In this installment, candidate Jack O’Connor outlines the three issues that he thinks are critical to the district.
Create Opportunities and Jobs
I have spent most of my adult life creating jobs and other opportunities. The Government does not create enterprise and business expansion, the private sector does. Beyond reasonable and wholesome regulation the Government is a constraint on the Economy. The
Increase Public Safety
Neighborhoods and communities must be safe in order to thrive. The growth in Super Communities where two or more Home Owners Associations get together and provide the funds to hire an extra deputy has been successful and these are on the rise. The neighborhoods successful in keeping crime in check communicate with HPD, The Constable, the Sheriff, and their officers and employees.
I will work with local neighborhoods to encourage and enable those groups that want to take the initiative to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. At the state level we can provide incentives to do this and find ways to offset the expense of increasing public safety to the neighborhoods.
District 149 has many great parks and other places to go outside and enjoy the things that
Increase Local Control of Education
I want individual school districts to have more input and decision making capabilities in achieving what should be their main objective: Giving children the education they need to graduate high school and move on to the next step in their lives.
I understand the drop out rate for HISD is 44{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}. In the years to come these dropouts will carry the burden of not being able to compete.
I support parental choice in education. The local school districts should be encouraged, and I would be in favor of a pilot program where school districts would decide if they want to participate in such a program where the parents and students have the right to choose where to get their education. Competition can be threatening but the results are always better. The number of Charter Schools should be allowed to increase. I have seen very positive actions and programs growing within the