The gift to Garland of an engaged mayor's race was a key takeaway from election just past

Election morning 2018—the key takeaway of the recent city election is the fact that there was a real election with real candidates and real issues discussed.

The recent mayor's race was a gift to Garland citizens: a competitive contest that brought serious issues to the foreground.

While I finished second, I truly emerged a winner because my hometown finally got to have the kind of election I've been advocating.

My campaign pulled together in Team Louis some of the best citizens Garland has to offer—thinking people who love this city, want to see its problems addressed openly in a constructive manner, and are issues-oriented, intelligent, discerning, and focused. I marvel at the key members that formed Team Louis and the volunteers that fanned out from the inner circle.

I have been highly frustrated in recent years as time after time Garland endured sham elections in which:

1. Opponents never materialized, so incumbents or their chosen successors were "elected" by default by a City Council that more and more resembles a self-perpetuating bank board rather than a democracy or republic in action.

2. Real meaty issues that matter most to this community were sidestepped and not discussed publicly. Instead, the council and mayor sometimes asserted that all was well, when it really wasn't.

3. Elections were steered off-course by irrelevant topics or rabbit-chasing after minor distractions.

I threw my hat in the ring for the major purpose of trying to model for the citizens of Garland what an honest-to-goodness, issues-oriented, honorable, transparent campaign looks like. I knew we were fighting an uphill battle against great odds because the city's political landscape is heading in a direction I do not support and can't change without a major miracle. I am totally opposed to secrecy, racial exclusion, self-centered political gatekeepers, vested interests, and behind-the-scenes manipulation—all hallmarks of our city's current political system.

I saw evidence first-hand and often during the campaign of the result of the lack of real elections in Garland. A private corporate board doesn't want and doesn't need input from the citizens it services. Civil government at all levels does!

Addressing the campaign faithful at the close of Election Day. (Photo by AnaMaria de Young)

Without regular, genuine, authentic elections, our City Council has no reason to listen to the citizens. Without real elections in which candidates are forced to spell out their vision for the city, our city government is free to operate more and more where candidates are not held accountable by citizen-voters for their actions and motivations.

Uncontested races and extreme apathy among our citizens and voters are unhealthy signs in our community—and signs of serious disconnect between citizens and community leaders.

In case there is any doubt whatsoever, I support an engaged citizenry. As I said over and over during the campaign, Garland's citizens are its greatest assets—not our city government, not GP&L, not our political leaders; our citizens are at the center of what is important and best about this city.

The contrast at the candidate forums held during the election illustrated the heart of the political problem in our city: Candidates with no one opposing them on the ballot (incumbents) were allowed to get up in public and present an unchallenged, one-sided positive pep talk/spin on issues, while the mayoral candidates engaged in presentations that at least tried to put the issues and their individual perspectives before the public.

I appreciate my two opponents very much for their willingness to engage in fair, honest, and open debate.  

Political signs that cropped up all over town signified the fact that Garland had itself a real election under way in the mayor's race. (Photo by John Combs.)

Nevertheless, throughout the spirited campaign I saw evidence of the rustiness of the political apparatus in our city.

1. It showed up at a so-called candidate forum in which, to the best of my awareness, candidates never received any advance notice, email, or directions about how the event would be organized—how much time I and my opponents would be given to speak, and with no prior information on whether we would be asked to answer specific questions from the audience. Poor readiness at campaign events bespeaks of the city NOT regularly practicing the fine art of holding elections.

2. It lifted its ugly head at another candidate forum at which the organizer/moderator raced over to hug one of my opponents, and in the audience's full view, greeted the candidate with great fanfare while a few minutes later unprofessionally introduced me to the audience by the wrong name. Unprofessional decorum at such an event that should be the epitome of fairness bespeaks of the city's NOT regularly practicing and promoting the fine art of holding elections.

3. The rustiness was obvious when one candidate and I saw that a third candidate stated an endorsement by an important local group of professionals. I contacted the group's leader to inquire if the candidates had somehow missed an email inviting us to an interview. I was told that no interview was ever held in which all candidates for mayor were given the opportunity to speak about themselves and vie for the endorsement. The candidate was endorsed, I was told, out of long-standing relationship with the organization. Endorsements of this nature bespeak of the city NOT regularly practicing the fine art of holding elections.

One of my candidate platforms was to overhaul our current political system. More than anything else, the election convinced me that this is absolutely necessary for the health of our community.

Voters exercising their rights as Americans, showing up at the polls and voting, with a choice of three candidates for mayor

The campaign also convinced me this is a long-term, systemic issue that will take time to address, perhaps from a variety of angles.

Garland's system desperately needs a revision, an overhaul, and a rebirth. This issue can be dealt with from both the inside and outside of the mayor's office. It needs to be dealt with one way or the other.

At the campaign's kickoff I stated that part of my goal was to be part of a real mayor's race. I was glad to have two opponents and that we had ample opportunities to present issues to the citizens.

We need contested races in every aspect of our political life here. We must not fear them. We must encourage them. We must look on them as a sign of a healthy community where real issues are discussed, debated, and eventually resolved—and not swept under the rug.

Daily I understand more fully that old cliche, "Iron sharpens iron".  Sharpened citizen iron is one way to build a better community for ALL.

