[00:00:38]
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
I'M PROUD TO BE THE CEO PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION, AND IT'S THANKS TO MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM.
IT'S JUST AMAZING TO LOOK OUT AT THE ROOM AND SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH US SINCE THE BEGINNING.
AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MAKE TODAY THAT WE'RE, UM, VERY HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE.
I, UM, WANTED TO SHARE TOO, THAT WE JUST STARTED CHAPTERS IN, UM, IN FRANCE, MEXICO, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED THERE.
IT'S AMAZING THE RESPONSE THAT WE'RE HAVING.
AND SO WE'RE HOSTING A SUMMIT ON SEPTEMBER THE 26TH, AND IT'S OUR FIRST INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT IN MEXICO CITY, AND IT'S IN SUPPORT OF OUR PROGRAMS THERE.
AND THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR PRO TIM AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON FOR AGREEING TO JOIN US.
AND THEY WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE SUMMIT TOO AS WELL.
AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD, IN JANUARY, 2026, WE WILL HOST OUR FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN LONDON.
AND IN THE SPRING OF 2026, WE WILL LAUNCH THE FIRST WOMEN IN THE FAST LANE OF STEAM LUNCH AND INSTALL SHOW.
GUESS WHERE? DRUM ROLL IN PARIS, FRANCE.
IT'LL BE IN MARCH OF NEXT YEAR.
SO, AND WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY TODAY IS WE'RE HERE TO HONOR MANY, MANY OF OUR FORMER AND CURRENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT EVERYONE HERE IN THIS ROOM IS HERE BECAUSE OF Y'ALL.
I MEAN, YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
WHAT A LEGACY THAT YOU'RE LEAVING.
AND WE CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO COME UP HERE AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH EACH OF US TODAY.
BUT WHILE WE'RE SAYING THAT, LET'S GIVE EVERYBODY A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE HERE, JESSE.
AND FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN G-H-W-C-C WAS JUST A DREAM, YOU WERE THERE WITH US FROM BECOMING FOUNDING MEMBERS TO SPEAKING AT OUR EVENTS, TO JOIN NSS AS WE LAUNCHED CHAMBERS IN LONDON, MEXICO CITY, AND PARIS, AND EVEN MIMICKING EVEN, UM, NOMINATING US TO SERVE ON CITY BOARDS.
YOUR LEADERSHIP HAS, HAS SHAPED NOT ONLY OUR CHAMBER, BUT ALSO OUR CITY FROM SECURING RECOGNITION AT, OF CHARLOTTE BA, BALDWIN ALLEN AS OUR CO-FOUNDER OF HOUSTON, TO BUILDING INITIATIVES THAT EMPOWER WOMEN AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE ALL OF Y'ALL TO STAND, JUST SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHO YOU ARE.
SO OUR, OUR FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PLEASE STAND.
AND THEN OUR CURRENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.
SO IN EC, THEY STOOD, THEY SAW YOU COME IN THE DOOR.
AND NOW I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO MADE TODAY'S POSSIBLE.
OUR SPONSORS, THEIR GENEROSITY HELPS US TO HOST LUNCHEONS LIKE THIS AND BRING US TOGETHER IN CELEBRATION.
OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MURPHY OIL, UNITED AIRLINES, OUR GOLD SPONSORS, COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT, WEST UNIVERSITY, PORT HOUSTON.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE A CHANCE OF OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO MEET MANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.
THEY REALLY ARE MAKING OUR CHAMBER GROW AND THEY'RE REALLY THE REASON FOR OUR GROWTH.
AND WE HAVE, UH, ONE OF OUR PAST CHAIRS OF THE BOARD, DR.
MARYANNE WILKINS WOULD PLEASE STAND WITH TO.
MONICA WILLIAMS WITH TEXAS WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY.
KELLY COBB WITH JACKSON WALKER, LLP, SARAH CRONIN, TPC GROUP, RA, TORA LAME, VERIZON.
[00:05:01]
DEAN'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.TRACY PRINCE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION, KATHY BELTON, THE, SHE IS THE CHAIR OF OUR EXECUTIVE WOMEN'S ENGAGEMENT SERIES.
MARY BITTEN, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, BRENDA RUIZ, PORT HOUSTON, RHONDA ARNOLD, HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, KAREN MARSHALL METRO, AND OUR LIAISON FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER IN FRANCE, NANCY STROMER.
AND I KNOW YOU WERE WARMLY GREETED WHEN YOU, UH, CAME IN THE DOOR.
AND OUR AMBASSADORS ARE OUR, UM, GREETERS AND THEY ALSO HELP US RECRUIT MEMBERS, AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE AMBASSADORS.
SO IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE AN AMBASSADOR, WE WOULD LOVE TO TO VISIT WITH YOU.
PATRICIA ANDERSON WITH LADY P AND ASSOCIATES AND JOYCE JONES, VOLUNTEER EXTRAORDINAIRE AND OF COURSE OUR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
THIS REALLY IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THEM.
AND WE HAVE ALL THREE CO-CHAIRS HERE WITH US TODAY.
SARAH, SARAH CRONIN WITH TPC GROUP, RA LAME WITH VERIZON AND TRACY PRINCE WITH HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT INTRODUCE, AND I KNOW SHE'S GONNA GET ME.
WHERE'S WHITNEY
SO, BUT, BUT SHE WAS REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN STARTING THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN THE BEGINNING AND HAS STAYED TRUE TO THE CHAMBER.
AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR SUPPORT, WHITNEY.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU A SPECIAL THANKS TO JOE GASTON.
ALL OF Y'ALL NEED TO GET TO KNOW HIM.
AND, UM, MARTHA, I HATE TO SAY WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO RECRUIT HIM TO THE CHAMBER, BUT, OKAY.
SO NOW I, I WISH WE HAD A, A DRUM ROLE FOR THIS INTRODUCTION.
IT IS MY TRUE HONOR TO WELCOME MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, A LIFELONG PUBLIC SERVANT, A PROUD FATHER OF TWO REMARKABLE DAUGHTERS, AND A STEADFAST FRIEND.
AND HE'S ALSO BEEN A TRUE ADVOCATE FOR THE, FOR WOMEN FROM HIS YEARS IN THE TEXAS SENATE TO HIS SERVICE TODAY AS MAYOR OF HOUSTON, HE HAS WALKED ALONGSIDE US, HELPED SHAPE OUR CHAMBER FROM ITS INFANCY TO THE LARGEST WOMEN'S CHAMBER IN THE NATION.
HIS LEADERSHIP REMINDS US THAT WHEN MEN AND WOMEN WORK TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP, WE BUILD STRONGER CITIES, STRONGER COMMUNITIES, AND STRONGER FUTURES.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING THE HONORABLE JOHN WHITMEYER, THE 63RD MAYOR OF HOUSTON.
WELL, I WISH I HAD ABOUT AN HOUR TO TELL YOU WHAT'S ON MY MIND.
OBVIOUSLY I COULD SPEND A SIGNIFICANT TIME ON WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, BUT I WOULD ALSO, IT WOULD BE FUN TO GO AROUND THE ROOM AND DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT CAMPAIGNS THAT I'VE WORKED IN SUCCESSFULLY WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
YOU KNOW, WA, WANDA ADAMS, I FELT SORRY FOR ONE NIGHT AT A RECEPTION 'CAUSE SOMEBODY SAID SHE'S A CITY EMPLOYEE AND RUNNING FOR COUNCIL AND MADE THE RUNOFF.
SO I HAPPENED TO HAVE A CAMPAIGN CHECK IN MY POCKET AND JUST FELT SORRY FOR HER AND WROTE HER A THOUSAND DOLLARS CHECK
YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT'S A CALLING.
I DON'T THINK IT'S AN ACCIDENT THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY.
I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAD IT IN, YOU WE'RE RAISED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT MEMBERS.
I'M SO PLEASED WITH MY MAYOR, PROTE CASTEX TATUM.
I'D NEVER MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT HER BEING AT THE TABLE.
I COULD GO AROUND THE ROOM, UH, WITH CURRENT MEMBERS.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
I COULD GO BACK IN TIME WITH THOSE.
SUE, HOW ABOUT EXPERIENCE MATTERS? IT'S GREAT THAT I KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN SO SIGNIFICANT WHEN THEY WERE IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
[00:10:01]
SUSPENDED POLICE CASES LAST YEAR.I KNEW ELLEN COHEN HAD THE COMMITMENT, EXPERIENCE, AND INTEGRITY TO STRAIGHTEN THAT OUT.
AND I COULD GO ON AND ON AND, AND I, AND I'M NOT THE, I'M NOT THE SPEAKER TODAY, BUT I'M GONNA JUST LET YOU KNOW, AND I'LL, I'LL TRY NOT TO PREACH.
