What is the New Direction?

Two years ago at this time, you, I and many other Houstonians put forward a herculean effort to help Barack Obama overwhelmingly carry the 18th Congressional District and Harris County during Presidential Primary. We were driven to victory then because of our desire to see dramatic change in the leadership of our great nation. My candidacy offers a new direction for the people of the 18th Congressional District.

As a member of congress, I will focus my energies on creating jobs, generating economic development opportunities, eliminating the drop-out rate, and making health care accessible and affordable to everyone. In good times and in bad, the 18th Congressional District has always lagged behind the rest of the nation on the quality of life issues index. I will work to change this.

The people of the 18th Congressional District need a strong fighter who will be a champion for our seniors and children, build a consensus, bring results back to the community, and set a new direction.

Jobs, Economic Development, and Go Green Business Initiatives

Developing new and small businesses is the key to creating jobs for the 18th Congressional District. Over the past decade, small businesses have produced 70% of all new jobs. As a member of the Houston City Council, I established a record on creating jobs and I continue to work tirelessly with our city’s business and civic leaders to help create business and economic opportunities for our community. I am also the most forceful advocate on behalf of small and minority/women owned businesses and professionals in their effort to win city contracts.

My efforts resulted in the “unbundling” of large contracts to allow opportunities for Small and Minority/Women owned businesses to go after and secure city contracts. I sponsored the Proximity to Opportunity Seminars in partnership with the airport system to get Small and Minority/Women owned businesses well versed on the bid and contracting system. I’ll make it my priority in Congress to recruit businesses within the 18th Congressional District to prepare them to compete for federal contracts.

As a City Council Member, I obtained $1.9 billion in infrastructure projects that are designed to draw business to the area, create jobs, as well as to improve the quality of life for residents in the district.

In addition, we must make sure that the major financial institutions that are benefitting from federal government assistance or bailouts are investing that money back into our businesses, communities, and schools. When we increase the amount of business that is brought into our communities we will increase the jobs and tax base of that community. When we bring jobs and new business, we increase tax revenue for local schools and municipal government.

We are currently witnessing a major transformation of our economy from 20th century manufacturing to go green technologies. The 18th Congressional District has an abundance of underdeveloped and affordable land that can be used as a major recruitment tool to lure the clean and environmentally friendly companies into our communities. We must be more aggressive in bringing the good paying jobs of the future into the 18th congressional District.

Education

We must put the highest priority on closing the achievement gap, eliminating the drop-out rate, and making sure that all the children of the 18th Congressional District get a quality education.

As the former Executive Director of Phoenix Outreach Community Center for 10 years, our after school programs for our inner-city youth were structured to help keep our students in school. I am proud of my record in helping our students stay focused on getting an education. As a member of the Houston City Council, I have consistently demonstrated my commitment to educating our youth. I provide internships and mentor young men and women to ensure that they learn the importance of preparation for a college education. As a council member, I have led the effort to expand funding for after school programs. When proposed budget cuts threatened to close neighborhood schools, I led the effort to keep them open.

I support President Obama’s guiding principles for reforming public education which calls for “providing a high-quality” education for all children. I embrace President Obama’s initiative that focuses on early childhood education, reform and investment in K-12 education, and restoring America’s leadership in higher education.

The “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” includes $5 billion for early learning programs, $77 billion for reforms to strengthen elementary and secondary education, $5 billion in competitive funds to spur innovation and chart ambitious reform to close the achievement gap, and $30 billion to address college affordability and improve access to higher education. I will be aggressive in making sure our federal dollars are brought back to schools in the 18th Congressional District and follow our children into the classroom.

Too often we give up on our schools and instead route students and their families out to other schools and school districts. The result is a decrease in attendance and eventually school closing and consolidations. When the community-school connection is broken, families move away to neighborhoods where a community school is more desirable. The remaining community becomes undesirable to businesses and development and communities. We must do away with the status quo and put the interests of our children first.

Health Care

It is inexcusable for the 18th Congressional District to be among the nation’s leaders of having the most residents without access to affordable health care in a community that neighbors the Texas Medical Center. We need a greater sense of moral leadership on this very critical issue. We have the finest medical professionals and facilities in the world. I’ll utilize my experience to get more residents the health care they deserve and access to the best treatment facilities in the area.

As a member of the Houston City Council, I was a forceful advocate of the city’s “pay or play” ordinance which requires city contractors to provide health insurance to their employees. I’ve led the efforts in our community on many healthy initiative efforts including our HIV Awareness Campaigns. I’ve worked closely with our local community clinics including Legacy at Lyons to make sure our children are getting their immunizations.

Our leadership has allowed the big insurance companies to dictate to the residents of the Eighteenth Congressional District who can have access to health care. I will do all that I can to ensure that Washington hears the voice of my constituents on this issue. I will fight for real reform that reduces the cost of health care and includes a public option. I realize that sacrifices and compromises must be made during the legislative process. However, I will not compromise for the sake of political expediency while thousands of residents of the Eighteenth Congressional District continue to be denied treatment they deserve.

Paid for by
The Jarvis Johnson for Congress Committee