The Making of Mayor Bill White:
Houston Mayor says Early Challenges, Life Lessons Nurtured Compassionate Common Sense Approach to Governing Nation’s 4th Largest City.

By Darwin Campbell
African-AmericanNews&Issues

Leading the nation’s fourth largest city is a stewardship of trust and Houston Mayor Bill White is not one to take the task lightly. “There is a new spirit of optimism in Houston,” White said. “I see Houston as the best example of a city offering opportunity to individuals in this country.” Understanding stewardship from White’s perspective, means taking a step back and looking at the private making of the man. White considers himself a visionary, whose focus is on making the kinds of changes and improvements boosting the quality of life for every resident and helps bring positive results in neighborhoods, and on city streets and the economic development front. His philosophies on governing and life are shaped by real life experiences, not by ‘silver tongued, ‘silver spoon’ lobbyists. His positions are not fluid and do not change from day to day, because of political pundits or polls. White considers himself his own man shaped and influenced only by parents’ upbringing, church, experiences as a youth and teen and early struggle and hard climb up the ladder to his goal. White was exposed to the ugly segregation, racism and discrimination faces in the 1960’s and learned early to respect the freedom struggle for African Americans and Hispanics and work to make a difference, while growing up in San Antonio. Much of his early ideas were shaped while working to register minority voters and visiting deprived areas around San Antonio with his parents and church groups. White said his parents were teachers and involved in public service and often commented about the importance of doing something constructive to help others. The face of discrimination hit hard in San Antonio and was evident when going to different neighborhoods. “My parents considered civil rights violations as a moral issue,” White said. “I was personally moved by the pain and the people and the grassroots efforts of those in San Antonio, who were working to open up participation for everyone.”
According to the mayor, some neighborhoods would get nice streets, public facilities and police protection and minority neighborhoods were totally neglected by the government.
“We did not have the same things going on that the police did in Alabama like sending police dogs to attack demonstrators, but we had a lot of shameful legacies in Texas,” he said. He said the injustice was made plain, because San Antonio’s Hispanic and African American areas were largely poor and lacked the basic infrastructure of water, sewers and streets. “These neighborhoods were extremely poor and clearly it was because of the deprivation of rights,” he said. “As a teen, I thought it (what I saw) violated scripture, because all men are created in the image of God. It also violated the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and that it was also wrong.”
His early interest in public service was also peaked at age 13, while watching legislative sessions on a trip to Austin. White saw and heard legislators hammer out the first minimum wage bill and witness the passing of the first Texas Civil Rights Act during the sessions. He continued working voter registration drives as a teen during summer months and organized young people to help minorities denied and disenfranchised by poll taxes and reading tests. Seeing the oppression had a profound impact on White’s ideas about developing neighborhoods and communities. His work ethic as mayor was developed long ago by working his way through school and into a law firm in Houston.
White went to college on scholarships and later worked in Congress during the last major fuel crisis in the 1970s, sharing ideas and developing strategies to decrease dependence on foreign oil. He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy in 1975 and was part of a push for better gas mileage standards, energy conservation and use of renewable sources. He moved to Houston in 1979, hoping for an opportunity to break into the legal profession with a law firm.
“I came to Houston with one suit and an old car,” he said. “I could buy only what I could afford, so I saved up $5,000 down payment and purchased a home in the Antoine and Little York area near Inwood North. It was a $40,000 home in an African American neighborhood.”
White said he chose Houston over other cities because it has a reputation for allowing newcomers to break in. “Law firms here had made more progress than others in the state hiring minorities and females,” he said. “It was a place looking more to future than past, than other places in Texas.”
White started at the ground floor of the firm, representing consumers and victims of fraud.
“I battled people who fixed prices and sold phony investments,” he said. “It is a part of work that I enjoyed in my life at that law firm, because I felt we made a difference.”
The firm was noted as one of the most successful consumer oriented law practices in the country. White said he had a lot of time to think, while commuting more than 50 minutes to work each day, and not only get a bird’s eye view of the needs and neglect in his own neighborhood and other areas, but also experienced the daily pressing traffic concerns citizens face getting to work. White saw the need for improvements, like in San Antonio, and drawing from the teachings of his parents and church, set out to make his own mark on the city by seeking its top job. He also set to unite the city and bring all racial and ethnic groups together and work with all government facets to ensure efficiency at all levels, after being elected with 63-percent of the votes.
However, building a strong coalition with African Americans and Hispanics to help aid and improve services to minority neighborhoods was one of the greatest challenges before working on projects and completing his agenda.
People knowing about his work in civic organizations, voter registration, the Democratic Party and churches, embraced him early in his campaign. However, White said the greatest and most difficult campaign challenge was convincing non-supporters approaching him with suspicion.
“There was some suspicion, because of one candidate in mayor’s race was articulate, able African American politician,” he said. “I never once tried to tear down Mr. (Sylvester) Turner or anything he stood for. I didn’t make empty promises. People saw I am a person who works 14 hours a day and wants to see results, not just make speeches. People responded positively with hope and pride that the city would move forward.”
