For Annise Parker:
"We Built This City," Starship
Rocks Off isn't sure what else Parker will deem as "important!" during her potential term as mayor, but if there's one thing we are sure of, it's that music makes everything funner, even balancing our city's $103 million deficit! Whee!
"It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World," James Brown
Houston's first (and so far, only) female mayor, Kathryn Whitmire, was elected a quarter-century ago. Back then the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits, of which Parker is a proud member, didn't even exist.
"Every Breath You Take," The Police
Google "Annise Parker" and you'll see that dozens of national blogs and news organizations are keeping a close watch on the election, since a win for Parker will make Houston the largest city in America with a gay mayor. However, much like Barack Obama's win puts extra scrutiny on future black politicians, Parker will have to do more than just get elected to make inroads for gay politicians in the state.
"Higher Ground," Stevie Wonder
In the Harris County League of Women Voters Voters' Guide, Parker says the city's broken infrastructure led to flooding problems and additional emergencies following Ike and Allison. She proposes to review the city's disaster contingency plan to make sure such problems are fixed before future natural disasters occur. Rocks Off is not sure if that plan includes moving the entire city out of the Gulf of Mexico's flood basin or not.
"Electioneering," Radiohead
Before the first election the biggest complaint about the candidates was that the platforms were all so boring. Since the run-off began, Parker has been accused of throwing the first punches. Now the election has gotten dirty. But like Charles Kuffner says, it's all part of the plot.
For Gene Locke:
"Dirrty," Christina Aguilera
Let's see what Annie's List thinks of this one. As Kuff said in the link above, once it gets dirty, it's not suddenly gonna get clean again. Gene Locke may not have had anything to do with this Oh Em Gee Teh Gheys!-style fearmongering, but one of his supporters did, and that's a low-down dirrrty shame. Dirty politics have also lead Houston Press online commenters to christen City Council member Sue Lovell a racist turd-burglar, which makes Rocks Off snicker.
"Bad Boys," Inner Circle
Locke said in the LWVH Voters' Guide that his main priority as mayor will be to make Houston safer by putting more police on the streets. Not surprisingly, the Houston Police Officer's Union and the Firefighter's Union have endorsed Locke.
"Money," The Beatles
Parker's biggest criticism of Locke is that he has no cash to pay for the increase in police presence. Locke swears he can do it without raising taxes - by taking money from other funds and grants. Parker, on the other hand, wants to halt the development of Houston's museum district and sports stadiums and use the money elsewhere. That comment, by the way, was a dig at Locke, who led negotiations to build both Reliant Arena and the Juice Box.
"Signs," Five Man Electrical Band
Locke's had a bit of a problem with his campaign advertising this election. ABC13 reported that the city hash hauled away more than a thousand improperly-placed campaign signs, a number Annise Parker has been gleefully tracking over at Twitter.
Silver Spoons theme song
When Locke told the audience during the most recent debate that he can't be a city insider becaudse he wasn't raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, we immediately thought of young Ricky Schroeder and Alfonso Ribeiro breakdancing away in Edward Stratton III's oversized mansion. Whoever wins this election, can we see the candidates re-enact this scene as a show of solidarity?
