Vote Tuesday, November 2nd Edition - Featuring Words By President Barack Obama On The American Ideal

DEMOCRATIC STATE REP. ELECT RON E. REYNOLDS & REPUBLICAN MAYOR ALLEN OWEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR FORT BEND COUNTY - P.16

PUBLISHED BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS I EMAIL: NEWS@HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM

VOTE TUESDAY, NOV., 2ND!

Remarks by the President on Rebuilding America's Infrastructure: So investing in our infrastructure is something that members of both political parties have always supported. It’s something that groups ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to the AFL-CIO support today. And by making these investments across the country, we won’t just make our economy run better over the long haul -- we will create good, middle-class jobs right now. SEE P.18

FIGHTING TO SAVE LIVES

MICHAEL MAULDIN’S NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THE UNBORN: Michael and his wife Meredith are active members at New Life Church, where she leads worship.

They are the proud parents of a new baby girl, Ellia Grace.Mauldin is the Republican candidate for State Senator District 13. SEE PAGE.14.

FIGHTING FOR HOUSTON

PARKER

ROBINSON

COLEMAN

FIGHTING FOR EDUCATION

See comments from Mayor Annise Parker on PAGE - 2, Carroll Robinson on PAGE - 2, State Rep. Garnet Coleman on PAGE - 4

President Signs Executive Order On Education and Hispanics

P.20

President Barack Obama looks over to Javier Garcia of Brownsville, Texas. SEE P.20

GO ALL THE WAY DOWN YOUR VERY LONG BALLOT TO VOTE FOR PROP. #1 P o l i t i c a l

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P u r p o s e

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FINALLY, THERE’S PROP 1: MORE LOCAL JOBS, CREATES THOUSANDS OF JOBS FOR HOUSTON FAMILIES, WHEN WE NEED THEM MOST! SEE

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Finally, Prop 1.

LEADERSHIP IS THE ANSWER Carroll G. Robinson, Esq.* President Obama constantly reminds us that leadership requires more than just continuously saying no.

agreed to require a ⅔ vote of Council to increase the drainage fee after it is initially adopted. After the two new district council seats are added to the city council next year, it would require 12 of 17 council members to agree to any increase in the fee before it could take effect.

More importantly, the Mayor and all the members of Council are up for election or re-election every other year so

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oting against Proposition 1 is not going to reduce flooding in our neighborhoods, help create tens of thousands of good paying jobs in our city or help increase economic growth and development throughout Houston.

Every responsible person agrees that we have a flooding problem in our city and that our streets and bridges need to be repaired and maintained as a matter of public safety. Waiting two or more years to fully invest in repairing our streets and bridges will not make them better, safer or smoother.

Those who want us to vote against Proposition 1 argue that we should do so because there are too many questions. Well, in fact, there are more answers than questions.

Mayor Parker has already agreed to appoint an independent public Oversight Committee to help run the Drainage Program if Proposition 1 is approved by the voters. She has also

that they can be held accountable for their votes by the public.

Council Members and civic club leaders already know the list of infrastructure projects that need to be done. Those projects can be found in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), the Superneighborhood Action Plans (SNAP) and individual requests submitted by civic clubs and homeowners to the Public Works and Engineering Department. The city also has an existing list of drainage projects that will be added to as growth, development and emergencies occur. All of this information is currently available to the City Council and it was all developed with public input through the annual CIP and Budget hearings held all across the city.

It is the Council’s responsibility to tell us the order in which these projects will be completed.

If they want to know my answer, projects in the oldest neighborhoods should go first.

All the questions that have been raised about Proposition 1 can be answered right now by City Council. We don’t have to wait for two years, they could answer all the questions that have been raised in the next two weeks.

Three city council members can call a Special City Council meeting right now to vote on exempting school districts and religious organizations from the drainage fee. They can also vote right now on establishing a low income credit as requested

by The Metropolitan Organization (TMO) and to establish the billing procedure they prefer. What are Council Members waiting on? Who are they waiting for to give them the answers?

It’s their job to provide us with the answers sometime, and this is one of those times.

Let’s ask our Council Members to do their job and Let’s VOTE FOR PROPOSITION 1.

GO ALL THE WAY DOWN YOUR VERY LONG BALLOT TO VOTE FOR PROP. #1 P o l i t i c a l

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Vote yes on Prop 1 for Houston’s future

By ANNISE PARKER HOUSTON CHRONICLE

the best option and it is fair - and because taking responsibility for the future of our city is what Houstonians do. have often said that Houston Is it necessary? Absolutely! Apis a city built on dreams — proximately 65 percent of our streets but it’s a great city because and drainage systems are beyond their Houstonians are the kind of useful life - and at current funding levdreamers who work hard and have els it would take 100 years to replace common sense. That can-do spirit is them. Our police officers say that floodhow we built the Port of Houston, ing and bad road conditions can keep the Medical Center, the Johnson police, fire or emergency medical perSpace Center and even what was sonnel from responding quickly to once known as the eighth wonder of emergencies. Likewise, a hard rain can the world - the Astrodome. prevent parents from picking up their Last summer, 35,000 Houstokids from school or returning home after nians said it’s time for Houston to work. Just a few inches of rain can leave come together again - this time to motorists stranded and bring this city’s solve our massive street and commerce to a halt. drainage problems, and do so in a Is it the best option? Yes, and it way that’s fiscally responsible and will save millions of dollars for taxpaycreates local jobs that we need ers! Instead of borrowing money and MAYOR ANNISE PARKER right now. They signed a petition spending millions on interest payments, asking for a vote to create a fund Proposition 1 mandates a responsible pay-as-you-go plan. For dedicated solely to rebuilding our aging, crumbling streets and the first time in Houston’s history there would be a dedicated drainage systems. Houston City Council heeded their request income stream - a lock box - that can only be spent for street and placed Proposition 1 on the November ballot. and drainage improvements. Your vote would prohibit us from Now I am asking all Houston voters to vote in favor of diverting these dollars for any other projects - with no excepthis ballot initiative. I am asking because it is necessary, it is

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tions. And your vote would mean the city could repair, replace or upgrade every street in Houston that is past its useful life.

Is it fair? On every level, yes. Everyone has a responsibility for helping to solve our drainage problems, and each of us will be asked to pay our fair share, but no more. This includes developers who will be assessed based on the impact their projects have on the drainage system. Commercial and residential property owners will pay a user fee based on their “impervious cover,” the amount of hard surface on their property - like buildings and driveways - that cannot absorb water. That fee is about $5 per month for a typical homeowner with 1,900 square feet of these hard surfaces. Property owners can estimate their own fee by following instructions on the city’s website.

Any city taking on the 36 inches of rain Tropical Storm Allison dumped on Houston during 24 hours nearly a decade ago would flood. But you should not be afraid to leave your house on a day when we get just three inches of rain. You should not have to stay up all night watching the drainage ditch behind your house because you heard the thunder of a typical Houston summer downpour. And, you shouldn’t have to drive your car through water up to the engine to get home.

For about the cost of a fast-food hamburger once a month, we can fix these problems. We can’t afford to do otherwise.

Parker is mayor of Houston.

2 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

Let’s ask our Council Members to do their job and Let’s VOTE FOR PROPOSITION 1. *Carroll G. Robinson is a former At-Large member of the Houston City Council. He is an Associate Professor at Texas Southern University and Chairman of the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce.

Carroll G. Robinson “Be sure to go all the way down your very long ballot to vote for Proposition 1 on Nov. 2nd!”

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! -

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 3

“Prop 1 is our best chance to rebuild infrastructure in our neighborhoods and create local jobs.”

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

GARNET COLEMAN

ENDORSES PROPOSITION 1

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I urge all Houstonians to join me in voting FOR Proposition 1,” said Rep. Coleman. “Prop 1 is a responsible solution that will help prevent flooding in our neighborhoods create thousands of jobs for Houston families.

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OUSTON – Texas State Representative Garnet Coleman recently announced his endorsement of Proposition 1, a measure on the November 2 City of Houston ballot to create a dedicated, pay-asyou-go fund to rebuild Houston’s streets and drainage systems.

“I urge all Houstonians to join me in voting FOR Proposition 1,” said Rep. Coleman. “Prop 1 is a responsible solution that will help prevent flooding in our neighborhoods create thousands of jobs for Houston families.”

Rep. Coleman explained that the city currently borrows money to fund streets and drainage projects, costing millions of dollars a year in interest payments. “With this responsible pay-as-yougo plan, we’ll save millions of dollars for taxpayers and use the money to fix our streets and drainage problems.”

Rep. Coleman cautioned Houstonians that, as in any campaign, there is a lot of misinformation about Prop 1.

He encouraged voters to check the facts about Prop 1 for themselves: “Mayor Parker has

posted her plan for the implementation of Prop 1 on the city’s website. In my opinion, Mayor Parker’s plan is balanced, responsible and fair,” said Rep. Coleman.

“And I respect the mayor’s commitment to make sure that the worst problems will be fixed first, no matter what part of town they are in.”

State Representative Garnet Coleman is a leader in the Texas Legislature advocating for economic development, neighborhood revitalization and urban redevelopment.

He authored and passed legislation that created the Greater Southeast Management District, the Downtown Management District and the Fourth Ward and East Montrose Improvement Districts.

