Section B – Houston Business Connection Newspaper

SPOTLIGHT

B

HOUSTON

USINESS

C

...Harris County ONNECTIONS

SPOTLIGHT

PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS© MAYORAL ELECTION SPOTLIGHT

Councilman Mike Knox is endorsed by Political Analyst Jacquie Baly in his bid for re-election.

Mayoral Candidate Tony Buzbee at City Cathedral Church. Buzbee is gaining the trust and support of African Americans from all across Houston.

Mayoral Candidate Tony Buzbee at City Cathedral Church with Wanita Mitchell (right). Buzbee is picking up support in the black community.

Bishop Delagraentiss has endorsed Tony Buzbee in the race for Mayor of Houston, Texas.

SPOTLIGHT

MLK GRANDE PARADE FOUNDER CHARLES STAMPS HAS ENDORSED BILL KING IN THE RACE FOR MAYOR OF HOUSTON, TEXAS Back on Thursday, July 18, 2019, Charles Stamps, founder of the MLK Grande Parade, and his wife Cynthia hosted Q&A and a reception for City of Houston Mayoral Candidate Bill King at their home. Stamps expressed his support for his long-time friend in a brief statement during the private event.

Businessman Arthur “Art” Smith is running for HISD Trustee for District II in the Tuesday, November 5, 2019, HISD Board Trustee Election.

SPOTLIGHT

CITY COUNCIL SPOTLIGHT

Bishop Destry C. Bell Sr. has endorsed Tony Buzbee in the race for Mayor of Houston, Texas.

SPOTLIGHT

The Honorable Dr. Cynthia Lenton Gary is running for HCC Board Trustee for District VII on November 5th. Early voting begins on Oct. 21st.

Kendra Yarbrough Camarena Values Every District C Voter

The race for Houston City Council District A will feature Iesheia Ayers Wilson on November 5th.

“I am Kendra Yarbrough Camarena and I am running for Houston City Council for District C. I am a mother of two, wife of 14 years, career educator and organizer. I am a longtime community activist and resident of the Near Northwest/Oak Forest community for 36 years. I am committed to an attention to detail approach of problem-solving for the city and its' constituents.”

TRUSTEE ZEPH CAPO

DISTRICT I

TRUSTEE DAVE WILSON DISTRICT II

TRUSTEE NEETA SANE

DISTRICT VII

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, Houston Community College (HCC) will hold an election to fill three (3) HCC Board of Trustees positions for expiring terms in geographic districts I, II and VII.

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019, AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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It’s time to clean up City Hall.

BILL KING FOR MAYOR OF HOUSTON: “The future of Houston is always front and center for our team.

Our youngest team member reminds us every day we're building a stronger Houston for generations to come.”

Let’s put 40 years of experience where Houston needs it most.

OCTOBER 21ST THROUGH NOVEMBER1ST

WWW.BILLFORHOUSTON.COM

ELECTION DAY: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Meet Bill King HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER©

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BILL KING FOR MAYOR: “Jewish leadership from across our city, including the Medical Center, Braes Bayou, Uptown, Memorial and Kingwood met with Bill King recently to discuss solutions to improve flooding and community safety.”

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Houston is America’s city of opportunity. We can show the rest of the country how to run a world-class city where jobs are abundant, neighborhoods are safe, and the streets are properly maintained. However to do that, we need to clean up City Hall and get back to basics. As lifelong resident, I have the experience, the knowledge, and the passion for finding innovative solutions for Houston’s problems.

My career as a businessman and lawyer has often intersected with government giving me a unique understanding of how the city operates and where it needs improvement. Beginning in 2004, I began researching and writing about these problems as a columnist with the Houston Chronicle, and now in

my blog BillKingBlog.com. During the 2015 mayoral election, I was the first to speak openly about Houston’s need for pension reform, which became the leading campaign issue of that election, and led to significant changes in 2017.

Our campaign centers on two themes: to clean up City Hall and get back to basics. We must end the widespread and rampant corruption within our city government. This is why I am supporting a citizen initiative that would ban political donations from people or companies that do business with the city. Gov-

ernment needs to work for the people, not political insiders.

We also must get back to basics. That means city government must focus on the basic services it provides like combating crime, trash pickup, flood prevention, among others.

