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The Houston of 2007 is on its way to becoming a great American city. But we are at a point in our history when we can transform ourselves into a truly global city. This, of course, will require world class infrastructure to support that status: safe and secure neighborhoods, transportation that really moves people, the most highly-developed airports and port, cutting-edge education and a thriving civic community, combined with a liberated and low-tax business environment.
Rising crime and lawlessness throughout the city and the region and the inability of the system to meet this growing challenge is one of the biggest impediments to Houstonians’ desire to become a truly global player. Safe and secure neighborhoods, stores, commercial centers, roadways and entertainment facilities are a pre-requisite for realizing our city's dreams. Houston is becoming a 24-hour city and our population is booming; yet, our police force has not kept pace. There is no better deterrence to crime than the visibility of law enforcement on the street. We must also equip our police officers with state-of-the-art tools and resources—a smart system of high-tech information gathering, monitoring and disbursement.
The social and civic aspects of crime must be part of the solution and require a smart approach by the city leadership. We must work with Houstonians to create and provide a citizen-oriented crime prevention plan. Every citizen deserves to be provided with the tools and means necessary to achieve a safe and secure home, work and school environment. Our citizens are the number one asset of Houston and no one must be left behind in the pursuit of our destiny.
Modern and world class transportation for Houston should be first and foremost designed for Houston and customized for its environment. Various types of personal and mass transportation will be utilizing a combination of freeways, buses, light rail, toll roads, park-and-ride lots, synchronized traffic lights and HOV lanes. But these different modes of transportation must be coordinated so people can move within them or between them. The system must be smart with high tech traffic monitoring and regional coordination.
The combined tax burden on the citizen of Houston from a minimum wage employee to the professional to the business owner to the corporate player is on the rise and must be curtailed and stabilized in order to attract future jobs, services and products.
City officials must play their role in creating and sustaining a low tax, business friendly environment for all—individuals, business owners and corporate citizens. We must make the pie bigger rather than cutting it in smaller pieces. Entrepreneurs and business owners can be motivated with a benevolent regime of less governmental regulation, efficient permitting processes, coordinated enforcement, low taxes and a city with a civic sense of becoming truly global. We must all work smarter, not harder.
The city of Houston is a premier city ready to launch itself as a major global player. It has all of the ingredients necessary for stabilized and consistent growth. Houston is world-class center of excellence for energy, medical education and research, and engineering and construction. We have a strategic location in the temperate south with worldwide connections through our airports, port and highways. This is what we must leverage to attract future growth not just in the region but globally. |
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