Here is the news regarding the candidacy for Tax Assessor that I alluded to earlier. That candidate is Diane Trautman.
[A]fter much soul searching over the Thanksgiving holidays and encouragement from my family, friends, and past supporters, I have made the decision to run for Harris County Tax Assessor/Collector in 2008 instead of making another run for the state capitol. By running for this countywide position, I believe that I can make an even bigger difference for our children, our schools, and our communities. I want to thank each of you for all the support you gave me in my last race and for standing by me in this new decision.As you may know, I am passionate about providing a quality education in all of our public schools, and I believe that it is everyone's responsibility to play a role in educating our children-especially our political leaders. That is why, when our current Tax Assessor/Collector publicly campaigns against our schools in the recent school bond elections, I think he needs to be challenged. Instead of an incumbent who has spent the last decade using his county office as a partisan pulpit, we need someone who will focus on getting the job done for all the citizens of Harris County.
Additionally, I think that the public has had enough of recent ethics scandals in county offices, and that they are ready for some accountability and ethical leadership in county government, which will be a primary focus of my campaign. What is more, it is outrageous that Harris County, the third most populous county in the country, has one of the lowest voter registration rates. We must do better if we are to have a truly effective government and democracy. My campaign will be about modeling ethical and appropriate officeholder behavior, building a voter registration system that is fair, inclusive and works for all Harris County citizens, and running an efficient, transparent office for county taxpayers.
Be sure to stay tuned to my Web site -- www.dianetrautman.com -- for updates and upcoming campaign events, and please spread the word about my campaign to make a positive difference in our Harris County leadership. In the months to come, I will need your support more than ever, and please let me know your ideas, thoughts, and suggestions about this new direction at dtrautman@comcast.net.