriented busi-nesses that lure our children with falseadvertisements and gimmicks. I worked

Please see M.J.HAN, P.19B


Please see K.A. KHAN, P.18B

George HittnerCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict C


HITTNER: As lifelong resident ofHouston and District C, and with nearly adecade’s worth of experience in govern-ment in state and local issues (in both theprivate and public sector), I have been

working on issues affecting District C formany years. If elected, my priorities willinclude: 1) Strengthening neighborhoodsand improving the quality of life byencouraging citizen interaction in govern-ment, while providing prompt andresponsive attention to constituent con-cerns; 2) Ensuring the city’s top prioritiesremain its core responsibilities of provid-

Please see HITTNER, P.14B


Andrian GarciaCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict H


GARCIA: It has been an honor toserve as the District H council member inmy first term on council, I chaired thecouncil’s Public Safety & HomelandSecurity Committee where I spearheaded

an ordinance change to further protectneighborhoods against liquor establish-ments. In addition, I hosted the DistrictH’s first ever health initiative, “Don’tWait, Vaccinate: Viva La Vacuna” whichencouraged a pro-active approach toimmunizing our children, and promotedhealth services to our families. Moreover,I continue to push for the hiring of more

Please see GARCIA, P.17B

Carol AlvaradoCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict I


ALVARADO: I am a lifelong resi-dent of District I. I have served on citycouncil since 2002. From 1998 to 2002,I worked for Mayor Lee Brown at anexecutive level staff position. I have

been successful in getting city govern-ment to best serve the needs of the peopleof District I. I have served as their advo-cate and voice at city hall on quality oflife issues.

I have passed and balanced fourbudgets and serve on important citycouncil committees including the FiscalAffairs Committee. Serving as Mayor

Please see ALVARADO, P.17B


John ParrasCandidate for Houston City CouncilDistrict I


PARRAS: I am the better choice inthe District I race. I have the independ-ence, education, training and integrityneeded to fight for the District’s residentsand businesses. As a product of the East

side, I have been fortunate to earn,through hard work, an education in poli-tics at Princeton University and a lawdegree from the University of Texas. Ihave used my hard work in school toearn the opportunity to train as an advo-cate under the best trial lawyers inAmerica — Dick DeGuerin, RacehorseHaynes, and Michael Ramsey. In their

Please see PARRAS, P.17B

Candidates listed here either did not respond to therequest to participate; did not meet the deadline foranswering the questionnaire; or were not available.RACE FOR MAYOR: Anthony Dutrow, Jack Terence,Luis Ullrich. CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POS.#1:Michael Griffin. CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POS.2: Hipolito Acosta, James Neal. CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POS. #3: James Partsch-Galvan. CITYCOUNCIL AT-LARGE POS. #4: Ronald Green(Unopposed). CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT A: DennisCarter. CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT B. Angle Bush,Anna Gray, Charles Ingram, Etheal Lewis, RobinGerman-Curtis, Willie Hunter. CITY COUNCIL DIS-TRICT C: Herman Litt. CITY COUNCIL DIS-TRICT D: Ada Edwards (Unopposed). CITY COUN-CIL DISTRICT E: Addie Wisemen. CITY COUNCILDISTRICT G: Palm Holm (Unopposed). CITYCOUNCIL DISTRICT H: Larry Williams.

OTHER CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT






“I extend my deepest regrets as we mourn the loss ofone of our nation’s most revered women in the strug-gle for freedom and justice, civil rights icon, RosaParks. Her legacy will live in the hearts of many andher courageous stand against injustice will continueto inspire the work of millions. The impact of her

gallant sacrifice helped to ignite the beginning of a movementthat awakened our nation and shook the world. She will bemissed terribly.”

Rosa Parks Awakened a Nation and Shook the WorldA Message from Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

Green

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

The Spark That LitThe Modern CivilRights Movement

n December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up herseat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus. Her arrest for vio-lating Montgomery’s segregation laws precipitated a mass boycott of thecity’s buses. The successful boycott brought its leaders, Martin Luther

King, Jr., to national prominence and paved the way for innumerable future protestsand demonstrations against racial injustice. Rosa Parks, then, played a crucial role insparking the modern civil rights movement.

She was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4,1913, the elder of tow children of James and Leona (Edwards) McCauley. Her fatherwas a carpenter, and her mother was a teacher. At the age of two, she moved to hergrandparents’ farm in Pine Level, Alabama, with her mother and younger brother.

After several years of schooling in Pine Level and nearby Spring Hill, Rosa,moved to Montgomery at the age of eleven and was enrolled in the Montgomery atthe age of eleven and was enrolled in the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls, aprivate school who’s philosophy of self-worth had a lasting effect on her. She com-pleted the fifth through eight grads at the Industrial School, the ninth grade at BookerT. Washington Junior High School, and the tenth and eleventh grades at the laborato-ry high school division of the state teacher-training college in Montgomery (nowAlabama State University). After her junior year, she dropped out of school to takecare of her ill grandmother.

In 1932, Rosa married Raymond Parks, a barber who was active in black voterregistration and other civil rights causes. At about that time she went back to AlabamaState, earning her high school diploma in 1933.

During the following decade, Rosa Parks held a various jobs, for example, atSaint Margaret’s Hospital and at Maxwell Field, a local army base. Usually she sup-plemented those jobs by taking in sewing jobs.

O


www.kakhan.com

The ‘A’ is for Accountability

“As your Councilmember, I will fightto reduce the crime that has plaguedour district F. It is time for a CAN-DO councilmember that will fight forour district.” —K.A. Khan

Vote K.A. Khanon November 8th!• As a natural born leader,K.A. Khan has the plans andexperience to bring back theglory that district F once had.

• K.A. Khan will make it easi-er to have access to city hall.

• K.A. Khan will improve ourneglected district F that hadbeen forgotten for so long.

• K.A. Khan will fight for our fairshare of funds to improve ourcity streets

• K. A. Khan will Promote Healthand safety for our neighborhoods

• K.A. Khan will Increase opportunities for economicdevelopment in our city

• K. A. Khan will establish thenecessary resources to reducecrime in our neighborhoods

“We deserve a councilman who is respectful to our community. ACouncilman who will listen to us and acknowledge us. I believe wehave found him. My friend, K.A. Khan will treat us with respect andwork hard for our community. On November 8th, I humbly ask thatyou support my friend, K.A.Khan for city council district F.”

Derrick D. WesleyFormer City Council Candidate

November 8th, Vote K.A. KhanPaid Political Adv.by K.A.Khan campaign,Lenny Yaffie,Treasurer

Derrick D. WesleyFormer City Council Candidate

K.A. KhanCandidate for Houston City Council District F

Early Work for Civil RightsIn 1943 and 1944 Rosa Parks tried to

register to vote but was denied both times.To push forward the quest for black votingrights, she joined the Montgomery Votersleague. In 1943, she was elected secretaryof the Montgomery branch of the NationalAssociation for the Advancement ofColored People (NAACP), and in 1945,she became an adviser for the NAACPYouth Council. In the summer of 1955 shemet Martin Luther King, Jr., the youngpastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church inMontgomery, who was in the early stagesof his interest in civil rights activism.

During the 1940s and 1950s, RosaParks earned a living mainly by sewing,and by December 1955, she was employedas a seamstress at the Montgomery Fairdepartment store. To get to and form work,she depended on the Montgomery CityLines buses.

The Montgomery Bus BoycottThe Montgomery buses, like other

buses throughout the South at that time,were segregated; the first ten seats ofevery bus being reserved for white passen-gers. If the whit section was filled tocapacity when more white patrons board-ed the bus, passengers in the black sectionwere required to give up their seats to thewhites.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parksand three other black passengers wereasked to vacate an entire row of seats—thefirst row behind the white section—so thatone white man could sit down. The threeother blacks stood up, but Rosa Parksrefused.

