Misplaced Pages

#711288

123-415: The program was initially created in 2005 by Houston Mayor Bill White . SafeClear initially required that the driver of the stalled vehicle pay to have it towed off the freeway, but at a lower rate than typically charged by towing companies. The rate was set by the city of Houston. The program was created to relieve the severe backups on Houston's freeways during the morning and evening rush hours and to make

246-414: A Bachelor of Science in foreign service degree in 1968. Georgetown was the only university where Clinton applied. In 1964 and 1965, Clinton won elections for class president . From 1964 to 1967, he was an intern and then a clerk in the office of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright . While in college, he became a brother of service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa . He

369-813: A Louisiana State University graduate in mechanical engineering originally from New Orleans , and the former Patsi Wells, a native of Baton Rouge . Andrea White has written several novels, one of which received the Golden Spur Award as well as being named to the Texas Bluebonnet List. White and his wife Andrea are the parents of three children, Will, Elena and Stephen. The Whites are members of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston. White graduated from Churchill High School before attending Harvard University on American Legion scholarships and graduating magna cum laude with

492-499: A centrist Third Way philosophy of governance. His policy of fiscal conservatism helped to reduce deficits on budgetary matters. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. The Congressional Budget Office reported budget surpluses of $ 69 billion in 1998, $ 126 billion in 1999, and $ 236 billion in 2000, during the last three years of Clinton's presidency. Over

615-518: A 52 percent to 48 percent margin. In 1976, Clinton ran for Arkansas attorney general . Defeating the secretary of state and the deputy attorney general in the Democratic primary, Clinton was elected with no opposition at all in the general election, as no Republican had run for the office. In 1978, Clinton entered the Arkansas gubernatorial primary. At just 31 years old, he was one of

738-531: A degree in economics. At Harvard his roommate was Mir Murtaza Bhutto — son of former Pakistan's Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . He then attended The University of Texas School of Law , where he was elected editor-in-chief of its law review and graduated with highest honors. White also served as an administrator on the Board of Directors for the Baylor College of Medicine . White began his career as

861-475: A firm second-place finish. Winning the big prizes of Florida and Texas and many of the Southern primaries on Super Tuesday gave Clinton a sizable delegate lead. However, former California governor Jerry Brown was scoring victories and Clinton had yet to win a significant contest outside his native South. With no major Southern state remaining, Clinton targeted New York, which had many delegates. He scored

984-561: A jazz trio, The 3 Kings , with Randy Goodrum , who became a successful professional pianist. In 1961, Clinton became a member of the Hot Springs Chapter of the Order of DeMolay , a youth group affiliated with Freemasonry , but he never became a Freemason. He briefly considered dedicating his life to music, but as he noted in his autobiography My Life : Clinton began an interest in law at Hot Springs High, when he took up

1107-575: A law professor at the University of Arkansas . In 1974, he ran for the House of Representatives . Running in the conservative 3rd district against incumbent Republican John Paul Hammerschmidt , Clinton's campaign was bolstered by the anti-Republican and anti-incumbent mood resulting from the Watergate scandal . Hammerschmidt, who had received 77 percent of the vote in 1972, defeated Clinton by only

1230-577: A lawyer at Susman Godfrey , LLP, a leading law firm in Houston, from 1979 to 1993, where he practiced business litigation and anti-trust law, and eventually became partner. He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1995. He organized Frontera Resources, a developer of oil and gas in the Caspian Sea region, and was also the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party , from 1995 to 1998. He

1353-694: A leading figure among the New Democrats , a group of Democrats who advocated welfare reform, smaller government, and other policies not supported by liberals. Formally organized as the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), the New Democrats argued that in light of President Ronald Reagan 's landslide victory in 1984 , the Democratic Party needed to adopt a more centrist political stance in order to succeed at

SECTION 10

#1732801446712

1476-666: A moderate and as a member of the New Democrat wing of the Democratic Party, and he headed the moderate Democratic Leadership Council in 1990 and 1991. In the first primary contest, the Iowa Caucus , Clinton finished a distant third to Iowa senator Tom Harkin . During the campaign for the New Hampshire primary , reports surfaced that Clinton had engaged in an extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers . Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts senator Paul Tsongas in

1599-661: A new program called City Hall Fellows . The program brought on ten promising recent college graduates to assist with special projects with department directors, through a one-year paid fellowship. Founded by Bethany Rubin Henderson, who was named an Echoing Green Fellow in 2009 and is currently serving as a White House Fellow , the City Hall Fellows program also included the Civic Leadership Development Program, giving members of

1722-417: A police officer and a civilian, Rector shot himself in the head, leading to what his lawyers said was a state where he could still talk but did not understand the idea of death. According to both Arkansas state law and federal law, a seriously mentally impaired inmate cannot be executed. The courts disagreed with the allegation of grave mental impairment and allowed the execution. Clinton's return to Arkansas for

1845-734: A promise he failed to keep. By election time, the economy was souring and Bush saw his approval rating plummet to just slightly over 40 percent. Finally, conservatives were previously united by anti-communism, but with the end of the Cold War, the party lacked a uniting issue. When Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson addressed Christian themes at the Republican National Convention —with Bush criticizing Democrats for omitting God from their platform—many moderates were alienated. Clinton then pointed to his moderate, "New Democrat" record as governor of Arkansas, though some on

1968-638: A public figure. One was his visit as a Boys Nation senator to the White House to meet President John F. Kennedy . The other was watching Martin Luther King Jr. 's 1963 " I Have a Dream " speech on TV, which impressed him so much that he later memorized it. With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving

2091-535: A resounding victory in New York City, shedding his image as a regional candidate. Having been transformed into the consensus candidate, he secured the Democratic Party nomination, finishing with a victory in Jerry Brown's home state of California. During the campaign, questions of conflict of interest regarding state business and the politically powerful Rose Law Firm , at which Hillary Rodham Clinton

2214-481: A review for the Sunday New York Times : "This book will be music to the ears of budget hawks everywhere... In his measured way, [White] is critical of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama... This is an important book, but not an easy one." Bill Clinton [REDACTED] William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe ; born August 19, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who served as

2337-457: A separate agency. On October 16, 2009, the city of Bridge City, Texas honored Bill White with a ceremony and commemorative plaque for his leadership during and after Hurricane Ike and his work to repair the damage caused by the storm. White's third term ended on January 2, 2010. Due to term limits, he was unable to run again for mayor of Houston. There had been speculation that White might run for higher office. On December 12, 2008, it

2460-541: A special legislative session —the longest in Arkansas history. Many have considered this the greatest achievement of the Clinton governorship. He defeated four Republican candidates for governor: Lowe (1978), White (1982 and 1986), Jonesboro businessmen Woody Freeman (1984), and Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock (1990). Also in the 1980s, the Clintons' personal and business affairs included transactions that became

2583-536: A stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg . White resigned from the group in July 2009. White's staff said that the group's focus had grown from its original effort to prevent the sale of stolen guns. Regarding a recent proposal to allow those with concealed gun permits to carry them into other states, White's staff added that he resigned

SECTION 20

#1732801446712

2706-535: A study by KHOU-TV found that average drive times increased at 86% of freeways into Houston six months after the program was implemented compared to before the program. However, some claim that more cars were on the roads during these six months and that construction on the freeways, particularly on US 59 , caused drive times to increase. Nonetheless, SafeClear remained one of the most controversial, and one of few controversies, during his time as mayor. White also lowered Houstonians' property tax in 2006 and again during

2829-669: A tax increase. All eight city propositions passed in a November 2006 election. White worked to create the Discovery Green park in Houston, which held its groundbreaking in October 2006. Mayor White's 2008 inauguration was held at the park. The park officially opened to the public in April 2008 with a ribbon cutting led by White. In 2007, the FBI released a report showing an increase in Houston's murder rate. While some speculated about

2952-416: A wrecker and conducted several studies of the program's effectiveness. With a budget shortfall, Mayor Annise Parker changed the structure in 2011 in which a modest fee charged to the vehicle owner of $ 50.00 for a tow and $ 30.00 for roadside assistance. For those that are unable to pay at the point of service, storage fees will be applied after the first 48 hours in addition to the $ 50 towing charge. While

3075-399: Is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity. Upon graduating from Georgetown in 1968, Clinton won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford , where he initially read for a B.Phil. in philosophy, politics, and economics but transferred to a B.Litt. in politics and, ultimately, a B.Phil. in politics. Clinton did not expect to return for the second year because of

3198-417: Is the son of Bill and Gloria Avalon White, both public schoolteachers. He and his wife have helped lead various charitable and civic organizations. White is an avid cyclist and every year he leads Houston's annual "Bike to Work Day." He also created the annual biking event "Tour de Houston" through historic Houston neighborhoods. Bill White's wife Andrea is the daughter of Arthur John Ferguson (1917–2008),

3321-492: The AIDS United Action five point plan. Clinton won the 1992 presidential election (370 electoral votes) against Republican incumbent George H. W. Bush (168 electoral votes) and billionaire populist Ross Perot (zero electoral votes), who ran as an independent on a platform that focused on domestic issues. Bush's steep decline in public approval was a significant part of Clinton's success. Clinton's victory in

3444-610: The Democratic Party , he was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas in the 2010 election , in which he lost to Republican Rick Perry . Before serving as Mayor, White was an attorney and businessman and served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1995. White is on the membership roster of the Council on Foreign Relations . White was born and grew up in San Antonio . He

3567-937: The George McGovern campaign for the 1972 United States presidential election in order to move in with her in California. The couple continued living together in New Haven when they returned to law school. Clinton eventually moved to Texas with Rodham in 1972 to take a job leading McGovern's effort there. He spent considerable time in Dallas , at the campaign's local headquarters on Lemmon Avenue, where he had an office. Clinton worked with future two-term mayor of Dallas Ron Kirk , future governor of Texas Ann Richards , and then unknown television director and filmmaker Steven Spielberg . After graduating from Yale Law School , Clinton returned to Arkansas and became

3690-809: The North American Free Trade Agreement and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act but failed to pass his plan for national health care reform . Starting in the mid-1990s, he began an ideological evolution as he became much more conservative in his domestic policy, advocating for and signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act , the State Children's Health Insurance Program and financial deregulation measures. He appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer to

3813-716: The Oslo I Accord and Camp David Summit to advance the Israeli–Palestinian peace process , and assisted the Northern Ireland peace process . Clinton won re-election in the 1996 election , defeating Republican nominee Bob Dole and Reform Party nominee Perot. His second term was dominated by the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal , which began in 1995, when he had a sexual relationship with the then 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky . In January 1998, news of

SafeClear Program - Misplaced Pages Continue

3936-495: The SafeClear Program , designed to quickly clear roads and freeways of stalled vehicles. The program requires stalled vehicles to be towed off freeways in Houston as soon as possible. It was created to keep traffic down, as Houston has severe backups during the morning and evening rush hours . It was also meant to make the freeways safer by keeping them cleared of stalled vehicles. This program led to controversy when it