Additionally, he passed legislation creating Houston’s convention center hotel and expanding the convention center itself. Representative Coleman also authored legislation allowing the creation of a commercial and industrial development zone in Harris County, which is designed to promote economic development along the transportation corridors that link Houston-area transportation nodes.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE GARNET COLEMAN

4 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

Finally, Prop 1.

A pay-as-you-go plan to to help help p revent fl ooding, pay-as-you-go plan prevent flooding, c reate local local jobs jobs a nd ssave ave m illions ffor or ttaxpayers. axpayers. create and millions

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or too long, city funds for our aging streets and drainage systems have been siphoned off for other uses. We’re wasting millions of dollars a year in interest payments on borrowed money. And fo for what? More flooding and more traffic.

Finally, there’s Prop 1 : À Pay as you go go

Puts an end to wasteful borrowing so we can use the millions we now spend on interest payments to fix our streets and drainage systems.

À Dedicated fund W We e sshouldn’t houldn’t h have ave tto ow worry orry a about bout p picking icking u up po our ur kid kidss ffrom rom sschool chool o orr g getting etting h home ome ffrom rom w work ork a after fter a h ard rrain. ain. TThat’s hat’s w hy w en eed tto o vvote ote F OR P rop 1 hard why we need FOR Prop 1..

Prevents politicians from using these funds for any other

purpose. Period.

À More local jobs

Creates thousands of jobs for Houston families, when we need

them most.

À More safety

Helps improve road conditions so emergency first responders can arrive on the scene quickly.

À More fairness

PPol. ol. adv. adv. Renew Renew Houston Specific Purpose Committee

The city will use sound science and engineering to make sure the worst problems are fixed first, no matter what par t of town they are in.

À Green solutions

Adds to our green space and improves water quality and recreational oppor tunities.

À Rebuilds our city

Provides the funds to repair, replace, or upgrade ever y street that is past its useful life, finally halting the decay and blight that comes with our aging, crumbling streets and drainage systems.

À Endorsed by responsible leaders:

Houston Chronicle, Mayor Annise Parker, State Rep. Garnet Coleman, Scenic Houston, Houston Police Officers Union, Harris County AFL-CIO Council and leading business and neighborhood organizations (par tial list).

vote vote F FOR OR

PROP PR OP Good Good streets. streets. GGood ood drainage. drainage.

O nN ovember 2 oa On November 2,, g go all ll tthe he w way ay d down own yyour our vvery er y llong ong b allot a nd V ote F OR Proposition Proposition 1 ballot and Vote FOR Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! -

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 5

THE NEXT EDITION OF HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER WILL BE PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2010 • AUBREY R TAYLOR

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HARRIS COUNTY 2010 MID-TERM ELECTION CANDIDATES & INITIATIVES 2010 MIDTERM RECOMMENDATIONS, SAMPLE BALLOT & PROPOSITIONS eMAIL: NEWS@HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM

SAMPLE BALLOT GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS HARRIS COUNTY NOVEMBER 02, 2010 SAMPLE BALLOT GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS, HARRIS COUNTY, NOVEMBER 02, 2010 --- NOTE: The Sample Ballot provides the order the contests and candidates will appear on the ballot. However, the Sample Ballot does not reflect how the official ballot will 'look' on the eSlate or mail-ballot.

Attorney General Greg Abbott - (Republican Party)

State Senator, District 17

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Joan Huffman - (Republican Party)

Barbara Ann Radnofsky - (Democratic Party)

Phil Kurtz - (Libertarian Party)

Jon Roland - (Libertarian Party)

State Representative, District 126

Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs - (Republican Party) Mary J. Ruwart - (Libertarian Party)

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Casey McKinney - (Democratic Party) State Representative, District 127

Edward Lindsay - (Green Party)

Dan Huberty - (Republican Party)

Commissioner of the General Land Office Jerry Patterson - (Republican Party) Hector Uribe - (Democratic Party)

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State Representative, District 128 Wayne Smith - (Republican Party)

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Republican Party

Todd Staples - (Republican Party)

Democratic Party

Hank Gilbert - (Democratic Party)

Libertarian Party

Rick Donaldson - (Libertarian Party)

Green Party

David Porter - (Republican Party)

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Ted Poe - (Republican Party)

Jeff Weems - (Democratic Party)

David W. Smith - (Libertarian Party)

Roger Gary - (Libertarian Party)

State Representative, District 130 Allen Fletcher - (Republican Party)

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State Representative, District 131

State Representative, District 132

United States Representative, District 7 Bob Townsend - (Libertarian Party)

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Bill Callegari - (Republican Party) Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3 Debra Lehrmann - (Republican Party) Jim Sharp - (Democratic Party)

Write-in__________________________

Silvia Mintz - (Democratic Party)

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Michael Ryan - (Libertarian Party)

William Bryan Strange, III - (Libertarian Party) United States Representative, District 9 Steve Mueller - (Republican Party) Al Green - (Democratic Party)

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Paul Green - (Republican Party) Bill Moody - (Democratic Party)

Michael W. Hope - (Libertarian Party)

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Alfred N. Montestruc - (Libertarian Party) State Representative, District 134

United States Representative, District 10 Ted Ankrum - (Democratic Party)

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Jeremiah "JP" Perkins - (Libertarian Party)

John Faulk - (Republican Party) Sheila Jackson Lee - (Democratic Party) Mike Taylor - (Libertarian Party)

Sarah Davis - (Republican Party) Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9 Eva Guzman - (Republican Party) Blake Bailey - (Democratic Party)

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State Representative, District 135 Gary Elkins Republican Party

State Representative, District 136

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2

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Pete Olson - (Republican Party)

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Beverly Woolley - (Republican Party)

J. Randell Stevens - (Libertarian Party)

Gerald W. "Jerry" LaFleur - (Libertarian Party)

Write-in__________________________ United States Representative, District 29 Gene Green - (Democratic Party) Brad Walters - (Libertarian Party) Governor Rick Perry - (Republican Party) Bill White - (Democratic Party)

Cheryl Johnson - (Republican Party)

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Michael E. Keasler - (Republican Party) Keith Hampton - (Democratic Party)

Dwayne Bohac - (Republican Party)

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Robert Ravee Virasin - (Libertarian Party)

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Kendra Yarbrough Camarena - (Democratic Party) Wesley Hamner - (Libertarian Party) State Representative, District 139 Sylvester Turner - (Democratic Party)

Member, State Board of Education, District 4

State Senator, District 7 Dan Patrick - (Republican Party)

Kathie Glass - (Libertarian Party)

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Lee Coughran - (Libertarian Party)

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State Representative, District 140

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Armando Lucio Walle - (Democratic Party) State Representative, District 141 Michael Bunch - (Republican Party)

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Senfronia Thompson - (Democratic Party)

Deb Shafto - (Green Party) Write-in____________________________

State Senator, District 13 Michael Mauldin - (Republican Party)

David Dewhurst - (Republican Party)

Scott Hochberg - (Democratic Party)

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6

Lawrence A. Allen Jr. - (Democratic Party)

Lieutenant Governor

Sylvia Spivey - (Republican Party)

State Representative, District 138

Steven Susman - (Libertarian Party)

Roy Morales - (Republican Party)

State Representative, District 137 Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5 Dave Howard - (Libertarian Party)

Kesha Rogers - (Democratic Party)

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Lawrence "Larry" Meyers - (Republican Party)

Write-in___________________________ United States Representative, District 22

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Ellen Cohen - (Democratic Party)

Jack Armstrong - (Libertarian Party)

United States Representative, District 18

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Kristi Thibaut - (Democratic Party)

Tom Oxford - (Libertarian Party) Michael McCaul - (Republican Party)

State Representative, District 133 Jim Murphy - (Republican Party)

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5

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Alma A. Allen - (Democratic Party)

Art Browning - (Green Party) John Culberson - (Republican Party)

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John E. Davis - (Republican Party)

Joe Spencer - (Libertarian Party)

Railroad Commissioner

United States Representative, District 2

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Joe A. Montemayor - (Democratic Party)

State Representative, District 129

Commissioner of Agriculture

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Patricia Harless - (Republican Party)

James L. Holdar - (Libertarian Party)

Straight Party

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Linda Chavez-Thompson - (Democratic Party)

Rodney Ellis - (Democratic Party)

State Representative, District 142

Harold V. Dutton Jr. - (Democratic Party) State Representative, District 143

State Senator, District 15

Scott Jameson - (Libertarian Party)

Bill Walker - (Republican Party)

Herb Gonzales, Jr. - (Green Party)

John Whitmire - (Democratic Party)

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Ana E. Hernandez - (Democratic Party) -------------------------------------------------------------------------HARRIS COUNTY BALLOT CONTINUED ON PAGE • 20ON RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUED

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THE CHECK MARKS ON THIS SAMPLE BALLOT PAGE REPRESENTS THE 2010 MIDTERM PREDICTIONS OF A SELECT READER GROUP 18 OF • WWW.HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM SERIES RELEASE DATES • OCT 1ST • OCT 8TH • OCT 15 TH • OCT 22ND • OCT 29 TH HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS READERS AND•832.212.8735 DOES NOT •REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE PUBLISHER OR SUPPORTERS.

6 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

Kathy Vossler Candidate for Judge 280th Judicial District Court

“280th Family District Court: Kathy Vossler, the Democratic candidate, is our choice for this open bench, which has been designated to handle family violence cases. Vossler has deep experience in the area of family violence law, both in private practice and as a student attorney for a legal aid clinic. The University of Houston Law graduate appears to have a passion for this sensitive area of the law, which she describes as having one foot in family law and the other in criminal law. In an area where lives literally can be at stake, we believe her commitment would make a telling difference.”

- HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! - HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 7 •832.212.8735 • SERIES RELEASE DATES • OCT 1ST • OCT 8TH • OCT 15 TH • OCT 22ND • OCT 29 TH • WWW.PEOPLEDOINGBUSINESS.COM • 17

THE NEXT EDITION OF HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER WILL BE PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2010 • AUBREY R TAYLOR

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HARRIS COUNTY

2010 MIDTERM RECOMMENDATIONS, SAMPLE BALLOT & PROPOSITIONS

2010 MID-TERM ELECTION CANDIDATES & INITIATIVES CONTINUED FROM • 18 NEWS@HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM eMAIL: State Representative, District 144 Ken Legler - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 183rd Judicial District

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Vanessa Velasquez - (Republican Party)

Rick Molina - (Democratic Party)

Michael Gomez - (Democratic Party)

Clifford Messina - (Libertarian Party)

District Judge, 184th Judicial District

Joel West - (Green Party)

Jan Krocker - (Republican Party)

State Representative, District 145 Carol Alvarado - (Democratic Party) State Representative, District 146 Borris L. Miles - (Democratic Party) State Representative, District 147

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Vivian King - (Democratic Party)

Jessica Cristina Farrar - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 280th Judicial District

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Lynn Bradshaw Hull - (Republican Party) Kathy Vossler - (Democratic Party) District Judge, 281st Judicial District

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Sylvia Matthews - (Republican Party)

Ursula A. Hall - (Democratic Party)

State Representative, District 148

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State Representative, District 149

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Bob Thomas - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 189th Judicial District Bill Burke - (Republican Party)

Katie Kennedy - (Democratic Party)

Brent Gamble - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 185th Judicial District

Garnet F. Coleman - (Democratic Party)

Fernando Herrera - (Republican Party)

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Susan Brown - (Republican Party)

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Dan Hinde - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 270th Judicial District

Jay W. Burnett - (Democratic Party)

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District Judge, 269th Judicial District

Donna Roth - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 190th Judicial District Patricia J. Kerrigan - (Republican Party) Olan Boudreaux - (Democratic Party)

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District Judge, 295th Judicial District Caroline E. Baker - (Republican Party) Paul Simon - (Democratic Party)

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Jack O'Connor - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 208th Judicial District

Family District Judge, 308th Judicial District

Hubert Vo - (Democratic Party)

Denise Collins - (Republican Party)

James Lombardino - (Republican Party)

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Loretta Johnson Muldrow - (Democratic Party)

State Representative, District 150

Debbie Riddle - (Republican Party) Brad Neal - (Democratic Party)

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Family District Judge, 309th Judicial District

District Judge, 209th Judicial District Mike McSpadden - (Republican Party)

Eric M. Holdt - (Libertarian Party)

Kathy Cheng - (Democratic Party)

Chief Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District Sherry Radack - (Republican Party)

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Marc Carter - (Republican Party) Harris Wood - (Democratic Party)

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 4 Evelyn Keyes - (Republican Party)

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Belinda Hill - (Republican Party)

Bill Rice - (Democratic Party)

Michael Massengale - (Republican Party)

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Lisa Millard - (Republican Party)

Family District Judge, 311th Judicial District

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Denise Pratt - (Republican Party)

Robert Ray - (Democratic Party)

Greg Glass - (Democratic Party)

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David Farr - (Republican Party)

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Reece Rondon - (Republican Party) Tanner Garth - (Democratic Party)

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Robert Hinojosa - (Democratic Party) Family District Judge, 313th Judicial District

District Judge, 234th Judicial District

Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 2

Deborah Wright - (Democratic Party)

Family District Judge, 312th Judicial District

District Judge, 232nd Judicial District

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Judy Dougherty - (Democratic Party)

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Mary Lou Keel - (Republican Party)

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Family District Judge, 310th Judicial District

Garland "Mack" McInnis - (Democratic Party)

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 8, Unexpired Term

Norma Venso - (Democratic Party)

Sheri Y. Dean - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 230th Judicial District

Michael Gomez - (Democratic Party)

Sharon McCally - (Republican Party)

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District Judge, 228th Judicial District

Morris Overstreet - (Democratic Party)

Bruce Kessler - (Democratic Party)

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Glenn Devlin - (Republican Party)

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Natalie Oakes - (Democratic Party)

Family District Judge, 314th Judicial District District Judge, 245th Judicial District

Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 5, Unexpired Term Martha Hill Jamison - (Republican Party) Wally Kronzer - (Democratic Party)

Roy L. Moore - (Republican Party)

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Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 9

Janiece Horn - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 55th Judicial District Jeff Shadwick - (Republican Party) Dion Ramos - (Democratic Party)

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Michael "Mike" Schneider - (Republican Party)

Jim York - (Republican Party)

Keith Branch - (Democratic Party)

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Sherri Cothrun - (Democratic Party)

County Judge

Bonnie Crane Hellums - (Republican Party) Mary Kay Green - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 113th Judicial District

District Judge, 248th Judicial District

John Donovan - (Republican Party)

Joan Campbell - (Republican Party)

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Christina Bryan - (Democratic Party) District Judge, 157th Judicial District Randy Wilson - (Republican Party)

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Shawn Thierry - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 180th Judicial District Marc Brown - (Republican Party)

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Darrell Jordan - (Democratic Party)

District Judge, 182nd Judicial District Jeannine Barr - (Republican Party)

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Brandon Dudley - (Democratic Party)

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District Judge, 246th Judicial District

District Judge, 247th Judicial District

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David Longoria - (Democratic Party)

Family District Judge, 315th Judicial District

Tracy Elizabeth Christopher - (Republican Party) Tim Riley - (Democratic Party)

John F. Phillips - (Republican Party)

Erica M. Graham - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Court at Law No. 2 Cheryl Elliott Thornton - (Democratic Party)

Judy Warne - (Republican Party) Sandra Peake - (Democratic Party)

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Linda Storey - (Republican Party) Damon Crenshaw - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Court at Law No. 4 Roberta Lloyd - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 263rd Judicial District Jim Wallace - (Republican Party)

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Alvin Nunnery - (Democratic Party)

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Judge, County Court at Law No. 3

District Judge, 262nd Judicial District Tom Berg - (Democratic Party)

Judge, County Court at Law No. 1

Jacqueline Lucci Smith - (Republican Party)

District Judge, 257th Judicial District

Denise Bradley - (Republican Party)

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Gordon Quan - (Democratic Party)

R. Jack Cagle - (Republican Party)

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Jim Sullivan - (Democratic Party)

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Ed Emmett - (Republican Party)

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Bruce Mosier - (Democratic Party) -------------------------------------------------------------------------HARRIS COUNTY BALLOT CONTINUED ON PAGE • 22ON RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUED

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THE CHECK MARKS ON THIS SAMPLE BALLOT PAGE REPRESENTS THE 2010 MIDTERM PREDICTIONS OF A SELECT READER GROUP OF HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS READERS AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE PUBLISHER OR SUPPORTERS. 20 • WWW.HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM •832.212.8735 • SERIES RELEASE DATES • OCT 1ST • OCT 8TH • OCT 15 TH • OCT 22ND • OCT 29 TH 8 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

ABOUT GRAHAM: • Erica Graham is running for Harris County Civil Court-at-Law Position #1 to improve the civil justice system.

• Erica Graham is a civil litigator in Houston for the past 12 years, Erica has worked for two nationally recognized law firms - Fulbright & Jaworski and Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman - and as counsel for Chevron.

• Erica Graham has represented clients in both state and federal courts in Texas in litigation involving toxic tort and environmental law, employment law, personal injury law, oil and gas law and general commercial litigation.

• Erica Graham has been recognized for doing high quality work preparing cases for trial, identifying settlement possibilities, benefiting client organizations, considering cost implications, and explaining complex legal options and technical issues to opposing counsel and clients.

• Erica Graham also has a proven track record of collaborating and working productively with managers, clients, judges, opposing counsels, other attorneys, legal staff and juries.

• Erica Graham believes the people of Harris County deserve judges who are committed to providing the best quality service they can to the people they serve.

• Erica Graham believes the judiciary should reflect the community it serves and should emphasize fairness, impartiality, and a spirit of excellence.

• Erica Graham is committed to customer service, running a well organized and efficient courtroom, minimizing docket backlog, and reducing the time between the filing of a case and its final adjudication.

• Erica Graham believes that every citizen has a right to have his or her case heard before a fair and unbiased judge.

W W W. E M G R A H A M F O R J U D G E . C O M POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT PAID FOR BY THE ERICA GRAHAM CAMPAIGN, BESSIE B. NASH, TREASURER, P. O. BOX 440683, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77244, WHO IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE VOLUNTARY LIMITS OF THE JUDICIAL CAMPAIGN FAIRNESS ACT.

