– Former Houston City Council member inspired to serve again –

Only two and a half weeks are left until the 2010 Primary election, and the Texas House District 127 GOP candidates are nearing the finish line in a closely watched race. Dr. Martin Basaldua, Dr. Susan Curling, Dan Huberty, and Addie Wiseman are all gunning for the seat left open when Rep. Joe Crabb announced he would not seek re-election.

Come November, Democrat Joe Montemayor will be facing the Republican who wins the nomination.

Addie Wiseman hopes to be the victor. A three-term Houston City Council member (2001 – 2007), Wiseman was inspired to run in part because of support from friends, family and former constituents.

“I received contacts and encouragement from former constituents who sought me out,” she said. “They told me ‘we really want you to run, we need you in Austin’.”

Wiseman explained that this encouragement, coupled with the support of her family, were the deciding factors that led her to believe her experience could be put to good use in Austin.

The issues

Wiseman stresses that we need to get back to fundamentals.

“Now more than ever, we need to focus on the basics,” she said. “It’s time we teach Austin the basics.”

Wiseman compares her beliefs with the basics of education – the three “R’s.”

“The three “R’s” of good governance are - reduce the burden on taxpayers, rein in spending, and respect the rights of Texans and the sovereignty of our great Lone Star state,” she said. “It’s under those three major points that so many issues fall under.”

Reducing the burden on taxpayers is a key issue for Wiseman.

“We have to reduce the burden being held by homeowners, and commercial property owners as well – that is critical,” she said. “We have turned into the land of the fee and the home of the rate.”

When facing the shortfall, some will feel greater pressure to increase property taxes, Wiseman said.

“I’ve certainly proven that I can stand firm even if I have to stand alone,” she added.

Supporting businesses, offering incentives and encouraging their initiatives are key, according to Wiseman.

“If we can’t do that, we won’t see those jobs coming to Texas. We have to support our entrepreneurs. We should encourage that and support them – this is how we increase jobs in the state and increase the development.”

Turning to more taxes and fees at a time when we are experiencing a downturn is something Wiseman is strongly against, and she adds that it is something that she fought heavily against when she was on City Council.

“I was constantly fighting to hold down property taxes,” she said. “And yet at the same time I was able to bring millions of dollars of improvements to the community.”

Transportation is another concern for Wiseman.

“We have an aging infrastructure, we have an archaic bureaucracy known as TxDot (Texas Department of Transportation). They are more interested in being a workforce program instead of actually allowing the private sector to conduct the work, when the private sector could be streamlined and do the work for a lot less.”

On the topic of illegal immigration, Wiseman is clear about her beliefs.

“I have serious concerns with sanctuary cities. When municipalities create sanctuary cities, we as a state legislature have the authority to restrict that, and should.”

Education is an area in which Wiseman’s belief in the free market makes an impact on her perspective.

“It became clear to me some time ago that parents are looking for options,” she said. “There are options at the university level, and a lot of people believe there should be options for all ages when it comes to education.”

Wiseman believes that competition makes every initiative and every effort better, and that we should bring that concept into education.

“I’m a firm believer in the free market, and I believe that competition is a good thing,” she said.

What sets her apart

Wiseman explained that her background and experience make her the stand-out candidate.

She said that her experience as an elected legislator sets her apart.

“They don’t have to question and wonder if I will stand behind what I am saying on the campaign trail,” she said. “They have seen the proof of that – I’m the only one who has that voting record, and I’m very proud of that record. I promised people I would stand firm and look out for them, and I did.”

She went on to say that her degree in economics would be a benefit, especially as we face a $17 billion shortfall that is growing every day.

“That was beneficial when I served on Council working on budgetary issues for the constituents, and I was able to back up my promise of being fiscally conservative.”

Her message to voters

Wiseman wants voters to know that she wants to work with them to achieve great things for this community and for Texas.

“I was honored to have represented the constituents on Houston City Council, and was honored to have the opportunity to stand by my promises to build a record of service and commitment to the community,” she said. “And I’m honored that so many have asked me to do the same for them in Austin. Working together we can put District 127 on the map.”

Wiseman emphasized how she wanted to serve the public.

“Serving the community is such an honor,” she said. “And I would be honored to have their support and vote again.”

For more information about Wiseman, visit her Web site at www.addiewiseman.com. For election and voting information, visit www.harrisvotes.com and continue to follow election coverage in The Tribune.

Important election dates: 

Feb. 16 - First day of early voting 

Feb. 23 - Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) 

Feb. 26 - Last day of early voting 

March 2 - Primary election day 

April 13 - Primary runoff

Election Day