[00:00:01]
IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND SHOULD BE HERE SHORTLY.UH, BUT LET'S, LET'S, LET'S PROCEED.
UM, LEMME JUST SAY GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE, UH, AND LET ME THANK THOSE WHO ARE WITH US, UH, STANDING WITH US.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THE, UH, VOLUNTEERS, UH, WHO HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE BEFORE 7:00 AM AND HAVE, YEAH, GIVE, GIVE IT UP TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
AND I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO JANICE WEAVER FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT.
THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT HER FIRST EVENT OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WELL, SEVEN YEARS.
UH, SHE'S COORDINATED MANY OF THESE RELIEF EFFORTS.
SO I WANT TO THANK HER, ESPECIALLY ON SHORT NOTICE.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE CITY DIRECTORS, THE DEPARTMENTS, THE EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR RESPONDING ON SHORT NOTICE AND WANT TO THANK, QUITE FRANKLY, THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON.
LEMME JUST SAY THE REASON WHY WE ARE HERE.
UH, THE PEOPLE IN JACKSONVILLE, UH, IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, ARE REALLY GOING THROUGH A LOT, UH, WITH THE FLOOD WATERS, YOU KNOW, RISING VERY HIGH WATERS, UH, HOUSES AND BUSINESSES BEING UNDERWATER, THEIR ENTIRE WATER SYSTEM BEING DOWN.
UM, AND I THINK HOUSTONIANS, UH, CAN IDENTIFY WITH WHAT, UH, IN PART WITH WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING.
WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK, UH, TO KIND OF GIVE US MORE TIME TO ORGANIZE.
BUT LEMME TELL YOU, WHEN YOU ARE IN NEED, YOU ARE IN NEED RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THE, THE GOAL WAS TO TRY TO, UH, ASK HOUSTONIANS TO PROVIDE ENOUGH WATER TO FILL ONE 18 WHEELER.
UH, BUT THE RESPONSE FROM HOUSTONIANS, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, UH, HAS BEEN SO OVERWHELMING, UH, THAT NOT ONLY WILL WE BE SENDING ONE 18 WHEELER, BUT WE'LL BE SENDING THREE 18 WHEELERS.
AND I SPECIFICALLY, I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF, OF CHRISTIAN, UM, CHURCHES.
CHURCHES, UH, PASTOR ORTEGA, UH, FOR STEPPING UP.
THEY'RE MAKING THESE 18 WHEELERS AVAILABLE IN ADDITION TO THE WATER THAT THEY ARE ALSO JOINING WITH US AND SENDING.
UH, BUT LEMME JUST DO THIS 'CAUSE I, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WHY WE ARE HERE.
AND, UH, UH, ONE OF OUR DIRECTORS, JANE CHEEKS, UH, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, IS FROM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI AND HAS FAMILY MEMBERS.
HER MOM IS IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
AND HER MOM, LIKE MOST OF SENIORS THAT WE KNOW, DON'T LIKE LEAVING THEIR HOME.
SO, UH, UH, JANE, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND KIND OF GIVE AN IDEA, TELL PEOPLE WHAT EXPERIENCING IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, UH, AND HOW THIS EFFORT CAN BE HELPFUL.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU, MAYOR, UH, AND, AND MS. WEAVER, THANK YOU.
UH, AND I WANT TO THANK H TOWN FOR SHOWING UP AND SHOWING OUT LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO.
I WAS RAISED IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AND AS THE MAYOR SAYS, MY MOM IS STILL THERE, AND ALL MY RELATIVES ARE STILL THERE, NIECES AND NEPHEWS, AND THIS MEANS A LOT.
AND, UH, WHEN I SAID, MOM, YOU COULD JUST COME TO HOUSTON JUST LIKE MOST, UH, MOTHERS, SHE SAID, NO, I'M STAYING IN MY HOUSE.
ALL RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE WAY MOST OF THE PEOPLE AT HOME ARE.
YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA THAT WHEN SHE WOKE UP THAT MORNING, AND THERE WAS NO WATER THAT CAME OUT THE TAP, IT HADN'T BEEN ANNOUNCED YET, HOW SHE WAS CALLING ALL OF US TO SAY, WHAT IS GOING ON? AND THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT TOUCHES ME IN A WAY THAT PROBABLY NO ONE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND.
'CAUSE I HAVE RELATIVES THERE.
YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT WATER.
ALL RIGHT? THERE'S NO FLUSHING OF THE TOILETS.
IF YOU, IF YOU DO HAVE WATER AND YOU PUT IT IN THE BATHTUB, IT IS BROWN.
SO I WANNA THANK ALL THE HOUSTONIANS AND, AND EVERYONE HERE, I DON'T WANNA MISS ANY NAMES.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SHOWING UP AND HELPING JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI WITH THIS WATER DRIVE.
AND, AND IF YOU'VE READ, AND YOU ALL HAVE REPORTED, IT'S UNFORESEEN WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS FIXED.
SO PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, EVEN AFTER THIS WATER DRIVE, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GONNA NEED SO MUCH UNTIL WE CAN GET IT FIXED.
[00:05:01]
SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.AND THEN I WANT TO, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, THE MAYOR OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI IS A GRADUATE OF THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
SO HE COMES FROM, HE COMES FROM THIS CITY.
AND THEN SECONDLY, THE PERSON THAT'S COORDINATING THEIR RELIEF EFFORT IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI DURING HURRICANE HARVEY, SHE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS COORDINATING, GATHERING SUPPLIES TO SEND TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON DURING HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND SO, UH, NOW WE ARE SENDING SUPPLIES TO JACKSON WHERE SHE IS COORDINATING.
AND ON SHORT NOTICE, PEOPLE RESPONDED.
AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, JUST REPRESENTATIVE OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FAITH, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY.
WHERE'S MY PERSON FROM FORT BEND CHURCH? WHY DON'T YOU COME AND JUST TELL WHAT, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT, UH, TO THIS EFFORT? SURE.
HI, MY NAME IS CARLOS WILLIAMS. I'M WITH THE FORT BEND CHURCH IN SUGARLAND, TEXAS, WHERE REVEREND BYRON C STEVENSON IS OUR SENIOR PASTOR.
AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THIS EVENT.
WE ARE DONATING 14 PALLETS OF WATER TO JACKSON.
AND THEN I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE PASTOR ORTEGA'S SON, HE RIGHT BEHIND IS HERE.
SO PLEASE COME AND, AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF YOUR, OF YOUR FATHER.
MY NAME IS ISAIAH CHIRP, UM, REPRESENTING FOR MY FATHER, PASTOR ISAIAH ORTEGA.
AND, UM, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT GOING TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI, BUT IT MAKES A REPRESENTATION OF US IN HOUSTON THAT WE ARE MORE, WE ARE MORE THAN JUST A CITY.
WE ARE BOUND TOGETHER AND TO REPRESENT HOUSTON IN MISSISSIPPI AND OTHER WOR AREAS OF THE WORLD, WE TRULY ARE BLESSED AND PRIVILEGED.
THANK YOU HERE TODAY FOR EVERYONE, FOR THE SUPPORT, AND JUST THANK YOU BY ALL MEANS.
ALRIGHT? AND LOOK AND POLICE DO MORE THAN JUST CHASE CRIMINALS AND ARREST THEM AND ALL OF THAT GOOD STUFF.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE RELIEF EFFORTS, UH, HPD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE STEPPED UP.
SO LET ME FIRST BRING UP, UH, CHIEF FINNER, FOLLOWED BY CHIEF PENON.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TO SPEAK.
UH, IT WARMS MY HEART AND, UM, FLOODS AND, AND NATURAL DISASTERS.
WE HAVE WITNESSED THAT AND WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT.
SO IT'S JUST SPREADING THAT LOVE.
HOUSTONIANS ARE STEPPING UP AND I'M PROUD.
UM, BUT AS, UM, UH, DIRECTOR CHEEK SAID THEY'RE GONNA NEED HELP, NOT ONLY TODAY.
SO CONTINUE TO SPREAD THAT LOVE TO 'EM, AND WE'LL DO OUR PART AS A CITY.
I'M PROUD, PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR MAYOR, AND EVERYBODY THAT'S OUT HERE, ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
CHIEF FANS, HOW ARE YOU? CADETS OUT HERE TO SEE YOU.
HOW YOU DOING, SIR? GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UH, HOW PROUD I AM OF OUR CITY.
THE, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NO STRANGER TO, TO THESE TYPES OF DISASTERS.
AND SO HAVING LIVED IT AND HAVING, UH, BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL OF THEM, WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE STEPPING UP.
LIKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, VERY PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR TURNER AND ALL OUR REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE OUT HERE.
WE DO HAVE OUR CADETS THAT ARE ALSO CHIPPING IN.
WE START 'EM EARLY, AND, UH, THEY'RE OUT HERE PROUDLY, UH, ACCEPTING DONATIONS.
WE WANNA ENCOURAGE THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO, UH, TO CONTINUE TO DONATE.
THERE IS A LOT OF NEEDS IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AND, AND, UH, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO OUR PART TO, UH, TO KIND OF LOWER THAT, UH, THAT STRESS ON THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE REALLY LIVING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES.
AND LOOK, LET ME, LET ME SAY TO ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, ALL OF THE DIRECTORS, ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES, UH, HOW THANKFUL AND APPRECIATIVE I AM FOR STEPPING UP.
AND, UH, I'M GONNA CALL ON JANICE WEAVER TO REPRESENT ALL OF THESE, UH, DEPARTMENTS, ALL OF THESE EMPLOYEES, SPECIAL EVENTS OF THAT'S BEEN, AND IF I START NAMING, I'M JUST GONNA MESS UP.
SO LET ME SAY ALL AND I MEAN ALL, OKAY, ALL, UM, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE LOADING, SETTING UP, YOU NAME IT.
SO JANICE, WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME AND JUST, UH, SPEAK ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE.
SO MAYOR, I SEE BEHIND US, TEXAS SOUTHERN JUST PULLED UP WITH A BUS.
SO WE WANNA THANK TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY FOR, UH, THEIR REPRESENTATION.
LEMME FIRST OF ALL SAY THANK YOU.
THE MAYOR SENT A TEXT LIKE AT SEVEN 12 IN THE MORNING AND SAID, I WANNA SEND SOME WATER TO JACKSON.
[00:10:01]
AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, WELL NEXT WEEK WE CAN DO THATHE SAID, NO, WE WANT TO DO IT THIS WEEK, MAYOR.
AND SO DIRECTORS, ALL THE DIRECTORS, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WAY OVER THERE, BUT WALK THIS WAY MA'AM.
I CALLED YOU OUT, I CALLED YOU OUT, I CALLED YOU OUT.
SO CHIEF HUNTER, I, I SAID, WELL CHIEF, CAN YOU JUST VERIFY THAT WE CAN DO IT NEXT WEEK? SHE SAID, NO, HE WANTS TO DO IT THIS WEEK.
SO WE GOT THE DIRECTORS TOGETHER AT THREE 30, HAD OUR CALL.
AND YOU KNOW, HE, THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT, BECAUSE WE ARE HOUSTON STRONG.
I DON'T CARE HOW YOU DO IT, SING IT FOR ME.
BUT OUR DIRECTORS, THEY KNOW HOW TO STEP UP.
WE'VE GOT, SO ALL 22 DEPARTMENTS, 22 DEPARTMENTS, THESE HEADS SAID.
AND SO WE STARTED TAKING VOLUNTEERS, MARRIED.
SO FINALLY SHE SAID, WE CAN DO IT THE EASY WAY OR WE CAN DO IT THE HARD WAY.
AND THEY STARTED SAYING, OH, I GOT 15 PEOPLE, I GOT 10 PEOPLE.
I GOT HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE BUT DIRECTORS.
'CAUSE THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO.
AND WHEN I TALKED TO THE, UH, LADY, MS. SMITH AND JACKSON, SHE WAS SAYING, WELL, MR. WEAVER, YOU KNOW ME, CONGRESSWOMAN.
WELL RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO GET THIS WATER TO YOU.
THIS IS THE PERSON THAT ORGANIZED ON HER END OF JACKSON FOR US, FOR HURRICANE HARVEY.
IS THAT NOT UNBELIEVABLE THAT IT CAME FULL CIRCLE? IT HAPPENED TO BE ME.
AND SHE SAID, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THIS EFFORT.
AND SO MAYOR, WE REALLY LIKE DOING THIS.
WE REALLY, WE, MY CALL US CRAZY, BUT WE REALLY LIKE DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS AN EFFORT WHERE OUR HEART HAS GONE FROM STATE TO STATE TO FROM MAYOR TO MAYOR AND TO BE ABLE TO HELP FAMILIES LIKE MS. JANE CHEEKS.