BUT WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY BEFORE I SIT DOWN, 'CAUSE IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE, SERVICE, RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.
THE ONE REASON WE'RE DOING SO WELL IN THE ADMINISTRATION IS BECAUSE WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM WOMEN IN MY LIFE, BUT CERTAINLY IN MY PUBLIC SERVICE, YOU SEE, I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE WHEN BARBARA JORDAN WAS THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE SENATE, ONLY PERSON OF COLOR.
AND THERE WAS NO FEMALE RESTROOM.
CAN YOU IMAGINE? SHE, THE, THE GOOD OLD BOYS MADE HER USE THE PUBLIC RESTROOM.
AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL I, IN A GROUP OF WOMEN, JUDITH ZAIA, I CAN NAME OTHERS, WE BUILT A FEMALE RESCUE.
LADIES, YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE ELEANOR TINSLEY PARK WITHOUT ELEANOR TINSLEY HAVING SERVED.
AND I COULD GO SARAH WEDDINGTON ROY WADE.
SO I'M NOT HERE TODAY TO JUST GIVE THE CUSTOMARY.
I'M HERE TO DOCUMENT FOR YOU THAT I HAVE IN MY 54 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, SEEING HOW THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE OF OUR DIVERSITY AND THE WOMEN THAT ARE IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
AN DENISE PARKER TRAILBLAZER WOULDN'T HAVE THE CAUCUS WITHOUT HER.
KATHY WHITMEYER, SHE PUT A COALITION TOGETHER.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS WERE A TOPIC IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN BEFORE.
COALITION BUILDING WITH LABOR MINORITY GROUPS.
HOW SO WAS SHE? WENT THROUGH MY BROTHER.
HER HUSBAND HAD PASSED FROM JUVENILE DIABETES, WONDERFUL WIFE.
BUT WHEN SHE GOT READY TO RUN FOR MAYOR, SHE BECAME A LESBIAN, NOT OF HER OWN CALLING.
'CAUSE WE KNOW YOU DON'T BECOME, IT IS WHAT SHE WENT THROUGH.
AND THEN SHE SHOWED FOR 10 YEARS HOW A WOMAN COULD LEAD.
THIS GREAT CITY IS WHAT WOMEN HAVE TO ENDURE, THAT MEN NEVER HAVE TO.
THE POINT BEING IS KATHY TOOK ABUSE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER PRIVATE LIFE WAS, THAT WAS HER BUSINESS.
BUT SUE AND NIECE, YOU KNOW, THEY LABELED HER, THEY LABELED HER WOMEN GO THROUGH CRAP THAT MEN NEVER HAVE TO ENDURE.
SO I'VE SEEN IT, IT SHAPED AND MOLDED ME.
I TAKE IT TO WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY.
I THANK Y'ALL FOR, FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE.
I CAN REMEMBER WHEN ONE OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL THINGS WAS THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, NATIONAL AMENDMENT NATIONWIDE.
THAT WOULD TAKE US BACK IN TIME.
SO IT'S AMAZING HOW WE COME TOGETHER.
I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THE CHAMBER OF GREATER HOUSTON MET IN A VERY SMALL ROOM.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING A MENTOR TO WHITNEY.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY TO SIT DOWN, BUT I REALLY WANNA GO BACK TO WORK
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
WE, WELL NOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SHORT BREAK SO Y'ALL CAN VISIT WITH EACH OTHER AT THE TABLE.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CALL OUR, UH, PAST, UH, OR OUR FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS UP TO, TO VISIT.
[00:15:05]
SO ELLEN COHEN, WHO ALSO IS A FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE.AND SHE WAS THE FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT C.
TONY LAWRENCE, FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT A SUE LOVELL, FORMER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, AND FORMER MAYOR, PRO TIMM AND COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE POSITION TWO.
GRACIE SAINTS, FORMER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PROTI AND COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE.
DOCTOR SHELLY CUBA GIVES A FORMER US REPRESENTATIVE, FORMER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE POSITION THREE AND NOW SERVES AS A DIRECTOR ON THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP.
THIS IS HARD JUDGE WANDA ADAMS, HARRIS COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT SEVEN, PLACE ONE.
AND FORMER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT D AND MARTHA WONG, FORMER TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND FORMER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT C.
YOU GOT, YOU CAN'T GET UP THERE.
OKAY, SO THIS IS HISTORY GUYS.
SO WE'D LIKE Y'ALL TO BEGIN BY GIVING A SELF INTRODUCTION.
AND IF WE CAN HOLD IT TO ONE MINUTE, THAT WILL BE BE GREAT.
BUT WE, UH, ALSO WANT YOU TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOUR WANT, YOUR LEGACY TO BE.
SO THAT WILL BE THE SECOND QUESTION WE'RE ASKING YOU.
YOU WANNA START? MY NAME IS ANISE PARKER.
I WAS COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE IN POSITION ONE, UH, FOR THREE TERMS. HOUSTON CITY CONTROLLER FOR THREE TERMS AND MAYOR OF HOUSTON FOR THREE TERMS. AND IN FACT, THE ONLY, THE SECOND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TO BECOME MAYOR.
YES, I'M BRAGGING ONLY THE, UH,
UH, AND I AM CURRENTLY A CANDIDATE FOR HARRIS COUNTY JUDGE.
I AM WANDA ADAMS. I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS ONE OF HARRIS COUNTY JUST TO THE PEACE IN PRECINCT SEVEN PLACE NUMBER ONE.
UH, FORMER CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE.
CAME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN 2000.
UH, ANISE WAS CITY CONTROLLER.
WHEN I CAME INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I CAME UNDER MAYOR LEE P.
WORKED FOR HIM FOR LIKE SIX OR SEVEN YEARS.
AND THEN, UM, SERVED WITH FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ADA EDWARDS AS A LIAISON FOR THE CITY, BUT I WAS A PARTNER WITH HER AND DECIDED TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL AND WAS SUCCESSFUL, COMPLETED ALL MY TERMS THERE.
THEN WENT TO SERVE AS THE HISD BOARD OF EDUCATION, SERVED IN ALL LEVELS UP TO PRESIDENT.
AND THEN NOW I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING THIS JUDGE FOR THE SAME COMMUNITY THAT I'VE SERVED OVER FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.
I MOVED TO HOUSTON IN 1977 WITH TWO CHILDREN AND MY LATE HUSBAND.
IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK HAVING JUST SPENT THE LAST 18 YEARS IN MONTREAL, WHERE INCIDENTALLY I WAS ON THE CANADIAN SKI PATROL, A SKILL THAT WAS NOT NEEDED HERE IN HOUSTON.
HAVING RECENTLY UNDERGONE A RADICAL MASTECTOMY AND NOT KNOWING ANYONE IN HOUSTON, IT WAS QUITE A CHALLENGE.
IT'S NOW 57 YEARS SINCE MY SURGERY TO ALL OF YOU.
AND I'VE SERVED ON OR AS CHAIR OF THE HARRIS COUNTY WOMEN'S COMMISSION CHAIR OF LEADERSHIP HOUSTON, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL.
I ALSO SPENT 10 YEARS AS CEO OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE, 18 YEARS AS CEO OF THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER.
BUT FACE TRULY MY GREATEST CHALLENGE NOW AS PRESIDENT OF MY HOME HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION,
WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TODAY.
WE'RE SO PROUD TO BE HERE WITH YOU AND SEE YOU.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN HOUSTON AND, UH, WENT TO UT HOOK 'EM HORNS AND, UH, GOT MY, UM, DEGREE IN THREE AND A HALF YEARS AND STARTED WORKING ON MY MASTERS.
UM, THERE WAS A GROUP THEY THAT GRADUATED, THEY CHOSE 19 OF US IN THE UNITED STATES TO GO AND SPEND THREE AND A HALF MONTHS IN EUROPE AND ASIA.
UM, WE WENT TO EVERY COUNTRY IN EUROPE, AND THAT INCLUDES, I WAS IN THE STREETS RUNNING WITH THE BULLS.
AND, UM, WE, WHAT, BACK THEN WE CALLED IT THE IRON CURTAIN BEHIND.
AND YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T HEARD THAT.
AND SOME OF YOU YOUNGER PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
[00:20:01]
WHAT THAT IS.THAT'S THE AREA THAT AMERICANS WEREN'T ALLOWED TO BE IN.
RUSSIA AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA DURING THE VIETNAMESE WAR.
AND, UH, WE WENT INTO THOSE COUNTRIES, WE WERE GIVEN A PASS TO GO AND, UH, JUST HAD A FABULOUS TIME.
THE PROBLEM WAS WE WERE THREE AND A HALF MONTHS THERE.
AND, UM, I HAD A TEACHING JOB.
I WAS 28 DAYS LATE FOR TEACHING HISTORY, ADVANCED REMEDIAL AND REGULAR.