4059-595: The Senate , where he was acquitted on both charges. During the last three years of Clinton's presidency, the Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus—the first such surplus since 1969. Clinton left office in 2001 with the joint-highest approval rating of any U.S. president. His presidency ranks among the middle to upper tier in historical rankings of U.S. presidents . However, his personal conduct and misconduct allegations have made him

4182-772: The U.S. Supreme Court . In foreign policy, Clinton ordered U.S. military intervention in the Bosnian and Kosovo wars , eventually signing the Dayton Peace agreement . He also called for the expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe and many former Warsaw Pact members joined NATO during his presidency. Clinton's foreign policy in the Middle East saw him sign the Iraq Liberation Act which gave aid to groups against Saddam Hussein . He also participated in

4305-612: The Vietnam War . Aller's 1971 suicide had an influential impact on Clinton. British writer and feminist Sara Maitland said of Clinton, "I remember Bill and Frank Aller taking me to a pub in Walton Street in the summer term of 1969 and talking to me about the Vietnam War. I knew nothing about it, and when Frank began to describe the napalming of civilians I began to cry. Bill said that feeling bad wasn't good enough. That

4428-621: The "Boy Governor". He worked on educational reform and directed the maintenance of Arkansas's roads, with wife Hillary leading a successful committee on urban health care reform. However, his term included an unpopular motor vehicle tax and citizens' anger over the escape of Cuban refugees (from the Mariel boatlift ) detained in Fort Chaffee in 1980. Monroe Schwarzlose, of Kingsland in Cleveland County , polled 31 percent of

4551-424: The "Mobility Response Team", a task force staffed by traffic officers that patrol within the loop fixing traffic problems. They also report traffic light outages, issue parking citations, help clear and direct traffic around minor accidents. Also, at the recommendation of Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt , White had 50 red-light cameras installed around Houston. Originally four intersections were used to test

4674-447: The 1992 election had several unique characteristics. Voters felt that economic conditions were worse than they actually were, which harmed Bush. A rare event was the presence of a strong third-party candidate. Liberals launched a backlash against 12 years of a conservative White House. The chief factor was Clinton's uniting his party, and winning over a number of heterogeneous groups. Clinton's " third way " of moderate liberalism built up

4797-801: The 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party , he previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1992. Clinton, whose policies reflected a centrist " Third Way " political philosophy , became known as a New Democrat . Clinton was born and raised in Arkansas . He graduated from Georgetown University in 1968, and later from Yale Law School , where he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham . After graduating from law school, Clinton returned to Arkansas and won election as state attorney general, followed by two non-consecutive tenures as Arkansas governor . As governor, he overhauled

4920-507: The Democratic primary for governor on March 2, 2010 and faced off against Perry, the Republican nominee. Polls showed Perry with a comfortable lead. However White did show strong support among Independent voters, young voters under 35, and minorities. In an interview with The Texas Observer on June 11, 2010, White discussed how he would combine his experiences in both business and politics to provide Texas with better leadership. White

5043-862: The Mayor's list of concerns in 2007. Via the City's Power to People Web site , Mayor White encourages energy conservation through tips and tools, education about tax incentives, and raffles. In 2007, White was honored the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his service during Hurricane Katrina . He was also awarded the FBI 's Director's Community Leadership Award for lowering Houston's crime rate stating that "Mayor White made public safety one of his highest priorities, as evidenced by Houston's decreasing crime rate." White proposed closing The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation. Mayor White's position

SafeClear Program - Misplaced Pages Continue

5166-518: The New Hampshire polls. Following Super Bowl XXVI , Clinton and his wife Hillary went on 60 Minutes to rebuff the charges. Their television appearance was a calculated risk, but Clinton regained several delegates. He finished second to Tsongas in the New Hampshire primary , but after trailing badly in the polls and coming within single digits of winning, the media viewed it as a victory. News outlets labeled him "The Comeback Kid" for earning

5289-472: The Vietnam War, would understand and appreciate his position. After Oxford, Clinton attended Yale Law School and earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1973. In 1971, he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham, in the Yale Law Library ; she was a class year ahead of him. They began dating and were soon inseparable. After only about a month, Clinton postponed his summer plans to be a coordinator for

5412-704: The Year in 2007. White's third term began in January 2008 with his inauguration at the Discovery Green Park. White made fighting pollution in and around the Houston area a top concern during his third term. He put pressure on local factories to limit pollution. He particularly emphasized reducing carcinogenic benzene emissions. He launched the Benzene Action Plan in 2007 which monitors benzene emissions and aims to reduce concentrations in

5535-560: The affair made tabloid headlines. This scandal escalated throughout the year, culminating in December when Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives , becoming the first U.S. president to be impeached since Andrew Johnson . The two impeachment articles that the House passed were centered around perjury and Clinton using the powers of the presidency to commit obstruction of justice. In 1999, Clinton's impeachment trial began in

5658-797: The air. He forced Houston's largest refinery Lyondell Chemical Company , located along the Houston Ship Channel , to publicly defend its carcinogenic emissions. This received criticism from some businesses claiming White overstepped his powers as mayor, while he received praise from some citizens. In thanks to his fighting of pollution in Houston, White was awarded the HERO Award (Houston-Galveston Environmental Research & Outreach Award) on September 15, 2008. In August 2008, White traveled to Stavanger, Norway , one of Houston's sister cities , for an energy conference. On June 9, 2008, White revealed plans to increase solar energy capacity for