These are basic services that every resident of Houston deserves, but city government has fallen short in recent years.

Houston is my home. I was born and raised in the Clear Lake area and attended Clear Creek High School. I worked my way through college and law school at the University of Houston. I have served on the boards of various

charities and other institutions like Interfaith Ministries, the Galveston Bay Foundation, Texas Southern University, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston, Memorial Hermann Foundation, Houston Methodist Debakey Heart and Vascular Center Advisory Council, CYCLE, the HISD Foundation and many others.

If you want a city with smooth streets; a city where the trash is picked up on time, all the time; a city where your neighborhood is regularly patrolled; and a city where your family can go to sleep on a stormy night without being flooded — in other words, a government that works for you and not political donors, join our campaign today! It’s time to clean up City Hall and get back to basics!

BACK TO BASICS.

AUBREY R. TAYLOR: “THIS FOUR-PAGE SPREAD FEATURING THE BILL KING FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN IS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR MULTIPAGE ADVERTORIAL AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN ENDORSEMENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL (281)788-3033.

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER© IS PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.”

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Flooding

Problem: Inadequate Infrastructure Leads to Flooding Houston has a flood problem. It is outrageous that some of our neighbors have flooded three or four times in the last few years.

Houston has underinvested in its drainage infrastructure, and has not maintained what has been built. This has left us with a system that is dilapidated and ineffective during heavy rain storms.

Solution: Preventing both types of flooding will take cooperation from the federal and state government, but Houston can also help itself. We must show that we are serious about correcting the problems that have led to repeat floods.

Two immediate things to do: we need to actually put the drainage fee we already pay toward fixing drainage infrastructure. We also must get serious about commonsense regulations when it comes to new developments.

Fixing our flood problem will require a hard look in the mirror, but it’s critical no family go to bed during a rainy night and worry if their house is going to flood.

Crime

Problem: Nearly every parking lot in Houston has a warning to leave nothing valuable in your car and to hide your belongings. And it’s probably easier to find someone whose car has been broken into than someone who hasn’t. Additionally, there has not been a significant reduction in violent crime in the last five years.

Despite a promise by Sylvester Turner to hire 500 new police officers, the department has cut more than 150 experienced positions. Houston has fewer officers per person than it did nearly 20 years ago, and many neighborhoods employ private security to keep their community safe.

It’s a sad situation that neighborhoods are forced to hire private security to patrol their neighborhoods. Unfortunately for those who can’t afford it, their neighborhoods are rarely patrolled.

Solution: Houston needs a properly staffed and properly funded police department. Ninety percent of the personnel reductions since Sylvester Turner was elected have come from the police department. That is outrageous and shows how out of touch the priorities this administration are with those of ordinary citizens.

In order to properly fund the police department, we need to get our fiscal house in order. That means making city government more efficient to ensure we are driving the best value with your taxpayer dollars.

Unreliable Garbage Pickup & Dumping

BILL KING FOR MAYOR OF HOUSTON: “Four years ago, Bill came within 4,000 votes of winning the Houston mayor’s race. He's been given a second chance, but do not think for one minute it will be easy.

Your support, no matter how small, could make all the difference. Let's make 2019 the year we clean up city hall and get back to basics.”

this. It often takes weeks, sometimes months, to clean up these eyesores and public health hazards.

Solution: Houston must have a properly managed solid waste department, that does regular preventative maintenance on its fleet and a regular program of investments in new vehicles.

Illegal dumpers should be aggressively prosecuted and illegal dump sites should be cleaned up immediately. They are certainly not tolerated in affluent areas of the city. Everyone deserves to have streets that are free of garbage.

Corruption

Problem: City Hall is run by and for the benefit of special interests. Campaign contributors that do business with the city or are regulated by the city, have given Sylvester Turner millions of dollars in campaign contributions. This is far beyond the financial ability of most Houstonians. As a result, the city serves the interests of these large donors and not ordinary citizens.

One of the most recent and egregious examples of rampant pay-to-play system at City Hall was Sylvester Turner awarding his former law firm a $6.7 million contract. That work could have been performed for far less, and perhaps even on a pro-bono basis, but because Turner chose one of his cronies over flood victims, about 200 families’ homes will not be repaired. This award was unconscionable and indefensible.

with ending pay-to-pay at City Hall. We must stop the endless cycle of political donations that lead to government contracts. I strongly support a citizen-driven petition to severely limit contributions with those who do business with the city.

