Democracy's Last Stand?...Jessica Reyes-Martinez...Back on the ballot?...Maybe...

Okay, good news out of The Monitor this morning. Reports are that a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling would allow candidates like Reyes-Martinez to get back on the ballot. If she decides to run again for District 39 House seat, she would be going up against her soon to be ex-husband, incumbent Armando "Mando" Martinez. That was the big to do earlier this month, when the whole scandal blew wide open. War of the Roses, and what not. Some of us got beyond that, I for one wanted to know "why?". It was interesting for me, and left me wondering if Martinez' own wife doesn't believe he should be in office, why should we? Why indeed. And this is one of the reasons why I believe she should get on the ballot again. In the report she is quoted as saying, "I would love to get back on the ballot, but I know I'm at a great disadvantage, I decided to run because I wanted to win." You bet, Jessica Reyes-Martinez, you are right on both counts. Her disadvantage is because she would not be alloted enough time to campaign correctly. Campaigns are stressful enough, but to bring everything to full throttle with only a few weeks until early voting begins, I would imagine that would be almost suicidal. This in turn leads to her other dillemma- she wanted to win. Hell, doesn't everybody, and everybody's got their own crossroads to deal with, but I just want to go on the record as saying that Jessica Reyes-Martinez should get back on the ballot, if only to prove that democracy works not only on the national level, but on a local level as well. Back when the Democratic Chair ruled her ineligible, that was a blow to the process. How? It meant that the old boss politics still ruled in this county. It said that because of personal politics, and influence the have nots would be left out in the cold, and the haves could still put those smiling faces on political ads spread out in newspapers, and television spots all over the Rio Grande Valley. This is the type of politics we've dealt with for as long as I can remember. And according to my personal profile, I'm no 'spring chicken'. But I'm also a Scorpio, which means I have a keen sense of rising from the ruins and keep on fighting, and I share that sense with anybody in this world who considers himself or herself an underdog. Depending on how you view this situation, you might think this is as underdog as it gets. Maybe so, if you're looking at palm trees on the horizon, but if you've got enough sense to look at the setting beyond the palms, you'll agree she should, and she must get back on the ballot. For Democracy's sake.

Local issues heat up...Calls to Action...Will They Go Unheeded?

A recent comment to Friday's post got me questioning the whole political scene here in the RGV, and in general really. The comment had to do with political clique's and whether I really believed we could change or replace a system that's been in place in San Juan for so long. I don't think we can actually change the clique if it's only a matter of changing the names on the "masthead", so to speak. It's about attitudes. These past couple of years have been wrought with news reports about F.B.I. raids, or indictments on local political officials. When the reporter asks for community feed back, it never ceases to amaze, or tick me off, that the first comment the community usually says is, "Oh, yeah, we know they're corrupt, but hey, that's life, right?". This is the type of attitude that one, gets the wrong people elected. Two, it's the same type of attitude that keeps these people elected for so long. I feel we need to find a way, as a community, to educate a public that is willing to hear that we don't need to sit back and accept the status quo just "because". We need to be taking a more pro-active stance if we hope to change anything, really. Question everything, and don't sit back and take it, or be quiet just because you're told to be quiet. Hell, they're the ones running for political office, and they're the ones that need our votes. If they get ticked off or annoyed by all these hassling questions, we need to remind them that being in public office opens the door to all types of scrutiny regarding policy or the community at large. It's nothing personal, it's just the type of system of government we live in. It's our Constitutional right to know what's going on with our government, or why they decide to spend five thousand dollars on a water faucet instead of five dollars. I'm exaggerating, but it's only to make the point that if we are concerned with just getting someone else in office, we may change things for a while, but nine times out of ten, we're just going to end up back at square one thiry years from now.