5781-487: The basis of U.S. Post Office change of address information we estimated the 2006 population at 2,198,755. While it is normally fair to make year-to-year comparisons based on population estimates that lag crimes by a year or more, the unusual increase in Houston’s population for 2006 makes our City’s figures for the murder rate per 100,000 not quite comparable to the rate in other communities in 2005." Energy conservation topped

5904-483: The basis of the Whitewater controversy investigation, which later dogged his presidential administration. After extensive investigation over several years, no indictments were made against the Clintons related to the years in Arkansas. According to some sources, Clinton was a death penalty opponent in his early years, but he eventually switched positions. However he might have felt previously, by 1992, Clinton

6027-499: The blue forms to send to the state. If they don't send those forms in, those accidents aren't reported. So the actual figures are inaccurate." However, Suzanne Poole's claims are not backed by substantial evidence. A study by the city found that freeway crashes decreased by over 20%, over 1,000 crashes, during the first two years it was implemented. In regards to traffic congestion, a study by KHOU-TV found that average drive times increased at 86% of freeways into Houston six months after

6150-637: The board of directors for the Houston Quality of Life Coalition. He is an official sponsor and supporter of the Amazing Faiths Project of Houston. In 2003, White, a Democrat , ran in Houston's officially nonpartisan mayoral election to succeed term-limited Mayor Lee Brown , who was the first African-American mayor of the city. Running as a moderate with business experience, he appealed to Democrats and Republicans despite having little name recognition. One of White's opponents in

6273-511: The building of Houston's Metro light rail system . In 2004, White, his wife Andrea, and then Houston ISD Superintendent Kaye Stripling assembled an education summit with about 400 local community and civic leaders to discuss Houston's then high drop-out rate. That year, White and his wife established Expectation Graduation, a program designed to reduce high school drop-out rates. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina , thousands of residents of New Orleans were displaced. White offered refuge for

SECTION 50

#1732801446712

6396-751: The cameras had a dramatic effect and reduced accidents by as much as 30 percent. A study released in 2008 from the Texas Transportation Institute found a 30 percent reduction across the state. A study in Lubbock, Texas of red light cameras showed a 52% increase in accidents, so the City Council voted against installing them. A news investigation found that the Houston intersections with cameras often had yellow lights that were too short, and violated Texas Department of Public Safety recommendations. Houston suburb Sugar Land found that

6519-603: The cause of world peace", having "a powerful collaborator in his wife", and for winning "general applause for his achievement of resolving the gridlock that prevented an agreed budget". During the Vietnam War, Clinton received educational draft deferments while he was in England in 1968 and 1969. While at Oxford, he participated in Vietnam War protests and organized a Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam event in October 1969. He

6642-480: The challenge to argue the defense of the ancient Roman senator Catiline in a mock trial in his Latin class. After a vigorous defense that made use of his "budding rhetorical and political skills", he told the Latin teacher Elizabeth Buck it "made him realize that someday he would study law". Clinton has identified two influential moments in his life, both occurring in 1963, that contributed to his decision to become

6765-414: The city of Houston. Solar panels were installed on the Code Enforcement building and the roof of the City Hall Annex building. Houston was chosen as one of the U.S. cities in the Solar America Cities program designed increase the use of solar technology. The U.S. Department of Energy is providing assistance to the city in expanding its solar energy capacity. In 2008, White also hosted the inaugural class of

6888-476: The city's most neglected subdivisions. His moderate leanings were shown by his defense of businesses, such as Shawn Welling 's Planet Funk, which faced closure in mid 2005. In 2005, White formed the Mayor’s Wellness Council and launched the Get Moving Houston fitness campaign. Houston had previously been rated “Fattest City in America" by Men’s Fitness magazine. In 2006, White proposed a series of eight city propositions aimed at improving infrastructure without

7011-401: The city. The program was adapted to include strict licensing of SafeClear wreckers including criminal background checks, allowing the towed motorist to be towed for one mile for free, preventing the City leasing stretches of state-owned highway to private wrecker companies, and requiring revenue generated from the program to enter a mobility fund. White also worked with John Whitmire to address

7134-470: The cohort exposure to civic, business, and community leaders dealing with some of the most pressing challenges and most promising opportunities facing the region. Citing the budget crises that accompanied the Recession, Mayor Annise Parker cancelled the program after just two years. Texas Governor Rick Perry and state officials had originally convinced the Environmental Protection Agency to give Houston until 2019 to meet ozone standards, but Houston met

7257-432: The combination of lengthening yellow lights and installing cameras reduced violations by 96 percent. This finding is consistent with a March 2005 Texas Transportation Institute study of 181 Texas intersections during a three-year period which found that increasing the length of yellow-light time by one second reduced violations by 53 percent and crashes by 40 percent. He was rated Governing Magazine ' s Public Official of

7380-563: The controversial execution of Ricky Ray Rector , would go forward as scheduled. During his time as governor in the 1980s, Arkansas was the center of a drug smuggling operation through Mena Airport . CIA agent Barry Seal allegedly imported three to five billion dollars worth of cocaine through the airport, and the operation was linked to the Iran–Contra affair . Clinton was accused of knowing about this operation, although nothing could be proven against him. Journalist Sam Smith tied him to various questionable business dealings. Clinton