Everywhere I travel across this city, people are fed up with the pay-to-play and cronyism at City Hall. They are sick and tired of the fact that people who make large campaign contributions play by a different set of rules than everyone else. They have lost their patience with the city hiding how their tax money is spent.

It will obviously take new leadership to reform city hall. But just new leadership is not enough. If we are to truly end the corruption, we must overhaul our ethics rules and take steps to guarantee transparency in how the city conducts its business. After all, we all know that sunshine is the best disinfectant.

Streets

Problem: Houston streets are an embarrassment.

Sylvester Turner promised to fix the streets, but after his photo-op with an asphalt packing machine, he actually cut street spending 26% in the first two years of his administration. The amount of asphalt the city used in the last year in street repairs was at its lowest level in a decade, and it resurfaced the fewest lane miles since 2014.

BACK TO BASICS.

Problem: The most fundamental responsibility of any city is to pick up the garbage on a regular basis. Sadly that is something on which Houstonians can no longer rely. This is a direct result of the mismanagement of the garbage truck fleet where frequently less than half the trucks are in service.

Also, in some neighborhoods, especially in poor and minority neighborhoods, illegal dumping has become rampant. You’ll find nearly everything from bags of trash to old tires to used oil drums.The city is doing nothing to stop

Solution: Houston residents need to know City Hall is working for them and not special interests. Creating the most ethical and transparent administration starts

Solution: Taxpayers in 2011 mandated a lockbox for street and drainage improvements. Unfortunately, the Turner administration has pilfered the lockbox to fund their pet projects and to avoid truly balancing the city’s budget. We need to treat this fund for what it was intended: a dedicated revenue source to be used strictly for infrastructure improvements.

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EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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BILL KING: “Bishop Leroy Woodard Jr. of City Cathedral Church is one of Houston's most respected faith leaders. Bishop Woodard and his family have a legacy of hosting the annual Thanksgiving Super Feast for the homeless that goes back 40 years. His spirit of servant leadership and work in our community has inspired so many. I'm grateful to count on his support.”

Iesheia Ayers Wilson

AUBREY R. TAYLOR: “THE CANDIDATES ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ONE ANOTHER.”

HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT A SPOTLIGHT

FOR HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL

DISTRICT A

“I’M RUNNING TO REPRESENT ALL HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT A RESIDENTS”

I

Representing ALL!!! For too long our elected officials have neglected our communities with funds and services. I’m going to be the one that listens to the people and hears their needs and take action at City Hall. I want to bring transparency back to the city, I am going to work with the homeless community, I want to reorganize the City of Houston's Citizens Review Board where community leaders along with City Council and law enforcement are on the board to make sure the community has a voice and can be heard. I want to work directly community activist who are actually doing the work to see how the City can better assist them so we all can be successful. I want to make sure Houston is represented in a positive light for ALL!

IESHEIA AYERS WILSON: “My name is Iesheia K. Ayers-Wilson and I running to be YOUR next City Council Representative.

I grew up in Carverdale, TX on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Jersey Village and Spring Branch. I grew up in a family where there were five children so I definitely know how to pull my weight as the fourth child. I pride myself on being a hard worker, dedicated servant and a responsible leader. I graduated from Cypress Falls High School and I am recent graduate at Lone Star CollegeCyfair Campus with a degree in Business Accounting looking forward to pursuing my Bachelor's at University of Houston-Down-

town!!!! (soon) I am married to my wonderful husband who always supports my endeavors and believes in me and my vision.

I attend church at Mt. Zion MBC where I am under the leadership of Pastor and First Lady Joshua Davis. I love working in my church and helping as many people as I can. I am here to serve the people any capacity inside and outside the church.

I am not new to helping the community.

I am an active member of Carverdale Community Civic Club and attend other club meetings. I like to remain in the background because helping people is not about me it’s

about doing what is suppose to be done in order to help others grow. I am looking forward to working with every citizen , Mayor and Council Member to help improve not only my district, but the City of Houston. I am ready to get to work for the city. I believe change is something that has to happen rather good or bad. You just have to roll with the punches until you can adjust!”