From the vastness of cyberspace...A local...and a damn good question

I've just returned from what seemed like an endless two days of work in my other life. Bad news is I've got to return this afternoon, but I wanted to address a comment posted on Wednesday's blog before I go. It's from anonymous and the question reads, "Hector, being from the same city, what is your take on our Mayor?" The mayor in question is Ms. San Juanita Sanchez for the city of San Juan, Texas. If memory serves me right she ran her campaign on the promise to bring integrity back to the city by means of better, more honest, fiscal management. Well, so far so good, but there is a caveat, and it takes the form of a political science course I took a few years back. The book we studied was "Texas Politics: Economics, Power, and Policy" by James W. Lamare. In it, the author states that "Cities with a commission form of government are ruled by an elected board of commissioners. The board collectively legislates policy for the city. Each commissioner is individually in charge of a specific administrative office in the city. Each commission government selects a manager to coordinate the administrative policy." (pg. 294). In a nut, that's San Juan for you, as well as most of the surrounding towns in the RGV. The author goes on to say that "the mayor participates in the council, but the council has the upper hand in most matters. Furthermore, the council not the mayor, assumes responsibility for oversight of the operations of the city's administrative departments." (pg. 294). I took this to mean that basically, the mayor answers to us when it comes to questions about bidding practices or anything we might find out of the ordinary. Ms. San Juanita Sanchez will in turn bring it up to the commission, and collectively, they will decide to take action or not. It's not her call, it's the commission's. Afterwhich, if a citizen still has an issue he would like to bring before the commission, that citizen must bring it forth via the council meetings agenda. If action is still not satisfactory, remember there's always that light at the end of the tunnel, and that light is the next election season. So as far as whether Ms. San Juanita Sanchez is doing a good job or not, well in my opinion-she is. Politics can be a dirty game, though, especially for people with the best of intentions. In my opinion, Ms. Sanchez's involvement in community groups that looked out for any discrepancies in local government resulted in a good head on her shoulders. For now, anyway. But the next mayoral election is still a ways off, and like the saying goes, "There is many a slip 'twixt a cup and the lip".

"Hustle &...Rick?"...News from around the blogosphere...Ain't that a (---)...

According to the blog site In The Pink Texas, our good governor has joined the effort to support our troops this week in Iraq. The site goes on to say that Perry's new campaign ad will have our good governor saying, "I'm proud of our troops. How 'bout you?" Almost brings a tear to my eye, just reading this TRIPE! Of course, I'm proud of our troops, Gov. Perry. I am in contact with young men and women who enlist in the armed forces every week since this war began, and it never ceases to amaze me how much COURAGE these young kids have knowing full well they will face EVIL and DANGER to the likes most of us will NEVER know in our lifetimes. If any of you guys are reading this, know that we here back in the States are behind you, even though we may not be behind the war. I also logged on to the Rio Grande Guardian website that had related news out of The San Antonio Express. In the article, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst is quoted as saying that "the trip was an invitation by the U.S. Dept. of Defense as an effort for governors around the country to experience first-hand what their troops are experiencing and to encourage their guard units". Yes, indeed, encourage all the voting age Texas soldiers whom the governor has NOT forgotten. But also hasn't visited with until this year, the year of our Lord, 2006. Election year. Ain't that a (---)

The Commissioners Have Spoken...There, There, This Won't Hurt A Bit...

I was set to begin a blog this morning regarding the state of so called "watch-dog" groups here in the Valley. My theory is that these watchdog groups have their own agendas, and they're usually not looking out for people they claim to be looking out for. But that will be my next blog tentatively titled "Death of the Watchdog Groups...R.I.P...Did we really need you anyway?...Part One". Okay, so on to today's business which leads us to a report in today's issue of The Monitor. As we learned last week, a couple of candidates vying for the County Clerk position have raised the question of whether Deputy County Clerk Arturo Guajardo Jr. is using company time for political purposes. To wit, they claim that Guajardo's political website is in violation of Hidalgo County's policies regarding time spent campaigning for office by a county employee. According to the report, county policy "only requires civil service employees to resign if running for office and does not permit campaigning at work-end of discussion". That last part of the quote, "end of discussion", is in all likelihood not part of the policy verbatim, but here in Hidalgo County, it is nonetheless implied. As Guajardo concludes in the report, "I'm campaigning, let them throw rocks if they want." So where does that leave us? Does it even raise a question that needs to be answered? Apparently, the commissioner's court doesn't think so, and neither should we, eh? Nonsense, the powers that be have spoken, and there's no use in arguing with a brick wall, not now and not anytime soon. So swallow it people, that's the medicine with no "spoonful of sugar" to wash the baby down. It's life six years into the new millenium, and if we can't question our national government, what makes us think we could raise a legitimate question about how a candidate for County Clerk is spending his time, or strategy, to win the race. "End of discussion".