SO THAT FIRST NIGHT I HAD A LOT TO READ, TO CATCH UP.
'CAUSE I HADN'T EVEN SEEN THE BOOKS.
UH, I TAUGHT AT CROCKETT HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WAS A FAIRLY NEW SCHOOL.
THE GUYS THERE KNEW THAT I'D BEEN A TENNIS PRO, AND, UH, THEY HAD TO GO FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD TO GET A WOMAN TO SERVE AS COACH OF A SPORT.
AND SO I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OR CLOSE TO FIRST WOMAN TO COACH A MEN'S SPORT.
WHEN I LEFT THERE, I WENT TO CY-FAIR HIGH SCHOOL, TAUGHT THERE FOR FOUR YEARS.
I COACHED THE MEN'S TENNIS TEAM AND I LOVED IT EVERY BIT OF IT.
UM, IN 2004, 2010, I WAS VERY HONORED TO SERVE THE SAME TIME THAT MAYOR BILL WHITE WAS MAYOR.
UM, POLITICS DIDN'T PLAY A ROLE AND NONE OF US, VERY FEW OF US ON COUNCIL LET POLITICS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND ENJOYED IT ALL.
AND NOW I'M A MASTER GARDENER
IF ANNA RUSSELL, WHO WE LOVED SO DEARLY HAD BEEN HERE, THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A BELL.
I, I, I SAT NEXT TO HER FOR TWO TERMS. SO
SO, UM, MY NAME'S SUE LOVEVILLE.
I MOVED HERE IN 1970 WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLD WITH THREE SUITCASES AND $35.
AND AS EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, THIS WONDERFUL CITY OFFERS YOU EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT IF YOU WORK FOR IT.
UH, I, UM, GOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS.
I WAS THE FIRST, UH, WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE THEN GAY POLITICAL CAUCUS.
I WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO SERVE ON THE STATE, UH, DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OUT OF TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
I WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO BE ELECTED TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE AT LARGE.
AND THEN, UH, I, UH, LEFT POLITICS, UH, AND RAN THAT POLITICS THERE.
RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND WAS FORTUNATE TO SERVE.
FROM 2006 TO 2012, I ALSO, UM, WONDERFUL, UH, CAME HERE.
AND DURING A TIME WHEN YOU, WHEN OUR COMMUNITY WERE CRIMINALS, I MANAGED TO, UM, TO ADOPT THREE WONDERFUL BOYS, UH, THAT ARE NOW GROWN.
AND I HAVE FOUR WONDERFUL GRANDCHILDREN, AND I HAVE KNOWN THE MAYOR FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR STORIES.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE, THE GREATER HOUSTON WOMEN'S CHAMBER FOR THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU AND, AND AMAZING WOMEN THAT HAVE SERVED OUR GREAT CITY.
GRACIE SIGNS, EVERYBODY KNOWS ME BY GRACIE, BORN AND RAISED HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, IN THE FIFTH WARD IN THE CANCER CLUSTER.
I, UH, GREW UP EDUCATED HERE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WENT ON TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, GOT MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, AND WORKED FOR AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY FOR SIX YEARS BEFORE I WENT AND GOT MY LAW DEGREE.
I HAD MY THIRD CHILD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST SEMESTER OF LAW SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S WHAT GOT ME READY FOR POLITICS,
AND AT THAT TIME WE WERE EXPERIENCING A HUGE CRIME WAVE IN HOUSTON.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, THE LATE EIGHTIES.
MY HUSBAND, MY FIRST HUSBAND WAS AN EX, I SHOULD SAY HE WAS A POLICE OFFICER.
SO, UH, I DECIDED, UH, TO START LISTENING TO A DEAR JUDGE ALI, WHO KEPT TALKING TO ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GRACIE, WE NEED SOMEONE FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO RUN FOR, FOR CITY OFFICE.
AND EVERY DAY HE WOULD SAY, WE NEED SOMEONE THAT'S WELL PREPARED, EDUCATED, AND WILLING TO TAKE A STAND.
AND I WOULD SAY, YES, JUDGE, I AGREE.
WHEN YOU FIND THEM, LET ME KNOW.
I NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BE ME.
UH, WHEN I DECIDED TO JUMP INTO THE RACE IN 1991, UH, EVERYONE SAID, THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN MAKE IT.
YOU'LL NEED AT LEAST $350,000.
YOU HAVE NO NAME AND RECOGNITION, YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN PUBLIC, UH, I BEFORE.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO IT? AND I SAID,
[00:25:01]
UM, IT'S GOING TO START FROM THE GRASSROOTS.AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN MY FAMILY TURNS OUT TO VOTE, UH, WE CAN WIN
UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, UH, THEY, THERE WAS AN, UH, A NEED FOR REPRESENTATION FOR DIVERSITY ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND I WAS MORE THAN OVERWHELMED BY BEING ABLE TO FINALLY WIN.
AND IT WAS MAGICAL DURING MY TIME IN OFFICE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DID IT, LADIES, I'VE YET TO FIGURE OUT.
HOW MANY HATS DID YOU WEAR DURING THAT TIME? BEING A MOTHER, BEING AN ATTORNEY, BECAUSE I HAD TO KEEP PRACTICING BEING MAYOR PRO TIM, UM, UH, MAYOR, UH, BOB, UH, WENT AHEAD AND SELECTED ME TO BE THE FIRST LATINA MAYOR, PRO TIM.
I WENT AHEAD, UH, A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE.
AND, UH, I ALSO HEADED UP THE HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES AND THE WORLD ENERGY PARTNERSHIP.
HOW I DID IT, I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT NOW, BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE AND I AM SO HAPPY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I LEFT OFFICE AND I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK SINCE.
WELL, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE WITH THESE HONORABLE WOMEN, AND THEY ARE HAVE, I'VE SERVED WITH SOME OF YOU AND KNOW MANY OF YOU AND RESPECT ALL OF YOU.
I DON'T KNOW ALL OF YOU, BUT HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE MEETING I WILL.
SO JUST TO SAY, UM, WHEN I GREW UP THAT AS A PHYSICIAN, NOW LOOKING BACK, SERVICE WAS IMBUED IN US.
AND IT WAS FROM THE BACKGROUND OF NATURAL LAW THAT YOU LOVE GOD AND YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
AND THE NEIGHBOR, YOU ARE MY NEIGHBORS.
SO HOW DO I SERVE YOU? I SERVED YOU AS A PHYSICIAN FOR 30, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, PRACTICE.
SO GETTING INTO POLITICS WAS ALMOST AN ACCIDENT, AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL ACCIDENT.
IF I HADN'T BEEN IN POLITICS, I WOULDN'T HAVE MET SO MANY OF YOU.
AND, UM, I'M DELIGHTED THAT IT'S A, TO STILL BE ALIVE.
I THINK THAT'S THE QUALIFICATION TO BE HERE.
THAT, UH, OH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALIVE.
ANYWAY, SO WE ARE HERE AND, UH, I THINK ALL OF US HAVE A SERVANT'S HEART.
EVERYONE HERE IN THIS ROOM HAS A SERVANT'S HEART.
IT'S INCLUDING YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
I THINK THAT, UM, AND, AND YOU'RE A LITTLE, UH, YOU'RE LIKE A TIGER.
I DON'T KNOW YOU AS WELL AS SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU HAVE A, UH, MAYBE A LION'S HEART ACTUALLY.
BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU FOUR THINGS I'M PROUD OF.
PROBABLY THERE'S MANY MORE, BUT I'M, I'M PROUD OF BEING A DAUGHTER, A WIFE, A MOTHER, AND A GRANDMOTHER.
SO THAT'S TO ME SUPER IMPORTANT.
MEANING NUMBER TWO, I'M PROUD OF BEING A PHYSICIAN AND THEN I'M PROUD OF SERVING MY COMMUNITY AS A POLITICIAN OVER THE YEARS.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT, WHAT IS THAT? I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHAT A POLITICIAN IS, BUT LATER IT KIND OF EVOLVES AND YOU UNDERSTAND IT'S SERVING PEOPLE, IT'S NOT BEING SERVED.
AND, UH, IN THAT CAPACITY, UM, THINGS I'M PROUD OF THAT WE PASSED, WE BLOCKED A LOT OF THINGS MAY, AND THAT'S HOW IT GOES, RIGHT? MAYOR, YOU BLOCK SOME THINGS YOU'RE NOT FOND OF, BUT THE THINGS THAT YOU REALLY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, YOU KEEP PUSHING, KEEP PUSHING.
AND SOME, IT MAY NOT BE YOU THAT PUTS 'EM A LOT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, BUT SOMEBODY BEHIND YOU STANDS ON YOUR SHOULDERS, YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR YOUR FAILURES AND PUSHES IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
SO THINGS THAT I'M PROUD OF, AND I'M THAT SOME OF YOU HERE WILL LIKE THIS.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH NO SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES.