I WAS HEARTBROKEN TO HEAR HER MOM.
'CAUSE HER MOM IS SO HARD HEADED, YOU KNOW, BUT SHE SAID, MY MAMA'S NOT COMING HERE.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TAKE IT THERE TO YOUR MOM.
YOU TELL MOM WE LOVE HER AND YOU TELL THE OTHER PEOPLE AT JACKSON THAT WE LOVE THEM.
THANK IT'S SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE, POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE OUT HERE, BEEN OUT HERE SINCE SIX O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
PARKS, I HEARD Y'ALL BACK THERE.
I CALL IT OUR DEPARTMENT, NEIGHBORHOODS HR.
BUT THE MAYOR SAID, THAT'S OKAY, BUT MAYOR, WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR PUSHING US.
YOU ARE THE ONE THAT HAD THE DRIVE TO SAY, I WANT THIS DONE NOW.
AND THIS IS THE KIND OF MAYOR WE HAVE A RIGHT NOW, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A WAIT TILL TOMORROW, MAYOR.
SO MAYOR BEST TURNER, WE LOVE YOU.
AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, SIR.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND JUST BEFORE I BRING UP THE CONGRESSMAN, UH, CONGRESS MEMBERS AND OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, MR. AND MRS. TSU, UH, THAT ARE HERE.
AND I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MAYOR OF, OF, UH, JACKSON, UH, MISSISSIPPI, GRADUATED FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN, BUT MISS TSU YEAH.
IS ALSO FROM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
SO WHY DON'T YOU COME UP AND JUST SPEAK ON BEHALF OF, YOU KNOW, YOU TELL, TELL YOUR STORY, YOU KNOW.
I AM MELODY ROBINSON, AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE 75TH MISS TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
AND THIS REALLY, UH, MEANS A LOT TO MY FAMILY AS WELL AS MY FRIENDS THAT I HAVE AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, AS WELL AS TOUGALOO COLLEGE, WHICH ARE TWO HBCUS IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
SO I KNOW THAT ALL OF THIS WATER, UH, IS REALLY GOING TO, UH, BENEFIT THEM.
AND THANK YOU TO MS. TASHA FRANCIS, WHO IS ALSO A TSU ALUMNI WHO, UH, HELPED US TO BRING THIS TOGETHER.
AND I WAS ALSO, YOU KNOW, MR. YOUR AGE IN A VIRTUAL
UH, BUT LOOK, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME FIRST BRING ON, UH, OUR CONGRESSWOMAN OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, FOLLOWED BY CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN OF THE NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY JOLANDA JONES, WHO'S A STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
IF WE WERE IN CHURCH, WE WOULD SAY THAT PROTOCOL HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, BUT WE WILL NOT DO THAT.
MAYOR, WHEN WE DO HAVE, AND, AND IT DOES, IT BEARS REPEATING.
UH, WE HAVE A STANDUP MAYOR, UH, THAT STANDS UP, UH, AND CALLS OUT AND GETS THINGS DONE.
WE SHOULD GIVE, UH, MAYOR TURNER, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE COLLABORATORS, COORDINATORS, COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BECAUSE WE HAVE, HAVE A CAN-DO ATTITUDE TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
I JUST LOVE YOU BECAUSE I'VE HAD A LITTLE TASTE BY BEING ON CITY COUNCIL SOME MANY YEARS AGO.
[00:15:01]
PEOPLE THAT YOU COULD EVER HAVE.AND I WANNA GIVE THEM AN AMAZING APPLAUSE FROM HPD, FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PUBLIC RELATIONS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, EVERYBODY THAT SANITATION, I THINK I GOT EVERYBODY, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, EVERYBODY, AND ALL GOES ON.
SPECIAL EVENTS, SPECIAL EVENTS, PARKS AND RECREATION.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THE BASKETBALL LEGENDS.
I THINK THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING THE WATER ON THEIR HEADS.
UH, AND BROTHER REED, UH, WHO NEVER HAVE LEFT OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND OF COURSE THE NBA RETIREES, UH, WE, WE, WE SPEAK SING NBA.
WE REMEMBER YOU AND YOU HAVE HONORED OUR CITY.
I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE.
