"The first thing I would like to say to every person in district 150 is 'thank you.' You have allowed me to serve you since April of 2002, and I consider representing you an honor." - Debbie Riddle
// August 12th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized
Some of my colleagues believe that “anchor babies” are a myth, but this video from a 2008 CBS Nightly News broadcast proves otherwise. There are illegal immigrants gaming our system and taking advantage of US taxpayers.
// August 10th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized
HOUSTON – Representative Debbie Riddle (R – District 150) has issued the following response to the Houston Chronicle regarding an editorial run this weekend:
“Eyes Front” in Sundays editorial 8/8/10, should have been “Eyes Closed.” The Houston Chronicle not only has their own eyes shut on the illegal immigration and voter fraud issues but it wants the Texas Legislature to do the same. It is not surprising the Chronicle would take an open-border stance and tell only half the truth to make their case.
The Chronicle claims securing our ballot box should NOT be a priority because the issue “log-jammed the session, derailing high priority legislation.” Truth be told it was the stall tactics by the democrats that shut down the legislative process for five days. Rather than have an up-or-down vote on a ballot security measure supported by almost 70 percent of Texans the democrats killed most of the major legislation before the House and forced a special session.
Not only does the Chronicle not chastise the democrats for hijacking the session, it endorses dropping ballot security and border security issues so we won’t have more bad behavior from the democrats. Their logic would stop the Texas legislature from any consideration of border security and/or ballot security.
The Chronicle in their wisdom states “The ultimate solution to the illegal presence of more than 10 million illegals will come from the halls of Congress and not the state capitols.”
More sound logic prevailed in 2005. That year crime along the border was skyrocketing, though crime in the rest of Texas was dropping. Operation Linebacker
was initiated and funded by Texas that same year and supplemented federal efforts at the border. Almost immediately the decreases in crime ranged from 25 percent up to 75 percent from area to area.
As the state program expanded crime decreased by 65 percent along the entire border and the presence of illegals was cut almost by half by late 2007. The follow up to Linebacker was Operation Border Star which caused another 60 percent drop in violent crime along the border, mostly due to increased funding to local law enforcement agencies. Note that these operations came from Austin – not Washington D.C.
According to the Texas Border Security Council, the most effective tool in this highly successful program was the increase in patrol presence. This is pure common horse sense! The more officers you have with authority to arrest the people breaking the law, then fewer people beak the law. We learned that concept in kindergarten with the dreaded hall monitors! Even the Chronicle admits that enforcement of our immigration laws decreases the presence of illegals!
Okay, this is the deal: this session we must fully secure the border. After 9/11 all political posturing and political correctness must stop. Dirty bombs can now be made, put in a suit case, carried across our border to a city like Houston, detonated killing up to a million people. The lives of our fellow Texans, even you and your family may depend on the courage of the Texas legislature to make sure the safety and security of the people of Texas is well established, and that can only happen with a fully secured border.
// August 8th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized
READ THE FULL ARTICLE AND VIEW VIDEO HERE ON ABC NEWS
Andy Cerota , ABC News
HOUSTON (KTRK) — Arizona’s controversial new immigration law arrived in Houston Thursday. Supporters of the law talked with Houston police about what it could do for this city.
Phoenix police presented Senate Bill 1070, which allows them to call immigration officers on a suspect believed to be in the country illegally. It’s something Houston police currently do not do.
Phoenix police say they’ve seen a drastic reduction in crime because of the law. That has certainly caught the attention of the Houston Police Officer’s Union as the momentum for a similar law here in Texas continues to build.
“It’s another tool to make our communities safer,” said Mark Spencer, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association.
On Thursday, it took center stage at a luncheon hosted by the Houston Police Officer’s Union. The presentation was put on by Phoenix’s association. Spencer supports the law and says crimes involving illegal immigrants were out of control.
“Six Phoenix police officers murdered,” Spencer said. “Hispanics were three times more likely to be homicide victims in the city of Phoenix.”
Some believe the problems in Texas are no different than in Arizona. State Representative Debbie Riddle of Tomball, who attended Thursday’s event, plans to introduce a similar bill next session.
“This has nothing to do with skin color. It has everything to do with conduct,” Riddle said.
Opponents disagree and believe such a law would lead to racial profiling and spread fear through Houston’s immigrant community.
“We talk to immigrants every day who prefer not to call police even though it doesn’t exist here,” opponent Maria Jiminez said.
While the Houston Police Officer’s Union hasn’t taken an official stance, President Gary Blankinship says the bottom line is something has to be done.
“We’re seeing more and more repeat offenders we deport for criminal conduct, and they come back into the country illegally again and again,” Blankinship said.
Local advocates for immigrants’ rights and opponents of Arizona’s immigration law say they are busy waging their own campaign to fight any efforts to get a similar law passed here in Texas.
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