Rosa Parks was taken to jail booked,fingerprinted, and locked up. One of thethree civil rights activists went to the jailto bail her out with a one-hundred-dollarbond was E.D. Nixon, who together withother leaders was looking for a case like

hers to challenge segregation laws in thecourts. Nixon asked Parks if she wouldbe willing to user her own case for thatpurpose. She replied, “If you think itwill mean something to Montgomeryand do some good, I’ll be happyto go

along with it.”On December 5, Rosa Parks, repre-

sented by Fred Gray, one ofMontgomery’s tow black lawyers, wastried, convicted, and fined fourteen dol-lars—ten dollars for her infraction andfour dollars for court costs. Her attorneyimmediately started the appeal process.

The city’s black organizations, head-ed by the Women’s Political Council(WPC), began a boycott of Montgomery’sbuses on that very day. That night a largegroup of black ministers and citizens metat a local church and resolved to continuethe boycott until the bus company provid-ed fair service to blacks. The meeting led tothe formation of the MontgomeryImprovement Association (MIA), whichelected Martin Luther King, Jr., as its presi-dent.

In the following weeks the MIA andthe WPC repeatedly met with city and buscompany representatives to no avail.Many boycotters, including Rosa Parks,lost their jobs. Blacks were harassed andattacked. On January 30, 1956 King’shouse was bombed while he was away.Still the boycott continued.

“In February 1956, after the appeal ofPark’s conviction was dismissed on atechnicality, lawyers filed suit in U.S. dis-trict court on behalf of five women,including Parks, who had been mistreatedon the buses. The suit claimed that bussegregation was unconstitutional.” OnJune 5 a three-judge panel of a UnitedStates district court in Alabama voted two

Please see PARKS, P.12B

Rosa Parks being fingerprinted in 1955.




Browncontinued from P.4B

in decline, beset by crime, infra-structure problems, urban blight anda declining tax base. We need acomprehensive livable neighbor-hood plan all across Houston, Ihave that plan.

We face real traffic, transit, airpollution, and flooding problemshere in Houston. We need a work-able plan to reduce congestion,expand mass transit options andtransit-oriented development. Weshould and work with the County toplan to solve our stormwater man-agement and flooding problems. Iwill use my professional experiencein 40 Houston neighborhoods totackle those problems.

In light of all that’s happenedin recent weeks, we need experi-enced leadership and long-termplanning for Houston’s future. I amthe candidate qualified to work withthe Mayor to help get the job doneon City Council.

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words orless about your greatest strength?

BROWN: I believe it is hav-ing a coherent vision for our city,along with my years of urban plan-ning and city building experiencethat will best serve Houstonians onCity Council. Houston has histori-cally lacked an over-arching visionfor its future growth, as well ascoordinated planning. This, in part,explains many of the problems theCity faces today.

We can come together with ashared vision for the kind of futurecity we want, and a nuts and bolts,practical plan to get us there. Wemust think big to shape Houston’s

future, for success in the 21st century.

TAYLOR: In your opinion howimportant is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anythingyou would have done differently inresponding to Hurricane Katrinaor Hurricane Rita?

BROWN: Good leadership isessential during difficult times. Inthe last weeks we have seen thebenefits of strong leadership duringa crisis, as well as the disastrousconsequences when it is lacking. Agood leader must also have a goodplan and good execution.

Our response to HurricaneKatrina is admirable, and much ofthe response to Rita is positive aswell. Obviously, the evacuation ofthe Houston area can be improved,particularly in terms of getting fuelto motorists, better use of otherforms of transportation, and earlyaccess to “contra-flow” lanes on thehighways. I also think local govern-ment can set up a communicationnetwork with citizens by using civicclubs and super-neighborhoodorganizations to disseminate timelymessages on a neighborhood level.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10)how would you rate our city’sresponse to the recent nationaldisaster?

BROWN: 7.5, based on theneed for better coordination andpre-planning.

improvements in our Police andfirefighters to protect our citizensand neighborhoods and work closerwith the County, State and Federalgovernment in securing the fundsneeded to make the improvements.These are accomplishable goals andI am the candidate most experiencedwith business, environmental andfinancial issues and most capable ofhelping the Administration and allthe citizens achieve these goals.


ELFORD: My greateststrength lies in my ability to not justaddress and correct problems but tomake changes that result in lasting

Elfordcontinued from P.4B

rently a Trustee for the HoustonCommunity College System. Iknow how City government worksand how to get things done.

As a management consultantand attorney in the private sector, Ihave worked with public organiza-

Aiyercontinued from P.4B

and continually improving longterm solutions. My communicationskills, experience and relationshipson the County, State and Federallevels will help the entire Counciland City obtain the resources weneed to take Houston to the nextgreat level.


ELFORD: I believe thatdetermined and responsive leader-ship is critical in such situations.Houston responded in a first classmanner as did our Leaders in bothKatrina and Rita. And of coursethere are lessons to be learned. Inthe future we must be more specificin terms of what areas need to bemandated to evacuate. And wemust be more prepared to meetthe needs associated with trans-portation caused by such massmovement, such as fuel. I haverecommended establishing fueldepots at all arterial truck weighstations in evacuation routes andbe prepared to fill those depotswith fuel on a rapid basis.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) howwould you rate our city’s response tothe recent national disaster?

ELFORD: Overwhelmingly a 10.

portation and childcare. I am a for-mer small business owner andworked for the Texas Comptroller’sLocal Government AssistanceDivision. I have started successfulnonprofit organizations. I’ve been aleader bringing people together tofight gangs and drugs in my neigh-borhood, start an inner city LittleLeague, create after-school andwomen’s healthcare programs, andrevitalize parks.

My work in jobs creation andeconomic development has givenme the experience Houston needsnow. I have worked in every com-munity in this city. That’s why Ihave the support of diverse leaderslike Congressman Al Green,Representative Garnet Coleman,Commissioner Sylvia Garcia,Council Member Adrian Garcia,and Rev. Bill Lawson.


LOVELL: My greateststrength is that I care about people,my neighborhood and my city.Because I care, I have been active inmy church, my neighborhood andmy children’s schools, and in work-ing to improve the quality of life formany different communities.


LOVELL: We learned fromKatrina and Rita how important ourcity government is in a time of cri-sis. The partnerships that werebrought together between the cityand the county worked. This modelshould continue as we move for-ward. But clearly, the issue of traf-fic congestion during an evacuationhas to be fixed.


Lovellcontinued from P.4B

the need for emergency room visitsand saving taxpayer dollars. Ifought for and helped pass astronger smoking ordinance, helpedroll back property taxes, andworked to pass a resolution to endthe San Jacinto Rail project whichwould have routed toxic chemicalsthrough the East End, SouthHouston and Clear Lake. I am astrong supporter of HomelandSecurity and the preservation ofEllington Field. In order to moveour city forward, I need your sup-port and your vote.


SEKULA-GIBBS: Since join-ing City Council I have workedhard to increase the number of fed-erally qualified community healthclinics from one to nine, with fourmore in the wings. Yet, HarrisCounty qualifies for twenty-fivesuch clinics and the need is great,with over one million uninsured.These clinics provide high qualityhealth care to low-income and unin-sured Houstonians on a sliding scalebasis, helping to take pressure off ofcrowded emergency rooms. Mygoal is to improve access to healthcare for every Houstonian, reducingthe high infant mortality rate,improving childhood immunizationsand reversing dangerous childhoodobesity trends that are so devastat-ing to minority communities.

TAYLOR: In your opinion howimportant is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anythingyou would do differently inresponding to Hurricane Katrinaor Hurricane Rita?