UM, I WOULD SAY, UH, TWO, TRAVELING ON THE SAME JOURNEY, UH, TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
I HAVE TO ALWAYS SAY THANK YOU TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE, IF SHE HAS A DEPARTMENT OF HER OWN, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MY, MY FELLOW TRAVELER IN MANY GROUPS, UH, THAT, UH, SHE GETS ACKNOWLEDGED.
'CAUSE SHE IS ALSO THE CHIEF IMPLEMENTER.
THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN GREEN, AS I SAID, AS WE TRAVEL THE SAME JOURNEY.
AND I'M SO DELIGHTED THAT A FELLOW TRAVEL THAT'S REALLY GONNA TAKE AUSTIN BY STORM AND THAT IS OUR NEW REPRESENTATIVE AND IS TAKEN IN BY STORM REPRESENTATIVE YOLANDA JONES.
WE KNOW THE FIGHT IS ON AND WE ARE DELIGHTED FOR THAT.
BUT LET ME BE VERY CLEAR, THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN AMERICA.
IT FRANKLY SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN AMERICA.
THIS IS A JOURNEY THAT I TOOK SOME YEARS AGO, TRAVELING TO FLINT, AND I WAS OVERWHELMED WITH THE MISERY, UH, THE DISASTER OF LEAD POISONING, UH, THE, UH, PEOPLE WHO WERE SICK, UH, AND HOW LONG IT TOOK.
UH, BUT I FRANKLY BELIEVE THAT WE NOW HAVE A NEW START IN LIFE.
AND AS I KNOW, MY COLLEAGUE, I TALKED TO CONGRESSMAN BENNY THOMPSON, WHO IS ON THE GROUND, AND MANY OF YOU KNOW HIM AS CHAIR OF THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE, BUT HE IS ONE OF THE CHAMPIONS OF MISSISSIPPI FOR GETTING THINGS RIGHT.
AND FRANKLY, UH, THE QUESTION IS WHAT THEY DID WITH THE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH THESE AGING PIPES.
YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP STUDIOUS, YOU'VE GOTTA USE THE FUNDS.
SO WHAT WE WILL HOPE, MAYOR, IS THAT THIS BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, UH, IS GOING TO BE UTILIZED NOT AT THE STATE LEVEL WHERE WE'VE HAD, UH, SO MANY CHALLENGES, BUT THAT IT WILL GET, UH, TO THE MAYOR OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, WHICH IS WHERE THE WORK GETS DONE.
WHERE YOU DO HOUSING, WHERE YOU DO, UH, TRANSPORTATION, YOU DO IT AT THE CITY LEVEL.
WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO WASHINGTON COLLABORATING WITH CONGRESSMAN THOMPSON TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN BE A DIRECT INFUSION OF DOLLARS OUT OF THE MULTI, UH, BILLION DOLLAR BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
ALMOST A TRILLION DOLLARS, TRILLION 0.1, I BELIEVE, TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THAT MAYOR, A MAYOR WHO'S A GRADUATE OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW.
BUT I MAINTAIN THAT IF THERE IS A STORY, WE SHOULD RAISE THE QUESTION OF WHY THIS HAPPENS IN AMERICA AND WHY IN THESE CITIES WE'RE NOT ALREADY PROSPECTIVELY ANALYZING THESE PARTICULAR WEAKNESSES IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM AND GETTING THE MONEY, WHICH WE HAVE ARGUED.
CONGRESSMAN GREENE AND I HAVE ARGUED, BYPASS THE STATE AND SEND THESE MONIES DIRECTLY, UH, TO THE CITIES BYPASS THE STATE.
I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, WE'LL SEND DIRECTLY TO THE CITIES.
MY FINAL THING, MAYOR, IS I'M NOT THE SPOKESPERSON FOR HEB, BUT THEY'VE ASKED ME TO COME AND INDICATE TO YOU THAT IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU HAVE, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE, WE'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE TWO HEB 18 WHEELERS OF WATER THAT'S GOING UNDER THE NAME OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, AND ALL OF US WHO WORK TOGETHER.
AND THEY WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE HEADING OUT TODAY.
UH, AND THEY ARE HEADED OUT IN THE NAME OF THIS CITY TO, UH, THE MAYOR OF, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
REMEMBER CITY OF MISSISSIPPI, UH, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, REMEMBER, GO TO WHERE THE JOB GETS DONE.
AND SO THIS WATER IS GONNA GO STRAIGHT THROUGH AND I'M EXCITED THAT WE WORK TOGETHER.
