This is Houston, newsmakers extra, I have Senator
John Whitmire here,
the dean of the Senate been there. 39 years,
nine years before that
State Rep,
and you started running for office. Did you have hair then?
I had here, I was 22 year. Old college student and got
elected knocking doors. Yeah,
do you remember that?
Think about that, as because that’s what got you going. I mean, you’ve
been a public servant. I have not forgotten where I came from and I
know individuals that helped me get there. The first
Time
and it’s my duty, my obligation not to let them down.
They were there’s my motivation for doing a good job.
I mean, I came out Oak, Forest independent, Heights,
knocking doors
and people. Say, put a sign in there. I like you young, man,
I remember that. And I’m not going to let them down,
particularly the African American Committee. The independent Heights
gave a young person, an opportunity
and I have not forgotten it.
This whole process has been really interesting to me. I’ve known you for a long
time and as you’ve continued to control things and
a part of different legislative committees.
What has been the magic sauce
that has allowed you to do what you’ve done
in a legislature that really is tilted, not democrat
or republican but you still have leadership positions within that environment.
I think public services are calling.
I don’t think getting elected at 22 to the state. Legislature
was
some fluke.
I think
quite frankly, I think there was divine intervention,
I had no money. I did it. Knocking doors.
I
believe in constituent service, which is my strength,
I enjoy working with the
local communities, probably more than I do going to Austin,
which can get boring some days because one we already know the outcome
on so much of it,
but to help someone with a son that’s in prison,
get, his insulin
that people are ignoring that family’s request
illegal dumping
is a horrible problem.
I’ve actually fixed it on a limited basis, using some volunteer
inmate
labor.
We will clean up.
Up this city. What do you think’s been the problem? I mean there because he look at
it and there’s a lot that Stout I mean Houston. I always say when I’m doing
my, whether another kinds of things best city in the United States of
America, absolutely are a lot of things that we can talk about and I live
in the city of Sugarland. But this is my community, I’m here.
But,
but we still have a lot to be proud about. But yet you say, there’s
still a lot that’s got to be done. Well, is it not been done the way
you think? I think previous
leadership has kicked the can down the road. Our city finances
are is a mess.
As
you know, administrators say well
our garbage
system is unsustainable,
we’ll fix it.
Fix the finances,
the streets need to be fixed once and for all.
But the illegal dumping.
You know, like I said, a lot of people can come in here and talk about the
problems,
but I have the experience. I have the contacts
to get things done and I can’t explain why other people don’t take
that approach. Did you think about
on the program? You talked about the reason you were running as
Can be used at these are problems that we think you can fix them.
Did you think about other people who might be in the race at all or did
not to make any didn’t
know different? Obviously
timing is everything in life and politics. The stars
were lined up.
I had considered it back as far back as 98.
I passed legislation that created the Stadium’s,
the Sports Authority and its Revenue stream. Hardest thing I probably ever
did
and at that time in 98 there was some encouragement
you’re on a roll
and then Lee Brown came
Back from
Washington,
maybe New York,
and
that ended that discussion. So I’ve worked with nine mayor’s. I’ve seen
what works and doesn’t work.
I’ve dealt with deficits at the state level. I know what you can do
when you have a shortfall of funds.
So
I drive the streets of Houston, the homeless issue, drives me
nuts, the illegal dumping can be fixed.
The safety. In our neighborhood,
we have dangerous crosswalks that need to be fixed
for pedestrian
Mobility. So,
When you have all this experience and you’re a public servant, it would be a
sin
to waste it. You before we started recording. I don’t know if you want to share
this and now but we talked about an area of
of the town where new sidewalks are going on where other places don’t
have sidewalks, I live
in my office is in the Heights.
I’m routinely seeing the Management District and the Washington Memorial
area, and now in the Montrose, Eric tear up
perfectly
good sidewalks.
They want to widen them.
I go to Denver Harbor
on the east side of downtown and they want their first sidewalk.
So
we’ve got to do something about the disparity in Houston. We’ve got
you
know, you go to Uptown on Post open their Christmas decorations
or probably cost a fortune
and then I go to
acres home, I go to other
communities that are just begging for basic services
so we can have the lavish
and then we have the
Harvard’s
impoverished
neighborhoods that want their first sidewalk
this whole process. Now, you’re a stray animals.
You know, bark bark,
bark is broken. We can fix bark will privatized and
put a non-profit and race all kind of corporate money
to take care of our animals. Shut, one of your suggestions is a privatized
Bargains. I will do whatever it takes to fix bark to
to
receive public private Partnerships.
Going
forward in the Statehouse
lasts.
Session.
A lot of things, caught a lot of attention nationally. One of them was the
abortion
laws that we can put in place Texas still has one of the
more strict ones
and there’s I’ve heard that there’s more legislation coming in
the
coming session
to make it even more restrictive. You heard that about anything
we’re to Supreme Court ruling,
they’ve pretty much shut it down. Pretty much shut it down which
I strongly disagree with. I think a woman ought in her doctor
and her faith
ought to determine what she does with her body.
That was a losing
position in Austin elections matter.
But that is not a primary city service.
So
we’ll fight that out in Austin and in the Supreme
Court
but then get back to basic city services.
Be outspoken
for women’s rights,
but
we’ve got to
change the makeup of the legislature or certainly
educate people to.
There’s there’s real serious medical considerations.
I have a neighbor
that is a prenatal doctor, Texas Children.
And so now, we’re requiring
mothers
to have
delivery
of fetuses that are not developed that
quite
frankly,
the doctors talk to me about their concerns. So
what I do is surround myself with people, smarter than me,
experts, in their given feel
they give you options
to govern and then you make them. But
Austin is
You need to work across the aisle,
certainly as it regards to Publix in in the
Surplus.
See we’re not getting our share in Houston of Public Funding
under
Harvey.
Or any other consideration. We need, we need Austin
taxpayers, which we send us
in. Convince them as how Houston goes. Is how the
state of Texas is going to go, you know, what I seen, what
observance of mind is that when things are going,
interestingly here in the Houston
Harris County area,
There’s a
seems to be a bias
against this region
from Austin
because Austin leadership is strongly controlled
by the Republicans
Houston. Leadership is democratic,
but they don’t work together. They don’t talk and there’s plenty of blame
to spread around,
I’ll be different.
I work across the aisle.
I just want to fix things
and I don’t care if it’s a Republican or Democratic proposal,
if it’s going to make Houston safer.
If
Don’t like using cleaner and work better.
I’m on board,
Senator John Whitmire you’ve been at it for a
long time. You still have the energy.
People would say, you know, mid-70s,
that’s time to scream out. I’m out working everybody because
I’m so driven, and passionate about my work.
I’ve been a public servant my entire life.
So I’m looking forward to your history. We show that sir.
Yes sir, thank you for your service to the community.
Thank you. It is valued. It takes a lot for people to
go out and do what you do on behalf of our
Other people and you’ve done that for many years. Good luck going forward. Stay safe
on the tree. Look forward to coming back and talking to you about maybe it
maybe a report card. Well you know you got an open invitation
I know brother.
Thank you John with my this is Houston, newsmakers extra share it with everybody,
you know.