I NEED, COME ON NOW, APPLAUSE FOR THAT.
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW BAD IT WAS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW BAD IT WAS.
THIS ROOM WOULD BE FULL OF SMOKE.
AND YOUR CLOTHES WOULD SMELL LIKE IT.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SMOKE, BUT IT WOULD BE BAD.
GENTLEMEN, I'M NOT BLAMING ANYBODY, BUT A LOT OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW.
BUT, UM, SO THAT WAS A BIGGIE.
NUMBER TWO THING WAS GOING FROM TWO TO 11 COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINICS.
THEY'RE CALLED FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.
AND BY THE TIME I LEFT COUNCIL, MANY OF YOU OUT THERE WORKED WITH ME ON THIS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GROW THAT NUMBER TO 11.
AND NOW I THINK IT'S OVER 50 IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.
THESE CLINICS TAKE CARE OF UNINSURED PEOPLE.
ANY OF US HERE COULD BE UNINSURED AT ANY OF GIVEN TIME IN OUR LIFE, RIGHT? SO IT WAS VALUABLE, VERY VITAL
[00:30:01]
TO REDO THAT.THEN THERE WAS, UM, MOST RECENTLY, OR WHEN I WAS IN CONGRESS, WHICH WAS VERY BRIEF, BUT IT WAS STILL AWESOME, UH, I SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE PAIN CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD ACT.
AND I'LL, I'LL SPEAK TO THAT FOR A MOMENT.
IN CONGRESS, UM, I WAS REPRESENTING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I KNOW Y'ALL HAVEN'T HEARD OF THAT HERE, BUT THERE IS SUCH A THING.
I KNOW YOU HAVE GRACIE, GRACIE'S, GRACIE AND MARTHA, WE KNOW ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT WAS, UM, THE OLD REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE OLD REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY.
WE'RE ALL KIND OF IN FORMATION HERE IN KUWAIT AS IT IS.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY LIKE, LIKE, UM, CHURCHILL, HE SAID, WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG, IF YOU'RE NOT LIBERAL, YOU HAVE NO HEART.
AND IF YOU'RE OLD AND YOU'RE NOT CONSERVATIVE, YOU HAVE NO BRAIN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE, BUT I WILL SAY MY BRAIN WAS NOT AS WELL PERFUSED AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN MY LIFE.
AND MAYBE IT'S BETTER PERFUSED NOW.
I TAKE MORE PREVAGEN, YOU KNOW.
BUT THE, UM, THE IDEA, THE LATEST THING I'M PROUD OF, AND THIS IS THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, SOMETHING YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT, WE JUST INSTALLED THE SECOND AND THIRD SAFE HAVEN BABY BOX IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.
AND THAT WAS, FIRST ONE WAS IN THE WOODLANDS, SECOND ONE WAS IN TOMBALL, AND THIRD IS IN MAGNOLIA.
AND THOSE ARE BOXES INSIDE FIRE STATIONS.
AND THE MAYOR HEAR ABOUT THIS, IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT.
UM, FIRE STATIONS THAT WILL THEN ACCEPT A BABY WHOSE MOTHER'S NOT ABLE TO CARE FOR THEM.
AND WE WANT WOMEN TO HAVE CHOICE, RIGHT? REAL CHOICE NOT TO THROW THEIR BABY INTO A TRASH CAN OR ABANDON THEM SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY WILL BE ACCUSED OF MURDER IF THAT CHILD IS, IS DIES.
AND LAST YEAR IN HARRIS COUNTY, SIX, SIX BABIES WERE ABANDONED, TWO DIED.
NOW WE HAVE OPTIONS WE DIDN'T HAVE LAST YEAR.
SO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND, AND LOOK INTO IT.
YOU CAN TELL I'M STILL PASSIONATE.
I'M MARTHA WONG, AND UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, SUSAN AND THE CHAMBER FOR, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
AND IT'S SO GREAT TO BE WITH SOME OF MY FORMER COLLEAGUES.
UH, I WAS BORN IN 1939, SO I'M PROBABLY THE OLDEST PERSON HERE WITH THIS GRAY HAIR.
I'VE DECIDED TO LET IT GO GRAY.
UH, SO
UM, UH, I WAS, UH, BORN IN ST.
JOSEPH HOSPITALS, AND SO I'M A ST.
AND MY THREE CHILDREN WERE ALSO BORN IN ST.
I WENT TO EUGENE FIELD ELEMENTARY HOG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THEY NAMED A LIBRARY AFTER ME AND REAGAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS NOW CALLED HEIGHTS HIGH.
SO, AND WE HAVE A REUNION TWICE A YEAR, WHICH I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GO TO.
I'LL LET GRACIE REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING, ONE OF YOUR GOOD FRIENDS WHO WAS ALSO MY FRIEND ON THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM CONVINCED ME TO ENDORSE YOU
ANYWAY, UH, I AM KNOWN AS THE FIRST ASIAN ELECTED TO THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, I RAN, I RAN IN 1993.
THERE WERE, THERE WAS ANOTHER WOMAN AND FIVE MEN WHO HAD BEEN RUNNING SINCE JANUARY.
I DID NOT ENTER THE RACE UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
AND SO IT WAS QUITE A, UH, A RACE TO, TO GET INTO.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS MY, UM, CONSULTANT WITH SOMEONE THAT ALL OF YOU KNOW, UH, AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE MY CONSULTANT UNLESS I COULD RAISE $30,000.
SHE GAVE ME A WEEK TO RAISE $30,000.
SO WHAT I DID WAS I CALLED UP MY MOTHER AND FATHER, AND THEY GAVE ME 5,000.
I CALLED MY SISTER IN PHOENIX AND SHE GAVE ME 5,000.
AND I CALLED MY THREE CHILDREN.
AND I, AND I STILL HAD SIGNATURES TO THEIR CHECKING ACCOUNTS,
SO I GOT 5,000 FROM EACH OF THE CHILDREN AND MYSELF, AND THAT'S HOW I GOT $30,000
SO IT WAS HISTORY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I WORKED UNDER MAYOR LANIER.
AND WHEN I WAS THERE, MAYOR LANIER TOLD ME, HE SAYS, I DID NOT THINK YOU COULD WIN THAT RACE.
HE, HE WAS A BIG SUPPORTER AND VERY GENEROUS WITH ME AND DISTRICT C.
[00:35:01]
HAVE, UH, WORKED AS A TEACHER AT DI DI ELEMENTARY, UH, TOOK OUT AND HAD CHILDREN DURING, UH, 10 YEARS.AND THEN I WENT BACK TO WORK AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, BECAME A PRINCIPAL OF, OF CULTURE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS STILL RATED AS ONE OF THE BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND THEN I WENT ON TO BE AN ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT WITH DR. BILLY REAGAN AND LEARNED EVERYTHING ABOUT POLITICS UNDER DR. BILLY REAGAN.
AND HE HAS PASSED, BUT HE WAS PERHAPS THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT, UH, STABILITY TO THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHEN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE INTEGRATING AND THERE WERE RIOTS AND TURNING OVER A BUSES.
UH, BILLY REAGAN WAS SMART ENOUGH TO START THE MAGNET SCHOOLS.
AND BECAUSE OF THE MAGNET SCHOOLS, HOUSTON NEVER HAD THE RIOTS THAT OTHER CITIES HAD DURING OUR INTEGRATION.
WHEN I BECAME A COUNCIL MEMBER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME WAS ONE OF THE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS WAS IN CHARGE OF THE CITY'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND HE ASKED ME TO TAKE OVER THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I ASKED MY GOOD FRIEND BETH WOLF TO HELP CHAIR THE FIRST CITY, UH, BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH ME.
AND I APPRECIATE HI HER HARD WORK THAT SHE PUT INTO THAT.
AND NOW I AM SERVING AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARIAN ARCHIVES COMMISSION.
AND THANKS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER WHO APPROVED MY APPOINTMENT.
UH, I'M CHAIRING THAT COMMITTEE AND WE ARE CELEBRATING THE YEAR 20 FOR THE, THE CITY'S BIRTH, THE CITY AND THE UNITED STATES BIRTHDAY PARTY.
SO THERE WILL BE, UH, DISPLAYS ALL OVER THE, THE COUNTRY AND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO CELEBRATE OUR GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US TODAY.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO REFLECT, UM, IN WHAT YOUR MOST, UM, FAVORITE ACCOMPLISHMENT WAS.
AND TWO, IF MARTHA KASIK TATUM, YOU, I KNOW YOU WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE, ENCOURAGING THE WOMEN HERE IN THE ROOM TO DO THE SAME.
