Shortly after being sworn in as mayor of Houston, the fourth largest city in America, John Whitmire, started reversing the political logjam that characterized his predecessor’s administration.
Within 30 minutes of being sworn into office on Jan. 1, Whitmire went out on patrol with Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, following through on his pledge to support the police and crack down on crime.
“This lets the public know our No. 1 priority is public safety,” he told reporters. “And it lets first responders know I am out here with them and that I support them. It gets them rejuvenated.”
By Jan. 3, he withdrew the city’s challenge to a law he sponsored while in the state Senate to provide pay parity for firefighters. By Jan. 4, he was already working with his former Republican colleague to ensure that $200 million in unspent Hurricane Harvey relief funds were used ...
