Houston Doesn’t Belong in the Discrimination Business Guest Editorial by Mayor Lee Brown

The recent terrorist strike on America has given us all reason to think again about the freedom and liberty we enjoy. We must never take these things for granted. Each and every American enjoys the rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In July of this year, the Houston City Council passed an ordinance guaranteeing that the City of Houston departments will be "free of any discrimination by the city based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity." (As you know, soon after I became mayor, I issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination in the city departments. A City Council member challenged the executive order, but in June of this year the Texas Supreme Court ruled that my order was legal.)

Though the council vote was not unanimous, 10 of the 14 city council members strongly supported the ordinance. Now, unfortunately, opponents of the ordinance have put it to the voters for approval on the November 6 ballot. Proposition 2 would "turn back the clock" in Houston, and we must defeat it with a resounding "No" vote. I have faith in the Houston voters to do just this.

The Houston economy continues to be one of the strongest among U.S. metropolitan areas. A recent study done in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on America by Economy.com examined several economic indicators in the 40 largest U.S. metro areas. It predicted that Houston’s economy will grow by at least a 2-percent margin this next year, far ahead of any other city. That’s good news. Our economy is strong because it is diversified, and our strengths–energy exploration and development, health care and medical research, space exploration and high tech development–aren’t as vulnerable to the recession as are tourism and travel, for example.

The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities in Houston help make this one of the most diverse and exciting of cities. We want Houston to be a great place to live, work, and play for everyone. Our economy is strong enough to accomplish that. We recovered from the worst natural disaster ever visited upon this city. The Houston "can-do" spirit will be a model for America during our current times of worry.

Please vote "NO" on City Proposition 2; Houston doesn’t belong in the discrimination business.

No evidence of threat, but measures in place

I know for some citizens there continues to be very real concerns and worries about security measures to protect us from terrorist attack. I want to assure Houstonians that we are safer now against terrorism than ever before. While there was never any indication that Houston was a target of attacks similar to those experienced in New York and Washington, D.C., we increased and tightened security measures after the attacks–at our airports, buildings, water purification plants, and the Port of Houston.

Those precautionary measures remain in place today and will continue while the nation carries out its military operations against terrorist organizations and their supporters.

In fact, since America’s military strikes on Afghanistan, security at our airports has been increased again with both additional security personnel from the city and members of the National Guard. Our airports are protected, and residents making travel plans should feel safe in choosing to fly.

The same goes for our water supply. With constant monitoring and numerous safeguards in place, it would be extremely difficult to contaminate Houston’s water supply. Our water supply is safe.

The Houston Medical Strike Team has also accelerated their plans for a full-scale drill, designed to test their response capabilities and prepare Houston for a medical emergency. The team is conducting weekly training sessions and has deployed vehicles, equipment, and supplies to strategic locations within the city.

To enhance Houston’s response capabilities, we have developed the Houston Task Force on Terrorism, a collaboration of local, county, state, and federal agencies, the City of Houston, the medical community, and Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. In past years, various components of the task force have been planning ways to prepare Houston to respond to terrorist threats and acts. Combined, we are further strengthening Houston’s readiness.

Since the tragedies of September 11, we have united as a nation and stand stronger than before. Our support is with President Bush, our prayers are with the brave men and women serving in our military, and our focus is on maintaining the level of security in place throughout our city.