7503-467: The controversy and criticism by changing the rules of the program and the towing laws, including free towing for limited distances (one mile) funded by the city. Distances after the initial mile could then be set by the towing company. Improvements also included strict licensing of SafeClear wreckers including criminal background checks and requiring revenue generated from the program to enter a mobility fund instead of general city coffers. White also rode with

SECTION 60

#1732801446712

7626-460: The day that the group took out a newspaper advertisement denouncing that proposal. White's first term as mayor of Houston began on January 2, 2004. He gained popularity during this term, which led to significant support for his reelection. During this term, Houston hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII , the 2004 MLB All-Star Game , the 2006 NBA All-Star Game and the 2005 World Series . These events have been great boosts to Houston's economy. He also led

7749-399: The deaths of people while trying to get their cars off the freeway without having to pay fees to the tow truck drivers. State lawmakers were also opposed to the program. State Senator and fellow Democrat John Whitmire marshaled 30 out of 31 Texas State Senators' votes to make the SafeClear program illegal. They demanded and later received improvements to the program. Mayor White responded to

7872-452: The draft and avoid serving in uniform. He issued a notarized statement during the 1992 presidential campaign: During the 1992 campaign, it was revealed that Clinton's uncle had attempted to secure him a position in the Navy Reserve , which would have prevented him from being deployed to Vietnam. This effort was unsuccessful and Clinton said in 1992 that he had been unaware of it until then. Although legal, Clinton's actions with respect to

7995-450: The draft and deciding whether to serve in the military were criticized during his first presidential campaign by conservatives and some Vietnam veterans, some of whom charged that he had used Fulbright's influence to avoid military service. Clinton's 1992 campaign manager, James Carville , successfully argued that Clinton's letter in which he declined to join the ROTC should be made public, insisting that voters, many of whom had also opposed

8118-410: The draft and received a high number (311), meaning that those whose birthdays had been drawn as numbers   1 to 310 would be drafted before him, making it unlikely he would be called up. (In fact, the highest number drafted was 195.) Colonel Eugene Holmes, the Army officer who had been involved with Clinton's ROTC application, suspected that Clinton attempted to manipulate the situation to avoid

8241-430: The draft and so he switched programs; this type of activity was common among other Rhodes Scholars from his cohort. He had received an offer to study at Yale Law School , and so he left early to return to the United States and did not receive a degree from Oxford. During his time at Oxford, Clinton befriended fellow American Rhodes Scholar Frank Aller. In 1969, Aller received a draft letter that mandated deployment to

8364-652: The effectiveness of red-light cameras. A study in Houston in 2008 revealed an increase in accidents at intersections with red light cameras, although it also revealed a decrease in citations. A city-financed study of red-light cameras at Houston intersections shows traffic accidents doubled at those intersections in their first year. The study also found that citations decreased. However, other studies have found that red-light cameras reduce accidents and citations. A study by Texas A&M University found that accidents were reduced in Texas by 30%. Several studies funded by insurance trade groups which study traffic safety, have found

8487-418: The eight years of the Clinton administration, the abortion rate declined by 18 percent. On February 15, 1993, Clinton made his first address to the nation, announcing his plan to raise taxes to close a budget deficit . Two days later, in a nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress , Clinton unveiled his economic plan. The plan focused on reducing the deficit rather than on cutting taxes for

8610-408: The election ended twelve years of Republican rule of the White House and twenty of the previous twenty-four years. The election gave Democrats full control of the United States Congress , the first time one party controlled both the executive and legislative branches since Democrats held the 96th United States Congress during the presidency of Jimmy Carter . According to Seymour Martin Lipset ,

8733-473: The end of his presidency, the Clintons moved to 15 Old House Lane in Chappaqua, New York , in order to quell political worries about his wife's residency for election as a U.S. Senator from New York. "Our democracy must be not only the envy of the world but the engine of our own renewal. There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." Inaugural address, January 20, 1993. After his presidential transition , Clinton

8856-502: The execution was framed in an article for The New York Times as a possible political move to counter "soft on crime" accusations. Bush's approval ratings were around 80 percent during the Gulf War , and he was described as unbeatable. When Bush compromised with Democrats to try to lower federal deficits, he reneged on his promise not to raise taxes , which hurt his approval rating. Clinton repeatedly condemned Bush for making

8979-464: The freeway without having to pay fees to the tow truck drivers. The cause of death of these people, however, is uncertain. State Senator John Whitmire recruited 30 out of 31 Texas State Senators' votes to make the SafeClear program illegal. White responded to the controversy and criticism by changing the rules of the program and the towing laws, including free towing for limited distances funded by

9102-482: The freeways safer. The program encountered great controversy when it was first implemented for several reasons. Tow truck drivers claimed that the program hurt their business, leading nine wrecker companies to file lawsuits against the city. Mayor White testified in court in the case. The tow truck drivers claimed the program violated federal law. In addition the SafeClear Program has been blamed for causing

9225-527: The impact of Hurricane Katrina victims who settled on the Southwest side of town, Mayor White released a statement concerning the FBI's findings: "With the regard to the 2006 figures now being reported, the FBI calculated a murder rate per 100,000 people for Houston based on census estimates of a 2,073,729 population as of July 1, 2005. That was before Houston’s population swelled by well over 100,000 people. On

9348-412: The latter's death. In Hot Springs, Clinton attended St. John's Catholic Elementary School, Ramble Elementary School, and the segregated Hot Springs High School , where he was an active student leader, avid reader, and musician. Clinton was in the chorus and played the tenor saxophone , winning first chair in the state band's saxophone section. While in high school, Clinton performed for two years in

