So what issues would a Green bring to the table as head of the Harris County Commissioners' Court? How would a Green County Judge approach policy differently? In no particular order:
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Cut fossil fuel use drastically. Harris County can power its buildings—and even some of its parks—with the sun and wind. The county can purchase hybrid and electric vehicles to replace its older cars and light trucks.
Encourage alternative energy producers to operate in Harris County, using tax incentives and other means, to create needed jobs for our population.
Expand pick-up service for recyclables, including batteries, electronic waste, and household chemicals, especially for apartment communities in unincorporated areas.
Ban the use of disposable plastic bags by supermarkets and other retail outlets.
TRANSPORTATION
Add bike lanes and "sharrows" to secondary and tertiary arteries throughout the county. Build more bikeways to connect neighborhoods and parks, especially using utility rights of way.
Work with Metro toward establishing commuter rail lines on existing tracks into the city, with more Park & Ride bus options to reach other employment centers.
Set up car-share services for apartment-dwellers in unincorporated areas, as well as jitney service for major arteries such as FM 1960 and State Highway 6.
DEMOCRACY
Insist on voter-verifiable paper ballots as a supplement to "black box" voting.
Implement Instant Runoff Voting for county offices, and work with cities and school districts to implement a form of IRV for their races, saving millions each year on runoff elections for which only a tiny percentage of the electorate turns out.
Establish a superneighborhood council and district associations for unincorporated portions of the county, with quarterly meetings to exchange ideas and make recommendations to Commissioners' Court, and leadership elected by residents attending those meetings.
JUSTICE
Decriminalize simple possession of small amounts of cannabis until the State is ready to make medical and recreational marijuana use legal; study the results of other governments' legalization of street drugs and offering rehabilitation instead of criminal penalties.
Provide County Jail inmates sufficient mental health services.
Give minimum-security inmates a chance to grow food in an urban agriculture setting—food that can then be used for meals at the jail facilities.
Establish a system of public plaintiff's attorneys for residents and neighborhood associations seeking to file suit against corporations and other business entities not acting in the public interest.
Retrain County law enforcement officers to use threats, intimidation, or violence as a self-defense last resort only,and to treat the public with respect and courtesy by default.
HEALTH & NUTRITION
Administer weekly neighborhood produce markets offering fruits, nuts, and vegetables from local agriculture; encourage personal and community gardens, and help neighborhood associations remove deed restrictions that prioritize lawns over gardens.
Provide County Jail inmates sufficient mental health services.
Establish a program to train college graduates for careers in mental health and rehabilitation.
BUILDINGS & LANDMARKS
Preserve county buildings with documented historic significance, such as the Astrodome; repurpose other buildings where necessary and possible to avoid demolition and new construction.
Establish more community and multi-service centers in unincorporated areas, within reasonable distance of commercial centers, with access to banking, postal, and Internet services for underserved communities.
Set lower limits for the annual increase of appraised property values, particularly in neighborhoods where residents might lose their fully paid off homes if unable to pay property taxes.
Implement sustainable construction practices, such as LEED Certification, for all new and refurbished buildings where possible.