SEKULA-GIBBS: Decisiveleadership is crucial in times of cri-sis. We need effective communica-tion between elected officials so wecan have more information on whois to shelter in place and who needsto evacuate. When a mandatoryevacuation is called, we must imme-diately implement contra flow laneson all major freeways and highwaysand have regular stops for gas andwater. We should evacuate citizensby zip code instead of by zones,which was very confusing to some.We should also consider passengerrail and freight rail for short out-of-town evacuation trips. Theyshould be equipped with toiletsand water, and clearly marked asemergency vehicles. In times ofcrisis things will go wrong, butpracticing will help reduce therisks to our most vulnerable: theelderly, the very young, the dis-abled, the ill and our pets.


SEKULA-GIBBS: Houstonhas done a good job of dealing withtwo very different but very chal-lenging disasters. With HurricaneKatrina, we opened the gates of thecity to receive visitors from NewOrleans who were in serious need ofshelter, food, clothing and medicalcare. These were provided in atimely, respectful and professionalmanner. With Hurricane Rita, over2 million Houston-area residentsbecame evacuees. We learned someimportant lessons about mandatoryevacuations and will hopefully be

Sekula-Gibbscontinued from P.4B

better prepared for the next disaster,whether natural or man-made.

tions to improve their processes andperformance. I will do the same atCity Hall to get the most out of tax-payer dollars.

Houston is a great city of hopeand opportunity, but we face chal-lenges. We must improve publicsafety, repair our aging infrastruc-ture, revitalize communities andexpand economic opportunity forall. Community needs are great andresources are scarce, but with strongleadership on Council, workingwith the mayor, we can achieve abright future for Houston.


AIYER: I have been able,in both public service and theprivate sector, to develop innova-tive solutions to difficult prob-lems. The City faces challengesand the budget is tight. City gov-ernment must think “outside thebox” to meet these challenges.

The City must look at work-ing with other local governmentsand the private sector to maxi-mize taxpayer dollars and deliveryof vital services, such as publicsafety protection and badly need-ed infrastructure improvements.

In the private sector I haveworked with public entities tosolve these kinds of problems, andhave done the same in my servicewith HCCS.


AIYER: Good leadership isvital in times of crisis, and wehave been lucky here in Houstonto have strong leadership fromthe City and County.

Looking back at any situa-tion, there are always thingsthat can be done better. Theevacuation for Hurricane Ritaclearly could have gone moresmoothly, and the influx ofevacuees from HurricaneKatrina has caused some diffi-culties. But overall, theresponse in Houston has beenexcellent.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to10) how would you rate ourcity’s response to the recentnational disaster?

AIYER: Houstonians get a 10for their amazing generosity inhelping Katrina victims. The prob-lems associated with Rita’s evacua-tion and those few bad apples whotook advantage of the situation hurta little bit, but I would give our citya 9 for how it has handled a verychallenging several weeks.

LOVELL: I would rank ourresponse as an 8: quick, decisive andcompetent, but with some lessons tobe learned.

I give them the latitude, support andencouragement to enable them tomake a difference in the lives ofpeople we serve.

TAYLOR: In your opinion howimportant is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anythingyou would do differently inresponding to Hurricane Katrinaor Hurricane Rita?

BERRY: Good leadership isextremely important. DuringHurricane Katrina and HurricaneRita, the nation saw that Houston isa city of heroes, from our policeofficers and firefighters who puttheir lives on the line every day toour school children who volun-teered their time to help those lessfortunate. Each of these heroes,however, looked to the City leader-ship to coordinate and guide themin these efforts. Outstanding lead-ership ensured that resources andmanpower were directed to theareas where they were most, andthat our City employees and citi-zens worked together to providea great result.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10)how would you rate our city’sresponse to the recent national disas-ter?

BERRY: I rate our city’sresponse as a 9. While our responsewas outstanding, we can learn fromour recent experiences to improveour response during the next crisis.

Berrycontinued from P .4B

North Harris College and theUniversity of Houston; and servedas a legislative aid in the TexasHouse of Representatives.

I hold a Master of BusinessAdministration Degree fromHouston’s University of St. Thomasand a Bachelor of Arts Degree fromSam Houston State University.

My professional career is as abusiness and technology consultantworking for Fortune 500 companiesand government agencies, likeNASA, in bringing business solu-tions to market that enhance profitsor cut operational costs. I have 15years of experience in managingprofit and loss centers where my per-formance is measured on commit-ments made and commitments kept;and, the bottom-line is execution.


STOMA: I am a proven busi-ness and technology problem solverwho has been responsible for deliv-ering and executing business solu-tions for senior management atFortune 500 companies. As a sen-ior business manager having over15 years experience in defining andmanaging business profit and losscenters and I have extensive experi-ence in managing multi-million dol-lar projects, integrating businessacquisitions, and formulating busi-ness strategy. Having a proventrack record in state government asa Legislative Aid in the TexasHouse of Representatives, I haveco-authored legislation that hasbecome law in Texas.

Stomacontinued from P.4B

Please see NEXT PAGE, P.B9

www.peterbrownforcouncil.org

addressing our long term floodingand drainage requirements. It isvital to Houston’s economic futureto rebuild our aging infrastructureand ensure that our neighborhoodsand businesses have proper drainageand flooding protections.

Secondly, we reduced the taxrate for our constituents.

Finally, we have shifted CityHall’s attention back to strengthen-ing our neighborhoods and offeringthem better protections. We createda flooding and drainage committeeto develop long term solutions toour neighborhood flooding. Wemade it illegal to bring in fill dirt toareas within our flood plain. Wemoved the Neighborhood ProtectionCorps into HPD to bring about bet-ter enforcement.

I feel I have demonstrated thatI can best represent the needs ofDistrict A.TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words orless about your greatest strength?

LAWRENCE: My greatest

Lawrencecontinued from P.6B

strength lies in my ability to layaside any personal agenda and workto craft bi-partisan solutions to theproblems which face our great City.

Rejecting pride of authorship, Isimply work to learn all that I canabout an issue and then work withmy colleagues to fashion commonsense approaches to our problems.

TAYLOR: In your opinion howimportant is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anythingyou would have done differently inresponding to Hurricane Katrina orHurricane Rita?

LAWRENCE: I offer MayorWhite and County Judge RobertEckels as an example of laying asideany potential personal agenda andworking for the betterment of ourCity and region.

Certainly, they should beapplauded for working together andoffering such a strong and effectiveresponse to the challenges providedby Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

I think common sense tells usthat we need a direct line of commu-nication to the Governor’s officeduring an emergency and that theState has to react faster to any prob-

lems that surface during a time ofcrisis. In the days ahead, we shouldrevisit our emergency response plan(s)and make any necessary corrections to it.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to10) how would you rate ourcity’s response to the recentnational disaster?

LAWRENCE: 9, there isalways room for improvement!


STOMA: Good leadership isnot needed in times of crisis;EXCEPTIONAL leadership isrequired. Mayor White, JudgeEckels, and our combined emer-gency response teams providedexceptional leadership during theKatrina and Rita crisises. Lessonslearned should include making pro-visions for distributed fuel depotsalong evacuation routes and provid-ing mass transit evaluation centers(perhaps around our Park N Ridefacilities) that would easy trafficcongestion and move many peoplequickly and efficiently.


STOMA: Definitely, a 10!

Stomacontinued from P.12B

Board, I served. As volunteer staff member for

the office of Houston City Council,I lovingly served the constituents ofDistrict B.

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100words or less about your greateststrength?

GALLOWAY-HALL: I workwell with all people, I am a consen-sus builder, and having attendedPrairie View A&M University, Ihave a voracious appetite for knowl-edge and I know and understand therole of a councilmember. Also one

Galloway-Hallcontinued from P.6B

of my strengths is my negotiationskills.

Leadership is also one of mystrong suits. Having organized andbeen elected to served as a PTApresident, Vice President andSecretary of the Heather RidgeHomeowners Association, this skillwas exemplified.

Lastly, I am personable,thoughtful, thorough and caring ofothers. My philosophy is that it isnot about “Me”, it is about “you”.