9471-474: The middle class, which had been high on his campaign agenda. Clinton's advisers pressured him to raise taxes, based on the theory that a smaller federal budget deficit would reduce bond interest rates. President Clinton's attorney general Janet Reno authorized the FBI's use of armored vehicles to deploy tear gas into the buildings of the Branch Davidian community near Waco, Texas, in hopes of ending

9594-487: The more liberal side of the party remained suspicious. Many Democrats who had supported Ronald Reagan and Bush in previous elections switched their support to Clinton. Clinton and his running mate, Al Gore , toured the country during the final weeks of the campaign, shoring up support and pledging a "new beginning". On March 26, 1992, during a Democratic fund raiser of the presidential campaign, Robert Rafsky confronted then Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and asked what he

9717-436: The nation's fiscal health and put the nation on a firm footing abroad amid globalization and the development of anti-American terrorist organizations. During his presidency, Clinton advocated for a wide variety of legislation and programs , most of which were enacted into law or implemented by the executive branch. His policies, particularly the North American Free Trade Agreement and welfare reform , have been attributed to

9840-611: The national level. Clinton delivered the Democratic response to Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address and served as chair of the National Governors Association from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas. In the early 1980s, Clinton made reform of the Arkansas education system a top priority of his gubernatorial administration. The Arkansas Education Standards Committee

9963-434: The next four years gaining him support from some local Republicans . White also helped lead to neighborhood water sewage improvements, a reform of the city's pension fund, a crackdown on Houston's high crime rate and began a local recycling campaign known as "Stop Trashing Houston" to discourage littering. In 2005, White was challenged for re-election by minor and perennial candidates and won re-election with 91 percent of

10086-420: The number of car accidents in Houston. To do this, he started a campaign to stop drunk driving. He led a summit, hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving . He also presented a plan to increase enforcement, education, and public awareness. This included installing signs around the Houston area warning of drunk driving and urging people to dial *DWI if they suspect someone of drunk driving. In 2007, he also launched

10209-518: The number of freeway crashes decreased by 10.4%, or nearly 2,000 crashes. According to these results, drivers in Houston saved approximately $ 35 million by the implementation of the program. However Suzanne Poole, president of the Houston Professional Towing Association, says those numbers are misleading and actual crashes are actually higher. In reference to the program's objective to decrease traffic congestion,

10332-403: The objections of the senators, keeping the program alive but in a different format. He also rode with a wrecker and conducted several studies of the program. Despite the controversy, independent studies have found that the program has helped. Studies show that the program has been successful in decreasing accidents. A study, conducted by Rice University and Texas A&M University found that

10455-430: The officer in charge of the program that he opposed the war, but did not think it was honorable to use ROTC, National Guard, or Reserve service to avoid serving in Vietnam. He further stated that because he opposed the war, he would not volunteer to serve in uniform, but would subject himself to the draft, and would serve if selected only as a way "to maintain my political viability within the system". Clinton registered for

10578-506: The potential candidacy of Hillary for governor, initially favored—but ultimately vetoed—by the First Lady). For the nomination, Clinton endorsed Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis . He gave the nationally televised opening night address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention , but his speech, which was 33 minutes long and twice the length it was expected to be, was criticized for being too long. Clinton presented himself both as

10701-412: The program has received stiff opposition, some studies have found that the program has helped. A study, conducted by Rice University and Texas A&M University one year after the program's implementation, found that the number of freeway crashes decreased by 10.4%, decreasing by nearly 2,000 crashes. According to these results, drivers in Houston saved approximately $ 35 million by the implementation of

10824-454: The program was implemented compared to before the program. However, some claim that more cars were on the roads during these six months and that construction on the freeways, particularly on U.S. Route 59 , caused drive times to increase. Bill White (Texas politician) William Howard White (born June 16, 1954) is an American attorney , businessman and politician who was the 60th mayor of Houston from 2004 to 2010. A member of

10947-418: The program. However Suzanne Poole, president of the Houston Professional Towing Association, says those numbers are misleading saying "The price increase in gas and a lot of people are carpooling or using mass transit which those figures are reflected in how many people are using the buses. But also the wrecker drivers with the SafeClear program no longer call out officers to minor accidents, they simply give them

11070-408: The race was Republican Orlando Sanchez , a Cuban-American and a former Houston City Councilman, who had unsuccessfully challenged Brown in a heated 2001 bid to become Houston's first Hispanic mayor. Also running was Democratic Texas State Representative Sylvester Turner , who had run for mayor in 1991 (against then-incumbent Kathy Whitmire and real estate developer Bob Lanier ). In that race, Turner

11193-477: The same reason. Clinton had repeatedly promised to encourage gays in the military service, despite what he knew to be the strong opposition of the military leadership. He tried anyway, and was publicly opposed by the top generals, and forced by Congress to a compromise position of " Don't ask, don't tell " whereby gays could serve if and only if they kept it secret. He devised a $ 16-billion stimulus package primarily to aid inner-city programs desired by liberals, but it

11316-421: The standards in 2009. The air went from a peak of 120 ozone molecules per billion molecules of air down to 84 molecules per billion. Following several issues with Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC), including the so-called “Corridor of Cruelty”, abuse and neglect, staff problems, funding, White addressed several issues with the bureau and moved it out of Houston's health department to be run as

11439-515: The state's education system and served as chairman of the National Governors Association . Clinton was elected president in the 1992 election , defeating the incumbent Republican Party president George H. W. Bush and the independent businessman Ross Perot . He became the first president to be born in the Baby Boomer generation. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. He signed into law

