ustxtxb_obs_1990_03_09_50_00012-00000_000.pdf

VIC HINTERIANG black community, going back many years, not just with Jesse, but even before that, I have a strong appeal there. I have . a lot of good, good people, a lot of good con tacts, a lot of good support there. And virtually every black elected official in the state, or the higher levels anyway, are all supporting me. I mean whether it’s Craig Washington or Eddie Bernice Johnson or Rodney Ellis or [inaudible], they’re all supporting me. And so I have an appeal beyond just my own basic group . . . Let me get back . . . the principal criticism of your campaign is that you lack administrative skill, or at least you wouldn’t have the record that your principal opponent does. And she is treasurer of the county in which the fourth largest area of the country. is contained. The first thing is that the county treasurer’s role is really a totally different operaton from the state treasurer. They run under a budget board that basically dictates policy .. . there would never be major decisions at the county [treasurer] level. It’s really made by a higher body. -So I don’t think the issue of having a long, giant resume that deals with being a stockbroker or an investment counselor or a banker or a financial planner or anything. I don’t think that is a major requirement of a state treasurer. I think the major requirement of a state treasurer is someone who I think is well-educated in the sense of has a good, broad knowledge of the world out there, what needs to be done, what issues and so on. I think the more critical issue becomes administrative skills and managerial skills. And in terms of my background, in terms of, for example, administering, you know, a multi-million dollar scholarship program in Mexico, my background as far as running the National Rainbow Coalition, my background as far as managing a campaign of statewide, a campaign of major proportions, of managing funds on the road of a presidential campaign. You know I think that gives you the kind of background that gives you a good sense and that helps you develop skills as far as being able to select good people. And put the people in the right place and then of course have, I mean have the intelligence and the ability to learn enough, and enough of a grounding in the area to be able to know whether these people are making good decisions. Even in the case of my principal opponent, for example, she’s only been Harris County treasurer for three years, before that she was a teacher as well, so it’s not like you’re talking about someone, you know, who has been in this position for 15, 20 years and obviously just knows all the ins and outs. With a specific function of this job is, for example, stale deposits, how would you use that particular position as treasurer to advance the agenda that you’ve been addressing in public? 12 MARCH 9, 1990 The first issue is to deposit that money, deposit it effectively and deposit it securely . . . So I would use that authority in the most effective way possible as far as making sure that that money is secure. For example, all of these deposits have to be collateralized. You know, you’re not out there just speculating on the market. So that’s the first thing, and that’s not going to change. But again, what I’m saying is that there are issues that can be addressed and that already are on the books. Another, another thing that I didn’t mention before and this is Karen’s [Democrat Treasurer candidate Karen Friend] . . . linked deposit programs. The linked deposit program argues that what you do is deposit [money] in banks in exchange for those banks agreeing to make low-interest loans to small farmers, [for example]. The argument being that small farmers are having a hard time gettirig loans. And so therefore the treasurerhas a responsibility to try to help the small farmers. Why not do that with other areas. For example, do linked deposit programs with, with women entrepreneurs, or black entrepreneurs, or Hispanic entrepreneurs and so on, right? I mean it can be used that way. There’s no reason why we can’t use that money to try to help small business people to . . . you know, to get loans and to help revitalize the economy. But then above and. beyond that as I said, another area that needs to be hit … We have a situation in Texas now where nine of the top 10 banks are owned by the [out-of-stateowned] state banks. Now at one level you might say, well, who cares? Particularly if you’re a black, or you’re a Hispanic, or you’re a woman entrepreneur. You couldn’t get a low-interest loan even if the bank was