Debra Medina

[Charles L. Cotton]

This thread is going to get locked if the "temperature" doesn't change. It's fine to discuss candidates, opinions and preferences, but I'm more than a little tired of seeing supporters of marginal candidates resort to insulting people who don't support their candidate.

If you can't offer an opinion without insulting opposing views, then keep it to yourself.

Chas.

[Rex B]

Your property taxes may be controlled by locals, but you don't have much to say about it, and those locals likely don't share your concerns. The Appraisal Districts have removed tax decisions from local elected officials and let a faceless bureaucracy do their dirty work. That AD has one goal: Maximize income and increase it every year, to satisfy the demand from their constituency (City Halls) for more and more of our money.
It's a racket, and there are already people at work to abolish it. Thankfully, my rep is Vicki Truitt and she is at the front of this effort.

Medina may not be able to win - we'll see - but I hope she at least scores a close 2nd to Perry in the primary. If nothing else it will pointedly remind Mr. Perry that millions of Texans demand fiscally responsible, conservative government 100% of the time, and not just when an election is approaching.

Ultimately I realize I will probably be voting for Rick Perry in November. But the Trans Texas Corridor was to Texas what BHOs Health Care bill was to the Nation. I will not forgive Perry's attempt to "nationalize" millions of acres of private property to profit a foreign corporation.

I sure do hate gritting my teeth when I cast my vote.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Medina is even more pro gun than Perry if that is the only thing driving your decision.

You have no idea how inaccurate this statement is.

Chas.

[Rex B]

Medina is even more pro gun than Perry if that is the only thing driving your decision.

You have no idea how inaccurate this statement is.

Charles, I think we would all like to hear you elaborate on that.

[Mike from Texas]

Medina is even more pro gun than Perry if that is the only thing driving your decision.

You have no idea how inaccurate this statement is.

Charles, I think we would all like to hear you elaborate on that.

I certainly would. I have heard her on several occasions say that she is for gun owner's rights.

[RPB]

Your property taxes may be controlled by locals, but you don't have much to say about it, and those locals likely don't share your concerns. The Appraisal Districts have removed tax decisions from local elected officials and let a faceless bureaucracy do their dirty work. That AD has one goal: Maximize income and increase it every year, to satisfy the demand from their constituency (City Halls) for more and more of our money.
It's a racket, and there are already people at work to abolish it. Thankfully, my rep is Vicki Truitt and she is at the front of this effort.

Medina may not be able to win - we'll see - but I hope she at least scores a close 2nd to Perry in the primary. If nothing else it will pointedly remind Mr. Perry that millions of Texans demand fiscally responsible, conservative government 100% of the time, and not just when an election is approaching.

Ultimately I realize I will probably be voting for Rick Perry in November. But the Trans Texas Corridor was to Texas what BHOs Health Care bill was to the Nation. I will not forgive Perry's attempt to "nationalize" millions of acres of private property to profit a foreign corporation.

I sure do hate gritting my teeth when I cast my vote.

I disagree with you ... I run into "The Appraisal District" and "Tax Assessor/Collector" and "School Board" people at the HEB and hardware store or school functions often, if they don't behave, they get replaced in the next election. Try doing that with some appointed committes in Austin. My town is only 65 miles from Austin, but it's only 8 blocks long and 6 blocks wide (exaggeration, but it's really small comparatively) with one grocery store (thats where you'll see your elected officials often too, plus at all school functions when their kids and our kids are on stage or field together while we visit in the stands) and we want to keep our money here instead of turning it over to parents (Austin bigger government) and asking for some back. We aren't children and don't want to be trated as such.

I certainly would. I have heard her on several occasions say that she is for gun owner's rights.

I agree with you ... I heard her say it too .
I've heard her say she's against big government, yet proposes to give to big government power over that which local people currently control. I've heard her say she's against big business, yet proposes to impose more taxes on the little guy and give big businesses tax relief ... I heard Obama say CHANGE is goinng to be good, yet ...