SO WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A WOMAN THAT WAS THINKING OF RUNNING FOR OFFICE AFTER YOU SHARE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT? WE DOING BOTH QUESTIONS.
UH, I WAS AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER FOR 20 YEARS BEFORE I WAS ELECTED TO, TO HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
I WORKED 20 YEARS IN THE, IN THE OIL INDUSTRY, 18 YEARS FOR, UH, ROBERT MOSS BACKER, INDEPENDENT OIL MAN.
AND, UH, BUT I WAS, I WORKED TO SUPPORT MY VOLUNTEER HABIT.
AND SO WHEN I CAME IN AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I HAD AN AGENDA.
I HAD A LIST OF ALL THESE THINGS THAT I WAS, AND I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEAR TOWN ASSOCIATION AND A FOUNDER OF MY OWN CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
SO I HAD THIS, ALL THESE NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION THINGS.
SO I WANT TO HERE AND AFTER BE KNOWN AS THE PERSON WHO PASSED THE POOPER SCOOPER ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON
AND, UH, I ALSO PASSED THE, UH, UH, 25 FOOT LIMIT.
YOU CAN'T SMOKE WITHIN 25 FEET OF THE ENTRANCE TO, UH, UH, MY BUILDING.
AND A NUMBER OF, I, I GOT A LOT OF CRITICISM FROM MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING, UH, A NANNY STATE COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT THESE WERE THINGS THAT MY CONSTITUENTS TALKED ABOUT.
THEY WERE PROBLEMS IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I, I CAME TO WORK ON THEM.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT I SPENT MY ENTIRE TIME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WITH, UH, LEE BROWN AS THE MAYOR.
AND LEE BROWN HAD A FEW THINGS HE WAS INTERESTED IN, AND HE DIDN'T CARE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBERS DID, UNLIKE SOME SUB SUBSEQUENT MAYORS.
AND SO WE GOT TO RUN AMUCK A LITTLE BIT.
I, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD AN IDEA, HE WOULD LET ME RUN WITH IT.
AND SO THERE ARE AT LEAST A HUNDRED ORDINANCES THAT I PASSED.
BUT I WILL SAY AS, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE GREATEST COUNCIL MEMBER IS NO LONGER WITH US.
ELEANOR TINSLEY SET THE BAR FOR EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SHE WAS THE FIRST EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER SINCE, AND WE CAN, WE CAN TRY HARD, BUT WE'RE NEVER GONNA, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THERE.
SHE WAS AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, MY ADVICE TO PEOPLE WHO WANNA RUN FOR OFFICE AND, AND I GET ASKED A LOT OF PEOPLE APPROACH ME, I WANNA RUN FOR OFFICE SOMEDAY.
AND THE SHORT ANSWER IS, NO ONE CARES THAT YOU WANNA RUN FOR OFFICE
AND IF YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT.
AND THE SOONER IN THE MOMENT YOU START THINKING IT IS A DESTINATION AND YOU NEED TO HANG ONTO IT, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE THERE ANY LONGER.
IF Y'ALL SEE SOME, IF YOU SEE SOME OF US LAUGHING, UH, ANISE AND SUE AND TONY, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THOSE INSIDE THINGS WE USED TO DO
[00:40:01]
ON CITY COUNCIL.'CAUSE ONE THING WE DID WAS LAUGH A LOT.
YES, WE LAUGHED A LOT WHEN I'LL TELL YOU WAS EVERYTHING WAS FUNNY AND WE HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CAN REMEMBER, I WAS SO NAIVE COMING IN BECAUSE I WAS, YOU KNOW, YOUNG AND THEY USED TO ALWAYS LIKE, PULL ME LIKE THIS ON MY DRESS 'CAUSE I WOULD WANNA TALK.
AND THEY SAID, IF YOU DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT, JUST, JUST SIT AND LISTEN.
I THINK IT, I STARTED TALKING LIKE SIX MONTHS AFTER.
BUT MY CAREER LED ME UP INTO CITY COUNCIL, WORKING IN A COMMUNITY, WORKING IN MENTAL HEALTH OR M-H-M-R-A, WORKING WITH HOMELESS YOUTH, WORKING WITH TRUANCY YOUTH, WORKING WITH WOMEN IN AND OUT OF PRISON AND WORKING IN THE SAME COMMUNITY WHERE I LIVE AND CURRENTLY POSITION WHERE I SERVE NOW IN ALL OF THE POSITIONS THAT I REPRESENTED.
AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS SAY WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT OFFICE, AND I'M REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THAT, IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME, AND THAT'S KAREN HAD OVER THERE, I'M ALWAYS GIVE CREDIT TO KAREN, UM, BECAUSE KAREN IS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY PUSHED ME WHEN I KEPT SAYING, NO, I DON'T WANNA RUN.
'CAUSE PEOPLE ALWAYS WOULD COME AND SAY, YOU NEED TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
EVEN FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ADA EDWARDS CAME TO ME TWICE AND SHE SAID, YOU OUGHT TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I EVEN TOLD FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ADA EDWARDS.
NO, THE REASON WHY I SAID NO IS BECAUSE I SAW SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE RACE THAT HAD MORE MONEY THAN I DID.
YOU HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE MILLIONAIRES.
YOU HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE SONS OF STATE LEGISLATURES.
YOU HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE BUSINESS OWNERS.
I MEAN, THESE PEOPLE HAD MONEY ON TOP OF MONEY, ON TOP OF MONEY.
AND THEN I COME IN AS A CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE AND I'M LIKE, IT'S NO WAY THAT I CAN RUN FOR OFFICE BECAUSE I CAN NEVER BEAT THEIR MONEY.
SO ONE NIGHT I WENT HOME AND PRAYED AND, AND WHEN I WENT HOME AND, AND GOD, AS I WAS PRAYING, IT TOOK ME TO THE BOOK OF DAVID AND IT WAS LIKE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE SPIRIT OF DAVID.
NO MATTER HOW MANY GIANTS COME BEFORE YOU USE WHAT'S INSIDE OF YOUR HAND AND YOU CAN KNOCK 'EM DOWN.
AND SO I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT ACTUALLY WORKED IN CITY GOVERNMENT FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS.
SO THEY HAD TO THINK ABOUT THINGS TO DO.
SO WHEN THEY WOULD ASK ME THE QUESTIONS, I STARTED NAMING COMMUNITY ISSUES AND STREETS AND HOUSES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS STREET? BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY FORMED ABOUT SEVEN SUP DONALD AND I ACTUALLY HAD CREATED ABOUT SEVEN SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS UNDER MAYOR LEE P BROWN AT THAT TIME.
SO WE HAD CREATED NEIGHBORHOODS, WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I KNEW THE CIVIC CLUB LEADERS, I KNEW EVERYBODY.
SO WHEN THEY WOULD GET UP THERE AND ASK THEM QUESTIONS, I'D BE WAITING FOR THE ANSWER.
'CAUSE THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO WHEN I BECOME, I WOULD SAY, WELL, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I'VE DONE.
AND THEN JUST ON TOP OF THAT, AND THEN TO PIGGYBACK ON MY LAST STATEMENT ABOUT WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE FOR YOU WHO SAY THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN INSIDE OF YOURSELF.
YOU COULD BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT WITHIN YOURSELF.
I WASN'T GONNA SAY ANYTHING, BUT THEN I WAS RUNNING AROUND ASKING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WAS RUNNING AROUND ASKING PEOPLE TO DONATE.
AND BECAUSE I WAS THE CANDIDATE AT THAT TIME, THAT WOULDN'T WIN.
LITERALLY A MONTH BEFORE THE ELECTION.
I ONLY HAD $7,000 BEFORE NOVEMBER.
AND SO, AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY AT THE TIME.
SO I'M GOING AROUND, THEY SAY, GO ASK ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I GOT A NO, NO, NO, WE ARE NOT ENDORSING YOU.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ENDORSEMENTS.
SO I HAD THE NERVE TO GO TO SENATOR WHITMEYER AND LIKE, I'M RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL AND I REALLY WOULD LOVE YOUR SUPPORT AND, AND I REALLY NEED SOME MONEY.
AND I'M LIKE YOUNG, A CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE.
AND HE LITERALLY TOLD ME, YOU CAN'T WIN
AND SO HE SAID, HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING HE SAID, AND HE DIDN'T GIMME ANY MONEY,
AND HE LITERALLY TOLD ME, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN'T WIN, HE SAID, BUT HE SAID, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU A THOUSAND DOLLARS ANYWAY.
AND HE GAVE IT TO ME AND JUST FAST FORWARD TO NOW, AND HE ACTUALLY COMPLIMENTED ME ABOUT A, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND HE SAID, THAT WAS THE BEST A THOUSAND DOLLARS I EVER GAVE.