11562-778: The subject of substantial scrutiny. Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the Clinton Foundation to address international causes such as the prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2009, he was named the United Nations special envoy to Haiti . After the 2010 Haiti earthquake , Clinton founded the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund with George W. Bush and Barack Obama . He has remained active in Democratic Party politics, campaigning for his wife's 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns . Clinton

11685-493: The subject of the growing national-debt crisis. The volume received generally positive and respectful national attention. In The Wall Street Journal, reviewer Edward Chancellor noted that "Mr. White suggests a return to the austere principles that governed the issuance of public debt from the birth of the Republic until recently... To this end, America's Fiscal Constitution serves a noble purpose." Bethany McLean wrote, in

11808-518: The target of Hurricane Rita . White mobilized the citizens of Houston to evacuate. During a series of press conferences, White and Harris County County Judge Robert Eckels instructed Houstonians on when to evacuate. Officials employed a strategy that called for the evacuation of flood prone areas first. This evacuation, however, led to many problems as it caused multi-hour backups on all freeways in Houston. This prompted White to later lead an evacuation plan reform for Houston. In 2005 White initiated

11931-484: The traffic cameras in September 2006. The trial cameras met the requirements and were approved for using throughout the city. The red-light cameras caused controversy, though, even leading to some lawsuits. Many people argued that this was just a way for the city to make money at the expense of public safety. However, White has stood behind his decision to keep the red light cameras. Studies have revealed mixed results of

12054-553: The victims in the Astrodome , the George R. Brown Convention Center , and a large building formerly housing an Auchan location. He also helped set up programs to help them find long-term housing, job placement, and education within Houston. He was later awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his service in the light of this catastrophe. Just weeks after Hurricane Katrina , it looked as though Houston would become

12177-462: The vote against Clinton in the Democratic gubernatorial primary of 1980. Some suggested Schwarzlose's unexpected voter turnout foreshadowed Clinton's defeat by Republican challenger Frank D. White in the general election that year. As Clinton once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history. After leaving office in January 1981, Clinton joined friend Bruce Lindsey 's Little Rock law firm of Wright, Lindsey and Jennings. In 1982, he

12300-446: The vote–the highest percentage received by a mayoral candidate in Houston in 60 years. During his second term, White focused his work on improving graduation rates in the city's high schools, enforcing air pollution standards, reducing the possibility of flooding in newer areas, adopted a more flexible system of working hours, and to create public-private initiatives with private business and community organizations to stimulate growth in

12423-611: The years of the recorded surplus, the gross national debt rose each year. At the end of the fiscal year (September 30) for each of the years a surplus was recorded, the U.S. Treasury reported a gross debt of $ 5.413 trillion in 1997, $ 5.526 trillion in 1998, $ 5.656 trillion in 1999, and $ 5.674 trillion in 2000. Over the same period, the Office of Management and Budget reported an end of year (December 31) gross debt of $ 5.369 trillion in 1997, $ 5.478 trillion in 1998, $ 5.606 in 1999, and $ 5.629 trillion in 2000. At

12546-415: The youngest gubernatorial candidates in the state's history. Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas in 1978 , having defeated the Republican candidate Lynn Lowe , a farmer from Texarkana . Clinton was only 32 years old when he took office, the youngest governor in the country at the time and the second youngest governor in the history of Arkansas. Due to his youthful appearance, Clinton was often called

12669-401: Was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United States on January 20, 1993. Clinton was physically exhausted at the time, and had an inexperienced staff. His high levels of public support dropped in the first few weeks, as he made a series of mistakes. His first choice for attorney general had not paid her taxes on babysitters and was forced to withdraw. The second appointee also withdrew for

12792-473: Was a partner, arose. Clinton argued the questions were moot because all transactions with the state had been deducted before determining Hillary's firm pay. Further concern arose when Bill Clinton announced that, with Hillary, voters would be getting two presidents "for the price of one". Clinton was still the governor of Arkansas while campaigning for U.S. president, and he returned to his home state to see that Ricky Ray Rector would be executed. After killing

12915-611: Was accused of serious sexual misconduct in Arkansas, including allegations of using the Arkansas State Police to gain access to women ( Troopergate affair ). The killing of Don Henry and Kevin Ives in 1987 started various conspiracy theories that accused Clinton and the Arkansas state authorities of covering up the crime. In 1987, the media speculated that Clinton would enter the presidential race. Clinton decided to remain as Arkansas governor (following consideration for

13038-402: Was also accused by Gennifer Flowers to have used cocaine as governor and his half-brother Roger was sentenced to prison in 1985 for possession and smuggling of cocaine, but was later pardoned by his brother after serving his sentence. During his time in Arkansas, there were also other scandals such as the Whitewater controversy involving the Clintons' real estate dealings, and Bill Clinton

13161-655: Was announced that White had decided to run for the United States Senate seat currently held by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison , should she resign to challenge incumbent Governor Rick Perry , as was expected at the time. On November 23, 2009, Democrat Tom Schieffer dropped out of the 2010 Texas governor's race, endorsing Bill White for the race despite White being a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Later that same day, Mayor White announced that he would "consider" running for governor. On December 4, White officially announced that would run for governor. White won

13284-617: Was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, at Julia Chester Hospital in Hope, Arkansas . He is the son of William Jefferson Blythe Jr. , a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before his birth, and Virginia Dell Cassidy (later Virginia Kelley). Blythe had initially survived the crash, but drowned in a drainage ditch. His parents had married on September 4, 1943, but this union later proved to be bigamous, as Blythe