[idrathernot]

The decision against Medina is more that she wants to take away our LOCAL control over OUR tax revenues, and she wants to take away our LOCAL tool of property tax abatement which is used to attract businesses and create jobs LOCALLY in order to benefit big business and big government while the little people have to pay more to make up the difference, yet they give up the LOCAL control over the revenue to allot for the upgrading of our water supply etc because the LOCAL sales tax WE PAID is sent to austin might go for new sidewalks in Hidalgo instead.. It's better now where we use LOCAL taxes to pay for our LOCAL needs."

Medina does not want to starve county governments and municipalities out of revenue to create a monolithic state government. She is advocating a sales tax reform such that progressive taxes, which are a direct impediment to economic growth and personal liberty, are minimized. The interview I referenced earlier with Medina and Judge Napolitano expounds upon her position.

Well in fact property tax in Texas is more of a local phenonenom. We see cities, water districts, emergency services, and hospital districts funding their services with a property tax. What we would do is rescind their ability to levy a property tax and suggest that they raise their revenue with a consumption tax."

As we all know, the current sales tax for the state of Texas is 6.25%, however; cities, counties, special purpose districts, and transit authorities may also impose sales and use tax up to 2% for a total maximum combined rate of 8.25%. Therefore, by rescinding local property taxes, the entities listed previously will be allowed to compensate for revenue loss by the levy of a larger portion of sales tax. The rate of which is to be determined locally.

She was displeased with SB 855, a bill making its way through the Texas Senate. According to her blog,
the bill
"allows local communities to call elections to raise taxes and fees to pay for light rail, roads, and hike & bike trails"

I'm a fan of quoting others in context, so I'll relay the rest of that thought found at http://debramedina.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"State Income Tax in Texas:
April 22, 2009

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, 21* of your state senators thumbed their noses at Texas and passed SB 855. This bill allows local communities to call an election to raise taxes and fees to pay for light rail, roads, and hike and bike trails. Justin Keener at the Texas Public Policy Foundation explains however that “our system for financing roads has come through taxes, fees, and tolls, which are more or less proportionate to one’s use of that infrastructure. But if the fees in SB 855 are adopted in local communities, one of two people making equal use of the infrastructure would pay the government while the other would not, based on their income. That injects a means test into our public finance system for roads, which is quite a departure from Texas’ historical rejection of finance structures that are similar to a progressive income tax.”

So while they’ll never call it an income tax, it paves the way for exactly that just as the business franchise/margins tax did in the last session. It is this sort of arrogant disregard towards the will of Texans that led to the tremendous tea party turnout last week."

[sjfcontrol]

[

I disagree ... I run into "The Appraisal District" and "Tax Assessor/Collector" and "School Board" people at the HEB and hardware store or school functions often, if they don't behave, they get replaced in the next election. Try doing that with some appointed committes in Austin. My town is only 65 miles from Austin, but it's only 8 blocks long and 6 blocks wide with one grocery store (thats where you'll see your elected officials often too, plus at all school functions when their kids and our kids are on stage or field together while we visit in the stands) and we want to keep our money here instead of turning it over to parents (Austin bigger government) and asking for some back. We aren't children and don't want to be trated as such.

I dare say if we all lived in tiny towns, we'd all be in agreement. If you live in a real town , it's an entirely different experience. The goal (at least from my POV) is to broaden the taxbase as much as possible.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Medina is even more pro gun than Perry if that is the only thing driving your decision.

You have no idea how inaccurate this statement is.

Charles, I think we would all like to hear you elaborate on that.

I never should have posted that comment. I retract it.

Chas.

[Mike from Texas]

Medina is even more pro gun than Perry if that is the only thing driving your decision.

You have no idea how inaccurate this statement is.

Charles, I think we would all like to hear you elaborate on that.

I never should have posted that comment. I retract it.

Chas.

C'mon Chas. This is a very important issue. If you have information, please share it with us. I certainly don't have the connections you do so I have to put faith in what I am being told by the candidate unless I can be shown otherwise OR they have a proven track record of not doing what they say.