HEB, UH, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE PARTICIPATING.
I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET THIS DONE.
UH, AND WE WILL KEEP GIVING BECAUSE YOU KEEP GIVING AND WE WILL ALSO DEMAND THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN AMERICA.
AGAIN, THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN.
UH, I APPRECIATE GREATLY WHAT YOU'VE DONE ON SHORT NOTICE.
UH, I LIKE THIS TERM A RIGHT NOW, MAYOR.
UH, SOMETIMES OTHERS CAN FIND OBSTACLES WHERE YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND BECAUSE YOU SEE THESE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE OTHERS SEE OBSTACLES, YOU CAN NEVER BE THANKED ENOUGH.
SO NOTWITHSTANDING ALL OF THE OTHER ACCOLADES, ALL OF
[00:20:01]
THE OTHER THANK YOUS, LET'S HAVE A BIG TEXAS SIZE.THAT, THAT, THAT WAS NOT A TEXAS SIZE.
THAT OKAY? YOU GETTING BETTER? ALRIGHT.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR A MOMENT THERE.
THAT WAS A DALLAS FORT WORTH
UH, MAYOR AND TO MY COLLEAGUE JACKSON LEE AND MY ADDITIONAL COLLEAGUE YOLANDA JONES, CHIEF FINNER.
CHIEF PENA
FLINT WAS A CANARY IN THE COAL MINE.
WE HAVE TO DO MORE TO HELP WITH THE FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE CANNOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO SUFFER WHAT WE CALL AND KNOW AS THE ALEXA OF LIFE.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO ANOTHER PLANET, THE FIRST THING YOU LOOK FOR IS H2O WATER, RIGHT? WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, NO CAPITAL CITY IS WITHOUT THE ALEXA OF LIFE WATER.
AND TO THIS END, I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
$20 MILLION ALLOCATED UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FOR JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
$75 MILLION ALLOCATED LAST YEAR UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN JOBS ACT FOR MISSISSIPPI.
$30.9 MILLION ALLOCATED UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCIES INVOLVING LOAN FUNDS FOR JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
AND $15 BILLION UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT IN JOBS ACT.
THIS WAS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT, BUT THAT TOO IS NOT ENOUGH.
I WANT YOU TO BELIEVE AS I BELIEVE THAT IF WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS, AS WE LOVE OURSELVES, AND IF WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES WITH HURRICANE HARVEY, IF WE'VE UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RECEIVE HELP FROM LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI, THEN WHAT THE MAYOR IS DOING TODAY IS CALLED RECIPROCITY.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAD THE GOOD VISION AND THE GOOD SENSE MAYOR TO SEE THAT THIS RECIPROCITY IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER.
SO MAYOR, FOR THE RECIPROCITY, FOR LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR, FOR BEING YOUR BROTHER'S KEEPER, FOR BEING THERE AT A TIME OF NEED.
WE APPRECIATE YOU AND WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NO MAYOR THAT EXCEEDS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE AMERICA'S MAYOR, NOT JUST HOUSTON'S MAYOR.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT AS I CLOSE, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE.
PUT YOUR FEET AND YOUR HANDS WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TODAY, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR MAYOR, WE'RE PUTTING OUR HANDS, OUR FEET, OUR MOUTHS, AND ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF TRIPPING IN, BY AND THROUGH THIS MAYOR AND OTHER COMPANIES LIKE HEB.
BUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT WAS LEADERSHIP THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER.
MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK MUCH STATE REPRESENTATIVE DE JOLANDA JONES.
SO I FIRST WANT TO THANK MAYOR TURNER.
JANICE SENT ME A TEXT, I KNOW WHEN SHE SENDS ME A TEXT 'CAUSE I BETTER DO SOMETHING UNLESS I GET IN TROUBLE.
UM, BUT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY AND I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY EVENING.
SO MY CHIEF OF STAFF AND I, COREY, WHO'S HERE, WE WENT AND BOUGHT WATER, MOVED MY PLANS AROUND THIS MORNING, CAME HERE, BROUGHT WATER.
I WANT TO THANK THE VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SYSTEM GOING, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE WORKED BETTER TOGETHER.
AND MY GRANDMOTHER TOLD ME SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T REALLY APPRECIATE UNTIL I GOT OLDER.
BUT YOU CAN TELL WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE BY HOW THEY SPEND THEIR TIME AND HOW THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY.
