The Sad Saga of the "Maquina Amarilla", and the Edcouch-Elsa School Board President...

The web site for the Edcouch-Elsa School District proudly boasts the motto, "Viva La Maquina". Long live the Machine. A reference to an athletic program that any high school coach from Roma to Brownsville will tell you is a force to be reckoned with. Regardless of what sport you are talking about, be it volleyball, basketball, or football. When these student athletes take to the court or the field, they mean business, and so do the fans. Half of which have long since graduated their own sons and daughters, but can't get over that fever, that spirit which grabbed their attention like a vice grip when their kids donned the black and gold. It is a spirit that isn't used to losing. No matter which way you slice it. It is not uncommon for a football fan to be rushed to a local hospital because their blood pressure shot up due to a frustrating, heartwrenching loss to District rival Mercedes by one "measly" point in double overtime for the District Championship. Losing is not in anybody's blood in the Rio Grande Valley, and it is especially not in the blood that runs through the veins of a student, teacher, parent in the Edcouch-Elsa School District. It came as no surprise, then, that the web site for the school district proudly proclaims itself "as the vehicle through which each student can embark to success. In this role we commit ourselves to providing an environment that promotes, fosters, and ensures the personal dignity of each student and encourages all students to develop physical, emotional, and mental abilities to their fullest potential." Unfortunately, encouraging words like these have fallen victim to a scandalous occurence that began in December of 2005, with the arrest of School Board President Aaron Gonzalez. Well into his third term, Mr. Gonzalez was arrested in what the United States District Attorney's Office would charge him with "one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the Travel Act in 2000 and 2004 to promote state bribery, and three counts of extortion under color of official right". As the local news would report the bribery charges stem from "big claims he awarded construction contracts in exchange for money and trips". Despite these indictments, and the recent arrest without bond for a new charge of witness tampering, Gonzalez awaits his trial set for May 2, 2006 in police custody, but still holds his seat as School Board President for the Edcouch-Elsa School District. No mention of his removal or resignation on the School Board Agenda page of the School District web site. Reaction is mixed in this small town, but most citizens seem to hold on to the American judicial pledge of innocent until proven guilty. For instance, in a report for The Monitor, Elsa mayor Senorio Castillo is quoted as saying "He has to be, in my opinion, convicted. Right now at this point, it's not that I'm defending the man because of th business the city has with him, but at this point he's being indicted and he still needs to go to court". Please note that this quote was taken from a December 15, 2005 article in The Monitor. No further comments have been made public by the mayor since Mr. Gonzalez' recent arrest on February 24. The idea of innocent until proven guilty is one of the foundations of our society. Without it, justice would serve only those of influence, and power. However, when the citizen in question is a member of the school board, a board which encourages honesty, and integrity in it's students, the fact that Mr. Gonzalez was indicted, period, should be enough for the rest of the school board to take action. Whether that includes removal, or asking for his resignation, the board, a responsible one at least, should take action within it's legal power to do so on something. The teachers, administrators, parents, and most importantly the students of Edcouch-Elsa, Home of the Maquina Amarilla deserve that. "Viva La Maquina".

The Valley's New Alternative..."The Paper of South Texas"

Just a quick note of importance this Monday morning. There is a new outlet for those of us that have been feeling a void left by the mainstream media here in the Rio Grande Valley. The first issue of The Paper of South Texas hit newstands this past week, and are on the internet at http://thepaperofsouthtexas.com/ According to the web site, this new alternative has stated,"We'll be hard hitting, relevant, and in some cases, biting. Let the chips fall where they may." Indeed, just what the doctor ordered down here, a publication that will not answer to anyone but themselves. My hats off to David Robledo, editor of "The Paper", for taking a chance for those of us who demand more from the media by way of truthful, factual, and unrelenting reporting. You can take a look at the web site by clicking on the link in this post, or by clicking the link I've added to my sidebar. Have a good Monday.

