[PAA-Discuss] For immediate release, Don Cook enters Houston City Council race, demanding transparency, ethics

[donald cook]

For immediate release, Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Don Cook enters Houston City Council race, demanding transparency, ethics

Don Cook, long-time Houston community activist, filed today for Houston City council At-Large Position 1. He seeks to replace the incumbent, Stephen Costello. Mr. Cook, a retired Texas parole officer, filed for the same position two years ago when the previous incumbent was term-limited. He also ran for Harris County Clerk in 2010.

“I’m compelled to run because the incumbent has a blatant conflict of interest. Mr. Costello, a drainage engineer elected in 2009, took campaign contributions from a narrow clique of fellow engineers and construction firms specializing in drainage. These special interests raised for Mr. Costello more than twice the money of the other seven candidates combined,” Cook said.
  
Cook continued, “Mr. Costello serves on Council at the same time his engineering firm contracts with the city to build our drainage systems. He is supposed to serve the public interest while he and his friends design and build our city’s drainage system, which is projected to cost $8 billion over the next twenty years. You don’t have to be rich, politically connected, or an engineer to realize what these relationships imply.”
 
Vowing to bring more transparency, accountability, and ethics to governing Houston, Cook added, “You can be an honest engineer. You can be an honest council member. I suppose it’s even possible to be an honest lobbyist. There’s absolutely no way to be a lobbyist for big-money interests and an honest public servant.”
 
“I call on Stephen Costello to resign his position on city council and resume an honest career as an engineer,” said Cook.

 		 	   		  
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