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Riddle goes on the record
By KEVIN KOLOIAN
When the Texas state Legislature opens session in January 2009, Debbie Riddle, District 150 state representative, has her work cut out for her as she battles everything from business taxes to illegal immigrants receiving in-state tuition.
She was riding high after winning her third straight election and ready to finish what she has started in Austin when she spoke to The Observer.
MARGINS TAX
Riddle feels the margin tax, which replaced the franchise tax and is based on a percentage of a business’ taxable margin is hurting small businesses.
“The margins tax, or new business tax, in Texas is grossly unfair to our businesses, especially the small business, that create new jobs not only in our community but in our nation,” Riddle said. “It’s not based on a net. It’s not based on a gross. It is based on a margin.”
Every business owner knows their gross and every business owner knows their net, but a margin is a moving target, she said. A business owner could experience a loss and still owe a tax.
“This was rapidly put together and whenever something is done quickly and hurriedly, kind of like this bailout, that is when bad legislation occurs,” Riddle said.
APPRAISAL CAPS
Appraisal creep needs to be slowed down, she also said, so taxable value of a person’s home does not rise at a faster rate than people can keep up with.
“We need to cap the appraisal rates so it doesn’t go so high so quickly,” Riddle said. “It will slow it down, but it doesn’t make it go away.”
She thinks if a homeowner’s taxable income can be kept from going up between a 3- to 5-percent increase, it will make the situation somewhat manageable.
“I don’t think a silver bullet is going to solve all of the issues regarding property taxes for a homeowner, but right now, basically, one can never truly own their home,” she said. “You can go buy a house and have it paid for, lock, stock and barrel, but you never really fully own it because you will continually owe the state of Texas.
“If you are a retired individual and decided to take part of your retirement to pay off your house, and the taxes continue to go up and up and up on that house, at some point you would no longer be able to afford your home and essentially be taxed out of your house and that is exactly what’s happening,” Riddle continued.
REVITALIZATION OF FM 1960
Riddle wants to build up the image of the FM 1960 area from Interstate 45 to Highway 249 by tackling urban blight on all fronts.
“We have crime. We have gang graffiti and gang problems. We have massage parlors that are essentially brothels,” Riddle said.
She said there are no easy solutions for any of these issues, but she feels the proposed management district being talked about by Renaissance 1960 and the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce can help.
People have misconceptions about how much the management district can do to turn things around, she said.
“People think the management district is the equivalent of a homeowners association and that couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Riddle said. “A homeowners association can force you to mow your yard, or they can mow your yard and charge you. They can make you fix or repair your house, or through an architectural committee tell you what type of roofing you can do.”
The fact that a management district can hire additional law enforcement to fight crime is appealing to her.
“I think that is a major consideration. But one also needs be careful because it doesn’t get rid of crime; it only moves crime. Criminals don’t just go away. We don’t want to move the crime deeper in the subdivisions,” she said.
All of the issues affecting the area need to be dealt with properly and be well coordinated, she said, both with the subdivisions and the businesses along FM 1960.
GRAND PARKWAY
Ever since she first ran for office, Riddle has been extremely vocal about the building of the Grand Parkway at the district level and in the state capitol.
“My constituents and I are not opposed to the concept of the Grand Parkway,” Riddle said. “We are opposed to the location of it.”
It will go through subdivisions, destroy people’s homes, lower property value and disrupt the quiet area in which residents live, she said.
“I have said that the day that a bulldozer shows up in Mossy Oaks (subdivision) we are going to have another Tiananmen Square because I will be standing in front of it.”
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN-STATE TUITION
In the last Texas legislative session Riddle introduced a bill that would repeal the law that gives illegal immigrants in-state tuition.
“It’s basically against federal law to allow that,” she said. “It is grossly unfair to give in-state tuition to someone who is here illegally and cause a tuition rate increase and tax increase and take tax money out of the pockets of taxpayers who augment the cost of that education if someone is not even here legally.”
She said she doesn’t see why any other out-of-state citizen has to pay the full price for education but illegal immigrants don’t.