Digging for facts...Two comments weigh heavily on my mind

Two recent comments to RGV Politics got me curious enough to find out more. The first comment encouraged readers to "do our homework" in regards to the infamous $6 million loss in indigent health care funds. The anonymous commentator referred to an April 11, 2005 "memo" from the Department of Health to legislators about the disbursement and subsequent loss of a total $6 million for the Valley. Well, I contacted the webmaster of the Texas Department of Health web site, and was forwarded to the County Indigent Health Care Program within the DSHS. We exchanged information, and the employees of that department were very helpful. Unfortunately, they were unable to locate in their records any "memo" dated April 11, 2005 the subject of which was indigent health care funds for Hidalgo and Cameron counties. They asked if I had more information, but I told them I only had what the anonymous commentator left me. It wasn't enough, so unless "anonymous" can provide us with more detailed information as to where to find this "memo", I can only assume it never existed. The other comment I will address has to do with County Court at Law No. 6 candidate Fidencio Guerra, Jr. An anonymous comment was left on my post regarding Guerra being listed in the "Worst Judges in Texas" article in the 2/11/06 issue of The Texas Observer. The article was written by Nate Blakeslee who was referencing a quote that appeared in Texas Lawyer in 1992 about Guerra's comments in a domestic abuse case. The anonymous commentator wrote that the quote he mentioned to Mr. Blakeslee was "untrue. But he didn't print that". Well, I contacted Nate Blakeslee and he informed me that "the reporter for Texas Lawyer asked Guerra if he said it, and he admitted that he did." Fine by me. Now, a lot of you may be saying, "just let it go, we know they're lying and they'll never admit it". Well, maybe so, but my mission with this blog is to provide responsible and reliable information. When anonymous commentators insist that what political candidates are spreading are "truths and facts", and that the media are the ones taking things out of context, I feel it's only necessary to be able to substantiate those claims. If I find any falsehoods, then I'm going to point them out to those readers who deserve to know.

Edcouch-Elsa...Word Travels Fast Around Cyberspace...

News out of cyberspace yesterday buzzing with the arrest of Edcouch-Elsa School Board President Aaron Gonzalez on a tampering with evidence charge. This new charge falls on top of bribery charges that are already pending against Gonzalez. I logged on to The Department of Justice Home Page for the official press release. The report stated, "U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg announce today the arrest of Edcouch Elsa School District trustee Aaron Gonzalez, 42, of Edcouch, Texas, for witness tampering". The report alleges that Gonzalez was trying to persuade two Edcouch-Elsa School District employees to provide false statements that would help Gonzalez in his bribery indictment. The employees were allegedly asked to state "that each witnessed Gonzalez handing an envelope containing money received from the undercover FBI agent to a then-candidate for a local office, when in fact, neither had so witnessed such an event." For more details on the official report log on to http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs/ Please keep in mind that although allegations have been brought forth against Gonzalez, I will offer the same caveat the report concludes with, "a complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent." Yes, innocent until proven guilty. Bad news either way for Gonzalez, whether the allegations prove true or not. It's one thing to be brought against the court with bribery charges, but throw in a tampering with evidence, and, well, you can pretty much kiss your political career goodbye. News around the web is leaning towards this corruption scandal of late being only the tip of the iceberg. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be many theories as to who the "then-candidate for a local office" is, and why it seemed Mr. Gonzalez wanted to take that person down with him.

PSJA to receive funds for gang prevention and education...A step in the right direction

According to the local ABC affiliate Channel 5, the Tri-City area is about to get a big boost in helping to educate the public on gang and substance abuse prevention. The report states that PSJA has received $33,333.00 from the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant. The breakdown of the funds for the PSJA area, according to the report, is as follows. The funds for the city of Alamo are to provide a police officer who will administer gang substance abuse prevention. The funds for the city of San Juan are to provide for a special investigator to investigate crimes occuring in schools. The funds for the city of Pharr are to provide for a law enforcement officer who will educate students, parents, and school administrators in gang prevention and awareness. For more on the report go to http://www.newschannel5.tv/ Being from the area, and living here for most of my life, I am all to familiar with the violence in our schools. I hope for the sake of current and future students in the PSJA School District, they put this money to good use.

NHPO Debate...Facts? What Facts?

It seemed to be business as usual for the J.D. Salinas camp tonight at a debate sponsored by the National Hispanic Professionals Organizations, and moderated by the local CBS affiliate KGBT Channel 4. When the question of negative campaigns in the Valley came up, Ramon Garcia expressed his discontent with the notion that J.D. Salinas is doing nothing more than spreading misinformation in his campaign ads against Ramon Garcia. Mr. Salinas reiterated that the campaign ads he is running are based on "facts and truths". What I found surprising was J.D. Salinas' selective process of acknowledging what is fact and what isn't. On the one hand, he would have us believe that the now infamous $6 million in indigent health care funds were a direct result of the County Judge's ineptitude. On the other hand, the fact that the county is in the best financial state in it's history has nothing to do with the County Judge. Well, which is it? I'm confused. Just what is the role of the County Judge? Are we electing someone who will do his best for the citizens of the county, or are we electing someone who will do what is best for the citizens who loaned him in excess of half a million dollars in campaign contributions as an investment in "his future", as Mr. Salinas stated tonight? His future, not ours. Think about it. More on the $6 million dollar saga as the information comes in. I've made contact, the details just need to be sorted out.