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HARRIS COUNTY

2010 MIDTERM RECOMMENDATIONS, SAMPLE BALLOT & PROPOSITIONS

2010 MID-TERM ELECTION CANDIDATES & INITIATIVES CONTINUED FROM • 20 eMAIL: NEWS@HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM Judge, County Criminal Court No. 1 Paula Goodhart - (Republican Party)

Judge, County Probate Court No. 4

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Christine Riddle Butts - (Republican Party)

Beverly D. Melontree - (Democratic Party)

Tammy Manning - (Democratic Party)

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 2

District Clerk

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Bill Harmon - (Republican Party)

Chris Daniel - (Republican Party)

Mary Connealy Acosta - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 3 Natalie Fleming - (Republican Party) Judith Snively - (Democratic Party)

County Clerk

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Stan Stanart - (Republican Party)

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Ann Harris Bennett - (Democratic Party) Don Cook - (Green Party)

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County Tax Assessor-Collector, Unexpired Term

Alfred G. "Al" Leal - (Democratic Party)

Don Sumners - (Republican Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 5 Margaret Stewart Harris - (Republican Party) Alfred "Bud" Valdez - (Democratic Party)

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Orlando Sanchez - (Republican Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 6 Larry Standley - (Republican Party)

Billy Briscoe - (Democratic Party)

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Marvin Morris - (Republican Party) Pam Derbyshire - (Republican Party) Shelia Acosta - (Democratic Party)

Mike Rose - (Democratic Party)

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County School Trustee, Position 2, Precinct 4

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Angie Chesnut - (Republican Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 8

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Jay Karahan - (Republican Party)

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County School Trustee, Position 1, Precinct 2

Denise Spencer - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 7

City of Houston, PROPOSITION NO. 2 CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSITION: Relating to Residency Requirements for District Council Office for the November 2011 General Election. Shall the City Charter of the City of Houston be amended to provide that for the general election to be held in November 2011, and for the purpose of redistricting, the required period of residency to file for the office of District Council Member shall be reduced from 12 months to 6 months preceding the election day? (FOR OR AGAINST)

Diane Trautman - (Democratic Party) County Treasurer

County Commissioner, Precinct 2 Jack Morman - (Republican Party)

Eugene Newsom - (Democratic Party)

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Sylvia R. Garcia - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 9 Analia Wilkerson - (Republican Party)

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County Commissioner, Precinct 4 Jerry Eversole - (Republican Party)

Juanita Jackson Barner - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 10 Sherman A. Ross - (Republican Party)

Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 1, Place 2

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David M. Patronella - (Democratic Party)

Lori Chambers Gray - (Democratic Party)

Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 2, Place 2 Phillip Webb - (Republican Party)

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 11 Diane Bull - (Republican Party) Mark Diaz - (Democratic Party)

George E. Risner - (Democratic Party)

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Don Coffey - (Democratic Party) Robin Brown - (Republican Party)

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Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 3, Place 2

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 12

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Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 4, Place 2

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Tom Lawrence - (Republican Party)

Cheryl Harris Diggs - (Democratic Party)

Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 5, Place 2 Judge, County Criminal Court No. 13 Don Smyth - (Republican Party)

Jeff Williams - (Republican Party)

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Mary Ann Bryan - (Libertarian Party)

Dennis Slate - (Democratic Party)

Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 6, Place 2 Judge, County Criminal Court No. 14

Armando V. Rodriguez - (Democratic Party)

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Mike Fields - (Republican Party)

Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 7, Place 2

Lee Harper Wilson - (Democratic Party)

Zinetta A. Burney - (Democratic Party

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 15 Jean Spradling Hughes - (Republican Party)

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Toni Martinez Ingversen - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Probate Court No. 1 Loyd Wright - (Republican Party) Kathy Stone - (Democratic Party)

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Judge, County Probate Court No. 2 Mike Wood - (Republican Party)

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Joellen Snow - (Democratic Party) Judge, County Probate Court No. 3

Rory Robert Olsen - (Republican Party) Priscilla Walters - (Democratic Party)

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Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 8, Place 2 Louie Ditta Republican Party

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City of Houston Special Election City of Houston, PROPOSITION NO. 1 CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSITION: Relating to the Creation of a Dedicated Funding Source to Enhance, Improve and Renew Drainage Systems and Streets. Shall the City Charter of the City of Houston be amended to provide for the enhancement, improvement and ongoing renewal of Houston's drainage and streets by creating a Dedicated Pay-As-You-Go Fund for Drainage and Streets? (FOR OR AGAINST)

Loren Jackson - (Democratic Party)

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 4 John Clinton - (Republican Party)

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City of Houston, PROPOSITION NO. 3 CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSITION: An Amendment to the City Charter Relating to the Use of Photographic Traffic Signal Enforcement Systems (Red Light Cameras).

Shall the City of Houston continue to use red light cameras to enforce state or local laws relating to traffic safety? (FOR OR AGAINST) City of Baytown Special Election - City of Baytown PROPOSITION 1: The initiative ordinance limiting the use of traffic law photomonitoring devices within the city. (FOR OR AGAINST) City of Nassau Bay Special Election - City of Nassau Bay PROPOSITION 1: The reauthorization of the local sales and use tax in the City of Nassau Bay, Texas, at the rate of one-fourth of one percent to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets. (FOR OR AGAINST) City of Spring Valley Village, Texas BOND ELECTION - City of Spring Valley Village, Texas PROPOSITION I: THE ISSUANCE OF $18,060,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF FOR STREET AND ROAD REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS AND EXTENSIONS, AND RELATED DRAINAGE, INCLUDING SPECIFICALLY REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS, AND EXTENSIONS AT MERLIN DRIVE, LUPTON DRIVE, THE CEDARWOOD SECTION 2 AREA, THE BRACHER AREA, THE TERESA-BEN HUR AREA, PECH/CEDARBRAKE OUTFALLS AREA, THE HILLDALE/BADE/ADKINS AREA, THE VOSS ROAD AREA, SPRING OAKS EAST, SPRING OAKS WEST, BURKHART ROAD, CAMPBELL ROAD, BINGLE ROAD, AND IN BRIGHTON PLACE SUBDIVISION, AND THE MISCELLANEOUS AREAS WITHIN THE CITY. (FOR OR AGAINST) City of Spring Valley Village, Texas PROPOSITION II: THE ISSUANCE OF $3,100,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF FOR WATER SUPPLY AND SANITARY SEWER REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS AND EXTENSIONS, INCLUDING SPECIFICALLY REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS, AND EXTENSIONS AT MERLIN DRIVE, LUPTON DRIVE, THE CEDARWOOD SECTION 2 AREA, THE BRACHER AREA, THE TERESA-BEN HUR AREA, THE HILLDALE/BADE/ADKINS AREA, THE VOSS ROAD AREA, SPRING OAKS EAST, SPRING OAKS WEST, BURKHART ROAD, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS AREAS WITHIN THE CITY. (FOR OR AGAINST) City of Spring Valley Village, Texas PROPOSITION III: THE ISSUANCE OF $700,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF FOR THE PURPOSE OF WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS REQUIRED FOR SURFACE WATER CONNECTIONS. (FOR OR AGAINST) --------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUED ON HARRIS COUNTY BALLOT CONTINUED ON PAGE • 24

P.8

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10 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

DAMON CRESHAW’S ENDORSEMENTS: “Houston Chronicle”, Association of Women Attorneys, Pasadena Bar Association, Katy Bar Association, The Baptist Ministers’ Association of Houston & Vicinity, Northeast Harris County Ministers Alliance, Houston GLBT Political Caucus, Stonewall Young Democrats.

www.DamonCrenshawForJudge.com 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, #186 Houston, Texas 77098 Damon@DamonCrenshawForJudge.com

Tel: 713-528-5932

IMPORTANT DATES: October 4, 2010 - Last Day to Regiser to Vote October 18, 2010 - First Day of Early Voting October 26, 2010 - First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received, not Postmarked)

October 29, 2010 - Last Day of Early Voting

Tuesday, November 2nd • General Election Damon Crenshaw has 24 years of legal experience representing people from all walks of life, small businesses and international business entities. Because he has counseled both plaintiffs and defendants, he will bring a sense of fairness and understanding to the bench. As Judge, he would be committed to fairness for all parties, regardless of status.

EXPERIENCE • Graduate South Texas College of Law and Texas A&M University • 24 years of civil trial experience • Representation of both plaintiffs and defendants • Private practice involving matters of personal injury, workers’ compensation, consumer protection, products liability and general civil issues • Certified mediator presiding over varied civil matters • Member, Houston Bar Association and Houston Trial Lawyers Association

COMMITMENT • Life-long Democrat and Sustaining Member of the Harris County Democratic Party • Member of Harris County Democrats, Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association, Houston Black American Democrats, Harris County Tejano Democrats, Stonewall Democrats, Asian American Democrats of Texas, Heights Democrats Pol. ad. paid for by Damon Crenshaw for Judge Campaign, Damon Crenshaw Treasurer.

In compliance with the voluntary limits of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act.

