Annise Parker:The Road From City Councilmember to City Controller to Mayor Parker
- Annise Parker
Top Three Issues: Public safety
The economy
Infrastructure
Personal Status: Life partner and 2 children
Annise Parker, a native Houstonian and Rice University graduate, served on Houston’s City Council for 6 years. She’s the current city controller. Her family includes her life partner and two children. She doesn’t mention any specific church she attends.
Her top issues include public safety, the economy and infrastructure.
Public Safety
Her ideas include a long list of well thought out ideas. Among them are: protecting the police department budget, adding more cops, appointing a new police chief, encouraging better coordination with local law enforcement agencies. The list also includes consolidating the city and county jails, using new tools to fight gangs, creating an independent regional crime lab, refocusing on community policing programs and supporting cultural awareness training for cops. We all support ways to reduce crime. I think she’s even more sensitive to it because she’s been a crime victim. She knows how it feels to have something stolen. She wants that to stop.
The Economy
She wants to provide incentives to new businesses and local universities, support public/private partnerships to explore alternative energy (wind, solar, biofuels, etc.) and support efforts to bring more research funding to Houston. Her goal is to create more jobs for Houstonians, which would support the local economy.
Infrastructure
Her priorities include a dedicated fund to fix streets, storm sewers, sidewalks, etc. that is based on one long-term plan, auditing our infrastructure to figure out where the needs are and better engaging the public about how we pay for these repairs.
Parker’s ideas represent some careful review and analysis about what Houstonians wants and need right now. She’s got a unique perspective on how to pay for projects, as well as some ideas on how to cut government waste. In this day and age when the local economy has been challenged, understanding how to guide the city through a fiscal crisis while providing needed services is a tight balancing act. Her time on city council and as city controller could be some of the keys to that success.
If endorsements are any indication, many agree. Her long list of endorsements include some of the influential and respected groups/people in the city. While there are too many to name individually, they include a former Houston city mayor, state senators, state representatives, etc.
So far, Parker seems to have the ‘right stuff’ to be Houston’s next mayor. She’s got some good ideas on needed priorities. She’s got experience in elected office as a councilmember and city controller. She has endorsements. She’s a shoo-in, right? Not so fast. She happens to have two other formidable candidates that have some of the same things. There are also some things that don’t relate to the issues, but do relate to how races are won and lost. Those things are funding and who shows up at the polls. Let’s review them.
As of print time, her two main opponents appear to have more cash. Money is important at this time because I doubt any candidate will get enough votes to win outright on November 3rd. The bad news is that runoff campaigns can be expensive. They can involve more flyers, TV ads, more campaign staff, etc. If the money is running out, it will be more difficult for her to keep the campaign momentum going. The good news is that Parker has earned name recognition based on her time and achievements on city council and as city controller. Those who will support her on November 3 won’t need TV ads, flyers, etc. to encourage them to vote for her again in a runoff. All they’ll need to know is when and where to come out and vote.
Popularity: 24% [?]