"Wisdom in 2006...Grey hair and green envy..."Soy El Jefe De Jefes, Senores"

I'm only thirty three years old. That's not really "old" relatively speaking unless you're part of the under twenty crowd. For the most part, I don't feel thirty three. In fact, there are some days when I feel seventeen again, despite putting on um... a few extra pounds over the years. Then there are days when I don't feel a day younger than seventy. I feel tired. I ache. Everywhere. In places that up until late last year were unbeknownst to me. I look terrible first thing in the morning, and there is a patch. No, more like a cluster of white hair above my right temple. A cluster that would make the guy from Los Tigres Del Norte green with envy. The cluster is starting to spread to the rest of my hair. Slowly, cunningly, but surely as well. My wife says not to worry, as this is a sign of impeccable "wisdom". Wisdom or not, I don't like it. Not now. Not until I am at least fifty, or so. At this point, I just look like a guy with problems. Lots, and lots of problems. I get that look from Winter Texans. As I've stated before they seem to have a natural tendency to look at me as one of their homeboys, and they grin when they get a glimpse of that white cluster as if to say, "I know, I know, but gosh, at such a young age and all". Ah, but screw it, if my wife is right, I don't have problems, only wisdom. And if so, I am responsible for passing on some of this hard earned wisdom, like a guru, or Yoda. Yeah, Yoda kicked ass and took names until that bitter end, and so shall I, so here it is: Ramon Garcia deserves to be re-elected this March. Hands down. The reason: J.D. Salinas likes to spend. Spend a lot. According to Sunday's edition of The Monitor, J.D. Salinas has spent about fifty thousand dollars in his campaign efforts. Ramon Garcia only about two thousand. The Monitor has a chart detailing each candidates finance reports. Total raised by Garcia: $197,214.00. Total spent by Garcia: $199,971.14. Total raised by Salinas: $153,028.06. Total spent by Salinas: $202,955.27. No loans have been taken out by Garcia. Salinas accumulated $550,000 in loans between January 1st and December 31st of 2005, according to The Monitor's chart. Now, if campaign finance reflects on elected duties, we'd be setting ourselves up for higher taxes, higher taxes, higher taxes, in order to pay for everything the next County Judge and his Commissioners spend frivolously on if Salinas is elected. Word around the campfire is that's exactly what the commissioners want in THEIR County Judge, but's that's not what WE should expect in OURS. Taxes are always an issue, and they will be raised, that's just one of the laws of economics, and if you don't believe me just look at what happened to the elder Bush when he first ran for President. Remember the "Read my lips" speech. For those of you who don't, the elder Bush basically stuck his foot in his mouth when he vowed, if elected, that there would be "No New Taxes". How's that for a political favor, and he won too. Yeah, he defeated Michael Dukakis, I think Dukakis retired from politics completely after the loss. But like I said, taxes are always going to creep up in an economic picture, and Bush paid dearly for his foolish promise four years later when Mr. William J. Clinton ran against him with his "Are you better off" speech. Which worked perfectly. No promises to keep, just an understanding that maybe, just maybe, Clinton could be our savior from a National Recession so bad it dropped President Bush's approval rating to the lowest point by any elected President in the history of the U.S. But I digress, and all I wanted to say is I have no problem when stuck with new taxes to pay, however, not because the Commissioner's Court wants a raise, or build these half-assed sub-par jails we have to annex or completely rebuild two years later because of "overcrowding". Yes, taxes are just one of those inevitables, and current County Judge Garcia has done a good job of keeping those inevitables to a minimum his first run through office, and I for one would like to keep it as such. By the way, the other inevitable in this life is death, and all those pesky grey hairs you accumulate until then.

