2005 Race for Houston City Council District I: John Parras speaks to Houston Business Connections publisher Aubrey R. Taylor John Parras
Candidate for Houston City Council District I TAYLOR: Tell us in 200 words or less why Houstonians should vote for your candidacy? PARRAS: I am the better choice in the District I race. I have the independence, education, training and integrity needed to fight for the District's residents and businesses. As a product of the East side, I have been fortunate to earn, through hard work, an education in politics at Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Texas. I have used my hard work in school to earn the opportunity to train as an advocate under the best trial lawyers in America — Dick DeGuerin, Racehorse Haynes, and Michael Ramsey. In their offices I was trained to fight governmental abuse, injustice, and unequal treatment. I was trained to stand up for the disadvantaged. My education and training in politics and the law, as well as my career as a defender, make me uniquely qualified to forcefully advocate for District I residents. TAYLOR: Tell us in 100 words or less about your greatest strength? PARRAS: Independence. Unlike career politicians I have built a career of my own and now seek to enter politics without owing anybody anything. I have built a reputation for hard work, superior quality, and successful results in my life's work. I will lend my education and training to public policy debates. I will study options and make the best choice for my constituents. In the end, however, it will be my independence that allows me to follow through on my convictions. If I need to stand against special interests, only my independence will let me do so. My independence is my greatest strength. TAYLOR: In your opinion how important is good leadership in times of crisis? Is there anything you would have done differently in responding to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita? PARRAS: Good, strong, competent leadership is essential in times of crisis. Without it companies fail, countries falter, and people die. Katrina. I think that Houston did a fine job responding to the aftermath and failures in the Louisiana and federal government. Houston responded with compassion and understanding to a region that was destroyed. Residents responded with an outpouring of care and love unmatched almost anywhere. I am very proud of the City's response to Katrina and can think of little significant thing that I would do to change the City's response. Rita. With the benefit of hindsight, I certainly would have responded differently. First, it was a mistake to call for evacuations or ring the alarm bell without being adequately prepared for the resulting traffic congestion. People died and they didn't have to. On the heels of Rita we should be more alert to the needed coordination between local and state authorities. We weren't. And, I've heard of reports that plans for counter flow lanes had been dismissed in the past because local officials thought they were too difficult to implement. If this is true then it is unfortunate for those that lost their lives. I am also concerned that too much suffering, frustration and money was needlessly spent by City residents. People that did not need to evacuate did so because they were alarmed and frightened, not because they were truly in danger. In an orderly evacuation, no one dies because they are stuck in traffic. Something went seriously wrong in this evacuation and more study of our response and preparations is needed. The plan was more akin to yelling fire in a crowded theatre. Houston was lucky and our officials need to be better pre-pared, that's their job. TAYLOR: On a scale of (1 to 10) how would you rate our city's response to the recent national disaster? PARRAS: Katrina — 8 — very little room for improvement. Rita — 6 — better than average response but lots of room for improvement. Our recently shared experience with widespread danger demonstrates the importance of voting for highly competent and qualified officials. What we've learned from the New Orleans is that a city will ultimately be judged by the way it treats its poor and disadvantaged residents. Houston can do better. | 
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