AND PEOPLE HAVE COME TO HOUSTON, THEY ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME.
WE VOLUNTEERS ARE SPENDING OUR TIME AND WATER AIN'T FREE.
BUT AS A PERSON WHO LIVED THROUGH IKE, AND AS A PERSON WHO LIVED THROUGH HARVEY WHERE WE WERE FLOODED AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND WE COULDN'T GET INTO THE STORES, THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE NOT BEING ABLE TO FLUSH YOUR TOILET.
THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE NOT BEING ABLE TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE LIVE IN A PLACE LIKE HOUSTON, WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD,
[00:25:01]
IT'S REALLY EASY TO FORGET ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS FOR SOME PEOPLE AND HOW WE JUST TAKE WATER FOR GRANTED AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY.SO I CONCUR WITH WHAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID, THE MAYOR, CONGRESSWOMAN JACKSON LEE, CONGRESSMAN GREEN, CHIEF THINNER, CHIEF PENA AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
TO TO, TO PEOPLE WHO MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED.
AND THE TRUTH IS, I WAS RAISED IN SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S NO YOU WITHOUT ME.
AND WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF INTERDEPENDENCE.
AND WE SHOULD NOT LET GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF CITIES SEPARATE US.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE ONE RACE, WE ARE THE HUMAN RACE, AND WE NEED TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH CARE AND KINDNESS.
AND WE NEED TO HELP PEOPLE WHEN WE CAN.
AND LIKE, I CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME, BUT WHEN I THINK OF YOUR MOTHER WHO'S 83 YEARS OLD, RIGHT? WHEN YOU'VE LIVED THAT LONG OF A LIFE AND YOU'VE RAISED KIDS LIKE HER, WHO'S A DIRECTOR, YOU DESERVE FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.
IF YOU ARE IN A, IN A TIME OF NEED, PEOPLE SHOULD HELP YOU.
SO I'M JUST THANKFUL TO BE HERE.
I'LL CONTINUE TO WORK FOR AS LONG AS THEY'LL HAVE ME.
AND BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, BECAUSE THIS WAS SO SHORT NOTICE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA MAY BE FINE, UH, BUT TRADITIONAL MEDIA WORKS EVEN BETTER.
SO LET ME THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA COMMUNITY BECAUSE ON ON VERY, VERY, VERY SHORT NOTICE YOU ALL PUT THE MESSAGE OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND ON SHORT NOTICE, BECAUSE OF OF YOUR SUPPORT, UH, PEOPLE HAVE RESPONDED.
SO, UH, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO THANK THE MEDIA HAS BEEN A VITAL PARTNER, UH, TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS EFFORT.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, OF COURSE, THE NBA RETIREES, ROBERT REED AND THE WHOLE GANG WITH HIM.
THANK DUNCAN VERSUS TENNESSEE NATIONAL CHAMPION.
I WANT THANK, I WANT TO THANK THE MCDONALD'S BEHIND.
I WANNA THANK CW COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AMERICA.
I WANT TO THANK AT AND TI WANT TO THANK KROGER'S.
AND THEN I WANT TO THANK WARREN SPAN, UH, WITH IT'S, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MCDONALD'S.
AND THEN WHERE'S WARREN SPAN? THAT IS WARREN SPAN
I'M LOOKING FOR THE BIG MAC AND A QUARTER POUNDER.
UH, BUT WARREN, ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY, WHY DON'T YOU SAY THANK YOU.
JUST LET US KNOW WHAT YOU BROUGHT.
UH, ON BEHALF OF MCDONALD'S, UH, AND, UH, MARTIN BROWER, WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED 18,000 BOTTLES OF WATER.
UH, SO, UH, WE'D LIKE TO THANK MAYOR AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER AND TO SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE AS HOUSTONIANS, WE KNOW THAT FLOODING IS A CATASTROPHE AND, UM, WE HAVE TO RELY ON OUR NEIGHBORS IN ORDER TO GET US THROUGH.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE GETTING TOGETHER AND DOING WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.
SO THEY, THEY NOT ONLY HAVE GOOD FRIES, BUT THEY'VE BROUGHT 18,000, UH, BOTTLES OF WATER.
SO IF CERTAIN WANT THANK THEM.
AND THEN I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY CHIEF OF STAFF, MARETTE HUNTER.