SO HE TOLD ME THAT TWO YEARS AGO, AND HE SAID, IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I STILL PROBABLY WOULD'VE GAINED
BUT HERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW TODAY.
SO MY FINAL SAYING IS, NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU WHAT YOU CANNOT DO, NO MATTER HOW HIGH THE GIANTS ARE, AND LEAVE LEGACIES BEHIND SO SOMEBODY CAN LOOK AT THE LEGACIES THAT COME BEHIND YOU.
AND SO IN CLOSING, LIKE THE PREACHERS SAY, WHEN I DRIVE OVER THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH I SERVED PEOPLE WHO PA PAVED A LOT FOR ME IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE I STARTED IN CITY GOVERNMENT BEING A MENTOR, BEING SOMEONE RIGHT NOW TODAY, IF PEOPLE WOULD DRIVE AROUND THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
[00:45:01]
CITY COUNCIL, MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW MARGARET JENKINS, SHE WAS A CIVIC AND PRECINCT CHAIR.SHE HAS THE MARGARET JENKIN PARK.
WANDA ADAMS. WHEN YOU DRIVE AROUND IN CLOVER LAND, YOU'LL SEE THE BETSY SWINDLE PARK WHO COM PAVED THE ME.
SHE HAS A PARK NAMED IN HER NAME.
WHEN YOU GO TO ONE OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, YOU'LL SEE THE WILLIE BELL BOONE LIBRARY.
WHEN YOU GO OFF OF YELLOWSTONE PARK OVER THERE OFF OF, UH, YELLOWSTONE, YOU'LL SEE THE PRESTON ROAD BASKETBALL PAVILION.
THE REASON WHY I LEFT THESE LEGACIES BEHIND IS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SOLD INTO MY LIFE.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WHEN I LEFT OUTTA PUBLIC SERVICE THAT WHEN PEOPLE WILL ASK WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE, THEY CAN DRIVE THROUGH THOSE COMMUNITIES AND SEE THOSE NAMES.
AND WHEN PEOPLE BY TALK ABOUT LEGACIES, THOSE ARE THE LEGACIES I LEFT BEHIND BY SERVING ON CITY COUNCIL AND HISD.
SO THESE ARE BUILDINGS THAT'S BEEN ERECTED, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF.
SO THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN CAN NOW GO SEE THE BUILDINGS NAMED AFTER THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES VOTED FOR, FOR ME TO ALLOW ME TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE THOSE LEGACIES BEHIND.
OKAY, WHAT DO I HOPE WILL BE REMEMBERED DURING MY TIME ON COUNCIL? AND WHAT AM I MOST PROUD OF? I KNOW THE QUESTIONS DIRECTED TO, OR ME IN TERMS OF MY TIME ON COUNCIL.
BUT IN MY CASE, WHAT I DID IN MY FOUR YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EIGHT YEARS ON COUNCIL MIRROR ONE ANOTHER IN AUSTIN, I PASSED A POLL TAX, WHICH ADDED $5 TO THE ENTRY FEE FOR STRIP CLUBS OR ADULT ENTERTAINMENT CLUBS AS THEY PREFER TO BE KNOWN.
THIS BILL RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITH WENT, WHICH WENT TO ESTABLISHING SHELTERS, SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER PROGRAMS KNOWN AS SANE AT HOSPITALS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT UNIVERSITIES.
AND THE POLL TAX REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY.
YEAH, I, I, THAT POLL TAX, WHEN I BEGAN MY SERVICE ON CITY COUNCIL AND I LEARNED OF THE 6,000 UNTESTED RAPE KITS, REMEMBER EVERYBODY OH YEAH.
AND SO I WAS ABLE TO HELP DIRECT SOME OF THAT MONEY TO CLEARING UP THOSE KITS TODAY FOR THE MOST PART.
TODAY, FOR THE MOST PART, WE HAVE NO RAPE KIT BACKLOG.
AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD I GIVE TO A WOMAN LOOKING TO RUN FOR OFFICE? THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY IS DO IT.
DON'T SPEND TIME RUMINATING OVER WHETHER YOU KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT ONE SUBJECT OR ANOTHER.
YOU'RE SMART, YOU'LL LEARN, OR AS MANY OF US KNOW, FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.
THE SECOND THING IS, HIRE THE SMARTEST PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
GOOD PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERT IN THE AREAS THAT YOU ARE NOT.
SO YOU CAN BE OUT ON THE TRAIL BLOCK, WALKING, SPEAKING TO GROUPS, DEBATING YOUR OPPONENTS, AND THEY WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER FLYERS, HOUSE PARTIES, AND PHONE BANKS.
AND WHEN YOU WIN, KEEP MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE ON STAFF.
THEY'RE SMART, AND THEY WILL QUICKLY LEARN HOW TO RUN YOUR OFFICE.
EVERY BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT NEEDS WOMEN.
WE BRING UNIQUE SKILLS TO THE JOB.
AND AS THE SAYING GOES, IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TABLE, YOU'RE ON THE MENU.
AFTER ELECTED, I WENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SAID, WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? AND MOST NEIGHBORHOODS SAID CRIME AND, UM, ALSO PARKS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED.
UM, WE WORKED ON PARKS EVERYWHERE.
SO KIDS HAD A PLACE TO GO AFTER SCHOOL.
SO PARENTS HAD A PLACE TO HAVE PICNICS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SOME LAND THAT HISD WASN'T GONNA USE FOR A SCHOOL.
AND I HAD STARTED WORKING ON THIS ACTUALLY, UH, IN MAYOR BROWN'S TIME.
AND, UM, I WENT TO THE MAYOR, MAYOR WHITE, AND SAID, MAYOR, IF YOU CAN RAISE HALF THE FUNDS, WHICH YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM, I'LL RAISE HALF THE FUNDS FOR THIS LAND.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE TAKEN OVER THIS AREA.
THEY KEEP IT MOWED, THEY MAKE PATHS AND PARKS OUT OF IT, BUT IT'S UP TO THE CITY TO OWN THAT LAND AND MAKE IT A GREAT PARK.
AND SO THE MAYOR SAID, OKAY, I'LL DO THAT.
CAN YOU RAISE THAT MUCH MONEY? AND I SAID, I THINK I CAN.
SO, UM, DICK WEEKLY JUMPED IN AND HELPED ME OUT TREMENDOUSLY.
UH, I THEN TURNED TO SOME FRIENDS, UH, ON THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WHICH WAS MAYOR WHITMEYER.
[00:50:01]
HE GAVE ME A VERY NICE DONATION AND SO DID MAYOR TURNER.AND, UH, THOSE THREE PEOPLE MADE THIS HAPPEN.
AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK OVER ON 11TH STREET.
IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT AND YOU'RE OVER THAT WAY, UM, GO SEE THAT PARK.
ANOTHER AREA WAS A LOT OF CRIME WAS GOING ON.
AND, UM, THE, THE CITY OWNED THAT LAND, BUT THEY DIDN'T MOW IT.
SO, UM, I WENT TO THE MAYOR AGAIN, UH, AND SAID, MAYOR, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT PARK JUST BECAUSE IT'S PARKLAND.
NAME IT, AFTER SYLVESTER TURNER.
AND HE SAID, NOW LET ME BE SURE A CONSERVATIVE WANTS TO NAME THIS PARK AFTER A LIBERAL.
AND I SAID, MAYOR, POLITICS DOESN'T PLAY A ROLE IN THIS.
I KNOW SYLVESTER WILL DO A GREAT JOB.
IT'S KNOWN FOR BASEBALL FIELDS AND EVEN THE ASTROS COME OVER THERE AND HAVE SCHOOL AND IT'S CUT OUT CRIME IN THAT AREA COMPLETELY.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER AREA THAT THE MAYOR WAS GONNA PUT LET SELL TO SOME TOWN HOMES.
AND I WENT, MAYOR, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T WANT TOWN HOMES THERE.
AND HE SAID, OUR BUDGET DOESN'T HAVE IT.
AND I SAID, WELL, WE MAY AS LONG AS WE KEEP IT THERE AND NOT PUT MORE TOWN HOMES, IT, SOMEBODY WILL COME ALONG.
AND SURE ENOUGH, UH, COUNT COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS DID A FABULOUS JOB.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS NOW.
UH, THERE IS, UH, RIGHT OFF ALISSON AND, UH, BINGLE.
AND HE'S, HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT, IS DON'T LET POLITICS PLAY A ROLE.
IT'S GETTING THINGS DONE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
UM, WELL, WHY DID I RUN? UH, I RAN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN AN ACTIVIST.
I'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I JUST GOT TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME, YOU CAN'T DO THIS.
YOU GO TO CITY HALL, WE CAN'T.
AND I THOUGHT, WHY NOT? YOU KNOW, YOU CAN.
