I believe our city is purposed to provide those things that citizens cannot easily provide for themselves—Fire, EMS, Police, and Infrastructure.  As Mayor, I will place priority on providing these essential city services.

As Mayor, I will listen to the will of the people.  Comments and suggestions from Houstonians will be welcomed and encouraged.  I will be meticulous and efficient when making financial decisions; especially, those decisions that have a profound effect on future generations.  Issues important to citizens will be addressed in a timely and deliberate manner, without flip flopping based on the latest political polls.

My team will listen to and work with private industry (large, medium, small, and micro businesses) to help create a path to success for existing and start-up businesses.

I will ensure that city government is impartial when imposing taxes, permits, and franchise fees; furthermore, I'll review the original objective of all the permits and fees to determine whether or not they should be continued, adjusted, or abandoned.

Business owners have spoken and I have listened.  When elected I will reevaluate the cumbersome permit process.  I will continuously seek win/win relationships with those companies doing business in, and with, the city of Houston.

As Mayor I will work to rescind the new Drainage Tax.

It’s been said, “If you want less of something, tax it.”  I believe we need more churches, schools, and non-profits, not less, so I find it difficult to understand why my opponent insists on taxing these most cherished organizations in our community.

Furthermore, when a voter knows how they want to vote on a particular issue, they shouldn't find themselves in a voting booth questioning whether “for” actually means “for” and “against” really means “against”.  The language should be simple and clear to understand.

It’s unacceptable for city hall to dictate what type of door or window a homeowner must install; especially, those on a fixed income.

I propose a win/win relationship between those for and against forced historical preservation.  The rules required of a historic district should not apply to those residents already living in the district; however, future homeowners moving into the district will be expected to adhere to the historic preservation requirements and this fact must be made clear prior to the purchase of the affected home.

As Mayor, my administration will be proactive, work with the Controller, and continuously monitor city finances to ensure that we never again find ourselves operating in financial panic mode.

All good managers know that if you really want to save money, listen to those actually doing the job—the employees. With creativity, common sense, and preparedness, balancing the city budget shouldn’t require layoffs, furloughs, and cuts in city services. In fact, by simply being available and listening to city employees I’ve already netted a number of common sense, money saving ideas.

Listening will not be restricted to city employees.  My administration will encourage input from all Houstonians, including the many successful Houston area business leaders. One never knows who will have the next million dollar savings idea.

Decisions will be made based on doing what's right for the citizens of Houston, not political favors, paybacks, or getting reelected.

As an emergency responder of 30 years, I am intimately familiar with emergency preparedness and how it can affect the well being of our community. Whether the threat is crime, a hurricane, weapons of mass destruction, or accidental man-made disasters, responders will be trained and prepared to rapidly assist Houstonians by mitigating the challenge.

Your safety is paramount; after all, what's the use of having streets that don't flood if you're afraid to use them.  Houstonians shouldn't be hesitant to use an ATM in fear of being robbed. Gas stations and convenience stores shouldn't be considered watering holes for those with ill intentions.  I also believe in protecting our borders and I refuse to allow cartels—trafficking both humans and drugs—to continue operating in Houston.

In 2002 our Fire Department achieved an Insurance Services Office (ISO) number one rating.  A number one rating is the best that can be obtained and affects the insurance rates paid by Houstonians—the lower the number, the less expensive the insurance.  Reductions in fire service delivery and preparedness could affect our ISO rating and possibly increase our insurance rates.  I will not compromise public safety nor risk increasing your insurance premium.

As Mayor, I will work to maintain our Fire Department as one of the best in the world.