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls"...One more debate on Wednesday

This post will be a short one. The reason for it is to spread the word that there will be a debate tomorrow evening at the UTPA Student Union. The debate is being sponsored by Channel 4 and the National Society for Hispanic Professionals. There will be a meet and greet from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. with the debate following from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Hope many of you can make it out to UTPA tomorrow. Thanks to State Rep. Aaron Pena for the information posted on his blog site A Capitol Blog.

Just another night of catching up...and digging for the truth

Usually, I read any and all emails left overnight in my mail box, then I will cut to the chase on RGV Politics and read all of the comments left on my posts. I want to continue to thank all of you for taking the time to leave comments, even those that don't necessarily agree with my own points of view. But that's what blogs are for, aren't they? A place where writer and reader can come together and exchange views and ideas of the world around them. Every now and again, I do come across some rather interesting comments. As I've stated before, I usually take the time to address these on the comments page. If something strikes me as too important to leave on the comments page, I will do my best to fit into the method and flow of my postings. Case in point, recently I've been driven to find out a little more about some of the comments that have been left here. A bit of digging for the facts if you will. The first comment has to do with the ever present $6 million health care issue that's been passed back and forth as if we've been caught in a game of hot potato. It's his fault, no it isn't, yes it is, and so on. The comment provided information regarding a memo from the Texas Health Department to the legislators in regards to the money that was "lost" in 2005. Money that was set aside for indigent health care in the Rio Grande Valley. The commentator goes on to say that we should all do our homework regarding this issue. Well, I for one am. I emailed the webmaster of The Texas Department of Health which is now a part of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). I asked the webmaster two questions: One, if I could feasibly have a copy of said memo. Two, if the webmaster could provide factual information regarding the process by which this money was supposed to be alloted. A sort of straight from the source's way of finally putting this issue to rest. I will post all pertinent information regarding this issue as soon as I receive it. The second comment has to do with an article that appeared in this month's issue of "The Texas Observer" entitled "The Worst Judges in Texas". The article lists Fidencio Guerra Jr., who is a candidate for County Court at Law No. 6, as one of those judges. The article in all fairness does not depict Mr. Guerra in a very positive light, as seen in my previous post. The comment left in my blog raises the issue if the writer, Mr. Nate Blakeslee, took a story that was recounted to him out of context. I have emailed the editors of "The Texas Observer" this morning in regards to Mr. Blakeslee's report and will post their reaction as soon as I receive it as well. Until then, I want to again say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and/or comment on RGV Politics, I appreciate each and every one of them. A special thanks are in order for Mr. Leibowitz of Capitol Annex for mentioning my blog on his web site. I encourage everyone to take a look at his web site by clicking the link on my sidebar. Have a good Tuesday night, and if anyone discovers anything new before I do, let me know, and I'll spread the word.

Fidencio Guerra, Jr...One of Texas' "Worst Judges"...Not even puppets could save him.

In the early nineties, Judge Fidencio Guerra, Jr., was known to use hand puppets while listening to court cases. The idea at the time, if memory serves me correctly, was that Judge Guerra used puppets to put children in his court involved in divorce proceedings more at ease with the pressures of the legal system. Well, put away the puppets, boys, because that was the nineties, and this is the new millenium. It seems Fidencio Guerra Jr., has just found himself on the Texas Observer "Worst Judges in Texas" list. That's right, apparently Mr. Guerra's reputation in South Texas courtrooms has raised quite a few eyebrows over the years in state politics. According to the article found in this month's issue, Fidencio Guerra Jr, in a 1991 domestic abuse case, asked the defendant to get down on one knee and apologize to his wife, the plaintiff. He is quoted as saying,"If he hits her again, well she can always file assault charges, and if he hits her hard enough, she can file aggravated assault. And if he kills her, you can put him away for murder". The report goes on to say that the woman's request for a protective order was denied. Well, so much for a candidate that is vying for a court that will deal with these issues on a daily basis. The full article can be found on the link at the end of this post, if you have trouble with it, just follow the Texas Observer link on my sidebar.

Hidalgo County Political Ads...Who's spinning who?

"Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining"-Judge Judy Scheindlin. That's the title of one of her books. She didn't coin the phrase but she made it popular, and nothing describes the current state of politics in the Rio Grande Valley more than these words. It's gotten to the point that I have decided that the idea of "us" against "them" is the very reason 'compadrismo' thrives in our area. My theory, that we need to change attitudes towards what is best for our community at large, is only strengthened by the nature of people that will use the suffix "-ista" when referring any one who supports their candidates opponent. Take for instance, the race for Hidalgo County Judge. Anyone who comes out and supports Ramon Garcia is deemed a puppet and a "Ramonista". Shall we as citizens forget that what Garcia has done for Hidalgo County in four years is to put us in the best shape we have ever been in? Except for a few issues such as indigent health care, of which blame should not fall on a single person or position anyway, the county is in the best financial shape it has ever been, and I for one want that to continue. Shall we forget that it is J.D. Salinas who's friend and business partner Arturo Guajardo Jr. is running a campaign under an experience matters slate? It is Mr. Guajardo who has stated time and time again at every public forum that we would be wasting taxpayer's money by having to waste county time training someone new to the office. Well, does this not go for the County Judge as well? Or are we to asume that a new County Judge will be led from the hand by the will of the County Commissioners?Should we believe the political ads that Mr. Salinas is running that claims Ramon Garcia lost the county 6 million dollars in health care for the indigent population as fact? When in reality, the quotes he uses in his ads are taken out of the context of the whole report. Dear readers, do yourselves a favor and visit the web sites of these newspapers and look up the whole report in the archives. Accusing someone of being an "-ista" only proves that the type of attitude being flung by these people is that if their candidate wins, the rest of us that didn't vote for him are in deep shit. Pardon the french, but that is what we're talking about here, isn't it? Instead of saying, "if you're going to vote for a certain candidate, you know what, here's why you should vote for this guy instead", we're pitting faction against faction which only leads to compadrismo. I don't consider myself an "-ista", I consider myself a realist. And a damned smart one too, if I want what's best for my family for the next four years. Read the quote on my sidebar that says, "politics is the art of controlling your environment". I didn't put that quote there because I thought it looked nice. I put it there because I believe in it. Some more of us should, too.

Hunter S. Thompson...One Year Later

"Politics is the art of controlling your environment"- Hunter S. Thompson. On the eve of the anniversary of his death, I feel a need to write briefly about the writer who has had a tremendous influence on my writing. Several years ago, when I was working on a novel, aren't we all, I came across a book titled "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". I enjoyed it for two reasons. One, it is extremely funny. Two, it was a big morale booster to know that a writer can write the way he did and still get away with it. There's a certain magic to the words writers put on a page, and it doesn't matter who among us we're talking about. If you write for a living, or write a blog on your free time, there is purpose and art in the way words flow out of your spirit regardless of what you are writing about. Some of those, like Thompson, just seemed to have a little more magic than the rest of us. When he decided, for his own reasons, to leave this existence he took with him whatever magic he had left to disperse among those that found him at once interesting and captivating. It is the wish of every writer to meet his or her heroes, even at the very least for a moment to shake his hand at a book signing to say, "Thank you, for making me believe in my own writing". Sadly, I will never have that chance, but I continue to read Thompson's books, and to this day I never get tired of reading those famous words he was quoted as saying, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro".

Things Heat Up in the Salinas/Guajardo Jr. Kitchen...The Ghost of Elections Past

News from The Monitor this morning may spell trouble for the Salinas/Guajardo Jr. campaigns. According to the report, Hidalgo Investments Inc. a land development company co-owned by J.D. Salinas and Arturo Guajardo Jr. along with two other men, was delinquent in filing their franchise tax in November of 2005. Salinas is quoted as saying that, "It's been a while back," and "I haven't been active with them". Oh-oh, those same comments echo the words of another candidate a few years ago who was running for governor of Texas. That's right, Tony Sanchez had more than a fair shot at winning the election until Rick Perry's camp released information that the Savings & Loan Co. that Sanchez was CEO of was involved in a money laundering scandal in the 1980's. Sanchez retort was that he was unaware of any illegal activities his company was involved in, and only after he found out, did he cooperate with law enforcement officials. It didn't affect him in the legal sense, but it sure as hell wasn't a bump on the road to the governor's mansion. It cost him the election in that any non-hispanic voter who wasn't quite keen on the idea of Rick Perry running the state for the next four years, was handed reason number one to not vote for Tony Sanchez. And there went that, the idea that one of our own could hold the state's highest office. Now, is tax delinquency on the same level as money laundering charges? HELL, NO, LET ME BE CLEAR ON THAT! Hell, it's not even the same league in most courts, but it does raise the question of validity. Especially since both J.D. Salinas and Arturo Guajardo Jr. are using fiscal responsibility as their platform. As a voter, you have to wonder, if these guys are partners in a business that falls behind on it's tax responsibilities, how well can they do handling OUR fiscal responsibilities? Of course, this may be just a bump in the road for the county clerk candidate and county judge candidate, but it's something that voters need to take into account the next time they see, hear, or read an ad that touts fiscal responsibility as the reason why we should vote for these candidates.