SO I RAN ONE THE FIRST TIME AND I LOST.
AND IF YOU RUN AND YOU LOSE, USE IT AS A, A TOOL, LEARN FROM THAT.
BUT HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN BRUTAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRIMARIES, RUNNING FOR COUNCIL CITYWIDE WAS, WAS REALLY NOTHING TRUTHFULLY
I RAN THE SECOND TIME IN TWO, WHICH IS ELEANOR TINSLEY SEAT, WHICH CARRIED FOR ME A WHOLE LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED IN ME AND SHE, UM, GAVE TO MY CAMPAIGN.
BUT, BUT WHAT SHE HAD DONE THERE, THERE, THERE WAS A, A GREAT AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO BE IN THAT SEAT.
SO WHEN, WHEN I WON, UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID WAS THAT I WANTED TO DO WAS TO, UM, DO AN ORDINANCE ON, UM, GRAFFITI IN, IN THE CITY.
AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING A GRAFFITI ORDINANCE BY PUTTING TOGETHER THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT WERE DOING ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL MURALS ILLEGALLY AND TELLING THEM, WE'LL GIVE YOU A PLACE TO DO THEM LEGALLY IF YOU'LL JUST QUIT DOING THEM OUT THERE.
THE SECOND ONE THAT I WAS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF, BECAUSE I LOVE HISTORY, WAS THE HISTORIC, UM, UH, ORDINANCE, WHICH WE NOW HAVE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MARLENE, HOW MANY HISTORIC DISTRICTS, 30 SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE PUT THROUGH THAT EVERYBODY SAID YOU COULDN'T DO.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PRESERVE A LOT OF, OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE THIRD THING I WAS VERY PROUD OF, OVER IN MONTROSE, WE PUT IN THE FIRST DOG PARK BECAUSE WE WERE FIGHTING WITH ALL THE LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM, WHICH I, I HELPED START.
THEY TURNED THEIR DOGS LOOSE IN THE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD, AND EVERYBODY, THEY WERE AT WAR.
SO WE PUT IN, WE SAID, WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS? WELL, WE NEVER HAD ONE.
SO WE PUT IN THE FIRST DOG PARK OVER AT IRV CHEW PARK.
I HAVE TO SAY, PROBABLY, UH, ONE OF MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF WAS WHEN I WENT ON COUNCIL, AND NOBODY'S MENTIONED THIS, BUT WHEN WE ALL WENT ON COUNCIL, SOME OF US, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS A MAJORITY OF WOMEN ON COUNCIL IN THIS CITY, AND BELIEVE ME.
AND, AND WE WERE VERY DIFFERENT.
AND WE ALL FIGURED OUT HOW TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
AND, AND THE ONE THING THAT I DID, I WAS PROUD OF WAS I WENT TO MAYOR WHITE AND SAID, MAYOR, YOU HAVE A MAJORITY OF WOMEN ON COUNCIL.
PROBABLY A MAJORITY OF THOSE WOMEN ARE IN MENOPAUSE.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU DON'T KEEP, IF YOU DON'T KEEP THE THERMOSTAT DOWN IN COUNCIL, WHICH IS NOW NAMED THE ANNA RUSSELL CHAMBERS, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD FOR PUSHING THROUGH, IF YOU DON'T KEEP THAT TEMPERATURE DOWN AND YOU LOOK AROUND THE ROOM AND WOMEN ARE GOING LIKE THIS, YOU NEED TO PUT THAT VOTE DOWN,
SO THE NEXT MEETING WE MOVED, WENT IN AND EVERYBODY'S GOING, WHY IS IT SO DAMN COLD IN HERE,
[00:55:01]
WE DID A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK TOGETHER.WE LEARNED HOW TO KNOW EACH OTHER, HOW TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.
WE'VE HAD WONDERFUL TIMES, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE GREATEST MEMORY THAT I PULL AWAY FROM COUNCIL WAS, WAS BEING WITH A GROUP OF WOMEN THAT WANTED TO DO WORK AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET ALONG AND HOW WE PULL TOGETHER AND HOW WE DO THE WORK.
SO IF YOU'RE THINKING OF RUNNING RUN, UM, THAT QUESTION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DID I ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT WAS MY MAIN PRIORITY AT THE TIME? IT, IT'S, UH, THERE WAS SO MUCH.
AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE, IT'S THE EARLY NINETIES.
UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS GONE THROUGH QUITE A HORRIBLE ECONOMIC, UM, DEVASTATION.
UH, OUR CRIME RATE HAS GONE UP.
OUR CITY, UH, IS, UH, QUICKLY DIMINISHING BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS GOING INTO THE SUBURBS.
UH, AND, UH, DOWNTOWN HOUSTON BY FIVE 30, NO ONE IS, IS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SERVE DURING THE TIME OF, OF ROBERT C LANIER AND MAYOR BOB, UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, CAME WITH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE AND, UH, AND HAD AN IDEA OF WHAT HE WANTED TO DO TO RECREATE THE CITY.
MANY TIMES I FELT I WAS PART OF A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT BELIEVED THAT WE COULD DO IT.
AND SO WE STARTED WITH FORTIFYING THE CENTRAL PART OF HOUSTON, AND THAT'S WHEN CENTRAL HOUSTON, UH, CAME ABOUT.
UH, AND WE DECIDED WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT? HOW DO WE DO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS? THE RICE HOTEL, UH, WAS WAS AN EXAMPLE.
WE EVEN HAD, UM, THE, UM, THE HOUSING, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, WHICH WHERE I'M THINKING ABOUT THE, THE PUBLIC HOUSING AS WELL, WE WERE ABOUT TO, TO DEMOLISH IT.
AND, AND SECRETARY, UH, CISNEROS CAME IN AND, AND THEY DIVIDED THE BABY.
AND THAT PARK, ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE, UH, AGAIN, IT WAS COMMUNITY LISTENING TO THEM, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED? AND THE THING THAT I FOCUSED ON WAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
UH, AND SO WE DEVELOPED A WAY OF LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE CITY DEPARTMENT AND TELLING THEM, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU CAN DO FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH THE LIBRARIES, THROUGH THE CLINICS, HPD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, WHATEVER IT WAS, WHERE ARE YOU? HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH? SO THE FOCUS WAS REFOCUSED ON HELPING CREATE PROGRAMS, HELPING CREATE, UH, ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE WERE HAVING.
UH, EVEN, YOU KNOW, SHIFTING TIME.
UH, THE LIBRARIES WOULD CLOSE LIKE AT FIVE 30, YOU KNOW, SHIFT IT OVER, UH, TILL SEVEN, UH, THINGS LIKE, UH, WHEN IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LETTING OUT THEIR POLICE OFFICERS, UH, GET THEM OUT ON THE STREETS DURING THE TIME THAT THE KIDS ARE OUT, UH, COMING OUT OF, OF, OF SCHOOL? HOW DO YOU POSITION, HOW DO YOU DEVELOP THOSE PROGRAMS? SO THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WAS FOCUSED ON WAS THE INTERNATIONAL PART OF HOUSTON.
WE'VE ATTRACT FROM ALL COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AT THAT TIME IT WAS NAFTA, THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT.
I HEADED UP THE CITY'S NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT.
I WAS, UH, FLYING FROM WASHINGTON TO MEXICO CITY.
I ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE THE SIGNING OF NAFTA IN LOS PINOS WHERE, UM, IN MEXICO CITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE CRITICISMS THAT MAY COME AFTERWARDS, IT WAS A TIME THAT WE AS A CITY BENEFITED FROM THAT TRADE AND COMMERCE.
THE OTHER ONE WAS THE WORLD INNER CITIES PARTNERSHIP THAT I ALSO FOCUSED ON.
THE THING THAT, UM, I ALSO REMEMBER DOING WAS BILINGUAL SIGNAGE AT THE AIRPORT.
MAJORITY OF OUR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS WERE COMING IN FROM LATIN AMERICA.
AND SO I FOUGHT WITH THE, UM, THE AVIATION DIRECTOR AT THE TIME.
'CAUSE HE SAID, I HAD NO BUSINESS TELLING HIM HOW TO RUN AN AIRPORT.
AND ALL I SAID WAS A SUGGESTION, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT IF OVER 70% OF PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM LATIN AMERICA INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE BILINGUAL SIGNAGE.
WE WA WE FOUGHT BACK AND FORTH FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN I FINALLY WALKED INTO LINEAR'S OFFICE, SHOWED HIM THE INFORMATION OR THE, THE DATA, AND HE SAID, YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND SO WITHIN TWO WEEKS HE HAD IT DONE.
HE WAS SO PROUD OF HIMSELF BECAUSE HE, HE ACTUALLY BORROWED THE, THE, UH, THE GRAPHICS FROM MEXICO CITY AIRPORT.