[RPB]

[

I disagree ... I run into "The Appraisal District" and "Tax Assessor/Collector" and "School Board" people at the HEB and hardware store or school functions often, if they don't behave, they get replaced in the next election. Try doing that with some appointed committes in Austin. My town is only 65 miles from Austin, but it's only 8 blocks long and 6 blocks wide with one grocery store (thats where you'll see your elected officials often too, plus at all school functions when their kids and our kids are on stage or field together while we visit in the stands) and we want to keep our money here instead of turning it over to parents (Austin bigger government) and asking for some back. We aren't children and don't want to be trated as such.

I dare say if we all lived in tiny towns, we'd all be in agreement. If you live in a real town , it's an entirely different experience. The goal (at least from my POV) is to broaden the taxbase as much as possible.

After way over 50 years in Bellaire/Pasadena/Houston (and having a parent run for city council, and me being friends with several mayors of each of those cities and being involved in LOCAL poitics etc) I moved from Houston to my small town on purpose.

I'd think the goal should be to increase revenue if more money is needed. Then I'd examine whether I could get that additional revenue easier from the turnip or the fat cat, rather than eliminating a portion of the fat cat's payments and distributing more burden upon the turnip. IF her plan worked to DECREASE our overall tax burden, I could see it, but that revenue has to come from somewhere, and eliminating a portion of the burden belonging to the rich huge property owners, places that burden elsewhere, and looking around .... I see that's me. And with the "benefit" of this increased burden, I give up rights to local control where and how my money is spent. .... I don't want my money going to a 6 story abortion supercenter in Houston, when we need potholes fixed here.... we fell for that line before. Federal Income Tax was a Temporay Voluntary system where we turn our money over to a bigger government instead of using it locally right? Fool me once, shame on the politicians, fool me twice, shame on me. Keep local control of local money. Keep Local tools to attract businesses and create local jobs, like property tax abatement. Reject turning all your money over to bigger government and requesting back an allowance.

[idrathernot]

I'd think the goal should be to increase revenue if more money is needed. Then I'd examine whether I could get that additional revenue easier from the turnip or the fat cat, rather than eliminating a portion of the fat cat's payments and distributing more burden upon the turnip.

Right. You sure you're not referring to Animal Farm? Where does the horse come into play here?

[Charles L. Cotton]

Medina is even more pro gun than Perry if that is the only thing driving your decision.

You have no idea how inaccurate this statement is.

Charles, I think we would all like to hear you elaborate on that.

I never should have posted that comment. I retract it.

Chas.

C'mon Chas. This is a very important issue. If you have information, please share it with us. I certainly don't have the connections you do so I have to put faith in what I am being told by the candidate unless I can be shown otherwise OR they have a proven track record of not doing what they say.

My ill-advised comment was not based upon any hard evidence and I should have kept it to myself. There is no hidden meaning or hint and Medina supporters should not be deterred for fear that she does not support the Second Amendment. I will say this much, Rick Perry has a proven track record of supporting gun owners and this is why a TSRA/NRA grade based upon an elected official's record is more reliable that a candidates questionnaire alone. Talk is cheap, performance counts.

Chas.

[RPB]

I'd think the goal should be to increase revenue if more money is needed. Then I'd examine whether I could get that additional revenue easier from the turnip or the fat cat, rather than eliminating a portion of the fat cat's payments and distributing more burden upon the turnip.

Right. You sure you're not referring to Animal Farm? Where does the horse come into play here?

now that's a horse of a different color
Good catch/analogy though in that a revolution itself may not be a bad idea, ignorance, inexperience and corruption in a conducting revolution in the wrong way is costly. Which are concepts in that book I believe.
I think California is learning that.

[Mike from Texas]

My ill-advised comment was not based upon any hard evidence and I should have kept it to myself. There is no hidden meaning or hint and Medina supporters should not be deterred for fear that she does not support the Second Amendment. I will say this much, Rick Perry has a proven track record of supporting gun owners and this is why a TSRA/NRA grade based upon an elected official's record is more reliable that a candidates questionnaire alone. Talk is cheap, performance counts.

Chas.

I appreciate your honesty, but in fairness to her, she's never been given the opportunity to prove herself. How does anyone get a chance to prove themselves if not ever given an opportunity. Everyone has to start somewhere.