GALLOWAY-HALL: Goodleadership is imminently importantat all times, not just in a crisis.


GALLOWAY-HALL: I wouldrate Houston’s response to Katrina

Please see HALL, P.14B

LET’S BUILD A BETTER HOUSTON

• Build A BoomingHi-Tech EconomyExpand Jobs, Investment & The City Tax Base

• Build Strong, SafeNeighborhoodsHome Ownership, Family Values

• Build A RealQuality Of Life CityInfrastructure, Clean Air, Flood Control,Green Space, Beautification

• Build Efficient,Transparent CityGovernment Better Services; Less Bureaucracy

—Plan Ahead—Give Taxpayers A Break



Paid political advertisement by the Peter Brown Campaign, Fred Zeidman, Treasurer.




puters in the City through hisalliance with Bridging the DigitalDevise; I Provide summer jobs forover 120 high school students dur-ing summer for the last five years; IHost Job Training conferences forthe District B community; I HostBack To School Drives within thecommunity.


JOHNSON: My greateststrength is my ability to build stronginstitutions and create a multitude ofopportunities for my community.After the passing of several years ofplans in process, good speeches andpromises broken it is time foraction. I have created Jobs inDistrict B I have rehabilitatedhomes in District B. I providedfifty computers duringHurricane Katrina to the GeorgeR Brown Convention CenterPrior to FEMA arriving,ACTIONS!!!


JOHNSON: Good Leadershipin a time of crisis cannot be placedon any higher plain then to say thatat its very nature it can be the differ-ence between life or death Ineptleadership can cause unnecessaryhardship and unneeded heartbreaks.Dr. King said “That it is not where aman stands in a moment of peacebut where he stands in a moment ofcontroversy that will determine thetrue character of the man”.

During Hurricane Katrina wesaw the consequence of politicalfavors and nepotism. Mike Brownthe FEMA coordinator was slow toact either out of poor planning or notrue disaster planning experience.We cannot assume that because aperson has worked on a campaignthat he or she is now qualified to beplaced in a leadership position.Leadership is evidenced by a proventrack record. As member of CityCouncil I will choose leaders whohave shown through their educationand experience their capability tolead. Second, I will listen to thecommunity leaders and when theysay there is a problem and a solutionthat will prevent the problem fromfurther causing any damage to thecommunity I will use every toolwithin my jurisdiction to preventany harm to my constituents. Thirdand Final I will work with all the

Johnsoncontinued from P.6B

fied, experienced officials in localgovernment.

As President of my neighbor-hood civic club for the past 2 years,I have seen the need for effectiveleadership to address the importantissues of drainage and infrastructureimprovement and to provide a time-ly response to needs of the taxpay-ing constituents.

As a former part-owner of asmall business (5-P PhotographicProcessing Laboratories), I knowthat small business is the economicengine that drives our economy,employs our residents, and providesa tax base for our city. I know first-hand the challenges and rewards ofproviding quality service, maintain-ing a physical plant, complying withgovernment regulations, and makinga payroll. As a member of CityCouncil, my small business experi-ence will be the standard by which Ievaluate ordinances and regulations.

As a mother, as a homeowner,and as a community leader, I knowthe needs of District C and I havethe unique experience necessary toprovide outstanding service onCity Council.


CLUTTERBUCK: My great-est strength lies in my ability towork well with others and to findsolutions to complex issues. I havea track record and a history workingin our community on neighborhoodissues of safety and infrastructure,working as a team captain in theHabitat for Humanity SuperBuild,and volunteering and directing pro-grams at my church.


CLUTTERBUCK: GoodLeadership is essential in a time ofcrisis. The events of the past monthin the aftermath of HurricanesKatrina and Rita have highlightedthe need to have experienced elect-ed officials at all levels of leader-ship. As the one candidate forHouston City Council who has haddirect, hands-on experience workingon flood control matters for ourregion I know how to work with alllevels of municipal, county, stateand federal government both onmatters of preparedness as well ascrisis management.

Any future plan for hurricaneor disaster evacuation must includecollaboration with the State to opencounter-flow lanes sooner, plans fordelivery of fuel and water, a region-al evacuation agreement wherebycommunities are staggered in theirdeparture and return times, plans forplacement of porta-potties alongevacuation routes, etc.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) how

Clutterbuckcontinued from P.6B

would you rate our city’s response tothe recent national disaster?

CLUTTERBUCK: Houstongets a 10 for dealing promptly andeffectively in helping our Louisiananeighbors during their time of crisisafter Hurricane Katrina. There isroom for improvement inHouston’s evacuation planning andexecution following Hurricane Rita.

It is imperative that Houstonwork quickly, while the evacuationissues are fresh on our minds, toevaluate what we did well and pre-pare a plan to remedy the errors.

ing excellent city services to its citi-zens (i.e., police protection, fire,EMS, infrastructure improvements,etc.); 3) Lowering property taxes;4) Promoting partnerships with thecounty and other governmentalentities to consolidate efforts andeliminate duplicative and wastefulgovernment spending; and 5)Fighting to ensure immediate andeffective flood control measures areimplemented to protect District Cand its citizens. As a graduate ofTexas A&M (B.S.) and theUniversity of Texas (J.D.), I alsoearned a Master’s Degree in PublicAffairs (with a concentration in cityissues and planning) from the LBJSchool of Public Affairs at UT. Iask for your support to continue myservice to the community as amember of Houston City Council.


HITTNER: 1) Leadershipabilities; 2) Hard work ethic; and 3)Experience and background in gov-ernment. As the Houston PoliceOfficers’ Union observed: “When itis all said and done, the Union islooking for one thing in the candi-dates we decide to support, and thatis leadership.” said Hans Marticiuc,President of the HPOU. “Like manycandidates, we found George to bevery informed on the issues affect-ing HPD; but what set him apartwas his commitment to making surethe 4,800-plus men and womenwho proudly wear our uniform havethe resources they need to fulfill anincreasingly difficult mission.”


HITTNER: The citizens ofHouston deserve exceptional lead-ership from their elected officialsevery day. Such leadershipbecomes even more critical duringtimes of crisis. What most pleasedme most during Houston and HarrisCounty’s response to HurricanesKatrina and Rita was how our elect-ed officials were able to put politi-cal differences aside, and worktogether to achieve a common andcritical goal of protecting citizens.The lasting effect of these experi-ences is now the proven coordina-tion and communication abilitiesour local, county and state govern-ments. This needs to remain gov-ernment’s goal.


HITTNER: 8.5 – very good;but there is always room forimprovement.

Hittnercontinued from P.8B

C Capital Improvement Project(CIP) meeting for eight years – theonly candidate to have done so. Iam also the only candidate who hasattended CIP meetings in all 9 Districts,demonstrating a long-term commitmentto learning about city-wide problemsand improvement efforts.

In addition, I owned a smallbusiness for several years. Myexperience as a “hands on” manag-er, working with tight budgets and asmall staff to meet diverse needs, isan asset needed by the futureCouncil Member. District C needsa Council Member who has thematurity and experience to get thejob done and will make serving theresidents of District C their highestpriority. I am that candidate.


SIVERSON: My greateststrength is my problem-solvingability. I am able to prioritize needsand use available resources toachieve results. I have excellentorganizational abilities and am ableto utilize my leadership skills todevelop successful projects andimplement plans. District C resi-dents need a Council Member whorecognizes the needs in our area aregreat and has a plan for moving for-ward. I am that candidate.


SIVERSON: Good leadershipin a time of crisis is imperative.Good leadership can be the differ-ence between success and failure,and in extreme cases, life or death.Hindsight is always 20/20. It iseasy to see things that should havebeen done differently after the fact.I applaud city and county officialsand employees for their efforts dur-ing recent weeks. Now that thehurricanes have passed, we mustassess the job that was done atevery level and work to improveour response. Long-standingassumptions about disaster responsemust be reevaluated. When massdisasters occur, buses should not bekept waiting in the parking lots forlong periods of time, or worse,turned away from the Astrodome.Initial coordination of volunteerscould be greatly improved. Spaceshould be provided inside forpeople to wait and water andbathroom facilities should beavailable at all times.