San Juanistas Victory...Careful... Today Us...Tomorrow You

Being from San Juan, I enjoyed yesterday's news regarding the vote against a toll road being built through our fair city. I contacted the representatives from the San Juanistas, a local group that's keeping tabs on what's going on with the city. They responded by saying that the issue is pretty much done with as far as San Juan is concerned, but according to their web site, they also urge surrounding communities to keep a close watch on their city councils to make sure they will not be the next one's on a toll road proposal. I contacted Chris Bell's camp, he is the Democratic candidate for Texas Governor as well, just to see where he stands on the issue of toll roads. His operations director Mr. Tim McCann emailed me this morning with information regarding Chris Bell's stand. He told me Chris Bell strongly opposes toll roads especially the recent proposals that have been going through current governor Rick Perry's office. There's more information on Chris Bell's web site concerning an essay he wrote a while back concerning these issues. You can either click on his ad on my sidebar or go directly to http://www.chrisbell.com/insights/toll_road_boondoggle to read his essay. There's a few things I found very interesting to know about how Rick Perry's office runs things in our State. I'm sure many of you will find it interesting as well.

County Commissioner Pct. 4....Don Medina and his "Vision"

I mentioned before that every now and then, I receive a comment to one of my posts, that once I try to answer it in the comment section, I feel I'm taking up too much space. Today, is no exception as I received a comment by 'anonymous' regarding the race for County Commissioner Pct. 4. The race involves Oscar Garza, the incumbent, and newcomer Don Medina, candidate. 'Anonymous' raised the question as to why I haven't paid attention to an "important race" like the one for Pct. 4. Well, the problem that I am faced with is that I have pages and pages of notes that I take at events such as the one that was held in Weslaco this past Saturday. From there, I have to condense what I feel is important at the time to present to the readers of my blog. If the topic of the past two weeks has been the County Judge's race, then I am going to concentrate on that issue first. Keep in mind that this in no way means that I've completely forgotten about the other races in the city, county, or state, it just means that I have to put it off for a few days, go back to my notes, and find a way to condense it into something that's halfway presentable and coherent. So here's my take on the County Commissioner Pct. 4 race. Indeed, Don Medina was present at the Rio Grande Valley Veteran's Alliance forum held Saturday in Weslaco, which is more than I can say or will say about the absent incumbent, Oscar Garza. Medina's campaign flyer contains the slogan, "it's your right!". You bet it is, and he raised some excellent points in regards to county clinics, unpaved roads, and sub-par municipal park systems which he deemed a disgrace. His plan is to pave roads by using federal money provided by the gas tax that consumers in the Rio Grande Valley pay every time we refuel our tanks. He continued by stating that he wants to reutilize the current park system in many towns across Hidalgo County. The reason being that most surrounding towns and colonias have to travel to McAllen to take advantage of a decent park. His claim is to bring "integrity back to the community". That's where I put the brakes. It seems that the word 'integrity' keeps popping out of candidate's mouths so much lately, that I have grown increasingly wary of those who choose to use it. But, and this is a big 'BUT', I will admit that out of the handful of candidates that attended Saturday's forum, Don Medina is definitely one of the few in my opinion to leave a mark. There's something to be said for that, and it's this: Whoever you choose to vote for in March, make sure that everything he or she is promising to get done, is backed by realistic solutions. The idea behind a better Rio Grande Valley and Texas, isn't what a candidate or incumbent can claim to have done in the past, it's what he realistically can accomplish in the future.

Rio Grande Valley Veteran's Alliance Forum...Hey, watch where you point that tank...

