Posted on 12/16/2008 4:29:39 PM PST by weegee
Houston Mayor Bill White used a Web video to announce his plan to run for U.S. Senate today....
He cites turbulent economic times, a rising federal deficit and high unemployment rates in the video, saying "this may be an opportunity for our nation to do things it has only dreamed of before..."
White previously worked as deputy secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy under President Clinton and as chief executive of the Wedge Group, a Houston-based holding company with interests in oil-field services, engineering and real estate.
In comments today, he also highlighted signature domestic issues such as health care and education.
"Right now a lot of our issues in Texas, and in the city of Houston for that matter, involve federal issues, like how do we deal with uninsured people who have healthcare needs," the mayor said. "We’ve been dealing with UTMB for the past couple of weeks and essentially it has to do with a broken federal health care system. Higher education throughout the country is suffering because states don’t have enough revenue to finance all of the scholarships they need. I think I can make a contribution."
White also mentioned his experience with federal bureaucracies from taking the city through Hurricane Ike: "We have citizens right now who can’t get FEMA reimbursement for roofs that were blown off, you know, months ago. I think I can have an impact on that based on what I’ve learned..."
He also talks about his record as mayor, citing his administration's work on cleaner air and cutting property taxes.
"If you are from the Houston area, judge me by my record, what you've seen, my hard work and how you evaluate things that have changed since I've been mayor," White says...
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
White is term limited out. Mayor Bob Lanier was term limited out of office. He’s since given up Lee P. Brown and Bill White, both figures from the Clinton administration and hardly Houstonians of note.
Bob is still kicking, maybe he’ll play kingmaker again.
Wonder how many of the Katrina refugees are still voting in 2 states.
It’s a real shame we never won the office with Orlando Sanchez. White kicked his butt after he had lost narrowly to Brown. I guess it was only close because of Brown
Harris county is moving in the wrong direction and those “immigrants” from NOLA aren’t helping.
Bill White is one of the few Democrats in Texas who could win a statewide race.
Pravda media. Houston Commiecal.
Welcome the socialism. Democrats run this town like a table.
Not this Houstonian.
Our state cast its electoral votes for McCain/Palin yesterday. How did your state do?
Notice I said “Houston,” NOT Texas. Harris County cast its votes for Obama.
Houston is part of Texas. Harris County's votes don't break out the electoral count.
I live in District 7 - one of the most conservative congressional districts in the nation, represented by John Culberson. That is in Houston, in Harris County.
We're not all Sheila Jackson-Lee/Leapy Brown scum.
Errrr, that would be Mayor White and Guv. Perry who invited the Katricians in.
But the west side, especially NW side is pretty red.
When I lived in Houston, I lived in the Braeswood Place neighborhood near Myerland, and our area was fairly red, I know we had a Republican State Rep.
NW Houston is probably the most Red area of the city.
So you can't really paint the entire city as Blue.
At least Chris Bell is out until he runs for something else.
And, BTW, White has continuously lobbied Congress for extensions in payments to the Katrina exiles...successfully, I might add. Thousands of them are still getting free rent through October 2009. Do the math -- that's FOUR YEARS + of clinging to the taxpayers' nearly dry teat.
Go back to Bill & Hill, Mr. Mayor; maybe they'll give you a nice cush State Dept gig.
Good freakin' GRIEF! Is THAT why those leeches are still in town?? I didn't know about that. (I've been away...kind of a lot.)
Bill White sucks more than I originally thought he sucked. This is infuriating. Those ingrates have raised our crime rate and our taxes. This needs to come up in White's stupid campaign.
Bill White for Texas’ US Senator - only if the Katrina people and the illegals get to vote!
I’d vote for Michael Williamson also.
Most true Texans are still ticked off about the invasion of the NOLA riff-raff who are STILL hanging around with their hands out and with “victim” attitudes.
I also live in John Culbertson’s district, and most residents in this area are conservative RED voters.
Those illegal immigrants from south of the border ain’t helping either!
Riding his toy train, what else?
Then, there's always that wonderful "sanctuary city" horsecrap....good God!
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