Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Harris County races Tuesday


If you have not voted already in the primary runoffs you have one last chance Tuesday. This time you will have to find your correct location - Democrats by precinct - pdf, Republicans - pdf.

Find your precinct number and sample ballot.

The Republican race for 144 between Ken Legler and Fred Roberts is interesting. Legler is a wire manufacturer and Roberts is on the Pasadena school board. Legler did a political hit piece that accused Roberts of not paying all of his property taxes. Roberts then filed suit against Legler for opening him up to identity theft by mailing thousands of people his social security number and address. Roberts also pointed out Lelgler has his own tax problems.

The Democratic candidate Joel Redmond will provide very strong opposition to either of these two losers. Joel is the son of a popular long-time First Baptist Church minister making his first political race. He was also until several years ago a Republican.

From the South Belt Leader - posted here because it will soon disappear off their website:
Legler publishes Roberts’ Social Security number

The Republican race for state District 144 has heated up drastically over the last week, with each opponent sending out controversial mailers. Both Fred Roberts and his opponent, Ken Legler, have accused the other of being delinquent on past taxes.

Roberts alleges that Legler owes more than $5,700 in property taxes on his business in South Houston. Legler, who blames the slip-up on time spent on the campaign trail, told the Leader he has since rectified the problem. At press time, however, Harris County’s online records still showed the bill as being unpaid.

Conversely, Legler alleged Roberts has had two federal tax liens since 1998. While Roberts has since satisfied one of the liens, he said he was unaware of the second one and said the address on it was incorrect.

The Legler mailer also contained his opponent’s Social Security number, prompting Roberts to file a police report. (See related story this page).

Legler insists the publication of the number was unintentional and that he offered to pay for a service to protect Roberts from identity theft.

Roberts, who has served on the Pasadena Independent School District Board of Trustees since 1993, sent out a direct mail piece that asserts Legler maintains a secret residence in order to send his daughter to Friendswood High School, in House District 129, rather than one within the district where he seeks office.

Legler admits that he bought a condominium that his wife and daughter stay at during the week so the girl can be on Friendswood’s drill team where she has prior friends.

Citing a recent Children at Risk study, he also noted that Friendswood High School ranked 25 in the Greater Houston area compared to the number 94 ranking given to Pasadena High School, the highest-ranked PISD school in the study.

“It’s unfortunate that a man doesn’t feel good enough about his own district that he sends his family to another district to live,” Roberts said.

“When it comes time to vote, is he going to think about Friendswood, or is he going to think about Pasadena?”

Aside from district loyalty, it may also be a question of legality for Legler. The 50-year-old business owner maintains three properties within Harris County and one property within Galveston County. Texas state law mandates that a property owner can claim a 100 percent homestead exemption on only one property. However, both Harris County and Galveston County tax officials have records of Legler claiming a 100 percent homestead exemption within their district.
The Harris County Democratic Party and the Houston Chronicle endorses:

# Railroad Commissioner - Dale Henry
# District Judge, 80th Judicial District - Larry Weiman


The Houston Chronicle also endorses in JP Precinct 8, Place 1, Jeff Heintschel.

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