Candidate

name:
Council district: 10

James White

Please complete questionnaire below.

You must send a completed electronic copy to Political@StonewallDemocratsOfDallas.org or mail a completed copy to
P.O. Box 192305 Dallas, TX 75219 by Monday, March 2nd.
1 Your background and the LGBT community

Please share any experience that illustrates your understanding and interest of the needs of LGBT Dallas residents.
I can say that Ive always been an advocate and that there hasnt been a trigger event for me. It has always seemed the right
thing to do, the obvious thing. BUT I do have a very personal story from my youth although I hesitate to use it for political
persuasion.

He was my friend whom I met my freshman year at Texas Tech (I transferred the next year to Austin). He had not yet come out
to his family, but over time he did and it was problematic. I cant say he included me in the process but I can say that we
talked about it, usually when he invited me along on 1975+ Cedar Springs.

He had also transferred to UT and we kept our friendship up, so much so that we backpacked through Europe together along
with a third friend. After graduate school, I gave my friend a present from Wisconsin, where I had learned to play hockey. I
gave him my hockey stick. This was 1980 I believe.

He settled in Austin, found a partner, but in 1988 he passed, succumbing to AIDS. At the service, his partner cornered me to
say I (and my wife and infant daughter), must come by the house because Wyatt had left me something. What was it? I had no
clue, but as you might have guessed by now.

That stick is now screwed to the wall over my home office door.


Stonewall Democrats of Dallas seek to inform members of the LGBT and Democratic Party community of candidate's political
background. Our organizations by-laws require us only to consider candidates with Democratic Primary voter history or affirms
their party affiliation via an oath of allegiance to the Democratic Party. Do you qualify or would you be prepared to sign an oath
of allegiance form from the Dallas County Democratic Party?
Done and done. I am a Democratic Party Official: Precinct Chair and serve as Committeeman for SD-8 on the State Democratic
Executive Committee.


2 Creating an inclusive community

Cities compete for residents, taxpayers, conventions and new businesses/economic development. As a member of the Dallas City
Council, how would you insure that Dallas can compete effectively with other cities in the area of LGBT inclusion?
By voting, advocating, and practicing the politics of inclusion. I mean, seriously, do candidates answer differently on this
question? That kind of environment will make Dallas an inherently attractive place to do business, to live, and to thrive.


I want to work with the Dallas Visitors Bureau with their ideas to help attract LGBT conventions and visitors. They have a
decent media campaign, but it can be improved. I would also meet with local leaders to find out what regional and/or national
LGBT conventions could be recruited to come to Dallas for example The National LGBT Task Forces convention Creating
Change and work with local annual conventions to see how they can be promoted to attract visitors like the Black Transgender
Advocacy Conference. http://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/diverse-dallas/lgbt/

Also find ways to help promote established events that can attract tourist like Dallas Pride, Razzle Dazzle, Black Tie Dinner and
Turtle Creek Choral concerts.

Work with the City of Dallas LGBT Task Force members and leadership to continue the vast LGBT improvements made in the
past few years.

Meet with the GLBT Chamber of Commerce and find out ideas and work for solutions that will improve new businesses and
economic development.


Would you recruit and consider qualified LGBT constituents for your commission and board appointments?
Yes. It is important that all communities are represented on our commissions and boards.


Will you support the Dallas City Council's resolution for marriage equality and also a statewide ban on LGBT employment
discrimination?
Yes. Hopefully by the time I am elected the Supreme Court will decide this issue shortly after my swearing in June.



Mayor Rawlings has refused to join the nationwide effort of mayors of 300 cities and 32 states to become a member of Mayors
for the Freedom to Marry. This effort is chaired by Mayors of Boston, New York City, Houston and Los Angeles. Would you
actively lobby and take action to encourage Mayor Rawlings to join this effort?
(Please see http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/mayors-for-the-freedom-to-marry)
YES! and hopefully this will be moot by the end of June. Once SCOTUS makes marriage equality the law of the land. !



3 The City of Dallas as a LGBT inclusive employer

The private sector has seen a large increase in policies and benefits for LGBT employees, how should the City of Dallas remain
competitive to attract and retain top LGBT talent? Continue with the changes being made at City Hall throught the LGBT Task
Force like the update in pensions for same sex married couples. A perfect example on an improvement that can be made is to
make the employees insurance 100% comprehensive and inclusive without any discrimination especially for those of the
transgender experience.

Same sex couples in Domestic Partnerships should be given the same benefits as couples seen as married by state of Texas. The
city should recognize marriages performed in other states for benefit purposes as well. At this point, the updates for FMLA by the
Fed now includes same sex couples which was recently enacted by President Obama, and with the pension update the City of
Dallas does now recognize these couples. Again, hopefully by the end of June, this will all be moot and all marriages will be
recognized.


Do you support comprehensive transgender inclusive health benefits and as a council member work with the City Manager to
implement such benefits?
Yes.



4 Current Events


The Governor and several state legislators intend to push legislation through to curtail the current scope of governance
of home rule cities like Dallas. This could remove local control over matters such as drilling within city limits, LGBT protections,
etc. Do you favor or oppose this, and what do you plan to do in response?
I find it strange that oppressing forces hate the government and love local option, except when they dont. It is important that
the City of Dallas be allowed to pass its own ordinances. If the state tries to override what the City does, we do have the
alternative to take it to court. I dont believe that the state has a case as far as unsafe gas drilling, LGBT protections and the
plastic bag ban. Another strategy is to win at the ballot box.




What are your thoughts on the current campaign finance rules for Dallas elections which set donation amount limits on people
newly seeking office but essentially place no donation amount limits on incumbents via unrestricted officeholder accounts which
may be used for campaign purposes?
They stink. But you knew that before I had to answer. And recently the city council updated this policy to now only allow $100
be spent from an officeholder account for campaign purposes.




The proposed Trinity Parkway toll road continues to make headlines. Do you see the Trinity Parkway as an essential roadway
project to alleviate projected road congestion around our downtown core, or are there other solutions that Dallas should be
focused on?
I am completely and totally against the toll road, a parkway, anything that degrades our greatest natural asset, the Trinity
River.


Given that tax revenue for the City of Dallas should rise this year without a tax rate increase, what are the top priorities to which

these additional funds should be directed citywide and within your district?

City of Dallas (in no particular order)
Increased funding for our police force - I live in a part of District 10 that has a corner with some of the highest crime
issues in all of Dallas. There are police cameras and now a store owner has taken to playing classical music to stop
loitering. What we need is community policing. We need store front policing. We need a presence.
Expanding library hours
Improving our parks and trails, I currently serve on the Dallas County Trails and Preserves Board and strongly believe that
recreational space is critical to bringing residents to the city and improving our tax base.
Reasonable development in South Dallas, not horse parks run by people who have shady backgrounds, no white water
kayaking and certainly not a posh golf course totally unaffordable to the neighboring residents.
Improved neighborhood lighting an excellent deterrent to crime.

Maintaining alleyways and roads.

Making Downtown more walkable and livable. This includes building the second Dart line underground and the tear
down of I-345.
The Resource Center
Animal services

Within District 10
Skillman Road signature bridge
Skillman Road straightening (returning 9 acres back to the City)
Cottonwood trail extension from Texas Instruments to Richland College
Walkable Adleta development at Skillman/LBJ DART station
Work to solve LH Towncenter issues

I, JAMES N. WHITE, am seeking an endorsement from the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas for the 2015 Dallas City Council
elections.

Signed:

Date: 2/27/15