I, YOU KNOW, I SAID THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND SHE TOOK THE HAM AND WORKING WITH JANICE AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS MADE IT HAPPEN.
SO AGAIN, THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CAME AND DROPPED OFF WATER, WHOSE NAMES WE ARE NOT CALLING.
BUT IF YOU CAME, IF YOU SHOWED UP ON YOUR WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
IF YOU JUST BROUGHT ONE BOTTLE OF WATER FOR THE PEOPLE IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
IF YOU BROUGHT TWO CASES OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, UH, EVEN THOUGH YOUR NAME WAS NOT CALLED, YOU ARE HOUSTONIAN AND YOU ARE A REFLECTION OF THE HEART OF HOUSTON.
WE ARE BIG GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT OUR HEARTS, OUR HEARTS ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN THE SIZE OF OUR CITY.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY, THE BUSINESSES, UH, THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, UH, OUR NON-PROFITS, EVERYONE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER DEMONSTRATION OF WHERE OUR DIVERSITY IS AN ASSET FOR US.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
SO IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE
[00:30:01]
ON ANY LEVEL, WE'LL BE HERE UNTIL NOON AND THEN THESE TRUCKS WILL START ROLLING.AND AGAIN, IT HAS EXCEEDED OUR INITIAL EXPECTATIONS.
WHEN YOU ADD WHAT THE CONGRESSWOMAN HAS SAID AND WHAT MCDONALD'S HAS IS DOING, THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE TRUCKS, UM, MORE THAN THREE, UH, THAT WILL BE ROLLING, UH, TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD BE REMISS, THIS IS A RELIEF EFFORT FOR JACKSON.
WE'VE ALSO, UH, ARE JOINING IN WITH THE PAKISTANI COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD HUGE, UH, FLOODING IN PAKISTAN WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES HAVEN'T BEEN LOST, AND QUITE FRANKLY, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE BEING DISPLACED.
AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PAKISTANI POPULATION.
OKAY? SO WE WANT TO JOIN WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, UH, FROM PAKISTAN, UH, TO SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THEM AS WELL.
UH, WE ARE A GLOBAL CITY WITH A GLOBAL REACH.
AND OUR HEARTS AND OUR RESOURCES ARE ENOUGH THAT WE CAN DO FOR JACKSON.
WE CAN ALSO BE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN PAKISTAN.
UH, AND AGAIN, HOUSTON IS BLESSED BECAUSE OF OUR HEARTS.
AND, UH, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT.
WHO KNOWS WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER.
AND THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR, TO TOMORROW'S STORM IN THIS CITY IS TO DO OUR PART RIGHT NOW WHILE THE SUN IS SHINING AND WHILE WE ARE DRY.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
I CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE IT IS BECAUSE OF THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO THINGS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BUILD UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
SO WHETHER IT'S FROM OPERA, WHETHER IT'S FROM, UH, THE, UH, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, UH, WHETHER IT'S THE, THE, THE DOLLARS EVEN BEFORE THEN DEALING WITH COVID OR THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE MAKING IT.
AND I WANT IT TO BE VERY WELL KNOWN.
THOSE DOLLARS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY.
AND REPRESENTATIVE JOAN UNDER JONES, WE ARE LOOKING, YOU DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO GET THEM DOLLARS FROM STATE OF TEXAS.
AND UM, MAYOR, IF WE COULD MENTION OUR KROGER PARTNERS WHO ARE ON THE GROUND IN JACKSON.
WE DID KROGER, I MENTIONED KROGER'S.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON, WHICH IS PATIENT FIRST.
WE WANT TO, THEY'RE RIGHT OVER HERE.
LEMME HEAR YOU SAY JUST ON WHO? YOU'RE YOU.
I'M WITH JOE CATERER AGENCY GOOSE HEAD AND PATIENT FIRST ALSO DONATED A PALLET FROM UH, COSTCO.
OKAY, SO AGAIN, I MEAN, THIS IS HOUSTON.
JUST PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER DOING SOMETHING.
SO WHAT WE GONNA DO SO WE DON'T MISS ANYBODY ON ONE, TWO, ON, ON THREE.
AND YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THAT HARD SIGN.
YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU MAKE IT
SO ON THE, ON THE COUNT OF THREE, WE GONNA SHOUT OUT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.