The Meaning of Life in George Bush's America...Whoops, I Meant "Baaah!"

"Where have all my heroes gone." That's a lyric of a song, a real tearjerker, I'm working on entitled, "Where Are All the Herders, Now That the Sheep Are Restless?" It has to do with the meaning of life in George Bush's America. According to a blog posted on In The Pink Texas, at http://www.inthepinktexas.com/ our President was at a press conference in Kansas this afternoon defending his domestic spying program. He's quoted as saying, "It's amazing, people say to me, "Well, he's just breaking the law," If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefing Congress?" You can't be serious, can you, Mr. Pres.? Yeah, right, that's like a drug dealer asking a morally and professionally corrupt law enforcement official where all the "Heat" is going to be, so he could steer clear while making his shipment, or as people in Cameron County, here in South Texas, have come to call it, 'business as usual'. Please, the President was briefing a Republican Majority Congress. Sure, there were a few Dem's thrown in the mix, but jesus, "Who Among Thee?" eh? Which leads me to the theme of my song. Questioning and standing up for your rights against any government policy both legal and illegal, expressed or implied, is so 'passee' in this country. So Nineties. What's in now is crowding around the glass tit like a bunch of sheep in a pasture just following what the rest of the herd believes as fact. Nowadays, if you count yourself as one these "independent, free thinking" types, don't count on being one for too long. Not in this era, and not any time soon. There will come a time when you eat what's being fed to you, and go where you are told to go. As my writing hero, Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "Soon come, Bubba, soon come". Man, oh man, where are the Mavericks when you need them. It's enough to drive a young man crazy. Whoops, did I say that? I meant, "Baaah!"

Cold Weather...Bad Apples?...Not in my country!

Alright, it's down to business. It's Saturday, and a cool front just blew in dropping temperatures into the upper fifties, low sixties. According to weather reports, the RGV could expect to see more of the same for the next few days. Perfect, my type of weather. I was born in mid-November, so I am naturally a child of winter. Of course, that's why most people will be dressed in the sweaters and leather jackets they got for Christmas, and I'll be dressed in a fine cotton woven tropical print button down short sleeve shirt. No wonder Winter Texans smile at me while I'm out and about the town, they recognize a winter homeboy when they see one. Right, and all I need to do is smile politely back at them. I winked at one once in my younger years, but ah...that seemed to bring some unwanted attention, and I don't want to talk about that kind of stuff this morning. No, our job is politics, so let's get on with it. The Monitor this morning reports that local officials want to see a change in the "politiquera system". POLITIQUERA-a woman, sometimes man (in which case you'd insert an 'o' instead of an 'a' at the end) that goes around the city, precinct, county, or general election area "hustling" votes for a particular candidate, in return for special favors such as being the first person on the block to get brand new caliche paving, or getting "rid" of those pesky speeding tickets, or entitlement to a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card. Yes, that's about as right a definition as I could come with, and words like "hustle" are dirty words I know, but so is the word "facts" nowadays, especially from a President who thinks we need to save the world, and spread the message of freedom to all third countries, meanwhile there are starving, homeless kids in this country who have no idea what the hell "No Child Left Behind" means, cause they sure as hell feel left out and deprived. Whoa, where'd that come from? Jesus, I'll have to address that issue soon, won't I? But I digress, and we're here to talk about 'hustle'-no, 'politiqueras'. Yes, our very own Democratic Chairman Juan Maldonado held a seminar this week with local candidates, the report states. According to The Monitor he basically went over the to do's and the don't even think about it's. What exactly those issues were, the report doesn't say, except that Maldonado suggested to the candidates that payment of these workers should be made by check, "so there is a paper trail". Ah yes, because we've heard just about enough of all those 'special favors' filling RGV headlines haven't we? Of course, and I think Hector "Tito" Palacios said it best when he was quoted in the report as saying, "We need to be careful, we have a lot of good people working campaigns and we do have some bad apples....I don't want to leave the impression that anybody working the campaign is doing illegal things". Whoa-ho, hold on there Mr. Commissioner, don't let too much out of the bag, at least not all at once. Save that for a slow news day when the RGV needs another reason to distrust local officials when we hear that they're doing some "naughty things", like being caught in a DWI scandal, or racketeering charge. Is this a great country, or what?

