In this installment, candidate Bonnie Parker outlines the three issues that she thinks are critical to the district.
Growth of government on all levels
I am committed to at worse ending the expansion of regulations and taxes being imposed on Texans by our own legislature. The current republican leaders have been a disappointment is this regard because they have allowed state government to grow faster than inflation and population growth. Large government reduces economic opportunity especially for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. State funding should focused on the essentials: safety, infrastructure and education.
Education reform
Bush’s reforms while Governor have proven to be largely successful in general. However, those related to special populations show a lack of understanding regarding the reality of the classroom and such reforms are always under assault. As a teacher for 26 years in both public and private schools, I have the ability to identify what works and what will fail and what is reasonable and not reasonable. I support a state policy that makes it easy for home and private schooling to exist and compete. I believe that we should be looking at a voucher program for students with learning difficulties in order to create effective competition for the public schools who continue to fail at meeting the needs of this special population.
Safety
It is unfortunate but important that the state bridge the gap regarding border safety. Our open borders do not only allow illegal immigrants in to the U.S. but also creates risks of terrorism and drugs and their conflicts. I grew up on the border in El Paso and appreciate the importance of our relationship with Mexico and all nations south. However, we need to avoid having their problems crossing over to disrupt our daily lives
About Bonnie Parker
Bonnie Parker was born and grew up in El Paso, Texas along with her 2 sister and 5 older brothers. She and her sisters were the first set of triplets to survive in El Paso County Medical history. After graduating top ten percent in her class from Coronado High School, Bonnie came to Houston to attend the University of Houston.
She met her husband, William D. Parker III, a 5th generation Houstonian while attending the University. Bonnie graduated in December of 1980 with a BA in history and completed her teaching certificate requirements in May of 1981. She and Bill were also married that month.
Bonnie spent the next 26 years teaching school at various institutions both public and private. She taught in both high schools and middle schools in all the social sciences and also mathematics. She left teaching in 2007 when her husband became ill and eventually died. Bonnie is in the process of establishing a nonprofit, Friends of Lodoi, which supports economic development in the villages of Eastern Uganda.
Bonnie has been interested in the political process since the age of 10 when she began looking at her older brothers copies of National Review. She has participated at all but one Precinct Convention since 1982 when she established her address in Harris County. She has participated in every District Convention since 1984 and all but one state convention as an alternate or delegate since 1992.
Bonnie has attended church all of her life. She and her husband were extremely active at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Houston where he served as verger. She served on the church vestry and school board and also taught Sunday school and established children’s chapel. Since Bill’s death she has been unable to adjust to her new relationship with the church community and is now attending Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
She and her late husband have two grown children, a son and a daughter.
Website: parkerfortexas.org
Note: Ms. Parker is in Uganda and I was unable to find a picture of her.