As for the evacuation prior toHurricane Rita, contraflow lanesmust be opened earlier and lawenforcement officials must be sta-tioned at bottlenecks as soon asevacuations are ordered. Gas andwater must be available on evacua-tion routes and citizens must beadvised to prepare for heat, thirstand hunger during prolonged trips.


SIVERSON: I would give thecity 10 points. I think our citizensresponded in such a compassionateand generous way to the survivorsof Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Cityand County officials and employeeswent above and beyond the call ofduty to see that citizens in needreceived help. We must continue tobuild on our successes and imple-ment changes that will better pre-pare us for future disasters.

Siversoncontinued from P.8B

First and foremost I am com-mitted to making our City and thisDistrict a better place to live for ourfamilies and neighbors. I will beresponsive to my constituents. Youare the greatest asset to the District,and I want to make sure that Irespond to your concerns-on deedrestrictions, traffic projects and safe-ty issues. When you call or emailmy office, I plan to get back withyou within 24 hours. And to makethe office more accessible I proposeto have weekend office hours atlocal libraries-so that you can bringyour concerns directly to me.Finally, I will push for efficient useof city assets and resources.


LEE: My greatest strengths aremy professional background and mycommunity. I am a tax lawyer andCPA currently serving as anAssociate General Counsel in theLegal Department of AIG AmericanGeneral. I currently serve on theboards of Children at Risk; SPARKPark; Marilyn Estates CivicAssociation; and the board of theUH Law Alumni Association. I ama graduate of the United Way ‘sProject Blueprint and a senior fel-low of American Leadership Forum.Also I am member of theDowntown Association, theDowntown Kiwanis Club, theUniversity of Houston AlumniOrganization, and the Texas Exes.


LEE: Leadership is extremelyimportant in times of crisis. In situ-ations such as Rita and Katrina, citi-zens look to elected officials to pro-vide answers, direction and reassur-ances. Leading in times of crisisrequires that our city elected offi-cials be visible and available; com-municate supportively, carefullyand regularly; control theirbehavior and reactions; and givethe situation perspective to createalignment of purpose.

I believe the City and County,given the circumstances, respondedextremely well to the HurricanesKatrina and Rita. With regard to theevacuation from Hurricane Rita, myprimary concerns were the slownessof converting inbound highwayroads into counter flow lanes and thelack of fuel on evacuation routes.


LEE: I would give the City a“7” on its recent response to Rita.

Leecontinued from P.8B

of the Speakers Bureau and laterbecame the coordinator. Was a partof the planning and implementationof the SHARE program for seniorcitizens and wrote the first SHAREbrochure. Three years in the PrivateSector as a Director of CommunityOutreach and Spokesperson for theHouston Eye Clinic. I was responsi-ble for planning the opening of fiveof the nine clinics as well as coordi-nating health fairs. The last 14

Allencontinued from P.8B

Galloway-Hallcontinued from P.13B

departments involved in the disasterto ensure that the communicationbreakdown between the Governorand the Department ofTransportation that happened duringRita does not happen in my office.TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10)how would you rate our city’sresponse to the recent national dis-aster?

JOHNSON: In light of theamount of people involved in theevacuation I must commend theMayor for a job well done by giv-ing the city an 8.

as a 10 (ten). Before Katrina vic-tims asked for The City ofHouston’s help, City leaders extend-ed their hand of assistance, cancel-ing conventions and entertainmentengagements to create a “One Stopfacility” complete with cafeteria,pharmacy, dentist, gymnasium andmore for the victims of this horriblenatural disaster.

I would give The City ofHouston a 9 (nine) on a scale of (1to 10). Because Hurricane Ritamarked Houston’s first disasterevacuation, it was not perfect.However, I believe that because ofthe lessons learned during Rita, Cityleaders will perform much better infuture disasters.

Please see ALLEN, P.6BVote! Nov. 8, 2005!


years in Public Service as aCommunity Liaison andAdministration Manager in thePublic Affairs Division of HPDserving under four Police Chiefs.Directly responsible for all activitiesof the four Ministers Againstgroups, planned and coordinatedcultural diversity workshops, theChief’s Crime Summits, the Multi-Cultural Receptions and the Chief’sAnnual Grandparents Luncheon.


ALLEN: My greatest strengthsinclude getting along with diversegroups of people and workingtogether to get projects accom-plished. I enjoy helping people andsharing knowledge. I am blessed tobe “ old enough to know how it wasand young enough to appreciatehow life is today.”


ALLEN: Good leadership is

needed at all times, especially in

time of crisis. You must have a per-

son that can look at a situation,

come up with a plan and have the

nerve to implement the plan. A

good leader must be able to make a

decision. The one thing I possibly

works projects such as drainage andflood control, mobility and trans-portation, pedestrian safety, infra-structure and historic architecturalpreservation. I have been a strongvoice for results in the area of com-pliance by the city with accessibili-ty for persons with disabilities. Ihave also fought for tax fairness par-ticularly for small business ownersand homeowners against taxation byquasi-governmental agencies.


JONES: My personal strengthincludes the ability to listen to citi-zens, evaluate options, and recom-mend appropriate actions on issuesimportant to the community. As a

Jonescontinued from P.8B

result, I have been able to consis-tently bring leadership in gettingthings done in a bipartisan manner.

TAYLOR In your opinion howimportant is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anythingyou would have done differently inresponding to Hurricane Katrina orHurricane Rita?

JONES: Leadership is criticalin any serious endeavor and particu-larly in a time of crisis. Citizensneed to be able to trust the judgmentof their leaders to make the rightdecisions at critical times. TheHurricane Rita evacuation, whileconsidered a success by many,demonstrated that more coordina-tion, planning and education in themovement of virtually an entire cityneeds to be developed. All of us canuse the Rita experience as a learningexercise to improve upon ourresponse in the future. HurricaneKatrina demonstrated the importanceof leadership to make quick sounddecisions and to act in a humanitari-an way to the interest of the evac-uees. We now have that ability toassess our homeland security plansand evaluate our readiness in similarsituations in the future.


I would rate our city’s responseto hurricane Katrina as an 8 or A-and hurricane Rita, a 7 or B-.Katrina required coordination of thecity and county to quickly prepareshelter, medical care, clothing, foodand water to evacuees. The city and

county responded in an exemplarymanner. Citizens, businesses, reli-gious organizations and other non-profits also responded with atremendous outpouring of support.The generosity of citizens in volun-teering time, money, shelter, goodsand services made the Katrinarelief effort a model of humanitari-an effort to the nation and world.

With respect to Rita, gridlockand confusion on the freeways, lackof fuel, food, water and EMS serv-ice, demonstrates the urgency todevelop a comprehensive plan ofevacuation. Any evacuation planneeds to coordinate the entire effortof local, state and federal govern-ment in a more unified approach inan emergency.

ance sheet preparation.I have beenrunning a profitable mortgage com-pany called Atlas Mortgage, locatedin the heart of District F. I havealso trained many young people inthe art of managing mortgage busi-ness, for the past twelve years. Ihave extensively traveled aroundthe World. It has broadened myintellectual horizon that I can takecorrect decisions when faced withproblems and issues. During mynumerous travels, I have alsoobserved the functioning and set upof many types of government. Thiswill enabled me to serve the

City of Houston efficiently

Shikecontinued from P.8B

and effectively. I have also been pro-ducing and directing educational andcurrent affairs documentary movies.. For the past 10 years, I have beenhosting a highly rated Radio and TVtalk show, known as “Voice ofFreedom.” This experience hasgiven me a deeper insight of humanvalues, its problems and solutions.During the last democratic electionsin Pakistan, the Government ofPakistan invited me as an U.S.Media Observer.