“We are not saying that illegal immigrants cannot go to these schools, but we are saying that they should not be subsidized by taxpayers to do so.”
She was riding high after winning her third straight election and ready to finish what she has started in Austin when she spoke to The Observer.
MARGINS TAX
Riddle feels the margin tax, which replaced the franchise tax and is based on a percentage of a business’ taxable margin is hurting small businesses.
“The margins tax, or new business tax, in Texas is grossly unfair to our businesses, especially the small business, that create new jobs not only in our community but in our nation,” Riddle said. “It’s not based on a net. It’s not based on a gross. It is based on a margin.”
Every business owner knows their gross and every business owner knows their net, but a margin is a moving target, she said. A business owner could experience a loss and still owe a tax.
“This was rapidly put together and whenever something is done quickly and hurriedly, kind of like this bailout, that is when bad legislation occurs,” Riddle said.
APPRAISAL CAPS
Appraisal creep needs to be slowed down, she also said, so taxable value of a person’s home does not rise at a faster rate than people can keep up with.
“We need to cap the appraisal rates so it doesn’t go so high so quickly,” Riddle said. “It will slow it down, but it doesn’t make it go away.”
She thinks if a homeowner’s taxable income can be kept from going up between a 3- to 5-percent increase, it will make the situation somewhat manageable.
“I don’t think a silver bullet is going to solve all of the issues regarding property taxes for a homeowner, but right now, basically, one can never truly own their home,” she said. “You can go buy a house and have it paid for, lock, stock and barrel, but you never really fully own it because you will continually owe the state of Texas.
“If you are a retired individual and decided to take part of your retirement to pay off your house, and the taxes continue to go up and up and up on that house, at some point you would no longer be able to afford your home and essentially be taxed out of your house and that is exactly what’s happening,” Riddle continued.
REVITALIZATION OF FM 1960
Riddle wants to build up the image of the FM 1960 area from Interstate 45 to Highway 249 by tackling urban blight on all fronts.
“We have crime. We have gang graffiti and gang problems. We have massage parlors that are essentially brothels,” Riddle said.
She said there are no easy solutions for any of these issues, but she feels the proposed management district being talked about by Renaissance 1960 and the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce can help.
People have misconceptions about how much the management district can do to turn things around, she said.
“People think the management district is the equivalent of a homeowners association and that couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Riddle said. “A homeowners association can force you to mow your yard, or they can mow your yard and charge you. They can make you fix or repair your house, or through an architectural committee tell you what type of roofing you can do.”
The fact that a management district can hire additional law enforcement to fight crime is appealing to her.
“I think that is a major consideration. But one also needs be careful because it doesn’t get rid of crime; it only moves crime. Criminals don’t just go away. We don’t want to move the crime deeper in the subdivisions,” she said.
All of the issues affecting the area need to be dealt with properly and be well coordinated, she said, both with the subdivisions and the businesses along FM 1960.
GRAND PARKWAY
Ever since she first ran for office, Riddle has been extremely vocal about the building of the Grand Parkway at the district level and in the state capitol.
“My constituents and I are not opposed to the concept of the Grand Parkway,” Riddle said. “We are opposed to the location of it.”
It will go through subdivisions, destroy people’s homes, lower property value and disrupt the quiet area in which residents live, she said.
“I have said that the day that a bulldozer shows up in Mossy Oaks (subdivision) we are going to have another Tiananmen Square because I will be standing in front of it.”
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN-STATE TUITION
In the last Texas legislative session Riddle introduced a bill that would repeal the law that gives illegal immigrants in-state tuition.
“It’s basically against federal law to allow that,” she said. “It is grossly unfair to give in-state tuition to someone who is here illegally and cause a tuition rate increase and tax increase and take tax money out of the pockets of taxpayers who augment the cost of that education if someone is not even here legally.”
She said she doesn’t see why any other out-of-state citizen has to pay the full price for education but illegal immigrants don’t.
“We are not saying that illegal immigrants cannot go to these schools, but we are saying that they should not be subsidized by taxpayers to do so.”
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