A tank at the entrance of the Catholic War Veterans Hall echoes seriousness. Most dance halls around the Rio Grande Valley choose a more serene mode of decor, a fountain perhaps. But this dance hall is no ordinary dance hall. It is home to The Rio Grande Valley Veteran's Alliance, and they take their posts more seriously than weddings, quinceaneras, or high school graduation dances. The Veterans are in the business of making things happen. To get action you need to take action. What has been on Valley Veteran's minds a lot lately, is the issue of creating the Valley's first Veteran's Hospital. An issue that has been tied up in "one step closer" limbo for a very long time. These Veteran's need help, and it is no big secret that they need 'political' help if they ever hope to make the Veteran's Hospital a reality. This is the reason why on Saturday afternoon, members of the Alliance met with local political candidates in a forum that brought not so much a question of "Why should we vote for you?", but rather "What can you do to help our cause?". Unfortunately, more than half of the candidates that showed up for the forum were candidates whose offices were more administrative than legislative. Take for instance the candidates for County Clerk. When Joseph Campos took the floor he reiterated what Jesse Contreras, candidate for County Court at Law No. 1, had said minutes before in assuring an open-door policy for every veteran who felt they needed assistance. At the conclusion of his presentation, he was asked by current County Clerk Office Manager, a relative of County Judge Candidate J.D. Salinas, about making 'idle campaign promises' and what Mr. Campos could realistically bring to the office. He replied by saying that he would "take a leadership role, and establish dialogue between employees and employer". Apparently this seems to be a problem with the current office administration in some form or another, as this is not the first time Mr. Campos has expressed the idea of increasing employee morale. Arturo Guajardo Jr., ever present with his 'experience matters' platform informed the audience that he has been a part of the County Clerk's Office since July of 1999, and that he has spearheaded every award winning policy that has been put in place, including the removal of public records dedicated to Veteran's. This, he touted, was to prevent a rash of identity theft that had taken place and was reported by some of the Veteran's. I sat there wondering, "if he's been in charge of everything that has taken place in the office since 1999, what in the world has J.D. Salinas been doing all these years since his resignation from the office did not occur until 2005?". The office, Mr. Guajardo went on to say, was in charge of six to seven hundred records per day, and every budget or financial issue was based on his final decision. He concluded his speech with reiterating that he is "the only candidate without a criminal record", which garnered him a round of laughter and applause as he whisked himself away to the men's restroom. He forgot to turn the light off as he left. Apparently, Mr. Guajardo's idea of budget management is only an issue when the numbers are in the hundreds of thousands. "Less ego, more results." That's "Reason #5" on J.D. Salinas' campaign flyer. He also said that he wanted to bring the best County Judge and County Commissioner coalition the county has ever seen. He could do this, because he said all four County Commissioners back him for County Judge. RED FLAG! RED FLAG! One has to ask himself, why would all four current County Commissioners be so distraught over the current County Judge, as to want someone else to run for the position? If the county is in the "best shape it has ever been in", as Ramon Garcia claims, why would the County Commissioners want to change that? Who are they looking out for? When Mr. Garcia claims the county is "in the best shape it has ever been in", he's not talking about money in his pockets, hell, the man donates part if not all of his salary to charity. He's talking about the county in terms of us, the voters and citizens. Judging by some of the comments to RGV Politics, many of you don't have to search too far for THAT answer. Ramon Garcia also went on to state that he would continue to do what is in his power to do to make sure the Veteran's of the Rio Grande Valley get the medical attention that they need through a Veteran's Hospital. On a disappointing note, I just have to say that being there among so many proud Veteran's, it's hard not to feel the disrespect from local media outlets. Except for the local Univision affiliate that showed up at the beginning of the forum, there was no one from any other media outlet to cover a topic that deserves much needed research and exposure. I guess our Veteran's don't deserve that attention unless they're involved in a DWI, or other criminal scandal. If any of you want to find links to these media outlets, you'll have to use a different search tool, because after yesterday's disappointing turn out, the media links on this web site have been removed until they do a better job of reporting what's in the best interest of our citizen's.

Readers Comments...Another Friday Quick Note...

First I would like to thank everyone who has been posting comments on RGV Politics. Secondly, I would hope that many of you who have been posting comments will attend tomorrow's public forum in Weslaco at the Catholic War Veterans Hall. The forum is being sponsored by The Rio Grande Valley Veterans Alliance, and will be held from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Thanks to State Rep. Aaron Pena for the information posted on his web site. I'll be taking notes and will publish a post tomorrow night on the event. Until then, hope to see some of you out there, and to everyone, have a great weekend. H.

J.D. Salinas for County Judge?...His newspaper ads are sending mixed messages...