SHIKE: Listening, workingand sharing with people. I make surethat a project is completed beforejumping on a new project. Never puttoday’s work on next day.


SHIKE: Yes. Good leadershipis extremely important. I would haveset up a better plan for evacuationand would have made sure that therewas gasoline, water and wood avail-able for all our innocent citizens. Iwould have demanded from the“DOT” to make sure that the high-ways are open from both sides sothe citizens would have not gonethrough the atrocious punishment.

Please see PAGE, P.17B

would have done in responding to

Hurricane Rita is planned to make I-

45 and I-10 one-way freeways earli-

er. However, I think the Mayor and

County Judge did an excellent job

in preparing the city for the situa-

tion at hand.


ALLEN: Perhaps I am biased,but I think the City deserves a 10.This was our first, and even with theKatrina survivors, Houston has donea fantastic job in both disaster cases.

Allencontinued from P.14B

www.sekula-gibbs.com

Pol. Adv. Pd by the Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M.D. CampaignItze Soliz-Matthews, Treasurer, P.O. Box 890954; Houston TX 77289-0954

Sekula-Gibbs

FOR A HEALTHY HOUSTON• Increase Access to Health Care• Exercise Fiscal Responsibility• Enhance Quality of Life• Protect Neighborhoods• Improve Mobility• Promote Economic Growth• Strengthen Public Safety

Houston City Council At Large, Position 3

Sekula-GibbsRE-ELECT Shelley





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VOTER INFORMATIONFROM TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words or less about yourgreatest strength?

MAYOR WHITE: Probably my greatest strengthis the strength and depth of resources of this incrediblecity. Through building active partnerships with com-munity leaders, other governments and corporate citi-zens utilizing these resources, I can effectively addressthe problems facing our great city.

TAYLOR: In your opinion how important is goodleadership in times of crisis? Is there anything youwould have done differently in responding toHurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita?

MAYOR WHITE: The strong working relation-ship I share with Judge Eckels and county govern-ment officials and leaders in government from sur-rounding jurisdictions was imperative to successfulimplementation of safety procedures. Our duty is towork together to address the dangers our city faces,setting aside political differences and exerting ourleadership to protect and serve the citizens whoelected us.

The unfortunate occurrences of Katrina and Ritahave given us the opportunity to realistically evaluatethe emergency response procedures our city has inplace. I have appointed a task force and we are meet-ing with leaders in the region to assess the currentemergency procedures and make recommendations forchange based on these recent experiences. We aregoing to address the problems head-on and come upwith viable solutions.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) how would you rateour city’s response to the recent national disaster?

MAYOR WHITE: Our city responded appropri-ately to Katrina and Rita both in safety precautionstaken and in aid rendered to our neighbors after thesedevastating events. The evacuation that occurred inresponse to hurricane Rita reduced the risk of loss ofthousands of lives.

While many things went well, a number of thingsdid not. The state’s procedures to facilitate theincrease flow of traffic outside our city as well asensuring sufficient fuel along evacuation routes werenot successful. Consequently, too many people evacu-ating were caught in gridlock. The resolution of theseproblems, which aren’t within the control of local offi-cials, will be the focus of the task force that theGovernor, Judge Eckels and I have appointed.

Whitecontinued from P.2B

Important 2005 Dates To Remember:OCTOBER 24, 2005: First Day Of Early Voting

NOVEMBER 1, 2005: Last Day To Apply for Ballot by Mail

NOVEMBER 4, 2005: Last Day of Early Voting

November 8, 2005: Election Day

engineers. I have provided theWhite House with plans to deternuclear war. During a Koreanpeninsula exercise, I crafted aplan to greatly reduce Korean

civilian causalities. I authored the Global Information OperationPlanning Order for defeating terrorism. I was handpicked to cor-rect the problems of the Houston Emergency Center. I reducedemergency call response times for EMS and Fire incidents. Ihelped the City win over $6 million in Homeland Security grants.

My goals are to 1) Significantly improve Emergency Servicesand Homeland Security, 2) Support an immigration program thatenforces all laws and 3) Provide “smart limited government” thatwill improve public services.

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words or less about your greatest strength?MORALES: Integrity, leadership and vision are my

strengths. General Macarthur’s credo was Duty, Honor, andCountry. I place honor first. If you live an honorable life theneverything else falls in place and you don’t get into a position thatthe end justifies the means. Living an honorable life also makesyou a better leader. Being a great leader means you take care ofthose that work for you and for the one you work for. One mustlead by example for people to follow. Finally, a great leader musthave the vision necessary to navigate the uncertainties of the future.

TAYLOR: In your opinion how important is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anything you would have done different-ly in responding to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita?

MORALES: Leadership is a critical component in times of acrisis. Experience is also important. But what is needed is leader-ship before a crisis happens. One of the reasons why I am runningfor office is because our leaders were not listening to problems wehave with emergency services. We were very fortunate that theRita missed the city; otherwise our vulnerabilities could have beenexposed. Here are just a few items that I tried correct before anatural disaster: We Need More Police Officers, Fire Fighters AndParamedics; We Need To Improve Our Emergency Planning AndPreparedness; We Need To Receive Our Fair Share Of FederalGovernment Funding; We Need More Emergency Crisis Trainingand Exercises; We Need To Fix Our Old Unreliable EmergencyCommunications; We Need An Evacuation Plan That Includes AllMajor Metropolitan Areas Of The State; and We Need To EnsureThere Is Adequate Food, Water And Fuel Available Inside andOutside The City.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) how would you rate our city’sresponse to the recent national disaster?

MORALES: Katrina – 8. We need to ensure next time thatwe have better accountability of evacuees. Too many sex offend-ers were allowed into our City with out any knowledge on theirwhereabouts.

Moralescontinued from P.4B

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Your Opinion Counts! Houston City Council meetings are conducted each week onTuesdays at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays beginning at 9:00 a.m. Any citizen may speakbefore Council on a Tuesday beginning at 2:00 p.m. To reserve time to address City Council(up to three minutes), contact the City Secretary’s Office (713.247.1840) prior to the com-mencement of the meeting. All Council meetings areopen to the public and held at City Hall located at 900 Bagby, 2nd Floorin Downtown, Houston.


SHIKE: I would say it wasabout six (6) because the highways,gasoline, water and food was notavailable.

Pro Tem, I have the opportunity towork closely with Mayor White onkey policy and budget issues.


ALVARADO: My knowledgeof city government at both theadministrative and legislative levels,my passion for public service, mycommitment to the community, andmy experience in resolving issue aretraits that I bring to this office.


ALVARADO: Good leadership

Alvaradocontinued from P.9B

in times of crisis is crucial. Welearned valuable lessons duringKatrina and Rita. These lessonswill no doubt be factored into futureemergency management plans.

TAYLOR:: On a scale of (1 to 10) howwould you rate our city’s response tothe recent national disaster?

ALVARADO: Our local gov-ernment demonstrated great leader-ship. I’d give us an 8.

offices I was trained to fight govern-mental abuse, injustice, and unequaltreatment. I was trained to stand upfor the disadvantaged. My educa-tion and training in politics and thelaw, as well as my career as adefender, make me uniquely quali-fied to forcefully advocate forDistrict I residents.


PARRAS: Independence.Unlike career politicians I have builta career of my own and now seek toenter politics without owing any-body anything. I have built a repu-tation for hard work, superior quali-ty, and successful results in mylife’s work. I will lend my educa-tion and training to public policydebates. I will study options andmake the best choice for my con-stituents. In the end, however, itwill be my independence that allows

Parrascontinued from P.9B

me to follow through on my convic-tions. If I need to stand against spe-cial interests, only my independencewill let me do so. My independenceis my greatest strength.


PARRAS: Good, strong, com-petent leadership is essential intimes of crisis. Without it companiesfail, countries falter, and people die.

