Vol. 73/No. 39      October 12, 2009

“What do you support in the policies of the current city government and what specific policy would you change?” Houston Fox News reporter and debate moderator Duarte Geraldino asked the seven candidates in the September 17 debate. It was organized by two neighborhood associations in the city’s southwest.

“Those currently in office, whether in Houston or Washington, represent the interests of the ruling billionaire families,” Ulman responded. “They are expanding their wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere, and against working people here. Millions of us have already been thrown out of work and they continue to go after entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, part of the social wage that working people won through massive battles.

“Working people need to organize to defend our own class interests. I would immediately end the use of 287(g), which gives further powers to the cops to collaborate with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency] against immigrants. We would legalize all undocumented workers now.”

Roy Morales and Charles Daniel Cupp said they thought that the mayor was not active enough in pursuing “illegal immigrants.” Morales is a board of education trustee and a retired air force officer.

How would the candidates tackle pollution, asked moderator Geraldino? Parker asserted that “the big oil and chemical companies here are becoming the new green leaders.”

Ulman sharply differed, saying, “Pollution comes from the same disregard for human life and dignity that the capitalist system is based on. One major contributor to environmental pollution in this part of the world comes from the oil industry. We need to open the financial books of the energy corporations to a panel of workers, expose their profiteering at the expense of humanity and the environment, and nationalize the energy industry, taking it out of private hands, and putting it under workers’ control.”

“For us to really fix the environment,” Ulman continued, “working people have to take political power and use that power in our own interests.”

“I don’t think we need that here,” responded Luis Ullrich, a plumbing contractor. “No, I’m totally opposed to a Cuban-style revolution here.”

“How do you see fighting crime? Would you make any changes to the organization of the present police force, including the police chief?” the moderator asked.

Gene Locke, former city attorney, replied that he would “work closely with the police to improve their image.” Parker said she would hire a new police chief who “better understands the city of Houston.”

Ulman answered, “My campaign explains that it is the capitalist system itself that, by force of violence including use of the military and police, pits individuals against each other in competition for survival. That system is the source of organized crime and petty criminals among workers who have lost their sense of social solidarity.

“Workers obviously hate petty muggers and gangs who prey on them, but the capitalist rulers’ ‘anti-crime’ campaigns always mean more workers, especially those who are Black and Latino, getting shot by cops in the streets,” said Ulman. Her remarks were interrupted by clapping and comments of “That’s right!” from the audience.

The socialist candidate concluded, “To stop crime in all forms, working people must unite to put an end to the system of exploitation of man by man and organize society on the foundations of human solidarity.”

When asked why people should vote for her, Ulman replied, “A vote for Amanda Ulman is a vote for the Socialist Workers Party. That is the vote that counts. Together with Steve Warshell for city controller and Socialist Workers candidates across the country, our campaign is a campaign of action, one that joins with struggles that advance the interests of working people worldwide. I would like to encourage those here to join with us in our campaign and vote Socialist Workers Party on November 3.”
 
 
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