WWW.IESHEIAWILSON.COM Sincerely,

Iesheia Ayers Wilson

Iesheia Ayers Wilson For Houston City Council District A

Political Ad Paid for by the Iesheia Wilson Campaign,Treasurer Detra Holcomb

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

FOR HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL

DISTRICT C

WWW.ELECTKENDRA.COM Pol. Adv. Pd. For by the Kendra Yarbrough Camarena Campaign, Jennifer Longoria, Treasurer

ELECTION DAY: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

KENDRA CARES ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOMORROW’S COMMUNITY LEADERS.

OUR ISSUES

Youth Civic Connection’s (YCC) was founded by Kendra Yarbrough Camarena. Its mission is to develop tomorrow’s community leaders by allowing students to make an impact today. It is essential that we develop a civic mindset in our youth so that they may continue to take ownership of their community, a community which is a part of each and everyone’s identity. Kendra believes that by investing in our youth, providing them a voice in community decisions, they will become more invested in continuing to build their community.

INFRASTRUCTURE

GOOD NEIGHBOR INITIATIVE

Kendra plans to develop a Good Neighbor Initiative that creates an opportunity for dialogue between community leaders, businesses, TIRZ, Management Districts, Houston Police Department and other government entities on how they can improve the quality of life and support local businesses in their area.

Local business owners and residents can identify a pathway together to create opportunities and address community concerns. Meetings will be held quarterly. There will be no cost to the city!

As a wife of a local business owner and community leader, Kendra believes that creating opportunities for discourse can build relationships between all of the groups working in communities throughout District C.

Kendra plans to ensure that the current Capital Improvement Projects that were pushed back for 2018 and 2019 get priority to rebuild storm drainage infrastructure in District C. See 2018-2022 Adopted CIP and 2019-2023 Adopted CIP for more details on the plans that were pushed back.

She wants to see that through partnerships with METRO, Harris County and the City of Houston that all city sidewalks are accessible to everyone. This means that our team will be working with community leaders to ensure this accessibility is available in their communities and along major routes.

Kendra is exploring ways we can develop safe streets for everyone with experts and local leaders. We all know the areas that we walk, bike, drive, or run where we are at the greatest danger. She wants to empower our voices in the decision-making process.

Great plans are being laid out to improve our infrastructure as we continue to grow. Kendra knows that she does not have all the answers but can promise that she will bring everyone to the table to discuss those plans and coordinate meeting to educate the

community on plans that will impact them and get their feedback.

CONSTITUENT SERVICES

Constituents services are a top priority for Kendra. Her plan is to have a dedicated person in the office to oversee 311 calls to ensure the issues reported are addressed and be the contact person to our neighbors to update them on the progress of addressing the issue.

FLOODING

Both the city and county have established a funding source for specific projects to address infrastructure needs to reduce the threat of flooding in and around the Greater Houston Area. We need to ensure that this money is allocated appropriately and not wasted.

Stay tuned as Kendra is talking to experts and community leaders about this issue and other that are related.

TRAFFIC

Traffic is definitely an issue most of us face in our daily commute. Kendra guarantees to communicate planned projects in and around the city that will impact your drive time. She is also reaching out to experts to get their thoughts on what can be done to create some ease for all of us as we drive across Houston.

www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” whenever we go to the polls to cast our ballot.”

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Mike Knox is a native Houstonian. He married his high school sweetheart in 1977 and they have raised one son; who now serves the city as a Houston Police Officer. Mike Knox obtained an Associate of Arts degree from the Houston Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston – Downtown while working as a Houston Police Officer.

M PAID POLITICAL AD

BY MIKE KNOX

Mike has a long history of honorable public service.

Mike Knox is a veteran who served in the United States Air Force and served over 15 years as a Houston Police Officer.

Mike was one of two officers responsible for the creation of the Houston Police Department’s first divisional gang unit in 1988 and helped create and served on the original board of directors for the Texas Gang Investigators Association.

Mike authored a book entitled Gangsta in the House; Understanding Gang Culture, which was published in 1995. This book added to the knowledge base on gang culture and was recognized in 2001 by the National Gang Research Center who awarded it the prestigious “Thrasher” award.