Our city faces serious issues that absolutely must be addressed sooner than later. Our citizens need a sharper focus on what these are and what the options are for resolving them. Our elected officials must be held accountable for how they address these matters. Competitive political races will enable that better than all the PR pizzaz the city can muster.

I love Garland and I continue to want to see it become a better city for ALL citizens.

This spring voters had a chance to wear their "I Voted" stickers because they had filled in the ballot in a live-wire mayor's race with three candidates.

Throughout Garland we need vision and elbow-grease to mobilize our citizens into a force that will transform our beloved city

The experiment worked and can be transported throughout Garland to put the city on the best path forward.

THE SAME KIND OF SOLUTIONS-MINDED EFFORT THAT MADE OUR FEATURED NEIGHBORHOOD A SHOWCASE CAN HAPPEN ALL OVER GARLAND WHEN CITIZENS PULL TOGETHER WITH THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP.

"If Louis Moore can accomplish all this for his neighborhood, just think what he could do for the City of Garland!"

This remark, heard from a home-tour guest as he departed one of the vintage dwellings at last Saturday's historic home tour in Garland's Travis College Hill, put into words a thought that I've hoped to advance during this mayoral campaign.

Although my campaign was officially suspended last Friday afternoon through last Saturday evening with all our campaign signs and materials taken down temporarily as we concentrated fully on this annual event that brings several hundred people to our neighborhood, it would have been tough to miss this keen observation made by a friend as he walked out our front door. He meant that in the past, I had taken charge of a next-to-impossible situation that our neighborhood was encountering, I worked with neighbors, city departments, the police, and the school district to bring about an effective solution. 

With a decaying, blighted, crime-and-drug-infested street once nicknamed "Marijuana Avenue" closed and gone forever, we then began working "to seal the deal forever"—to bring proper recognition to this overlooked part of town. First a state historical marker, then a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Creative thinking and effort led to special bonuses for our neighborhood, once it was cleaned up.

This year, an added recognition was the dedication of an official monarch butterfly waystation on a major entry into the addition. A large, beautiful interpretive artistic sign at the corner of Avenue D and 11th Street is one more touch of class to the neighborhood.

In 5 short years Travis College Hill has gone from "slum", as one former council member called it, to being a bright jewel in Garland's treasure chest. Great acclaim is brought to Garland each time a home tour is conducted. Massive amounts of positive attention, boosting Garland's image considerably, is generated as a result of these annual events. This year's tour brought people from throughout the Metroplex, as well as from other parts of the country—people who left saying things like, "I didn't know Garland had something like this." 

Everything about the home tour is a class act—from the pre-tour concert on Friday evening featuring internationally acclaimed guitarist Trace Bundy, to the masterful, locally created metalwork stand created to hold the new interpretive sign at Avenue D ad 11th, to the espirit de corps of neighbors both in Travis College Hill and Embree who furthered our sense of community and neighborliness here. 

The sign turned into a local art piece, thanks for a locally created metalwork stand made by Garland artisans.

Looking back, it would have been so easy—and less costly to us—five years ago for us to have done exactly what our adult children then wanted: to have sold our home and everything else we own in Garland's downtown area and moved either to Firewheel or Rockwall. In their perspective our neighborhood in downtown Garland at that time was too dangerous and going downhill too rapidly for us to remain.
 

Instead, Kay and I dug in our heels, stuck to our guns, and set to work to give it one last "college try" to try and save our drowning neighborhood.

We are glad we did! We forever will appreciate all who joined in the effort and movement and supported us.

That doesn't mean the transition in our neighborhood was easy. Change is difficult on many people. It brings out the best as well as the worst in people. It certainly wasn't easy for us either. But it was indeed something borne of necessity—and blessed by God with success.

It was also born of our love for Garland and ALL things Garland.

Even though privately owned once again, Garland citizens enjoy touring this classic symbol of our city.

It is reflective of something that needs to occur throughout much of Garland, particularly central and south Garland: a radical vision for what can occur here—and an even more radical determination for implementing that vision.

Almost every section of Garland has something that needs radical transformation:
1. the site of the former Baylor Scott & White Hospital;
2. the site of the former Eastern Hills Country Club;
3. the rerouting of Texas 78 through central and downtown Garland;
4. Texas 66 from First Street to the Rowlett/Garland boundary;
5. much of South Garland especially along LBJ (I-635);
6. the old Hypermart site;
7. downtown Garland, particularly east of the railroad tracks to First Street, from Avenues B and D;
8. the antiquated and embarrassing animal shelter in the city's work area off Commerce Street (as well as many of the city's rundown looking work sites in that area, too);
9. and the many other places within the city limits that need both a solid vision and serious elbow grease.

I don't pretend to have all the answers for all of these challenging areas,  but I know who does: the citizens of this great city, if only they were empowered with the right tools and leadership. 

May the leaders of Garland never forget that the city exists not for our politicians, nor for our city government, nor for our sacred institutions, but for the citizens themselves who call this place HOME and are our city's most valuable assets.

I will keep my campaign promises to exert the same kind of solutions-minded effort that I employed for our Travis College Hill neighborhood and pull together victories all over Garland so these areas can be crown-jewels of our city as well.

With the right leadership and vision, the path forward for our city can be beautiful!