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! - HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 11 •832.212.8735 • SERIES RELEASE DATES • OCT 1ST • OCT 8TH • OCT 15 TH • OCT 22ND • OCT 29 TH • WWW.PEOPLEDOINGBUSINESS.COM • 5

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HARRIS COUNTY

2010 MIDTERM RECOMMENDATIONS, SAMPLE BALLOT & PROPOSITIONS 2010 MID-TERM ELECTION CANDIDATES & INITIATIVES CONTINUED FROM • 22 eMAIL: NEWS@HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM

Channelview Independent School District Board of Trustee Election Channelview ISD Trustee, Position No. 4 Patrick Lacy

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Channelview ISD Trustee, Position No. 5

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Huffman ISD School Trustee, Position No. 2 Bruce W. Johnson Jacob Godoy

Huffman ISD School Trustee, Position No. 3 Ray Burt

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Channelview ISD Trustee, Position No. 6 J. Kyle Campbell

Deborah Jensen

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Katy Independent School District, Bond Election

Kathy Zigmont E.B. Garcia

Crosby Independent School District, General Election Crosby ISD Trustee, Position 1 Tanya Shaye Eagleton

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Crosby ISD Trustee, Position 2 Ruben Leal JoAnn Crawford

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Crosby ISD Trustee, Position 3 John Lindsey

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Crosby ISD Trustee, Position 6

Katy ISD, PROPOSITION: THE ISSUANCE OF $459,795,000 SCHOOL BUILDING BONDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, ACQUISITION AND EQUIPMENT OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT (INCLUDING THE REHABILITATION, RENOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT THEREOF) AND THE PURCHASE OF THE NECESSARY SITES FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND THE PURCHASE OF NEW SCHOOL BUSES, AND THE LEVYING OF THE TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF. (FOR OR AGAINST)

Klein ISD School Board Trustee Election Klien ISD Trustee, Position 6 Paul Lanham Mark D. Taylor Larry Allen

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Ruth Watson Spring ISD Trustee, Position 2 Steven E. Mills Calvin K. Tang

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Spring ISD Trustee, Position 3 Sean M. Perrodin Justine Durant

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Tomball ISD Trustee Election Tomball ISD Trustee, Position 1 Kathy Handler

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Tomball ISD Trustee, Position 2 David H. Zuhlke Michael J. Pratt

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William A. Harris Tomball ISD Trustee, Position 3

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Tomball ISD Trustee, Position 4

Johanna Ramos Dawson Kein ISD Trustee, Position 7 Steven E. Smith

Will Locke

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John E. McStravick

Dan Kasprzak

Cedric Patterson, Jr.

Scott Brittain

Nicole Murray

Channelview ISD Trustee, Position No. 7 Dowen Sims

Spring ISD Trustee, Position 1 Lora Lee Hedrick

Huffman ISD School Trustee, Position No. 6, UNEXPIRED TERM Matt Dutton

Rolando Ramirez

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Spring Independent School District General Trustee Election

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Mark Lewandowski

Waller-Harris Emergency Services District No. 200 Election

W. R. (Rick) Mann

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD General Election Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Trustee, Position 5 Bill Henderson John Ogletree

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Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Trustee, Position 6

Kay Smith

Waller-Harris Emergency Services District No. 200, Board of Emergency Services Commissioners Vote for None, 1, 2 or 3

James B. Robinson

North Forest Independent School District School Board Election North Forest ISD Trustee, Position 6 Carolyn Bullard-Williams

Brad West Don Ryan

Kevin Weido

Henry McGowen

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North Forest ISD Trustee, Position 7

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Bob R. Covey

Houston ISD Trustee Special Election Houston ISD Trustee, District 8 (Unexpired Term)

Horace Williams, Jr.

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Sheldon Independent School District Trustee Election Sheldon ISD Trustee Position 4 Fred R. Rivas, Jr.

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Sheldon ISD Trustee Position 5

Dorothy Olmos

Ken Coleman

Judith Cruz

Michael Davis

Juliet Kathy Stipeche

Debra Gilstrap

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Cheryl Moodie Peter B. Schwethelm

Sheldon ISD Trustee Position 6 Ed Lipscomb

Roberto Centeno

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Shane Schultz

Huffman Independent School District School Trustee Election Huffman ISD School Trustee, Position No. 1 Becky Streetman

Larry Coleman

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Tommy Albert Gary Ferguson Tom Garbett Darwin Hargrave, Sr. Shannon Barron

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Trustee, Position 7 Scott Adams

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Kollye W. Kilpatrick

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Sheldon ISD Trustee Position 7 Fedora Alfred LaShonda M. Jackson-Dean Debbie Kolacny

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Hollis H. Ulbricht

Beechnut Municipal Utility District, MAINTENANCE TAX ELECTION Beechnut Municipal Utility District, Proposition: SHALL THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BEECHNUT MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT BE AUTHORIZED TO ASSESS, LEVY, AND COLLECT AN ANNUAL AD VALOREM TAX ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN SAID DISTRICT NOT TO EXCEED FIFTY CENTS ($0.50) ON EACH ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR ($100.00) VALUATION THEREOF, TO SECURE FUNDS FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE PURPOSES, INCLUDING FUNDS FOR PLANNING, CONSTRUCTING, ACQUIRING, MAINTAINING, REPAIRING, AND OPERATING ALL NECESSARY LAND, PLANTS, WORKS, FACILITIES, IMPROVEMENTS, APPLIANCES, AND EQUIPMENT OF THE DISTRICT AND FOR PAYING COSTS OF PROPER SERVICES, ENGINEERING, AND LEGAL FEES, AND ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, INCLUDING PARTICULARLY (BUT NOT BY WAY OF LIMITATION) SECTION 49.107 OF THE TEXAS WATER CODE, AS AMENDED? (FOR OR AGAINST)

THE CHECK MARKS ON THIS SAMPLE BALLOT PAGE REPRESENTS THE 2010 MIDTERM PREDICTIONS OF A SELECT READER GROUP HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS READERS AND•832.212.8735 DOES NOT REFLECT THE OPINION OF1ST THE PUBLISHER 24OF • WWW.HOUSTON-BUSINESSCONNECTIONS.COM • SERIES RELEASE DATES • OCT • OCT 8TH • OCT 15 OR TH • SUPPORTERS. OCT 22ND • OCT 29 TH

12 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

SANDRA

PEAKE DEMOCRAT

For Judge, 257th Family District Court

• Professional Memberships: State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Houston Lawyers Association, The Family Law Group • Licenses: State Bar of Texas, U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Texas • Education: Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Houston College of Law, B.A., University of Houston • Experience: 27 years private practice experience, certified mediator, past instructor, hearing examiner • Community: Blue Triangle Multi-Cultural Association, Delta Sigma Theta Public Service Sorority, Jack & Jill of America, Inc., Texas Spring Cypress Chapter, Links, Inc., volunteer and referral attorney for several non-profit organizations • Personal and Family: Married to David G. Peake, two children, Houston area residents for 35 years • VOTE SANDRA PEAKE FOR JUDGE, 257TH FAMILY DISTRICT COURT!

ELECTION DAY IS TUES., NOV. 2ND! Early Voting begins on Monday, October 18th and Ends on Friday, October 29th!

For more information contact: Sandra J. Peake at: Email: Sandrapeake@aol.com I Tel: (713) 723-5082 • Fax: (713)723-5085

“I have practiced before these Courts for more than 27 years and am sensitive to the unique issues that arise in family law cases. I believe the citizens of Harris County deserve consistent application of the law, courtesy and fairness. I am up to the challenge of ensuring judicial excellence by ruling decisively and with impartiality.” SANDRA PEAKE CANDIDATE FOR JUDGE, 257TH FAMILY DISTRICT COURT!

SANDRAPEAKEFORJUDGE.COM In voluntary compliance with the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act. Political ad paid for by the Sandra J. Peake for Judge Campaign. David G. Peake Treasurer, 9660 Hillcroft, Suite 435, Houston, Texas 77096

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday,•November 2, 2010! DATES - HOUSTON NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 13 •832.212.8735 SERIES RELEASE • OCT 1ST BUSINESS • OCT 8TH • OCTCONNECTIONS 15 TH • OCT 22ND • OCT 29 TH • WWW.PEOPLEDOINGBUSINESS.COM • 7

Saving The Lives Of The Unborn Number One Issue For Mauldin

By Aubrey R. Taylor

Houston Business Connections Newspaper

T

he largest abortion center in the United States of America is located right in Houston, Texas.

Did you know that? And guess what? The six-story office building with a 78,000 square foot abortion mill, complete with a surgical wing for late-term abortions is the number one concern for Michael Mauldin, the Candidate taking on State Senator Rodney Ellis in the 13th Senate District.

LIFE IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE ON MAULDIN’S MIND Michael Mauldin, didn’t enter politics because he wanted attention. He didn’t enter it because Texas is the strongest Republican state in the nation. He didn’t enter it because the people of Texas have entrusted his party with the stewardship of every statewide elected office and majorities in the state senate, state house and on the state board of education. Nor did he enter it because his party now has majorities in 107 Texas counties that contain nearly two-thirds of the state’s population. As a matter of fact, Mauldin knows that the district for which he’s running is drawn to favor his opponent.

However, Mauldin a candidate for Texas State Senate entered it because he is concerned about what he’s seeing take place in the world, our nation, our state, and right in the district where he lives. “Life is an issue near and dear to my heart,” says Mauldin.

“Not just because I was nearly aborted, when my mother sat in a clinic about to go through with the procedure. Not just because the world’s second largest abortion-providing facility is erected in the district (Senate District 13) for which I’m running. And certainly not because by saying I’ll go to Austin and fighting the current laws, that Pro-Lifers might fill up my campaign coffers with donations,” he says. “Make no mistake about it! The issue of life is dear to my heart because life is sacred and valuable,” Maudlin explains. “ The life of the unborn child, and the life of the pregnant woman who finds herself in such a difficult spot, are the ones I’m fighting for. And my fight for them will continue long after the 2010 Midterm Elections are in the history books,” he says.

“In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade determined that a woman’s constitutional right to privacy includes the right to decide the outcome of her pregnancy. Year after year, candidates promise to take up the legal fight to overturn the law. But 37 years later, the law remains. And all of our impassioned cries and righteous indignation haven’t managed to prevent the more than 50,000,000 abortions that have been executed in that time,” Mauldin goes on to say.