Katrina. I think that Houstondid a fine job responding to theaftermath and failures in theLouisiana and federal government.Houston responded with compassionand understanding to a region thatwas destroyed. Residents respondedwith an outpouring of care and loveunmatched almost anywhere. I amvery proud of the City’s response toKatrina and can think of little signif-icant thing that I would do to change the City’s response.Rita.With the benefit of hindsight, I cer-tainly would have responded differ-ently. First, it was a mistake to callfor evacuations or ring the alarmbell without being adequately pre-pared for the resulting traffic con-gestion. People died and they didn’thave to. On the heels of Rita weshould be more alert to the neededcoordination between local and stateauthorities. We weren’t. And, I’veheard of reports that plans forcounter flow lanes had been dis-missed in the past because local offi-cials thought they were too difficultto implement.

If this is true then it is unfortu-nate for those that lost their lives.Iam also concerned that too muchsuffering, frustration and money wasneedlessly spent by City residents.People that did not need to evacuatedid so because they were alarmedand frightened, not because theywere truly in danger.

In an orderly evacuation, noone dies because they are stuck intraffic. Something went seriouslywrong in this evacuation and morestudy of our response and prepara-tions is needed. The plan was moreakin to yelling fire in a crowdedtheatre. Houston was lucky andour officials need to be better pre-pared, that’s their job.


PARRAS: Katrina — 8 —very little room forimprovement.Rita — 6 — betterthan average response but lots ofroom for improvement.Our recently shared experience withwidespread danger demonstrates theimportance of voting for highlycompetent and qualified officials.What we’ve learned from the NewOrleans is that a city will ultimatelybe judged by the way it treats itspoor and disadvantaged residents.Houston can do better.

Shikecontinued from P.15B

public safety, especially as our citycontinues to grow.


GARCIA: I believe in work-ing hard for my constituents. It is atrait my late father instilled in meand anyone, who knows my workethic, knows that I am accessibleand willing to listen. A good exam-ple of this is my District HC.A.R.E.S. project where I sawthe need to clean up cloggedditches, culverts, and abandonedweeded lots. My office now has aprogram in place where we canclean up these problem areas in atimely fashion.

TAYLOR: In your opinion howimportant is good leadership intimes of crisis? Is there anythingyou would do differently inresponding to HurricaneKatrina or Hurricane Rita?

Garciacontinued from P.9B

GARCIA: A task force com-mittee has been formed to reviewthe city’s evacuation efforts and Ihave already held hearings in mycommittee to review what measurescan be enacted immediately. We arestill in the hurricane season andwhile I was very impressed with ourevacuation efforts and leadership ofour public safety officials, I believewe can always do better.


GARCIA: I would give us arating of 9.

Vote! Nov. 8, 2005!

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to one in favor of theplaintiffs. The city ofMontgomery appealedthe case, calledBrowder v. Gayle, to

the United States Supreme Court, which on November13 upheld the lower court’s decision. December 20,1956, therefore, United States marshals served an orderon city officials compelling them to desegregate the bussystem, and the next day blacks, after a 382-day boy-cott, began riding integrated buses.

Because of her role in the boycott and the desegre-gation of the buses, Rosa Parks and her family werecontinually threatened by Montgomery whites. Her hus-band suffered a nervous breakdown and becameunable to work.

Work With Congressman John ConyersIn August 1957, Rosa and Raymond Parks, both

without employment and without local prospects,moved form Montgomery to Detroit, Michigan. Theirfirst few years in Detroit were difficult. She took insewing, and he worked as caretaker of a building.

Meanwhile, Rosa Parks continued her civil rightsactivities. She raised funds at rallies for the NAACParound the country, and she worked with Martin LutherKing, Jr., and his Southern Christian LeadershipConference (SCLC) for nonviolent social change. In1963 she participated with King in the March onWashington, D.C., and spoke at the SCLC’s nationalconvention.

In 1965 she joined the Detroit staff of DemocraticUnited States Congressman John Conyers, Jr., andworked for him in various clerical capacities for overtwenty years.

During those years, she remained active with theNAACP, the SCLC, and other groups. She frequentlygave speeches at churches, conventions, and officialcelebrations of the anniversaries of such events as theMontgomery civil rights actions and the birthday of

Martin Luther King, Jr.In 1987, she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks

Institute for Self-Development, which offers career andleadership guidance to black youth. Her husband haddied ten years earlier, but she wanted to memorialize hisname with hers in this project.

Rosa Parks’ Retirement YearsRosa Parks retirement from her job with

Congressman Conyers in September 1988 at the age ofseventy-five. She attended ceremonies at the WhiteHouse marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the CivilRights Act on June 30, 1989, was present at the dedica-tion of the civil rights memorial in Montgomery inNovember 1989, and was honored on her seventy-sev-enth birthday in 1990 at the Kennedy Center inWashington, D.C. A bust of her was unveiled at theSmithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., inFebruary 1991. Parks was honored in Montgomery onDecember 1, 1995, the fortieth anniversary of herrefusal to give up her bus seat. In June 1997 sheannounced plans to set up one of the first charterschools in Detroit, the Raymond and Rosa ParksAcademy for Self-Development.

Since 1963, the SCLC has annually sponsored theRosa Parks Freedom Award, and beginning in 1979 theVirginia-based organized Women in CommunityService has issued its own annual Rosa Parks Award .Parks herself ha received the NAACP’s Spingarn Award(1979), Ebony magazine’s Service Award (1980), theMartin Luther King, Jr., Award (1980) the MartinLuther King, Jr., Nonviolent Peace Prize (1980), andthe Martin Luther King, Jr., Leadership Award (1987).In September 1996, she was presented the PresidentialMedal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“I had no idea when I refuse to give up my seat onthat Montgomery bus that my small action would helpput an end to the segregation laws in the South,” RosaParks wrote. “I only knew that I was tired of beingpushed around.”

11 years andhave done busi-ness in the dis-trict for over 20years. I know

what our district really needs. We need solutions toour problems and not just lip service during electiontime.

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words or less about your great-est strength?

K.A. KHAN: My greatest strength is the abilityto listen. I am a patient listener and believe that peo-ple need to be heard in order to understand them andtheir problems. In order to find an adequate solutionone must be understanding and patience into City Hall.

TAYLOR: In your opinion how important is goodleadership in times of crisis? Is there anything youwould have done differently in responding toHurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita?

K.A. KHAN: I believe that leadership duringtime of crisis is very much needed. Citizens elect usto do a job and in time of crisis they expect us to cometrue . During the last few months we have seen natu-ral disasters and we have seen how leaders in differentcities react to crisis. It is my opinion that one’s bestqualities are exposed during such times. I believe thatthe City of Houston did an extremely good job duringKatrina hurricanes by taking in our Louisiana neigh-bors and a better job evacuating our city when Ritaarrived . The only thing that I would do different wasthat I would recommend that we have a plan for ourreturn back to our cities in time of evacuations.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) how would yourate our city’s response to the recent national dis-aster?

K.A. KHAN: From 1 to 10, I believe that theCity of Houston performed a 9. I believe that we werebetter prepared than New Orleans in terms of logistics.I believe that we did a great job informing the commu-nity and evacuating our city. The only thing that Iwould do different is have a better plan for our returnto our City.

K.A. Khancontinued from P.8B

Parkscontinued from P.11B

with the State,county and cityto target illegalitinerant ven-dors that make

our district look like a giant flee market. I led thefirst District F community cleanup project that tar-geted Sharpstown, Alief and Gulfton. I secured mil-lions of dollars more in CIP funding, includingmoney for our parks, libraries and a new multi-serv-ice center. But most important, I have tried toempower the most vulnerable and disenfranchised inour district by encouraging them to exercise their

civic duty. That is why I’m asking my con-stituents to re-elect me to another term onCouncil.

TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words or lessabout your greatest strength?