Political ads have always been a favorite read for me. It's right up there with the comic strips. Only during election season do we see candidates throwing worthless information, spinning it to look important, and make the opponent look like a spawn of the devil incarnate. Take for instance, a political ad in today's The Monitor Valley & State section, page 4B. It looks to me like Mr. Salinas is making due with his $400,000 in loans by putting a half page ad denouncing Ramon Garcia as a spendthrift, and laissez faire stance on issues. The political ad reads,"Who is really looking out for taxpayers?" Then we see a picture of Ramon Garcia next to the headline "$6 Million in the red, health care money revoked on Ramon Garcia's watch." Salinas inserts two newspaper article headlines by The Monitor having to do with money the Valley lost to build a clinic and provide local health care for the indigent population. The first article is titled, "County judge appealing for revoked funds." Salinas' camp contends that Ramon Garcia "let it(money) sit there idle until the state took it away." Well, there's more to the story than that. I went to The Monitor's web site and checked the archives, and read the full article. Apparently, the money got tied up in a political tug of war between Hidalgo County and Cameron County because the money was supposed to fund a clinic that would serve both counties. Even State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa is quoted as saying, "What happened was the Health District took a long time to set up." Dr. Linda Villarreal, the report states as being a Health District board member, adds that "the money was never really the counties to begin with". The money, she says, is "provided to a region as a whole, not for specific projects". This means the state is basically saying,"Look here's money set aside for health care, do with it what you need to do." Unfortunately, as Senator Hinojosa stated, the Health District took too long to set up. As a result, County Judge Ramon Garcia wrote a letter to Governor Rick Perry, asking for the $6 million back. It didn't happen because San Antonio got on the ball, and received some of those funds for a children's clinic. The rest of the money went to health care facilities around the state that were already set up, and not caught up in bureaucratic red tape. The next headline in the political ad has to do with the following. It states, "Hidalgo County has the largest indigent population in the state and the financial burden falls on local taxpayers." Well, that's true in the sense that we as taxpayers foot the bill when there is no government funding. But to blame this on the County Judge, well, I don't care who you are, not even a superhero could be held responsible for the high population of indigent people in Hidalgo County. The statement has to do with an article that appeared in The Monitor on February 1st, of this month. The headline of the report says, "Patients increasing while funds decreasing". The report states that "The Hidalgo County Indigent Health Care program's budget fell short in 2005". This of course being the direct result of our area not receiving the $6 million dollars from the state. What the political ad fails to show is what the county did to relieve some of the budget woes. The report cites Hidalgo County Budget analyst Raul Silguero stating, "money will be transferred from the contingency fund, which is leftover money from job vacancies, insurance, costs and unspent money". Ramon Garcia, of course put a hiring freeze in affect back in mid-November which was to have lasted until the end of the year. Sounds like fiscal responsibility to me. The problem with these political ads lately is that candidates are expecting us to take every thing they claim as facts. In reality, they're a bunch of half-truths spun into intriguing little snippets to make the average voter take a candidate's word for it. I for one feel a change coming full on, and the days of the average voter are over.

Slow News on my blog....Not a chance...Response to a recent comment

"I recognize when power moves."-Richard J. Daley. A recent comment to a post I wrote concerning Omar Guerrero's troubles, and Laura Hinojosa's smiling ads, warranted me to actually write this post. In all honesty, I was responding on the comments page but realised it was taking up too much space in there. If I have a quick answer, then I'll post it on the comments page of the post. Otherwise, here we go. The comment states that District Clerk candidate Laura Hinojosa is smiling "because she thinks she's getting a free ride. But don't underestimate Mr. Guerrero." Well, to be honest with you, if someone asked me six months ago if I felt that Omar Guerrero could win the District Clerk seat again, you would have received a resounding YES. His pledge to clean up the office if he took over, seemed to work. It pissed off a lot of people, and Omar Guerrero wasn't exactly everyone's favorite person in the Powerhouses around the county, but whatever he was doing seemed to work. Of course, he apparently didn't show up for work half the time, but the reality that his office was removing a lot of the corruption that was going on behind closed doors, well, no one can take that away from him. The problem I have with believing he can win in March is this. Omar Guerrero has basically shot himself in the foot. Not once, but twice. His DWI case is set for trial sometime in April or May, and most recently there was another case brought against him by First National Bank which cost him quite a bit of cash. But I've stated that before, and I only use it to reiterate my first claim. Laura Hinojosa is a shoe-in, she knows it, her camp knows it, and any voter that's been following the Omar Guerrero saga knows it too. His private life has provided quite a bit of ammunition for the Hinojosa camp, and mark my words they will use it. It's only a matter of time before they do, and any politician running for anything would be a fool not to use it to drive their own points home. For Good. When you have the influence of a VIP like Dr. Miguel Navarez as your campaign treasurer, you bet you're bottom dollar they're going to do what it takes to win, and with power like that it's not going to take much. Which is Omar Guerrero's problem. He hasn't taken the time to let the voting public know what's going on with him. And as long as he keeps relying on TV spots, and newspaper ads alone, he's in for a long February. Save that if as an elected official, you've pretty much kept your hide clean these past few years, but if something goes wrong somewhere down the line, a candidate cannot find comfort in just sweeping it under the rug, especially against an opponent like Hinojosa. I'm not trying to 'rag' on him, and in all honesty, he can make this a close race again, but he's got to take the bull by the horns, as we here in Texas are so fond of saying. He's got to let the people in Hidalgo County know what the hell he's been thinking lately. Against an opponent like Hinojosa, and the trouble he's been in so far, relying on his name alone isn't going to put a dent in the voters attitude towards him. He's become what he so wanted to change when he first ran for District Clerk, and WON. Just another politician with something to hide. Sorry, but it's become evident to me that the voters in the RGV aren't going to stand for this type of thing anymore.

