I wanted to send you a brief message.

Thank you for your interest in our campaign for Houston City Council, District G. I want to thank those of you who attended events, and especially thank those of you who hosted events, or who volunteered and helped in other ways. I am honored and I won’t let you down. I am thrilled with the excitement and thirst for change. I hear you and you will be proud of what I will do for our city.

I am running for City Council because this city has done so much for me. I came here as a Captain in the Marines, just fresh off of two tours of duty in the middle east (Desert Storm) and Africa (Somalia). I was excited. Houston provided me the opportunity I so desperately desired. All of my success happened here. I raised productive and amazing kids here. My businesses are here. I owe it to give back, and use my skill set, resources, and talent to ensure this city moves in the right direction. This isn’t a job I need. Some say I’m overqualified for it. When people say I’m overqualified my retort is to say that this city would be in a much better shape if everyone on council was considered “overqualified.”

I’m going to go to city hall to make a difference. I am going to shake things up. I promise you I will find out immediately how our money is being spent, and I will ask very hard questions and will demand answers. I will put more police on the street (period), will fix the 311 system, and will make the city create and follow a schedule and plan to fix watermains, streets, and other infrastructure. If I have trouble with someone there, I will call on you for help. I also intend to evict the lobbyists and consultants from city hall, and if they don’t leave, I will call them out by name. I will need your help, but collectively we will make sure that for the first time in years, we will have a strong, active, smart, skilled voice at city hall for District G. Someone with the abilities that you would expect from the District that generates 37% of the city revenues. Someone that will demand that we get services in return. We will be heard, and we will get the attention that our area needs.

Do you want to help? Here is what you can do, and what I am asking:

First, please go vote for me. The District G race is on the last page of the ballot. Please do it as soon as you can and get that vote counted.

Second, please commit to taking or encouraging or urging TEN additional people to go vote for me. Send texts, emails, and post on social media.Commit to ten, please.

Finally, if you have the time, volunteer to work on election day at your local polling location. We can provide you the materials you need and a short briefing. It makes a huge difference. If you are interested, please email me back and I’ll have someone contact you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I look forward to turning up the heat at city hall, exposing the corruption, and making government work, finally, for the residents of District G, and Houston.

Tony