Indie State Revisited...Paul Simon sings...Nostalgia and the Writing gods..

I just bought Paul Simon's cd The Paul Simon Collection. It must have been some time after my thirtieth birthday when I started becoming a bit nostalgic, and longed for music that seemed to have meaning. So much of my twenties were spent listening to Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. And that's some good music, mind you, but there was a deep sense of wanting something more, something with substance, something where you can connect to the songwriter in some way. "Hell, yeah, that song fucking speaks to me!" type of songs. So Paul Simon came quickly to mind, and I only recently found kharmic connection with Warren Zevon. I have his Genius cd, a collection of his best. Where the hell am I going with this? Well, I'll tell you. It's Friday afternoon here in the RGV, the sun is out, and the writing gods are in my corner, for once in a long while. Pour that sugar on me, baby, I'm ready to let loose. Yes, sir, I've decided to end the political floundering I'd been feeling lately, and have decided to vote Dem this election season. At this early point, it's important to pick a side, pledge your allegiance, and brace yourself, for a very important, very crucial election year, especially here in Texas. For you political enthusiasts, you'll notice the Chris Bell for Governor ad on the side bar. Take some time, whether your Dem, or on the other team, to look at the issues Chris Bell is ready to tackle if, no WHEN he becomes Governor. That's right, in politics there is no room for if's, it's just a matter of WIN. So just click on the ad, and you'll be redirected to his website. There are also, as I've pointed out before, some blog links of interest. If you've got time, click on South Texas Chisme. FREE PLUG! FREE PLUG! That's right, in this blogging business, it's important to make friends, especially if you don't want to find yourself swimming alone in a very, very big ocean. Thanks are in order for adding me to their link list. Thanks, partners. Okay, time to wrap this up for today, I'll be back tomorrow with my comments on Bin Ladin, and updates on local politics, and watchdog groups. Have a good one...

Policies?...We Don't Need No Stinkin' Policies!

Well, well, well, it's politics as usual here in Hidalgo County. According to Victoria Hirschburg's report in today's Monitor, "Arturo Guajardo Jr. is being accused by other candidates of campaigning during county time". The two candidates raising the ruckus around town are Joseph Campos, and Andrew Perez. Perez is quoted in The Monitor as saying, "I don't mind that he's campaigning, but we're basically paying for him to run against us". The big 'to do' surrounds Arturo Guajardo Jr.'s political website http://vote4guajardo.com/ and the similarities in relation to the Hidalgo County Clerk's website http://hidalgo.tx.us.landata.com/. Victoria Hirschburg's article states that county policy "does not permit the use of any county owned materials or equipment for political campaigns". Well, I googled both websites, and as far as I could tell, you do need to look at the relationship subjectively. At first glance you really can't see any wrongdoing. I mean both websites have different hosts, hell, they don't even use the same color schematics. But, what I did find was that at least half of the county's website is in fact Guajardo's political ad main page, excluding of course the links, faq's, and what not. In my opinion Guajardo broke policy by using the information found in the county website as his own main page. But, it's tricky, as most political strategies around this county are, but judge for yourself. You can log on to The Monitor's website by clicking on the link in the blogroll, or visiting the above websites highlighted above. After that drop me a comment or two in the Guestbook. I'd really love to hear what the rest of you think about this.

