2019 HOUSTON MAYORAL ELECTION PREVIEW HOUSTON, We Have Problems. HOMELESS CONGESTION FLOODING POTHOLES EARLY VOTING IS OCTOBER 22ND - NOVEMBER 2ND, ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 6TH HOUSTON WE HAVE PROBLEMS WHY SYLVESTER TURNER MUST NOT WIN A SECOND TERM By Gary Polland, TCR Editor-in-Chief Why Sylvester The next question naturally is during his so-called “hiring freeze.” Turner Must Not which challenger provides the best There is also an issue of how Win a Second Term alternative to Turner, both in terms those officers are deployed. Of the of electability, and effectiveness, once approximately 5,200 on the payroll, “Houston we elected? First let’s review the case for more than half are sitting at desks, have a problem,” change demonstrated by the mounting not in cars patrolling our increasingly was the distress problems created or multiplied violent streets. That leaves a net of call heard around by the Turner administration. around 2,300 officers on the streets, the world. It was not nearly enough to patrol 669 a cry for help that engaged the best Public Safety—Turner’s Broken square miles transected by over and brightest minds from a control Promise Leads to More Crime 16,000 lane miles of roadways. By room near Clear Lake, a community contrast, the city of Chicago has not technically within the Houston Most citizens of Houston, or any approximately 13,500 officers, and city limits at that time. With steady city for that matter, would agree only leads Houston in population leadership, those minds went to that ensuring public safety should by less than a half million people. work and ultimately solved a near be government’s most important And then there is the growing gang impossible challenge, saving the lives job. Most politicians know this problem; there are currently over of the three Apollo 13 astronauts. 23,000 identified gang members Nearly half a century later, the city in the Houston area, which means of Houston finds itself in distress but the 2,300 police on the street without any steady leadership in the Turner was ill-prepared are outnumbered ten-to-one. control room to provide rescue or Mayor Sylvester broke a critical even a hope for rescue. In fact, under for the office, which is campaign promise and in doing so left the so-called leadership of Mayor why Houston has the our police department understaffed Sylvester Turner, the city’s problems and our citizens vulnerable. And at the time of Turner’s election four problems that it has; the result? Crime—both violent and years ago have only been exacerbated, and why they are only non-violent—continues to increase. while even more problems have getting worse. And solve rates for property crimes are been created by his administration. abhorrently low. Currently only about The worst of these problems 6% of home break-ins and burglaries are well documented—financial are ever solved. That means issues, looming underfunded fact—because it is usually reflected criminals have about a 94% chance of pension obligations, animosity in their polling—and campaign on success—much higher odds than a Las between first responders over pay public safety with the weight it Vegas casino or a $5 scratch-off ticket. parity, flooding, traffic congestion, deserves. Career politician Sylvester Burglary of a vehicle is even higher— increasing crime, dangerous and Turner is no different. In fact, there is an almost zero percent chance decaying infrastructure and an when he ran for mayor in 2015 he that one of those will be solved. exploding homeless population. promised to bolster HPD’s ranks by But wait, don’t think that Turner Then there is the stench of an additional 800 officers. How much has done nothing for police. After corruption rising from City Hall that progress has Turner made towards 3-and-a-half years of doing nothing, challenger Tony Buzbee decried and that campaign promise? Zero is the Turner has now leapt into action—just which fellow challengers Dwight answer. Actually the answer is less in time for an Election year—and Boykins and Bill King echoed. A than zero, since there are actually has approved five cadet classes for deeper dive into these problems and fewer police officers since Turner 2020. He also negotiated a 7% pay Turner’s failure to provide leadership took office. Turner blamed the lack of raise for police—which, coincidentally leads to one inevitable conclusion— progress in hiring police on a “hiring was followed by a police union 2 Houston cannot afford four more years freeze,” despite the fact that he endorsement for Turner just in time of Sylvester Turner! has managed to hire 693 municipal for the 2019 election. employees not related to public safety, Public Safety II—Firefighters Brave of their pensions. Thus when their for any potential risks to the public’s the Heat, but Left Out in the Cold pension was raided, the firefighters