Mike served his fellow officers as a Board Member of the Houston Police Patrolmen’s Union and chaired the HPPU Political Action Committee. In addition, he served as editor of the “Sentinel” (HPPU) monthly newsletter.

Shortly after publishing his book in 1995, Mike began a consulting business focused on helping law enforcement, schools districts, and communities understand and deal with street gangs and violent youthful offenders.

Mike Knox has served his community as a board member of the Spring Branch Education Foundation and was among the original funders of the Spring Branch ISD “Fund for the Future” endowment. He contributed to the creation of the Spring Branch Good Neighbor program.

Mike was recruited in 2007 to help the Spring Branch Management District develop the Public Safety component of its service plan and worked as their Director of Community Service for three years.

For the past seven years Mike Knox has served as the President of the Yupon Estates Homeowners Association.

Mike has a deep interest and investment in Houston and believes Houston City Council deserves a dedicated servant.

ELECTION DAY: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

Political Analyst Jacquie Baly has endorsed Council Member Mike Knox in the race for Houston City Council At-Large Position #1 on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 AND ENDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

“Councilman Mike Knox is a public servant who values, respects, ® and appreciates our vote, prayers, and support!”

www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com

“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” whenever we go to the polls to cast our ballot.”

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Texas Democrats Must Aim For The Stars In 2020

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Hon. Carroll G. Robinson, Esq.

As Texas Democrats prepare for the 2020 election cycle, our first priority must be educating our voters that we will need them to "Vote From The Top To The Bottom" of the ballot because there will be No Straight Ticket Voting in the November 2020 General Election.

Voter drop-off, fewer and fewer people voting in down-ballot races, was already a problem when we had straight-ticket voting in Texas.

If voter drop-off increases without straight-ticket voting, Democrats may not be able to retake the Texas State House and elect a Democratic Speaker of the Texas House in time for the 2021 legislative session and redistricting of Congressional and state legislative districts.

Down ballot drop-off would also hurt Democratic congressional, state senate, county, and judicial candidates.

Democratic judicial candidates running countywide (all across the state) in 2020 not only need a strong Democratic presidential candidate at the top of the ticket in Texas to drive voter turnout, but they will also need those voters to be educated to go down the ballot and vote for the judicial candidates.

If Democrats do what needs to be done on voter education for the 2020 election, we can not only win Texas for our presidential ticket, we can also defeat Cornyn, take back the State House, put the State Senate in play for 2022, pick up two or more congressional seats and win more judicial seats at the county level.

Voter Education must be the priority even as we register new voters and improve our GOTV strategies.

To do what needs to be done to win Up and Down the ballot and all across Texas in 2020, Democrats must make serious and significant investments in well organized and accountable efforts statewide in rural, suburban and urban communities to Register, Educate and Turnout an additional half a million (500,000) Black voters in Texas.

It's past time for Democrats locally, statewide and nationally to invest tens of millions of dollars through Black media, consultants and campaign workers in Texas to increase Black voter registration, education, and turnout. This is the cornerstone to turning Texas Blue in 2020.

We can achieve this goal--Black To Blue In Texas--with a precinct by precinct-based strategy focused on and organized around state senate districts as the Texas Democratic Party, and our local county parties are already organized and governed based on the same model.

The Black voting age population, in Texas, is large enough to get Black Democratic voter turnout up to 1.5 million voters in 2020. If Democrats do that, Democrats Win Texas In A Landslide in 2020.

Some people have already told me that turning out 1.5 million Black Democrats in Texas in 2020 is too ambitious a goal and if we fall short of the goal, we will be blamed for being too ambitious.

My reply has been twofold:

First, Black voters, especially Black women, have been and remain the most loyal and dependable Democratic voters. The more we turnout, the more votes the party and its candidates are likely to receive and in some elections, a single vote can make the difference.

Second, I remind them that Dr. Benjamin Mays told us that "It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is a sin."

Texas Black Democrats, let's help the Texas Democratic Party and our local county parties aim for the stars in 2020 and beyond.

www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com “It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” whenever we go to the polls to cast our ballot.”

