Place 1 Candidate Speaks On Presidential Pick

In the first article in a Q&A series with candidates for the Bellaire City Council, the question comes from Robert, who has lived in Bellaire for two years. In this series, candidates receive questions twice per week and have 24 hours to respond with an answer that is less than 300 words long. The answers publish with no editing.

Do you have a question for candidates about Bellaire issues? Please email it to agrant [at] instantnewsbellaire [dot] com.

Robert asks:

I do have one question I would like to ask of all candidates: Who did they vote for president in 2008 and why? I think the question is great because it addresses political philosophy which goes directly to policy choices and style of governance.

Will Hickman, the unopposed candidate for Place 1 on the City Council, responded late because of technical difficulties with his email account.

Will Hickman

Robert,
Thanks for the question. I agree that policy choices are critical to the President, Bellaire City Council, and everything in between.

I think it’s no secret that I voted for John McCain for President.

I voted for McCain for 3 main reasons, which also have relevance for Bellaire.

1. Strong Defense - McCain’s military history and support of the military since were a deciding factor for me. Likewise in Bellaire, my top priority is a strong police and fire department to keep Bellaire families safe and secure.
2. Limited Government - McCain has a strong record of cutting pork out of bills in Congress, and limiting expenditures to necessary government programs. Likewise in Bellaire, I vote against expenditures for $5000 park benches and $10,000 to heat a pool in the winter that’s only used by 3-5 patrons per day.
3. Lower Taxes - McCain has proved that he supports lowering the tax burden on Americans, and he realizes that lower taxes lead to economic growth while high taxes strangle growth. Likewise in Bellaire, I have consistently voted to lower the tax burden on Bellaire homeowners while still maintaining city services and infrastructure. I know that a lower tax burden will attract new homeowners and business owners to invest in Bellaire, instead of neighboring cities that have significantly higher tax rates.

Let me know if that was the kind of answer you were looking for.

Yours,
Will Hickman