Houston City Elections - Bill Frazer Earns Houston Chronicle's Endorsement for City Controller

Bill Frazer for Houston City ControllerThe already tight race to unseat Houston City Controller Ron Green got even tighter today as the Houston Chronicle resoundingly endorsed challenger Bill Frazer to become Houstons next City Controller. It is refreshing to see the Chronicle recognizing this citys need to have a strong fiscal conservative, who also happens to be a CPA, in this office to keep up with the citys many financial challenges.

For several months, TexasGOPVote has been referencing Bill Frazer and the information he has been providing the voters of Houston about the citys concerning financial condition on his website . From the citys debt to pensions funding to the poor reporting on the state of the citys drainage fee (rain tax) problems, Bill Frazer seems to already be doing the job Green should have been doing all along - reporting the financial condition of the City of Houston.

It is time for the voters of Houston to get to know the man who could become our next City Controller. This week, I sat down with Bill Frazer to learn more about who he is and why he is running for this position.

The Houston Chronicle, in its endorsement, reports "Frazer emphasizes transparency in government, noting that it isnt just enough to release numbers. The controller should also explain what the numbers mean. Without that guide, it has become all too easy to ignore actual problems, or resort to apocalyptic predictions of immediate bankruptcy. His overall promise to address issues where they exist, and calm folks where they dont, sets a proper tone for the office."

The Chronicle also discusses some of the scandals facing the current City Controller, Ron Green, reporting:

"Theres his record of tax problems, nearly losing his house to foreclosure in 2006. Theres his business associations with five-time felon Dwayne K. Jordon. Theres the $35,000 that he billed taxpayers for out-of-town trips and luxury hotels during his first three years in the controllers office - the sort of trips that Harris County prohibits and that previous controllers never took.

"Underneath the scandals, theres the simple fact that Green has not been an effective budget watchdog. Sure, he has done the bare minimum of his position. The controllers office releases budget numbers, but provides no context. Green notes the future burdens of bond votes, but doesnt tell voters whether theyre good or bad. He talks about public pensions, but only when asked."

Frazer is already addressing many of these issues by attempting to dig through the less-than-transparent records that are Houstons financial reporting mess. Having spent hundreds of hours digging through the maze of public records Frazers website reveals some of the major areas of concern related to accounting for Houston Drainage Fees, Pension Liability and Budget related issues.

In recent decades, the Houston City Controllers Office has become a political stepping stone for those seeking a pathway to higher office. Mayor Annise Parker is but one such example where she used the office to gain political influence and power while failing to sound the alarm about financial problems that the city was facing at the time and which are looming as even larger problems today. Frazer is not looking for such advancement. The Chronicle states, "He doesnt have political ambition, just decades of experience."

Over the next couple of weeks leading up to early voting and the general election, TexasGOPVote will sit down again with Frazer and drill down into some of the specific areas of concern related to Houstons financial condition and the office of City Controller.

The Chronicle says, "Houston needs a professional who can sit down and take the longer view on our finances. A solid technician with impeccable qualifications, Frazer could spend the next six years ensuring that were on the right track."

Conservatives have a great opportunity to make a major change in Houstons financial condition. Because of the historically low voter turnout in city elections, a motivated voter turnout by conservatives could dramatically effect this race and several other critical city council races. It is very important that we turn out the conservative vote and not let the out of control financial condition of this city continue.

I dont often agree with the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle, but with regards to the following statement, I could not agree more - "Houston needs a controller who views the office as an active defender of fiscal health, not another step on the political ladder. Vote for Frazer."

 

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