Issues

Interview on the Issues with Houston Public Media

In an interview with Ariel Worthy of Houston Public Media’s Houston Matters program, Orlando shares his plan to address Houston’s long-standing budget issues.

Two major issues confront Houston today: Crime and Shortfalls in the Budget. Both problems result from years of poor public policies that have failed Houstonians.

Orlando Proposes a Public Safety District

Crime

Crime Headwinds Aimed at Houston

    • Due to the irresponsible behavior by some State District Judges, crime is out of control and sadly, the Houston Police Department can’t keep up with it.
    • Even worse, Houston does not have the money to combat the ever-increasing criminal element wreaking havoc in every neighborhood of Houston. The Houston Police Department is woefully under-staffed, but Orlando Sanchez has a workable solution.

Orlando Sanchez’ Proposal for a Public Safety District

    • The Houston region has more than enough licensed peace officers to reduce response time from minutes and hours to seconds. We can nearly triple the number of peace officers.
    • Orlando proposes we begin a conversation about creating a “Public Safety District” in our community. When 911 receives a call, the first available certified peace officer will be dispatched to the emergency.
      • It may be a Harris County Sheriff, a Harris County Constable, a Metro Police officer, a police officer from any of our educational institutions, a Port of Houston police officer, a Texas Medical Center Police officer or even a Houston Police officer.
      • The point: when your family’s life is on the line, you don’t care what law enforcement agency responds, you just want a timely response.

How to Make a Public Safety District Work

    • Of course, this paradigm shift in regional policing will require cooperation from citizens, local governments and even our friends in the Texas Legislature.
    • Orlando Sanchez can provide the necessary effective leadership to inspire and achieve legislative and voter approval to create a Public Safety District with a dedicated stream of revenue.
    • That would enable us to fund public safety, increase pay for our first responders and begin to move our employees to a sustainable, defined contribution pension system. One such system is the Texas District & County Retirement System (TDCRS), which is one of the best public retirement systems in the nation.

Shortfalls in the Budget

Spending Priorities Must be Addressed

    • Houston does NOT have a revenue problem
      • The City has enjoyed very healthy growth in sales tax revenues over the years as well as in water revenues.
      • In fact, City revenues overall have increased by 87% over the last 15 years while inflation plus population growth has increased by 42%.

Budget Shortfall: Really?

      • The so-called “budget shortfall” is being used by those currently in control at City Hall to promote increases in property taxes.
      • The Bicycle Lane Example

        • Insanity is performing the same task over and over and expecting a different result. For example, millions of public tax dollars were spent in the late nineties to create bicycle lanes in Houston.
        • After the massive public expenditure, the bike lanes fell into disrepair and were eventually abandoned for lack of maintenance and extremely limited use.
        • Nevertheless, today, yet again, the City of Houston is spending millions of tax dollars to create new bike lanes.
      • The Overpass Lights and Limited-Use Expensive Bus Line Examples

        • We have spent over three million dollars to repair lights (albeit beautiful ones) on overpasses, and more than $170 million dollars to build a “Silver Line” rapid bus system which the media has reported draws extremely limited use.
        • The Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) would be wise to use public funds to better benefit the public.
        • For example, many families have loved ones receiving treatment at one of our premier hospitals in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, where it costs nearly $20 per day to park. METRO should construct a parking garage, charge much less for parking and include a rail line ride to and from the medical center to Metro’s TMC parking garage.
      • As Controller, Orlando Sanchez will turn the spotlight on this kind of extravagant waste and help the City get its spending priorities straight.

 

At the time of Orlando’s last year serving as Harris County Treasurer, our county was not only in fine financial shape, but our criminal justice system was working well, and crime was at its lowest in decades.

Similarly, when Orlando Sanchez finished his term as an At-Large Houston City Councilman, Houston was in excellent financial shape. Orlando helped his colleagues pass the first Houston property tax rate cut in decades, crime was under control and the city of Houston was experiencing responsible growth.

Orlando Sanchez will bring his depth of experience serving our City and County to the task of getting Houston’s fiscal house in order.