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...AUDIA JONES FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY 2020

“We need change, not broken promises of reform. I’m running for district attorney because we need a DA for the many, not the few.” — Audia Jones for Harris County District Attorney 2020

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2020 Candidate for Harris County D.A. Rolls Out Policies To Keep People Out of Jail

Audia Jones, 2020 Candidate for Harris County District Attorney recently unveiled her plans for bold progressive reforms in Harris County. She vows to increase public safety while ending mass incarceration. Read more about her plans to bring balance back to sentencing.

THE PLATFORM

Public safety is compromised every day in Harris County because our elected leaders choose to focus the

attention of the criminal justice system on low-level crime while failing to solve and successfully prosecute some of the most serious crimes. This approach is costly, counterproductive, and cruel. It creates a cycle of incarceration that destroys people and families without doing anything to make us safer.

The current District Attorney promised that she would reform this broken system, but sadly little has changed.

We are still locking up people for possessing marijuana and detaining people who are presumed innocent because they cannot afford the high bail amounts requested at the direction of the current District Attorney.

We need to rewrite the rules of our criminal justice system in Harris County. We must focus our resources on holding people accountable for the most serious crimes, and investing in evidence-based services like mental health and drug treatment that we know work to interrupt cycles of crime and help people become stable, contributing members to their families and communities.

That’s the justice system Audia Jones will fight for everyday as your District Attorney.

Audia is running for District Attorney because true

criminal justice reform in Harris County requires policies that will:

Increase Safety While Ending Mass Incarceration; End Excessive Punishment; Ensuring That No One Is Above The Law; Support Crime Survivors; and, Build Community Trust.

INCREASE SAFETY WHILE ENDING MASS INCARCERATION

Incarceration should always be the last resort, but right now we treat incarceration as the default way to hold people accountable. People who pose no threat to public

AUDIA JONES FOR D.A.

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EARLY VOTING WILL BEGIN ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020, AND END ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020

“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” whenever we go to the polls to cast our ballot.”

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...AUDIA JONES FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY 2020

“Real change begins the moment we have honest conversations with the people who genuinely want to see change made and make change happen.” — Audia Jones for Harris County District Attorney 2020

2020 Candidate for Harris County D.A. Rolls Out Policies To Keep People Out of Jail

AUDIA JONES FOR D.A. CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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safety should not be jailed, particularly when they’re only there because they can’t afford to pay to get out. As District Attorney, Audia will stop seeking cash bail and will seek to eliminate pretrial incarceration unless necessary to ensure community safety or to prevent willful failure to return to court.

Furthermore, we must recognize that the incarceration for certain criminal offenses does little to increase public safety, and, instead, only makes our communities more dangerous by making people and their families even less stable. This is particularly true for brown and black

families, because prosecution of low-level crimes contribute to a persistent racial imbalance in our criminal justice system- for example, even though Latinos, African-Americans and white people use marijuana at the same rate, Latinos and African-Americans are more likely to be arrested, charged, and convicted than their white counterparts.

In order to focus on those crimes that affect public safety, Audia will de-prioritize low level offenses like marijuana possession and criminal trespass when the trespass occurred due to a person’s homelessness. The prosecution of these cases in particular draws vital resources and attention away from the cases that need it the most, and contribute to racial disparities in our criminal justice system.

Harris County must also focus on programs that build

both the individual and their community. Audia will expand no-fee diversion programs, which have been shown to reduce rates of re-arrest, for crimes such as theft, and crimes of poverty and homelessness. She will ensure that prosecutor-led diversion programs are administered in ways that are fair to citizens and non-citizens alike, and that ability to pay fees is not a barrier to treatment. Possession of small amounts of narcotics will be handled effectively, by treating the problem as one of a public health issue and not something that the criminal justice system can solve on it’s own.

AUDIA JONES FOR D.A.

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EARLY VOTING WILL BEGIN ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020, AND END ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020

“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” whenever we go to the polls to cast our ballot.”

®

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“Real change begins the moment we have honest conversations with the people who genuinely want to see change made and make change happen.� - AUDIA JONES

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...AUDIA JONES FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY 2020

2020 - TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 -

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Political advertising paid for by the Committee to Elect Audia Jones, Tony Eiland, Treasurer.