“But the truth is, real change won’t happen in the courtroom or on the floor of the Texas Senate. Real change happens one-onone. It happens when caring people are willing to hear a pregnant woman’s concerns, help alleviate her fears and share her burden.”

DO YOU WANT REAL CHANGE? “Real change happens when a woman understands what’s going on inside her body.

It happens when she gets hard, undeniable scientific evidence about how early her baby begins developing. It happens when she sees 4D ultrasound showing her, live and in color, the life that is now a part of her. It happens when she learns of the physical and emotional affects abortion will have on her body…often for the rest of her life. It happens when she finds out that adoption isn’t

giving up her child or abandoning her baby.

But rather that it is a heroic act of love to help choose a home for that baby and to give a waiting couple the child they’ve been wanting,” says Mauldin.

Mauldin says, he’s not here to condemn anyone. He only wants to empower positive solutions. “There are pregnancy resource centers designed to assist these women; help them when they’re in bad relationships; help them with material assistance; help them with parenting classes and nutrition classes. There are also adoption agencies trying to find children for waiting couples,” there are options says Mauldin.

According to Mauldin, statistics show that upon seeing a 4D ultrasound image of the baby inside of her, 80% of the abortionminded women will choose life.

LACK OF RESOURCES A MAJOR PROBLEM “The only thing limiting these pregnancy centers is a lack of resources. The only thing preventing adoption agencies from reaching their full potential is a lack of resources. The only thing keeping every pregnant woman

credits can be used to create small businesses…businesses with a chance to grow and prosper…businesses that will provide jobs and productivity.”

MAULDIN ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM “Most Texans would consider “tough on crime” a matter of pride. But we have a shameful system that almost ensures criminals will continue to take a toll on our community long after the offense that lands them in prison. Without decent jobs, 75% of formerly incarcerated persons will end up back in prison. What’s more, 85% of their kids will end up there as well. These statistics are deplorable!

Fortunately, there is a readymade system called the Freedom Exchange that can break this disheartening cycle.

If we re-educate, empower and employ formerly incarcerated persons, and financially “insure” them in case of re-lapse, we can have them contributing to the community they once violated, rather than continuing to be a drain on the taxpayer. In fact, this program would generate money for the state!

n Michael and his wife Meredith are active members at New Life Church, where she leads worship. They are the proud parents of a new baby girl, Ellia Grace. from seeing a 4D ultrasound of her womb is a lack of resources,” he says.

“We don’t need to wait on a law to fix that. If the community isn’t strong enough to be there for these women, then often, they’ll think abortion is their only recourse. That’s not much of choice is it?... So let’s get busy.

It is a woman’s body. It is her choice. So let’s make sure every woman has the information she needs to a make a healthy choice she can live with.”

MAULDIN ON JOBS AND THE ECONOMY “There are chambers in the heart of Houston suffering in the wake of the pummeling Wall Street laid on Main Street. The citizens of District 13 weren’t responsible for the struggling, sputtering economy, but we’re sure paying the price of real estate bubbles and bank failures. As our working class tries to resuscitate itself, it is burdened with the weight of property taxes, and other artery-clogging constraints to progress,” says Mauldin.

“Let’s face it, money is the lifeblood of any economy. And the only way an economy thrives is if money is circulating through the entire system, reaching any and all who need its nourishment. The people of District 13 are hungry to contribute, but we can’t live, thrive, and survive without jobs. We must focus our efforts on the economically underdeveloped areas of District 13 by establishing “Free Enterprise Zones,” areas where tax

Imagine that: a governmental solution that actually brings money in.

MAULDIN’S 5-POINT PLAN TO MAKE THINGS BETTER

n1. Jobs and the Economy: The primary focus needs to be on the economically underdeveloped areas of District 13 by establishing “Free Enterprise Zones”. These “Zones” are areas where tax credits would be used to create small businesses which will work to prosper, grow, and add responsibility and productive work ethic to those struggling communities.

Reducing property taxes is also a must, especially for the elderly.

Reducing taxes on small businesses as a whole just makes common sense, and reducing government spending to fit the budget is common sense as well. n2. Criminal Justice System: We have a system that perpetuates the cycle of poverty in the community. 75% of formerly incarcerated persons will end up back in prison without descent jobs and 85% of their kids will end up in prison as well. These statistics are deplorable and speak to the fact that the system is not working! There is a readymade system called the Freedom Exchange which will break this cycle, re-educate, empower, and employ formerly incarcerated persons, financially “insure” them in case of re-lapse, and to top it off, this

program would generate money for the state!

A Governmental solution that actually generates money instead of just depleting the tax payer funded budget. This will not only prosper the community, but will make communities safer and help to restore families.

n3. Honest Elections: Bottom line is we need a Voter ID. Anyone who is not for identification when voting needs their intentions examined. You need ID to fly on a plane, enter the YMCA, and write checks just to name a few. The fact that we have the right to vote in this great nation should be one of the most sacred rights we have and it should be protected at all costs! I personally know multiple people who have witnessed voter fraud in Harris County. This must be stopped! n4. Life: This one is dear to my heart, not only because I was almost aborted, not because there have been over 50 million abortions in America since the 60’s, not because the world’s second largest abortion clinic has been built in this district, but because life is sacred and valuable! I’m not here to condemn anyone, but to empower positive solutions. For too long we have been told that we have no purpose and are just products of random chance, but that could not be further from the truth. Every life is valuable and created for a purpose and those people in District 13 are no different!

They may have been “chosen” as the best place for an abortion supercenter because “they” see the most potential clients, but I see District 13 as the “chosen” place to raise up a people of purpose and destiny to make a mark for good in the world! This will happen! We must empower organizations such as The Source Center for Women and adoption centers. n5. Education: Our system is not even close to competing with the emerging markets. Dropout rates are unacceptable. As the emerging markets out educate our kids we will become subservient to them if we don’t increase the standards and multiply the models that are working.

MORE ABOUT MICHAEL MAULDIN Michael Mauldin is the Republican nominee for Texas State Senator District 13.

However, Mauldin is committed to State District 13 far beyond the Election Day results.

Recognizing the urgency of the times, Michael has felt a calling, from both the community and his faith, to stand up and make a difference. His presence on the ballot gives voters – for the first time in nearly two decades – a clear choice: a jobless, degreeless, hopeless status quo, or a courageous new direction based on thoughtful solutions and accountability.

A product of Houston’s Spring Branch School District, Michael went on to study communications and theology at the University of St. Thomas. Following college, Michael’s career path has included several U.S. stops as well as time in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Along the way he came to appreciate the significance of adversity and self-sacrifice as he cared for his cancer-stricken father and attended to orphans in the West Bank.

A return to the States brought success as an investment realtor. But as the subprime meltdown began to take its toll, Michael again turned to those in need, collaborating with attorneys and forensic loan investigators to help victims of predatory lenders avoid foreclosure and find justice. Today he plies his experience in the financial services sector, helping families overcome the effects of the recent economic downturn.

14 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! -

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 15

A Republican & Democrat Working Together To Make Fort Bend County-Area A Better Place To Live, Work & Play

A

BOUT THE REPUBLICAN: Mayor Allen Owen is Missouri City’s tenth mayor since the City’s incorporation back in 1956. Mayor Owen’s profile shows his family’s long term residence of over 32 years in this community…a place he calls home. This is where Mayor Owen continues to dedicate much of his time and expertise towards the development of a community he and his wife of 42 years, Jane, reared their three children. Before his mayoral office, whose tenure began in 1994, Mayor Owen served as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner for five years and later as a Council Member for eight years having also served as Mayor Pro Tem.

n THE DEMOCRAT: Ron E. Reynolds, a candidate for Fort Bend County’s State Representative House District 27, is a long time resident of Fort Bend County who grew up in Missouri City. He is a product of Fort Bend County public schools, Blue Ridge Elementary and Quail Valley Middle School. He went on to attend Texas Southern University and received a B.S. degree in Public Affairs, “magna cum laude”. Ron received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law. Ron is a successful small business owner of a title company and is a name partner in the Brown, Brown & Reynolds, P.C., law firm.

He is a former Associate Municipal Judge for The City of Houston and TSU Adjunct Professor (College of Public Affairs).

Ron has written numerous articles relative to Consumer Rights, Civil Rights, Civic Engagement, and Employment Law because he embodies an inherent responsibility for keeping the community abreast of current issues that impact their lives.