13407-555: Was chaired by Clinton's wife Hillary, who was also an attorney as well as the chair of the Legal Services Corporation . The committee transformed Arkansas's education system. Proposed reforms included more spending for schools (supported by a sales-tax increase), better opportunities for gifted children, vocational education, higher teachers' salaries, more course variety, and compulsory teacher competency exams. The reforms passed in September 1983 after Clinton called

13530-526: Was defeated by a Republican filibuster in the Senate. His popularity at the 100 day mark of his term was the lowest of any president at that point. Public opinion did support one liberal program, and Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 , which required large employers to allow employees to take unpaid leave for pregnancy or a serious medical condition. This action had bipartisan support, and

13653-466: Was defeated by incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry in the general election on November 2, 2010. Shortly after this loss, White declined to run for the United States Senate seat vacated by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison in the 2012 U.S. Senate election. In 2014, Bill White published (with the Manhattan publishing house PublicAffairs) America’s Fiscal Constitution: Its Triumph and Collapse, on

13776-408: Was elected governor a second time and kept the office for ten years. Effective with the 1986 election, Arkansas had changed its gubernatorial term of office from two to four years. During his term, he helped transform Arkansas's economy and improved the state's educational system. For senior citizens , he removed the sales tax from medications and increased the home property-tax exemption. He became

13899-565: Was embroiled in an insurance scandal exposed in an investigation by Houston's ABC affiliate, KTRK-TV that eventually led to a 1996 lawsuit; Lanier went on to defeat Whitmire. In the November election, White, along with Sanchez, defeated Turner. In the runoff, White defeated Sanchez with 63 percent of the vote. White was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition , a bi-partisan group with

14022-460: Was first started, however, for several reasons. It originally required motorists to pay for the towing of their stalled vehicle, but at reduced prices set by the city. Tow truck drivers claimed that the program hurt their business and nine wrecker companies filed lawsuits against the city. White testified in court in the case. In addition the SafeClear Program has been blamed for causing the deaths of people, who seemed to be trying to get their cars off

14145-486: Was going to do about AIDS , to which Clinton replied, "I feel your pain". The televised exchange led to AIDS becoming an issue in the 1992 presidential election. On April 4, then candidate Clinton met with members of ACT UP and other leading AIDS advocates to discuss his AIDS agenda and agreed to make a major AIDS policy speech, to have people with HIV speak to the Democratic Convention , and to sign onto

14268-577: Was insisting that Democrats "should no longer feel guilty about protecting the innocent". During Clinton's final term as governor, Arkansas performed its first executions since 1964 (the death penalty had been reinstated in 1976). As Governor, he oversaw the first four executions carried out by the state of Arkansas since the death penalty was reinstated there in 1976: one by electric chair and three by lethal injection . To draw attention to his stance on capital punishment, Clinton flew home to Arkansas mid-campaign in 1992, in order to affirm in person that

14391-467: Was not until Clinton turned 15 that he formally adopted the surname Clinton as a gesture toward him. Clinton has described his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr. The physical abuse only ceased after a then-14-year-old Bill challenged his stepfather to "stand and face" him, though the verbal/emotional abuse continued. Bill would eventually forgive Roger Sr. for his abusive actions near

14514-635: Was planning to attend law school in the U.S. and knew he might lose his deferment. Clinton tried unsuccessfully to obtain positions in the National Guard and the Air Force officer candidate school , and he then made arrangements to join the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Arkansas . He subsequently decided not to join the ROTC, saying in a letter to

14637-540: Was popular with the public. Two days after taking office, on January 22, 1993—the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade —Clinton reversed restrictions on domestic and international family planning programs that had been imposed by Reagan and Bush. Clinton said abortion should be kept "safe, legal, and rare"—a slogan that had been suggested by political scientist Samuel L. Popkin and first used by Clinton in December 1991, while campaigning. During

14760-780: Was still married to his fourth wife. Virginia traveled to New Orleans to study nursing soon after Bill was born, leaving him in Hope with her parents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and ran a small grocery store. At a time when the southern United States was racially segregated , Clinton's grandparents sold goods on credit to people of all races. In 1950, Bill's mother returned from nursing school and married Roger Clinton Sr. , who co-owned an automobile dealership in Hot Springs, Arkansas , with his brother and Earl T. Ricks . The family moved to Hot Springs in 1950. Although he immediately assumed use of his stepfather's surname, it

14883-502: Was that the Center's lease of one dollar per annum to the city of Houston was not legal. Seven previous Mayors had honored the lease. White felt the city's revenue stream could be enhanced by evicting the Center and its mentally retarded clientele and using the land for commercial purposes. The Center will have to borrow 6 million dollars and relocate in the settlement reached with the city. During White's second term he focused on reducing

15006-546: Was the first time I encountered the idea that liberal sensitivities weren't enough and you had to do something about such things". Clinton was a member of the Oxford University Basketball Club and also played for Oxford University's rugby union team. While Clinton was president in 1994, he received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree and a fellowship from the University of Oxford , specifically for being "a doughty and tireless champion of

15129-745: Was the president and CEO of WEDGE Group, an energy, construction and real estate company, from 1997 to 2004. White has served on the board of directors for the North American Electric Reliability Council . He was chairman for both the World Trade Division and the Environmental Advisory Committee, and served on the executive committee, for the Greater Houston Partnership . He has also served on

#711288