M.J. KHAN: A city leader must havemany leadership qualities to be effective on

behalf of their constituency. It is importantto work closely with one’s colleagues and to

be able to compromise in order to obtain thebest results for one’s district. I have created

wonderful working relationships with theMayor, my colleagues and Department Directors

in order to secure the best possible results for myconstituents. My greatest attribute would proba-

bly be my relentless advocacy on behalf of myconstituents, my sincere respect for the office I

hold, and wisdom to show restraint when necessary.

TAYLOR: In your opinion how important is goodleadership in times of crisis? Is there anything youwould do differently in responding to Hurricane

Katrina or Hurricane Rita? M.J. KHAN: It is crucial to have good leader-

ship in times of crisis. Good leadership can bequantified in many ways. For me, it is an importantattribute to stay calm under pressure, have a tirelesswork ethic, and to show compassion to those whoare vulnerable during crisis. During HurricaneKatrina and Rita I worked around the clock to assistthose displaced. I was the first public official tosecure permanent housing for Katrina victims, andcontinued this effort long after federal, county andcity officials created their joint housing taskforce.During Rita I walked door to door and developed acommunication network among my constituents tohelp them stay updated on transpiring events. Iworked hand-in-hand with the Mayor and CountyJudge to resolve the fuel crisis Houston experiencedand to restore electricity throughout my district. I amvery proud of the job we did during these difficultcircumstances.

TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) how would you rateour city’s response to the recent national disaster?

M.J. KHAN: There is a t-shirt that is being cir-culated that plays on the NASA expression by stat-ing, “Problem? We have a Houston!” That shirtbest expresses my sentiment for the job Houston hasdone with Hurricane Katrina, Storm Rita, and theearthquake in Pakistan. Houstonians are the mostgenerous people of all the major cities. I am proudto represent this great City, and give us the highestrating for the compassion we show to the less fortu-nate. I would continue to encourage the citizens ofHouston to give their best to those who are displacedand vulnerable.


Gladys

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November 8, 2005

“There Is A Bet ter Way”

FORMAYORCity of Houston

Q: If the power fails or if there is some other system failure, will my vote be lost?

A: No, your vote cannot be lost once you have pressed the CASTBALLOT button and see the waving American flag. Your votes arestored in three separate places, and all data is pro-tected and cannot be lost in the unlikely eventthat the system fails.

Q: How do I know that my vote has been cast and counted?

A: Whenever a voter presses the CASTBALLOT button and the wavingAmerican flag appears, the vote is castand counted.

Q:What if a recount is necessary?

A: This system provides City electionofficials with a Cast Vote Record thatshows what votes were cast on each vot-ing device. Election officials can, if desired, printthis Cast Vote Record to provide a manual means ofrecounting votes and ensuring that results are accurate. Theymay also conduct an electronic recount.

M. J. Khancontinued from P.8B


Q&A on e-Slatecontinued from P.7B


Judge, 308th District Court

Judge Georgia Dempster. Efficient, Respectful, Compassionate and Fair.

Pol. Adv. Pd. for by the Georgia Dempster Campaign In compliance with the voluntary limits of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act. P.O. Box 236, 5315 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX 77069.

These are indeed difficult times for families effected bythe devastating Hurricanes we’ve come to know as HurricaneKatrina and Hurricane Rita. While the times are difficult, I dosee hope for a brighter tomorrow on the horizon.

My court is a Family Law Court, and I see very tragic anddiscouraging situations every day. So, I have seen and feel thepain of families being virtually torn apart. The reason I do notget depressed is the children. They are my all-consuming concern. How can we give them a chance?

The way the people of our great state and others around thecountry have come to the aid of the victims of HurricaneKatrina touches my heart deeply. Moreover, it is this spirit oflove, and caring for our fellow Americans that will give ourchildren the chance to recover from this terrible tragedy.Restoring their lives to a since of normalcy as quickly aspossible is of the utmost importance. As their little livesreturn to a normal state, they will begin to work, learn,and strive to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Theyjust need to know that restoration is possible. I believethis can and will happen.

I extend this message of hope to those affected, and to thosehelping the affected during the very difficult time in ournation’s history.

Judge Georgia DempsterJudge , 308th District Court

Efficient, Respectful, Compassionate, and Fair.


(other than debtssecured by a pledgeof ad valorem taxesor financed by the

issuance of any bonds or other obligations payable fromad valorem taxes) do not constitute or create debt. Anyprovision of state constitutional law that may prohibit orlimit the authority of a political subdivision of the state toincur debt does not apply to those loans or grants.

Proposition #4 SJR 17 Staples - Gattis

Ballot Language: “The constitutional amendment

authorizing the denial of bail to a criminal defendant whoviolates a condition of the defendant’s release pendingtrial.” Brief Explanation: SJR 17 would authorize a dis-trict judge to deny reinstatement of bail or new bail to aperson accused of a felony, if the person’s bail hadbeen revoked or forfeited as a result of the person’sviolation of a condition of release related to the safetyof a victim of the alleged offense or to the safety of thecommunity.

Proposition #5 SJR 21 Averitt - Flynn

Ballot Language: “The constitutional amendmentallowing the legislature to define rates of interest for com-mercial loans.” Brief Explanation: SJR 21 would author-ize the Legislature to exempt commercial loans from stateusury laws that set maximum interest rates. “Commercialloans” are loans made primarily for business, commercial,

investment, agricultural, or similar purposes and not pri-marily for personal, family, or household purposes.

Proposition #6 HJR 87 Farabee - Lindsay

Ballot Language: “The constitutional amendment toinclude one additional public member and a constitution-al county court judge in the membership of the StateCommission on Judicial Conduct.” Brief Explanation:HJR 87 would increase the size of the State Commissionon Judicial Conduct from eleven to thirteen members byincreasing from four to five the number of public mem-bers and by adding a constitutional county court judge.The additions would ensure that the commission has anodd number of members, which is required by anotherprovision of the state constitution.

Proposition #7 SJR 7 Carona - Hochberg

Ballot Language: “The constitutional amendmentauthorizing line-of-credit advances under a reverse mort-gage.” Brief Explanation: SJR 7 would authorize newoptions for reverse mortgage agreements for seniorhomeowners allowing them to draw advances at unsched-uled intervals, if and when needed, and only in theamounts needed, during the loan term. These are in addi-tion to options that would allow a lump sum payment aftersettlement or regular periodic, predetermined equalamounts over a term of years or the lifetime of the home-owner. Additionally, SJR 7 would: (1) prohibit the agree-ment from requiring the use of a credit card, debit card or

similar device to obtain an advance; (2) prohibit thecharge or collection of a transaction fee solely in con-nection with any debit or advance, after the time theextension of credit is established; and (3) prohibit thelender or holder from unilaterally amending the exten-sion of credit.

Proposition #8SJR 40 Eltife - Hughes

Ballot Language: “The constitutional amendmentproviding for the clearing of land titles by relinquishingand releasing any state claim to sovereign ownership ortitle to interest in certain land in Upshur County and inSmith County.” Brief Explanation: SJR 40 would clearindividual land titles by relinquishing and releasing allclaims of state ownership interests, including mineralinterests, in two local areas, namely, a roughly 4,600 acrearea located roughly 14 miles southeast of Gilmer, Texas,and a separate 900 acre area located north of Tyler, Texas.

Proposition #9HJR 79 Krusee - Staples

Ballot Language: “The constitutional amendmentauthorizing the legislature to provide for a six-year termfor a board member of a regional mobility authority.”Brief Explanation: HJR 79 would authorize theLegislature to provide staggered six year terms of officefor board members serving on regional mobility authori-ties, with no more than one-third of the board positionsbeing appointed every two years.

Propostionscontinued from P.3B

november 2005 houston business connections newspaper

Documents

vote matter

single vote cast

better city

houston voter

houston community

smallnumber of votes

sacred right

ofthousands of votes