Williams Talks Tough; Ready to Represent E

Matt Stiles at the Chron wrote a pretty good article on the District E race. Of course, I live in District E, so this race affects me and my neighbors in Kingwood, as well as my good friends in Clear Lake, my relatives in Sagemont, etc.

Wil Williams has been campaigning on providing effective representation for all segments of District E since he announced his intent to run back in April. Since then, he has taken strong stances on the need for leadership and consensus on the Council as a means of ensuring District E's fair share of infrastructure resources and vital city services. In this interview, it seems like the other candidates are in agreement regarding the recent representation of the district.

Lurking more subtly is Wiseman's tenure representing the oddly configured district, which includes both Kingwood and Clear Lake, but also precincts near Hobby Airport.

The candidates say they believe Wiseman, among Mayor Bill White's most vocal critics on the council, is popular with constituents still smarting from long-ago annexations. But they say they do not intend to emulate her sometimes confrontational style and well-known delay tactics, if elected.

But the toughest talk came from Williams:

"I would say that Addie Wiseman has been an obstructionist in the past. I do not intend to be the world-record holder for 'tags' on City Council," candidate William R. "Wil" Williams, a Kingwood corporate lawyer, said, referring to a parliamentary move the councilwoman often uses to delay agenda items. "If you're going to be a part of the team, you need to play like a team player."

Wiseman's previous defense of her delay tactics were noted by Stiles: It is that mistrust of the city and the services offered after annexation that continues to color the politics in Kingwood and Clear Lake, political analysts say.

But at some point in time, we must move forward. And to move forward, it will take forward-thinking leadership on the Council to get beyond annexation and back to the business of serving constituents effectively.

While the article delves into some important issues, a bit of disservice is done by going into the the political party idenfitification thing--although Stiles is right about it playing a part. Party ID should not even matter in a nonpartisan race and serves only to dumb-down a race by making voters look for the "D" or "R" on the ballot (which they will not find and state law precludes election workers from telling voters who the Ds and Rs are on the ballot). In a race like this, you have to run as an "E"...a resident of and for District E, which I may add, is what Wil Williams has been doing since April. In other words, voters must learn about the issues and decide based on how they identify with a candidate's stance on those issues.

Otherwise, a very informative article!