White said aided his ability to move forward with African-Americans was the examination of candidate platforms that yielded many similar commitments to mass transit, neighborhood and drainage improvements. His dreams of improving public service are based on many of his past experiences, challenges and hurdles he faced growing up and living through difficult times in America and Texas. “I believe people respect what we doing in city government.” he said. “All it means is the leader must make government work for the people and gain and keep their trust.” White is in the process of working towards completing an agenda he believes will keep the city moving and competitive well into the future.
Those priorities include bringing more businesses that create jobs for all citizens, focusing on improving quality of life for all city residents, improving services in neighborhoods and making capital improvements.
On jobs, White said the city is constantly calling on companies in an attempt to get them to take a good look at locating in Houston. On citywide improvements, White has worked hard with city leaders to dedicate funds for drainage improvements, is in the process of cleaning drainage ditches, working on tearing down abandoned building and mowing weeded lots. “It is a major undertaking and one of the first efforts of its kind in the history of city,” White said. “We are moving at a record pace and trying to lay ground work for building affordable housing where crack houses once stood and properties were falling down.” According to the mayor, abandoned properties are being acquired in the hands of a public board that is working with community organizations to build affordable housing. “I do not call $150,000 house or townhouse affordable housing,” he said. “It should be affordable enough for the hard working citizens that live, commute and work here and contribute the movement, growth and development of this city to be able to own their own homes.”
One area where White is working diligently with the community to deal with abandoned houses and increasing crime rates is in the Sunnyside neighborhood off Highway 288.
“I am working with Rev. Nash and Rev. Jefferson and others to take properties, foreclose on them and will put in some affordable homes where people can get loans there.” He also is in the process of developing mass transit options for motorists and commuters including speeding up construction projects, retiming traffic signals and providing faster service to people who have stalled or wrecked vehicle on freeways. “Our goal is simple – make it so people can get around easier… and be able to go to and from work,” he said. “It has gotten worse … and it affects all Houstonians from all walks of life. As someone who commuted for years, I know what it is like to travel 50 minutes each way to work.” On capital improvements, the focus has been on building better drainage systems, making street repairs and multi-service centers. “I have set my highest priorities in most neglected neighborhoods,” he said. “I did not do it because of politics, but because of fairness and it was the right thing to do.”
Some of the drainage and street improvements are being realized in neighborhoods like Acres Homes, Trinity Gardens, Houston Gardens, where there were significant flood problems and not enough drainage.
“It all goes back to the basic premise of creating a set of fair standards and quality of life for all people,” he said. “For me it is about making the city responsive and efficient so that we can deliver more services for the dollars we spend.”
White attributes his success not only to his life experiences, but also including council members and community leaders in the governing process.
“Government, civic clubs, churches, coalition activists who live in neighborhoods have to take the lead and help in an active role in shaping agendas,” he said. “Doing that helps make neighborhoods safer and better living conditions.” Some of the input has led to longer library and swimming pool hours and better benefits for employees, an improved financial standing for the city and a system that makes sure that hardworking city employees are rewarded. White does not believe in favoritism and calls on each council and city employee to be accountable and follow the rules. “My parents always taught me that people should be judged based on what they do, not on race, income or anything else,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me what you look like or what your Daddy did or what your last name is or what neighborhood you are from. If you work hard, play by the rules you have the same opportunity to succeed as anyone else.” According to Mayor Pro-Temp Carol Alvarado, the mayor gets high marks from the council for his efforts to be inclusive coalition builder. “He works well with everyone and embraces suggestions, ideas and input from the council,” The District I councilwoman said. “He has a high approval rating because things get done, and people see the progress and feel optimistic about the direction the city is moving in.”
Councilman Michael Berry also is positive on the direction of the city, according to a press spokesman.
In a recent news release, Berry praised White and hailed the Office of Mobility, Houston Police and the City Council for working together to improve mobility, air quality and making freeways safer.
Alvarado said when there are schisms, a diverse group of community leaders come together and counsel on the issues to find workable solutions.
“There is no strong arming or personality contests here,” White said. “We ask for opinions council and try to incorporate views into what we put forward to the citizens ... and work out something for everyone.” According to White, the coalition approach is working because the community helped select its current police chief.
“People talked about the kind of leadership and what we wanted for future and that resulted in the hiring of Police Chief Harold L. Hurtt,” he said. White said he will continue to work to help build better business environment, race relations and better trust in government. “People observe mayors with their own eyes and can see and know whether a mayor can get results or not,” he said. “The litmus test is whether the things you get done improve the quality of life.” White remains an active member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and participates in numerous civic organizations his wife Andrea and three teenagers. He also does not regret following his dream to be mayor of the largest city in Texas. “In Houston, we think in terms of the whole and are focused on the future,” he said. “I love the job because I can see the results.”