“We need change, not broken promises of reform. I’m running for district attorney because we need a DA for the many, not the few.” — Audia Jones for Harris County District Attorney 2020

2020 Candidate for Harris County D.A. Rolls Out Policies To Keep People Out of Jail

ENDING EXCESSIVE PUNISHMENT

Harris County has sent more people to death row than any other county in Texas. The retrograde practice risks the execution of a wrongly convicted person, serves no purpose beyond retribution, and is disproportionately applied to people of color. As District Attorney, Audia Jones will use her voice at the legislature to oppose capital punishment in Texas and she will end Harris County’s ignoble position as one of the country’s largest producers of death sentences and executions.

Our prisons have become one of the largest health care providers in the country for older Americans who have spent decades behind bars for crimes they committed in their youth. Moreover, there are thousands of people serving long or life sentences in Texas that have served enough time, transformed their lives while incarcerated, and no longer present any serious safety risk to the community. Audia Jones will actively advocate for parole and compassionate release for those who are elderly or sick, and for everyone who has earned a second

chance to re-enter society as a productive neighbor and community member.

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW

While our criminal justice system targets the poor, people of color, the homeless, and those who are mentally ill, more serious crimes and abuses of power are far too often left unpunished. This is why Audia Jones will follow best practices and expand oversight to hold all individuals equally accountable under the law including, Powerful Actors, to increase public trust in law enforcement while decreasing socially-damaging crimes.

We must also make sure that the people and corporations who commit serious harms to our environment through their criminal actions are held accountable, and that people and corporations that steal wages from our most vulnerable communities are not able to do so without consequence.

Finally, it is a black-eye to our justice system that nearly 40% of homicides go unsolved. Nothing under-

mines confidence in the law and respect for law enforcement than failing to solve murders while focusing resources on marijuana prosecutions.

We have too much punishment and too little accountability. As District Attorney, Audia will ensure that resources saved by ending unnecessary prosecution and imprisonment of poor people will be redirected to investigate high-level and violent cases in an adequate and timely manner, ensuring that we can justly prosecute those offenses that affect our communities the most, in a way that does not punish race or poverty.

SUPPORT CRIME SURVIVORS

For too long, the primary way that prosecutors show crime survivors that we care about the harm done to them is to treat the person who committed the harm as harshly as possible — locking them up and throwing away the key. However, a recent survey of Texas crime survivors shows that harsh treatment of the offender is not the support that survivors want or need.

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treatment, mental health services, or job training we make people more stable and connected to their communities, and therefore less likely to be a perpetrator or victim of crime in the future.

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What crime survivors want most is to make sure that the harm never happens to them or anyone else again.

This is especially important because crime survivors often live in the same homes and often even in the same bodies as people who perpetrate harm. Since most people who go to jail or prison will re-enter society again, the smartest course of action is to focus resources on stopping the cycle of harm.

That’s why the vast majority of crime survivors want their elected leaders to focus just as much on investing far more resources on treatment and prevention as they do on punishment. Instability and vulnerability breed cycles of harm and violence. So, when we focus on drug

BUILDING COMMUNITY TRUST

Audia Jones recognizes that repeated systemic failures and broken promises of reform have severely eroded public trust in Harris County’s criminal justice system. Under her leadership, the Harris County D.A.’s Office will establish a community advisory board to provide community leaders with a public forum to voice concerns or provide feedback regarding office policies and actions.

The District Attorney’s office will also assign public points of contact for communities, hold frequent town halls for public comment, and clearly communicate reasons for prosecutorial action or inaction regarding cases

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in the public interest.

Audia will use her platform as Harris County District Attorney to advocate for important policy reforms and investment in our communities, such as in education, housing, and healthcare, and pledges to work with other county officials and departments to meet these shared goals.

It’s long past time to acknowledge that Harris County’s social and economic problems will not be solved by prosecution and incarceration. We will build a safer, stronger Harris County by holding more people accountable, ending excessive punishment, and decreasing our bloated jail and prison populations and preparing people to thrive back home in their families and communities.

After enduring decades of abuse and mistreatment, our communities have had enough. We need big, bold reform not more broken promises. Audia Jones is running for District Attorney because we need a District Attorney who will fight for all of us.

Join the Campaign: info@audiajones.com

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