Ron believes that by investing in the community, he has made a positive impact on the business and economic base in Fort Bend County. Commensurate with the belief, to whom much is given, much is required; Ron has devoted his life to serving the community. Some of his civic and other affiliations include but are not limited to the following: • President, NAACP Missouri City & Ft. Bend Vicinity Branch •Vice President, Fort Bend Democrats •Parliamentarian, Sienna Democrats •Brookhollow Baptist Church, Legal Ministry Chair • Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class 2007 • Past President, Houston Lawyer’s Association • 100 Black Men of America – Houston Chapter • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. • Mason, Prince Hall Ever Ready Lodge • Board member, Houston Citizen’s Chamber of Commerce • Board member, Tri-County Black Chamber of Commerce • Board member, Jazz Education, Inc. • Constable Ruben Davis Advisory Council • Co-Chair Fort Bend International Festival and Mayor’s Jazz Brunch • Fort Bend ISD Bond Advisory Committee • Fort Bend County Democratic Party, sustaining member • Houston Area Urban League • Member of Fort Bend Democratic Club and Black Dems • Legal Counsel for Houston Black Expo and a non-profit organization benefiting sickle-cell research • Texas Parkway Alliance •Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce Ron has won and been recognized for numerous honors and awards: • Recipient of the Missouri City Juneteenth Community Service Award • Ever Ready Lodge 2007 Trailblazer’s Award • Named “Houston’s Top Attorney” by H Texas Magazine • American Red Cross Humanitarian Award • YMCA Minority Achievers Award • MLK Drum Major For Justice Award • NAACP ALEX Award for Legal Excellence • 2 time HCCC Business Pinnacle Award winner • Named Houston’s Top 40 Leaders Under 40 • EEOC Civil Rights All-Star Award • Senator Rodney Ellis Texas Leader of the Future Award • Who’s Who in Law and Who’s Who in Black Houston Reynolds with wife Dr. Jonita Wallace Reynolds and daughter, Lacey Ronee.

“As State Representative of District 27, I will serve the residents and business owners in Fort Bend County by advocating for high-quality education, affordable health care, and economic empowerment in our community.”

Above all his accomplishments Ron is most proud and grateful for his family. He is married to Dr. Jonita Wallace Reynolds and has one daughter, Lacey Ronee Reynolds, age 6.

16 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

DEMOCRAT RON REYNOLDS SET TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN HD- 27 STATE REPRESENTATIVE SINCE RECONSTRUCTION

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER, 18, 2010! • VOTE FOR RON REYNOLDS ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND!

• SERIES RELEASE DATES • OCT 1ST • OCT 8TH • OCT 15CONNECTIONS TH • OCT 22ND • OCT NEWSPAPER 29 TH • WWW.PEOPLEDOINGBUSINESS.COM 13 Don’t Forget•832.212.8735 To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

- HOUSTON BUSINESS SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n•17

Remarks by the President on Rebuilding America's T

Infrastructure

HE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I just had a meeting with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, and governors like Ed Rendell, mayors like Antonio Villaraigosa, and economists and engineers from across the country to discuss one of America’s greatest challenges: our crumbling infrastructure and the urgent need to put Americans back to work upgrading it for the 21st century.

We’re also joined today by two former Transportation Secretaries of both political

parties: Sam Skinner, who served under President George H.W. Bush; and Norm Mineta, who served in the Cabinets of both President Clinton and President George W. Bush.

They’re here today because they are passionate about this task.

Their cooperation –- and indeed, this country’s very history –- proves that this is something for which there has traditionally been broad bipartisan support. So Sam and Norm have been leading a bipartisan group of more than 80 experts who, just last week, released a call to action demanding a “fundamental overhaul” of how America approaches funding and building our infrastructure. And today, my Treasury Department and my Council of Economic Advisors have released our own study.

And these reports confirm what any American can already tell you: our infrastructure is woefully inefficient and it is outdated.

For years, we have deferred tough decisions, and today, our aging system of highways and byways, air routes and rail lines hinder our economic growth. Today, the average American household is forced to spend more on transportation each year than food. Our roads, clogged with traffic, cost us $80 billion a year in lost productivity and wasted fuel. Our air-

PRESIDENT OBAMA

ports, choked with passengers, cost nearly $10 billion a year in productivity losses from flight delays. And in some cases, our crumbling infrastructure costs American lives. It should not take another collapsing bridge or failing levee to shock us into action.

So we’re already paying for our failure to act. And what’s more, the longer our infrastructure erodes, the deeper our competitive edge erodes. Other nations understand this.

They are going all-in. Today, as a percentage of GDP, we invest less than half of what Russia does in their infrastructure, less than onethird of what Western Europe does. Right now, China’s building hundreds of thousands of miles of new roads. Over the next 10 years, it plans to build dozens of new airports. Over the next 20, it could build as many as 170 new mass transit systems. Everywhere else, they’re thinking big. They’re creating jobs today, but they’re also playing to win tomorrow. So the bottom line is our shortsightedness has come due. We can no longer afford to sit still.

What we need is a smart system of infrastructure equal to the needs of the 21st century. A system that encourages sustainable communities with easier access to our jobs, to our schools, to our homes. A system that de-

18 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

}

By investing in these projects, we’ve already created hundreds of thousands of jobs. But the fact remains that nearly one in five construction workers is still unemployed and needs a job. And that makes absolutely no sense at a time when there is so much of America that needs rebuilding.

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creases travel time and increases mobility. A system that cuts congestion and ups productivity. A system that reduces harmful emissions over time and creates jobs right now.

So we’ve already begun on this task. The Recovery Act included the most serious investment in our infrastructure since President Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. And we’re not just talking new and restored roads and bridges and dams and levees, but we’re also talking a smart electric grid and the high-speed internet and rail lines required for America to compete in the 21st century economy. We’re talking about investments with impacts both immediate and lasting.

Tens of thousands of projects employing hundreds of thousands of workers are already underway across America. We’re improving 40,000 miles of road, and rebuilding water and sewer systems. We’re implementing a smarter, more stable, more secure electric grid across 46 states that will increase access to renewable sources of energy and cut costs for customers. We’re moving forward with projects that connect communities across the country to broadband internet, and connect 31 states via a true high-speed rail network. And what’s more, a great many of these projects are coming in under budget.

By investing in these projects, we’ve already created hundreds of thousands of jobs. But the fact remains that nearly one in five construction workers is still unemployed and needs a job. And that makes absolutely no sense at a time when there is so much of America that needs rebuilding.

So that’s why, last month, I announced a new plan for upgrading America’s roads, rails and runways for the long-term. Over the next six years, we will rebuild 150,000 miles of our roads -- enough to circle the world six times. We will lay and maintain 4,000 miles of our railways -- enough to stretch from coast to coast. And we will restore 150 miles of runways and advance a next generation air-traffic control system that reduces delays for the American people.

This plan will be fully paid for. It will not add to our deficit over time. And we are going to work with Congress to see to that. It will establish an infrastructure bank to leverage federal dollars and focus on the smartest investments. We want to cut waste and bureaucracy by consolidating and collapsing more than 100 different, often duplicative programs. And it will change the way Washington works by reforming the federal government’s patchwork approach of funding and maintaining our infrastructure. We’ve got to focus less on wasteful earmarks, outdated formulas.

We’ve got to focus more on competition and innovation; less on shortsighted political priorities, and more on our national economic priorities.

So investing in our infrastructure is something that members of both political parties have always supported. It’s something that groups ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to the AFL-CIO support today. And by making these investments across the country, we won’t just make our economy run better over the long haul -- we will create good, middleclass jobs right now.

So there is no reason why we can’t do this.

There is no reason why the world’s best infrastructure should lie beyond our borders. This is America.

We’ve always had the best infrastructure. This is work that needs to be done. There are workers who are ready to do it. All we need is the political will.

This is a season for choices, and this is the choice: between choice -- between decline and prosperity, and between the past and the future.

Our future has never been predestined. It has been built on the hard work and sacrifices of previous generations. They invested yesterday for what we have today. That’s how we built canals, and railroads, and highways, and ports that allowed our economy to grow by leaps and bounds. That’s how we led the world in the pursuit of new technologies and innovations. That’s what allowed us to build the middle class and lead the global economy in the 20th century.

And if we’re going to lead it in the 21st, that’s the vision we can’t afford to lose sight of right now. That’s the challenge that’s fallen to this generation. That’s the challenge that this country is going to meet. And with the help of these gentlemen behind me, and I hope strong bipartisan support, I have no doubt that we will meet these challenges.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! -

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 19

EXECUTIVE ORDER: President Barack Obama looks over to Javier Garcia of Brownsville, Texas, after Garcia introduced him at the signing ceremony for the Executive Order on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in the East Room of the White House, October 19, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Executive Order—White House

Initiative On Educational

Excellence For Hispanics

B

y the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, to restore the country to its role as the global leader in education, to strengthen the Nation by expanding educational opportunities and improving educational outcomes for Hispanics and Latinos (Hispanics) of all ages, and to help ensure that all Hispanics receive an education that properly prepares them for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. At more than 52 million strong, including 4 million in Puerto Rico, Hispanics constitute the country’s largest and fastest growing minority group. They have had a profound and positive impact on our country through, among other things, their community’s strong commitment to family, faith, hard work, and service. Many Hispanics contribute to this Nation bilingually in the English and Spanish languages — a true asset for our country in an increasingly global, interdependent world.

Hispanic students are the largest minority group in our Nation’s schools, numbering more than 11 million in our public elementary and secondary school system, and constituting more than 22 percent of all pre-K–12 students. Hispanic students face educational challenges of crisis proportions. Fewer than half of all Hispanic children participate in early childhood education programs, and far too few Hispanic students graduate from high school; of those who do complete high school, many are not adequately prepared for college. Only 12 percent of adult Hispanics have a bachelor’s degree, and just 3 percent have completed graduate or professional degree programs. At the same time, large numbers of Hispanic adults lack the educa-

tion or literacy skills they need to advance their careers; they also are less likely than members of other groups to have taken job- or career-related courses, with the exception of basic education classes, such as English as a second language.

Our country was built on and continues to thrive on its diversity, and there is no doubt that the future of the United States is inextricably linked to the future of the Hispanic community.