safety represented by the hostility by Turner demanded pay parity since Turner Turner created when he pitted first broke the terms of the agreement responders against each other. Speaking of endorsements…in under which parity was conceded. the 2015 election,Turner touted But Turner twisted the knife and Public Safety III—Would You Like a support by the police and firefighter refused. It was at that point that the Fire Truck With That Bandage? unions. That support naturally firefighter’s petition drive and long translated into votes; after all, if first Sightings of HFD ambulances march to Proposition B—a charter responders believe in a candidate, isn’t without a fire engine at an incident amendment for equal pay—began. a voter’s trust warranted as well? are as rare as those of the Loch Instead of letting voters decide the It could be argued that those Ness Monster. That’s because of issue, Turner fought tooth-and-nail endorsements, and the rank-and-file a City of Houston policy known as to keep the charter amendment off support that followed, were easily the the “All Hazards Response Policy” the ballot. Even after firefighters margin of victory for Turner, both in which results in the deployment of successfully collected the required getting into the runoff and winning firefighting equipment to incidents number of signatures to place the the runoff by just over 4,000 votes. It that may only require an EMS measure on the ballot, Turner and was not just the endorsements that response. Why is this important? his administration stonewalled the mattered; it was the enthusiastic It is because an overwhelming effort, and kept it off the ballot. support by the rank-and-file police number of HFD calls are medical When Prop B finally made its way and firefighters that made the in nature—in fact of the roughly on to the November 2018 ballot, an difference. These first responders 340,000 calls each year, nearly overwhelming majority of voters, worked for Turner—phoning and 300,000 are medical (2017 stats). 298,060 to be exact, approved the block walking—because he promised In full disclosure, this policy was measure in a 60% to 40% landslide. his support for them. He promised implemented prior to Turner, but But the fight wasn’t over. Turner to take care of them, back them up it is one that he has continued. vowed to reject the will of the people and not touch their pensions. So The implications for this policy are and fight it in the courts, leading how did Turner repay the support several; it places a strain on HFD Republican State District Judge of these first responders? resources—deploying fire equipment Randy Wilson to uphold it, clearing He immediately turned around and where it is not needed, and making the way for implementation. stabbed the firefighters in the back those resources unavailable should Unfortunately for the firefighters, by cutting their pension benefits by there be an actual fire emergency—as Judge Wilson and every other judge a staggering $150,000 per firefighter. well as wear and tear on both the on the ballot lost their elections. It is important to realize that these equipment, and on the streets on As soon as the new judges took were benefits that the firefighters which that heavy equipment operates. office at the beginning of 2019, had already earned and that at that Turner and his fire chief should be Wilson’s replacement—Judge time their pension was the healthiest held accountable for this policy that Tanya Garrison, a close ally of and best funded of the three continues to put Houstonians at risk. Sylvester Turner’s—reversed her pensions—police, fire, and municipal Republican predecessor and declared employees—and vulnerable to raiding Harvey Assistance—The Disaster Proposition B unconstitutional. by Turner. Also worth noting is that after the Disaster This story is worth telling since the City had traditionally maintained it shows the lengths to which Sylvester Turner certainly pay parity—equal pay for police and Turner and allies like Judge Tanya isn’t to blame for Hurricane Harvey, firefighters—but the firefighters Garrison will go to cement Turner’s which was a natural disaster. What 3 in the 2000’s conceded parity in betrayal of the firefighters. It also followed Harvey’s landfall, however, exchange for maintaining the integrity demonstrates a complete disregard was a man-made disaster that tens of thousands of our neighbors affected were four years ago? The public predict when the next big storm will by the storm are still enduring. consensus seems to be a resounding, hit. But wasting time is apparently In the aftermath of Harvey, the “NO!” Story after story of blown out an area where Mayor Sylvester Turner administration approved city tires, damaged vehicles and auto Turner excels, which leads to gross contracts worth tens of millions of accidents caused by potholes and unpreparedness.