Democrats have forum

The night’s headliner was Houston businessman Farouk Shami, who promised to bring 100,000 new jobs to the state. He said he wasn’t running against fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidates Bill White or Felix Alvarado, but against incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

“Career politicians have been (B.S.)ing us and have not done anything about it,” Shami said of the state’s economic problems.

Shami said he would put a cap on tuition at state colleges and offer free tuition at community colleges, which could improve job training.

“If we don’t bring manufacturing back to America, we will never be the number one economy,” he said during the question-and-answer session before more than 50 people at the Ector County Democratic Party’s candidate forum.

He also addressed immigration, saying he would populate the areas along the border by creating jobs there, and working with Mexico to create jobs on the other side. He also said he would create “free trade” zones on both sides of the border.

“We build bridges,” he said before the meeting. “We don’t build walls.”

On energy, Shami said he would help poor communities by putting wind and solar manufacturing plants there. But don’t look for him to assist with Summit Power Group’s planned coal gasification plant in Penwell, which is designed to capture 90 percent of the carbon dioxide it produces.

“I’m against coal plants completely,” he said. “There’s too much carbon dioxide. Too much benzene.”

He also said that White and Perry were both “failed business people.”

“They’re all talk and no action,” he said. “I’m a man of action. I do what I say. You need a businessman, not a career politician.”

Alvarado, a Fort Worth teacher, also addressed the forum. He said he would focus on the economy, health care and education.

“We need to do something to bring jobs to Texas,” he said. “We need to bring jobs to Texas that cannot be outsourced.”

White, attorney general candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky, and State Sen. Hector Uribe, who is running for land commissioner, didn’t attend the forum, but had representatives speak on their behalf.

The local candidate who drew the most intense questioning from the audience was Congressional candidate James Quillian, a Monahans resident and teacher at Odessa High School. The self-proclaimed “Blue Dog” Democrat will run against the winner of the Republican primary between incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, Chris Younts and Al Cowan.

“I’m a consistent conservative,” he said after an audience member challenged him as to what type conservative he is.

Quillian said he could win despite his financial disadvantage against Conaway.

“He’s got $700,000 and I’ve got 19 bucks,” Quillian said holding up his wallet.

But he called himself a “genuine” conservative, compared to “symbolic” conservatives like Conaway. He said he would vote on the advice of his constituents 100 percent of the time.

“With his $700,000, he’s going to end up defending the indefensible, and that’s expensive,” he said.

Precinct 4 Ector County Commissioner Armando Rodriguez said he would work to bring economic development to his area in southern parts of the county.

“Precinct 4 is very behind the other precincts,” he said. “Being a native of Odessa, I can see a little bit of change and want to see more changes.”

Some in the audience called out Dean Aussem, Rodriguez’ opponent in the Democratic primary, for not attending the forum. Party officials said Aussem was invited, but was out of town.

Local businessman Carlos Reyes, who won’t have an opponent in his race for Precinct 3 justice of the peace until the Nov. 2 general election, also spoke.

“The government today is partisan, they don’t work together,” he said. “That’s why we don’t get things done.”