Cold Nights...That Warm Fuzzy Feeling...Watergate Revisited?...Not on the ACLU's Watch

I usually spend my nights surfing the inernet. Actually "surfing" is so cliche nowadays that I'll use a better word like "rummaging", or "exploring". There that's better, yes, indeed, I usually spend my nights "exploring" the internet. What I'm usually looking for are other blogs by fellow Texans, or entertainment websites. I do this because I've basically taken over the computer workspace, and my wife has to fight me tooth and nail, just to log onto our email account. So I feel a guilty obligation to inform her on all the latest entertainment headlines. Lately, I've had a sudden urge to do something more with this technology. Take action, become more involved. And that's when I came across the ACLU website. According to news reports, the ACLU has sued the NSA, National Security Administration, in order to "end spying and restore checks and balances". On there website, http://www.aclu.org/nsaspying, the ACLU contends that President Bush "signed an order, allowing the NSA to monitor phone calls and emails between people in this country and those abroad". Apparently, this type of government spying hasn't occured since the days of Nixon, the Watergate years. For those who don't know there history too well, Watergate is what almost got Nixon lynched. Is 'lynch' too harsh a word? Oh, nevermind, these are Republicans we're talking about, it almost got Nixon lynched, but through a series of backroom negotiations, he resigned from the Presidency and named Gerald Ford President on the condition that he give Nixon a full pardon for all crimes known or implied. So as I was just warming up to a cup of Peach flavored Green Tea, (I'm married, folks), I thought to myself, Okay, so the President allowed the NSA to spy on us? So what? Isn't that what the government does, anyway?....Not according to the First and Fourth Amendments, people. These rights entitle every United States citizen, born or naturalized, to the freedom of speech, and protection from illegal searches and seizures. President Bush's actions do by definition violate these Constitutional Amendments, and for this he must be held accountable. This is why I sent an email to the Senators representing this Great State of Texas to take action. Now. That's what they're there for folks, let us remember that, and remember what country we live in. I smiled just as I finished the last of the Peach flavored Green Tea from my cup, and thought that's all I need on a cold, windy night, that edge of knowing I put my "two cents in". That gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling.

Back to Work

Just got some much needed r n' r. This week it's full speed ahead. I was able to add some links of interest, and a guestbook, so if anybody would like to leave a message, you're more than welcome. Thanks, H

District 39...Oh what a tangled web we weave

When we last left our District 39 race, it was dirty politics, and back door deals when the Democratic Chairman Juan Maldonado kicked Jessica Reyes-Martinez off the ballot because of a discrepancy in her application. But, according to NewsChannel Five this evening, "more than 10 different applications had some sort of mistake." When asked about the discrepancies, Mr. Maldonado is quoted a saying, "It's not my job to review them at all." Well, yeah, maybe, but Mr. Chairman should keep in mind that when he tries to BS a BS'er, the shit better stick. I hope Jessica Reyes-Martinez can find a way to get on the ballot somehow. Court order, special-circumstances, etc. Hell, exhaust all possible means necessary to show the people of the RGV exactly what our "elected" officials really think about us when it comes to insulting our intelligence. We've got to wake up, people, these "discrepancies" are only the tip of the iceberg in South Texas. If you'd like to see the full report as presented by NewsChannel Five, log on to http://krgv.com/

An Indie State of Mind in the RGV

I'll turn my attention now to the statewide issue of the Governor's race. First and foremost, I will not be voting for Rick Perry. He's a Republican, and I am not. I'm also not a Democrat. And so, I'm faced with a personal dilemma this election year. Do I vote Independent? I'm not too enthusiastic about seeing a Dem run this state, but I'm not sure what ol' Kinky or "Gramma" can bring to the table. Kinky brings a certain ideaology on how things should run in this state, and for the most part I agree with most of his assessments. But like most ideaologists, I'm wary of the fact that he might not have a direct plan of action. He's a freewheeler, and because of this I think he might be too stubborn in his convictions to nudge in the direction of what's best for the State Of Texas. Strayhorn on the other hand, has had experience in Austin as the State Comptroller. She knows how to handle the big boys when they get too rowdy. BUT, she was a Dem before she was GOP, and that wavering is something that's got me questioning her true allegiance. Hell, maybe she pledges allegiance to no flag, but that makes her the same freewheeling spirit Kinky is. Jesus, it's not easy being an educated voter this voting season. If any of you have any comments or suggestions, just post a comment below. I'll promise to respond to each one. Damn, it's Monday, and too early in the week to be wrecking my brain over this. Where's a good masseuse when you need one?