To reach the ambitious education goals we have set for our Nation, as well as to ensure equality of opportunity for all, we must provide the opportunities that will enable Hispanic students to raise their educational attainment at every level of the American education system. America’s future competitiveness in our global economy will be substantially enhanced by improving educational outcomes for Hispanics.

Sec. 2. White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. (a) Establishment. There is established the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (Initiative), to be housed in the Department of Education (Department).

The mission of the Initiative shall be to help restore the United States to its role as the global leader in education and to strengthen the Nation by expanding educational opportunities and improving educational outcomes for Hispanics of all ages and by helping to ensure that all Hispanics receive a complete and competitive education that prepares them for college, a career, and productive and satisfying lives. (b) Initiative Administration. There shall be an

Executive Director of the Initiative, to be appointed by the Secretary of Education (Secretary). The Initiative shall be advised by the Commission established under section 3 of this order and supported by the Working Group established under subsection (c) of this section. The Department shall provide the staff, resources, and assistance for the Initiative and the Working Group. To the extent permitted by law, departments, agencies, and offices represented on the Working Group shall provide resources, including personnel detailed to the Initiative, to assist the Department in meeting the objectives of this order. (c) Interagency Working Group.

(1) There is established the Federal Interagency Working Group on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (Working Group), which shall be convened and chaired by the Initiative’s Executive Director.

(2) The Working Group shall consist of senior officials from the Department, the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as such additional departments, agencies, and offices as the President may designate. Senior officials shall be designated by the heads of their respective departments, agencies, and offices.

(3)education, K−12 education, higher education, career and technical education, language acquisition, and adult education.

CONTINUED ON

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20 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

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HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 21

}

At more than 52 million strong, including 4 million in Puerto Rico, Hispanics constitute the country’s largest and fastest growing minority group. They have had a profound and positive impact on our country through, among other things, their community’s strong commitment to family, faith, hard work, and service. Many Hispanics contribute to this Nation bilingually in the English and Spanish languages — a true asset for our country in an increasingly global, interdependent world.

}

CONTINUED FROM

P.20

(d) Initiative Objectives.

(1) education for all Hispanics, the Initiative shall, consistent with law, promote, encourage, and undertake efforts designed to meet the following objectives: (i) increasing general understanding of the causes of the educational challenges faced by Hispanic students; (ii) increasing the percentage of Hispanic children who enter kindergarten ready for success by improving access by Hispanics to high-quality programs and services that encourage the early learning and development of children from birth through age 5; (iii) implementing successful and innovative education reform strategies and practices in America’s public schools to ensure that Hispanic students, like their peers, receive a rigorous and well-rounded education, and have access to student support services that will prepare them for college, a career, and civic participation; (iv) ensuring that all Hispanic students have access to excellent teachers and school leaders, in part by supporting efforts to improve the recruitment, preparation, development, and retention of successful Hispanic teachers and school leaders and other effective teachers and school leaders responsible for the education of Hispanic students; (v) reducing the dropout rate of Hispanic students and helping Hispanic students graduate from high school prepared for college and a career, in part by promoting a positive school climate and supporting successful and innovative dropout prevention and recovery strategies that better engage Hispanic youths in their learning, help them catch up academically, and provide those who have left the educational system with pathways to reentry; (vi) increasing college access and success for Hispanic students and providing support to help ensure that a greater percentage of Hispanics complete college and contribute to the goal of having America again lead the world in the proportion of college graduates by 2020, in part through strategies to strengthen the capacity of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education serving large numbers of Hispanic students; and (vii) enhancing the educational and life opportunities of Hispanics by fostering positive family and community engagement, improving the quality of, and expanding access to, adult education, literacy, and career and technical education, as well as increasing opportunities for education and career advancement in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

serving and meeting the needs of Hispanic children, youths, and adults;

ment’s programs and in education programs at other agencies;

(ii) work closely with the Executive Office of the President on key Administration priorities related to the education of Hispanics;

(3) engaging the philanthropic, business, nonprofit, and education communities in a national dialogue regarding the mission and objectives of this order; and

(iii) increase the Hispanic community’s participation in, and capacity to participate in, the Department’s programs and education-related programs at other executive departments and agencies;

(4) establishing partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit stakeholders to meet the mission and policy objectives of this order.

(iv) advise Department officials and, through the Working Group, other agency officials on issues related to the Hispanic community and the educational attainment of Hispanic students; (v) advise the Secretary on the development, implementation, and coordination of educational programs and initiatives at the Department and other agencies designed to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for Hispanics of all ages; (vi) encourage and develop partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit stakeholders to improve Hispanics’ readiness for school, college, and career, as well as their college persistence and completion; and (vii) develop a national network of individuals, organizations, and communities to share and implement best practices related to the education of Hispanics.

(3) The Initiative shall periodically publish reports on its activities. The Secretary and the Executive Director of the Initiative, in consultation with the Interagency Working Group and the Chair of the Commission established under section 3 of this order, may develop and submit to the President recommendations designed to advance and promote educational opportunities and attainment for Hispanics, including recommendations for short- and long-term initiatives. (e) Collaboration Among White House Initiatives. The White House Initiatives on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Asian-American and Pacific Islanders shall work together whenever appropriate in light of their shared objectives.

Sec. 3. President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. There is established the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (Commission) in the Department. (a) Commission Mission and Scope. The Commission shall advise the President and the Secretary on matters pertaining to the educational attainment of the Hispanic community, including:

(2) In working to fulfill its mission and objectives, the Initiative shall, consistent with law:

(1) developing, implementing, and coordinating educational programs and initiatives at the Department and other agencies to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for Hispanics of all ages;

(i) help ensure that Federal programs and initiatives administered by the Department and other agencies are

(2) increasing the participation of the Hispanic community and Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the Depart-

The Commission shall meet periodically, but at least twice a year, and may work through task forces composed exclusively of Commission members, as appropriate. (b) Commission Membership and Chair.

(1) The Commission shall consist of no more than 30 members appointed by the President. The Commission may include individuals with relevant experience or subject matter expertise that the President deems appropriate, as well as individuals who may serve as representatives of a variety of sectors, including the education sector (early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, higher education, career and technical education, and adult education), labor organizations, research institutions, corporate and financial institutions, public and private philanthropic organizations, and nonprofit and community-based organizations at the national, State, regional, or local levels.

(2) The President shall designate one of the members to serve as Chair of the Commission, who shall work with the Initiative’s Executive Director to convene regular meetings of the Commission, determine its agenda, and direct its work, consistent with this order. (c) Commission Administration. The Executive Director of the Initiative shall also serve as the Executive Director of the Commission and administer the work of the Commission. The Department shall provide funding and administrative support for the Commission, to the extent permitted by law. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707). Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) (Act), may apply to the administration of the Commission, any functions of the President under the Act, except that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Administrator of General Services.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) This order supersedes Executive Order 13230 of October 12, 2001. (b) intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA THE WHITE HOUSE, October 19, 2010.

22 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!

Juliet grew up in Houston’s Ease End, the daughter of immigrant parents. She graduated valedictorian from the High School for the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. She then wen on to graduate magna cum laude from Rice University and earned her law degree from the University of Texas Law Center. For more information see page 23 of this issue.

VOTE FOR JULIET STIPECHE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010!

Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010! -

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION n 23

Finally, Prop 1. pay-as-you-go plan prevent flooding, A pay-as-you-go plan to to help help p revent fl ooding, create and millions c reate local local jobs jobs a nd ssave ave m illions ffor or ttaxpayers. axpayers.

F

or too long, city funds for our aging streets and drainage systems have been siphoned off for other uses. We’re wasting millions of dollars a year in interest payments on borrowed money. And fo for what? More flooding and more traffic.

Finally, there’s Prop 1 : À Pay as you go go

Puts an end to wasteful borrowing so we can use the millions we now spend on interest payments to fix our streets and drainage systems.

À Dedicated fund We have worry about picking up our W e sshouldn’t houldn’t h ave tto ow orry a bout p icking u po ur kidss ffrom orr g getting home work after kid rom sschool chool o etting h ome ffrom rom w ork a fter a hard why we need FOR Prop 1.. h ard rrain. ain. TThat’s hat’s w hy w en eed tto o vvote ote F OR P rop 1

Prevents politicians from using these funds for any other

purpose. Period.

À More local jobs

Creates thousands of jobs for Houston families, when we need

them most.

À More safety

Helps improve road conditions so emergency first responders can arrive on the scene quickly.

À More fairness

PPol. ol. adv. adv. Renew Renew Houston Specific Purpose Committee

The city will use sound science and engineering to make sure the worst problems are fixed first, no matter what par t of town they are in.

À Green solutions

Adds to our green space and improves water quality and recreational oppor tunities.

À Rebuilds our city

Provides the funds to repair, replace, or upgrade ever y street that is past its useful life, finally halting the decay and blight that comes with our aging, crumbling streets and drainage systems.

À Endorsed by responsible leaders:

Houston Chronicle, Mayor Annise Parker, State Rep. Garnet Coleman, Scenic Houston, Houston Police Officers Union, Harris County AFL-CIO Council and leading business and neighborhood organizations (par tial list).

vote vote F FOR OR

PROP PR OP Good Good streets. streets. GGood ood drainage. drainage.

O nN ovember 2 oa On November 2,, g go all ll tthe he w way ay d down own yyour our vvery er y llong ong ballot ballot a nd V ote F OR Proposition Proposition 1 and Vote FOR 24 n HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION - Don’t Forget To Vote On Tuesday, November 2, 2010!