UM, SO IT DIDN'T COST US ANYTHING, AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WELL, SOONER THAN THAT.
THE SECOND THING WAS THEN I HAD THE ASIAN
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COMMUNITY COME IN.THEY WANTED, UH, BILINGUAL SIGNAGE FOR THE, UM, ASIAN COMMUNITY.
UH, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE BEL AIR AREA, I THINK, UH, IN NOT BEL AIR, IT WAS THE VIETNAMESE AREA AS WELL.
AND SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, THEY WERE NOT GETTING IT FROM THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT.
WENT IN, ASKED THEM, WE FOUGHT FOR IT, JUDSON ROBINSON AND I, WE FINALLY GOT IT DONE, AND THEN I STARTED GETTING THE HATE CALLS.
SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, UH, IF YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED ANY HATE CALLS, BUT I WAS TAKING THE HATE CALLS AND, UH, ONE OF THE HATE CALLS WAS, HOW DARE YOU USE MY TAX MONEY FOR THOSE SIGNS? AND I HAD TO LET THEM KNOW, NO, I'M NOT USING YOUR TAX MONEY.
UH, THE OTHER ONE IS, I SUPPOSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING SPANISH SIGNS.
AND I SAID, NO, NOT, IT'S TOO LATE SAN FE.
AND, AND THEY BE, THEY BECAME QUIET.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ON THE, THE, UH, THE OTHER ONE WAS, UM, KINGWOOD.
ANYWAY, OH, LEAVE ME WITH KINGWOOD.
WELL, I LOVE KINGWOOD AND I LOVE, UM,
I SUPPORT WOMEN, AND I ALWAYS HAVE.
3 19 77 HELPED TO FOUND THE FIRST RAPE CRISIS CENTER IN GALVESTON COUNTY.
AND, UM, THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE.
IT WAS VITAL THAT IT HAPPENED.
IT WAS DISTRICT ATTORNEY JAMES HUEY.
HE WAS, HAS SUFFERED AN UNTIMELY DEATH IN HIS PRIVATE PLANE AT ELLINGTON AIRPORT.
UH, ANOTHER WING OF ANOTHER PLANE CAME IN AND, AND KILLED HIM IN HIS COCKPIT.
BUT HE WAS A GREAT MAN AND HE HELPED.
SO MESSAGE TO LADIES, FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP YOU WORK ON PA THINGS YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN WHO TO HAVE CHOICES AND RAPE.
WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN RAPED NEED CHOICES.
THEY NEED SUPPORT, THEY NEED CHOICES.
THAT'S, UH, OLD DAYS, CURRENT DAYS, WHAT AM I DOING? I'M TRYING TO, IN THE WOODLANDS, Y'ALL HEARD OF THAT? UH, IN THE WOODLANDS, TRYING TO KEEP THE TREES UP, THE TRAFFIC CUT THROUGH, TRAFFIC OUT.
AND THAT MEANS BUILDING ROADS, UH, A LOOP AROUND THE WOODLANDS AND INCREASING TRANSIT.
AND, UH, MAYBE EVEN PUTTING THINGS UNDERGROUND LIKE TESLA, TUNNEL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UNDERGROUND, WHO KNOWS? KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, VISION OPEN.
THAT'S ALWAYS A GOAL THAT'S WORTHY TO, TO STRIVE TOWARDS.
AND, UM, BIG THING, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THIS IS FOR YOU.
UM, WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MOTORIZED VEHICLES ON OUR PATHWAYS, AND THEY ARE CALLED E-BIKES, E SCOOTERS, E WHATEVER.
IT'S A BIG PROBLEM AND UH, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE THAT BOTH AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL.
GOD BLESS YOU AND I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A SAFE TRIP HOME.
BUT, UH, HERE'S MARTHA AGAIN BEING LAST.
I SAVED THE CITY $24 MILLION THROUGH COMPETITIVE, COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
WHEN I WAS ON CITY COUNCIL, WE HAD THE CITY, UH, UH, TRASH PICKUP COM, UH, BID AGAINST PRIVATE INDUSTRY, PRIVATE INDUSTRY ONE, AND WE SAVED $24 MILLION.
UH, I WAS ABLE TO GET SEVEN DIFFERENT COMPANIES, TAX ABATEMENTS.
I ALSO DEVELOPED THREE TAX, UH, REINVESTMENT ZONES.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SAY THAT THE ONLY, UH, THE ONLY ZONED P PLACE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS IN DISTRICT THREE, UH, DISTRICT C, WHICH WAS IN, UH, LAMAR TERRACE.
I ALSO, THE MAIN THING THAT WE WERE DOING WAS WE WERE TRYING TO REBUILD THE CITY.
AND I WAS HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE REDEVELOPED THE AREA AROUND STELLA LINK, WHERE WE HAVE A NEW LIBRARY, WE HAVE A WIDE MMCA, WE GOT RID OF APARTMENTS THAT WERE CAUSING THE NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEMS. SO MAKING THE CITY OF HOUSTON SAFER WAS ONE OF MY MAJOR THINGS.
IF YOU WANT TO RUN FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICE, MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ONE, GET INVOLVED IN YOUR PTA TWO, GET INVOLVED IN YOUR HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION.
ACCEPT AN OFFICE THERE AND ACCEPT TREASURER OR PRESIDENT.
THOSE ARE THE TWO MOST POWERFUL POSITIONS.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO, UH, TAKE AN OFFICE IN AN ORGANIZATION, DO IT THAT WAY.
BECOME A PART AND VOLUNTEER IN CITY, UH, COMMISSIONS.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY CITY COMMISSIONS HERE, AND YOU CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT TO THAT.
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DO NOT TRY TO RUN ON YOUR OWN.BE SURE AND GET A GOOD POLITICAL CONSULTANT.
YOU CANNOT BE YOUR OWN POLITICAL CONSULTANT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US SO MUCH.
OH MY GOSH, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL BEING TAPE, SO WE CAN, CAN I WATCH YOURSELF? YEAH.
I FORGOT TO, TO OFFER MY, MY ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO WILL BE, WHO HOPEFULLY WILL RUN IN THE FUTURE IS ONE, UH, DO THE RIGHT THING.
ETHICALLY, ALWAYS REMEMBER, YOU ARE SERVING THE PUBLIC.
IT IS NOT YOUR TAX DOLLAR, IT IS THEIR TAX DOLLAR.
SO WHATEVER YOU DO, THANK YOU.
MAKE SURE MAKE YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND MARILYN BURGESS, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO HER DISTRICT CLERK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WE WERE BOTH, UH, PRESIDENTS OF THE GREENSPOINT CHAMBER, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY TOGETHER.
OKAY, SO WE ARE GONNA TAKE A QUICK PICTURE AND THEN WE'LL INTRODUCE OUR CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP FOR THE DAY.
AND WE'RE THE CO-CHAIRS Y'ALL WANNA COME UP.
AND I'M GONNA GET THE MICROPHONE TO OUR MAYOR.
MAYOR PRO TIM, I HAVE ONE HERE.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME RECOGNITION PLAQUES THAT WE'D LIKE TO GIVE TO OUR FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO IF THE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD DISTRIBUTE THOSE TO OUR FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
WE APPRECIATE THE FOUNDATION YOU HAVE LAID FOR US HERE ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR CURRENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER, WHO IS ONE OF YOUR AT LARGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON, WHO IS DISTRICT B COUNCIL MEMBER.
S FROM DISTRICT C COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM AMY PECK, UH, WHO IS DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER.
MARY ANN HUFFMAN FROM DISTRICT G.
AND THEN I AM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THE MAYOR, PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF DISTRICT K.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, LISTENING TO THESE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF SOME OF HOUSTON'S FINEST WOMEN IN OUR CITY.
BUT I DO HAVE TO TELL YOU, HOW MANY VOTES DOES IT TAKE TO PASS ANYTHING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON? HOW MANY VOTES? NINE.
HOW MANY WOMEN ON HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL? 10.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE ENJOY WORKING TOGETHER.
UM, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE VOTE ON CITY COUNCIL, WE CAN VOTE OUR DISTRICT, WE CAN VOTE WHAT WE FEEL IS BEST FOR HOUSTONIANS, AND THEN WE LEAVE THAT HORSESHOE AND WE CAN STILL GO TO BRUNCH.
AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASON WE ALL LOVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND REPRESENTING THIS AMAZING CITY.
IT'S A PLEASURE FOR US TO WORK ALONGSIDE MAYOR WHITMEYER AND WE WILL CONTINUE DOING OUR VERY BEST TO MAKE HOUSTON THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THANK YOU, SUSAN, FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT WORK AND TO THE GREATER HOUSTON WOMEN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND ABBY WANTED ME TO SAY, SINCE WE DIDN'T GET TO DO OUR PANEL, THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.