War of the Roses...All's Fair Don't You Know

Every now and then, I find a new reason to wake up in the morning. This past week has giving me five. Each day has been like a Mexican soap opera unfolding before our eyes, as the local race for District 39 State Representative was about to start to boil. According to the January 4th edition of The Monitor, incumbent Armando "Mando" Martinez was slated to go head to head against his estranged wife, Jessica Reyes-Martinez, 29 and 28 respectively. Each candidate has their own version of why the divorce is taking place, and each stand by their convictions and reasons for running for office. Personally, and a lot of people agreed with me locally, including my friend Enrico Sebastian fresh from his weekly massage. "It's getting to the point where we're letting just any Tom, Dick or Jane to run for office nowadays. Fill out a piece of paper, pay your fees, and make sure you keep your nose clean for the next ninety days or so, until the primaries". I agreed, but I also know a hum-dinger of a race shaping up when I see one. This race got me out of my funk, ladies and gentlemen. Yes sir, a clean slate. So I messed up my New Years resolutions so quickly out of the gate, we're into a different race now. A heated battle that only teenagers can describe as the type of tension so thick you can cut with the plastic knife they hand out in the high school cafeteria. That uneasy sense that something exciting and terribly wrong is going to happen at any given second, when an ex-girlfriend is about to let her ex-beau know exactly what she thought about 'busting' him making out with her best friend. The kind of stuff that gets chopped up and hacked in the rumor mill for months. As an adult, you never lose that kind guilty need to see some action, guess why there's celebrity tabloids and professional boxing. We didn't love Mike Tyson because he looked like a prancing ballerina, sparring toe to toe with his opponent. No, we loved Mike Tyson because the man could kick some ass. Period. And such was the type of excitement I was setting myself up for every time I opened the morning paper for the next three months. That is until yesterday, Friday, when I read that the Democratic Chairman Juan Maldonado had disqualified Reyes-Martinez' bid against her husband. According to The Monitor, Maldonado cited an incomplete application in regards to Reyes- Martinez not stating a specific address. Well, well, well. It's good to be an incumbent isn't it. It let's you retain friends in high places, forget the low, only the loser crowd hangs out there, regardless of what Garth Brooks tells us, and those types of friends don't get you double servings of dessert in the cafeteria. No, in this life you need those friends in high places to make sure they got your back whenever an ex-anything tries to get in the way of your goals. Make no mistake about it, folks, this move was political, and personal. By both sides. There is no doubt, in my mind or Enrico's, that Jessica Reyes-Martinez decided to run against her ex-husband to spite him. But so what? There are a million different reasons to run for office, and each of the incumbents have had to answer their own, and sadly, not all those reasons are ethically sound. But I delve into an area that's too dark for some people to fathom, and only those with a unique sense of 'action' can appreciate the type of melee the District 39 race was shaping up to be. Hell, even those snotty high school cheerleaders got a kick out of this type of action every once and a while. But come on, we're only human after all, don't you know.

January 3, 2006 The Fat Is In The Fire

I found myself in a state of deep depression last night. Day two of my New Year's resolutions and I had already managed to break all of them. One, eat less. I ate a botana at Casa Del Taco in Mission. Two, don't smoke. I was so depressed after the meal, I had to calm my senses with a Marlboro Light. Three, get more involved in my community. The Hidalgo County Democratic Party headed by it's chairman Juan Maldonado held a "kick-0ff party" for all political candidates in the county last night according to today's edition of The Monitor. Christ, where was my invitation to this thing? Is there a list I forgot to get on, because last time I checked I was a U.S. citizen, eligible and willing to vote. My therapist was out of town on business, so I called my long time friend and confidant, Enrico Sebastian, at his home in South Padre Island, Texas. It wasn't until the thirtieth ring when I realised that Monday nights are reserved for his weekly massage sessions. So here I was, in a deep funk feeling like a lonely teenager who never get's invited to any of the cool parties in town. Not a good way to start off the year, but I'll keep my eyes open, maybe make friends with the cool people. They're always in the know.