PSJA Woes...They keep on coming, and coming...

"When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all".--Paul Simon. According to The Monitor on Saturday, local school board member Vangie Garcia-De Leon was arrested on DWI charge on January 22nd. In a written statement, she is quoted as saying, "I'm a public official, however, I believe in the judiciary process and will allow the judiciary process to run its courses as it would for any other citizen". Wow. It's so nice to hear that Mrs. Vangie Garcia-De Leon will come down from the public pedestal that the school board members from Pharr San Juan Alamo sit on, and be tried as a normal citizen. I commend her for that. I mean how many times do we here about an elected official thinking in terms of normal citizenry regarding their actions. Uncommon. What isn't uncommon nowadays in PSJA, is the way the superintendent Arturo Guajardo chose to handle the situation. In the same report, Mr. Guajardo is asked to comment on fellow member Garcia-De Leon. He is quoted as saying,"Why should I care? There's is no way that I would know if any of our members had any history of anything. It is not in my position to hear anything about employees private lives." Maybe so, but the issue at hand is not whether Mrs. Garcia-De Leon takes a multi-vitamin everday, or whether she buys her bath supplies at Target instead of Wal-Mart. The issue in question is a DWI arrest. If this were any other job, an employee is responsible for informing his or her employer of incidents like this so a company may take appropriate action. In some cases, it may even lead to termination. But why should he care? Right. Let's see, at last count the PSJA School District has been marred by headlines this past year concerning a stabbing at the high school, FBI investigations, indictments on members of the school board, riots at the high school, children being sent to the emergency room as a result of said riot, and now a DWI arrest. Maybe the superintendent and the rest of the school board members shouldn't care, but it's about time they start caring about something.

This is just a test...

I've been experiencing some difficulties with my posts this past weekend, so I'm just checking. I emailed Blogger and they helped me out really quick. Thanks, guys.

The Edinburg Debates...Part Two...Conclusion

There is a plaque outside the Edinburg Auditorium that reads "Erected 1926. Eighty years. How many school plays, community meetings, and political debates has this building seen in all of those eighty years? What was politics like forty, fifty, or sixty years ago? In my opinion, they probably haven't changed much. Only now that we as political bloggers and political activists in general are trying to change the status quo. But on to the debate which was almost cancelled due to a few candidates not showing up. Take for instance, the race for 92nd District Court. Candidate Eric Jarvis-Cardenas failed to show up for his debate against candidate Ricardo Rodriguez. In a statement read by a member of the Young Democrats, he apologized for not being able to attend because his campaign demanded so much of his time, he was simply unable to attend every function he was called upon to attend. A likely story, and one most of us would take with a grain of salt, and understand where he's coming from. But if time management isn't his strongest suit, how do we expect him to run one of the busiest courts in the county? Will he only hear one docket case a year at at time? Wasting not only valuable time, but taxpayers money as well? It's like Ricardo Rodriguez stated in his only public comments of the evening, "I too am running a campaign, and I found the time to be here". That's someone we need in office. Someone that shows character, and responsible time management. Not someone who would divide his time between 'important' media P.R. oppurtunities, and some lesser covered debate sponsored by a 'high school' group that may or may not gather the votes you need. The only debate that occured that night was the debate between Arturo Guajardo Jr., and Sgt. Joseph Campos. Both candidates fielded the questions by the Young Democrats very well, but it wasn't until the final question was asked that got me worried. The question had to do with why the citizens of the county should cast their votes for the candidate. Sgt. Campos speaking in true military fashion, short and to the point, responded by saying that the citizens of Hidalgo County should not focus so much on work experience, but rather experience in leadership, and everything else would fall into place. Guajardo responded by stating the number of years he's worked at the County Clerk's office, six years, and how he was part of the team that made the award winning office it is today. Fine. But what he said next wasn't so much intimidating as it was scary. He paused mid sentence and leaned into the podium to tell the crowd in attendance what was what. He started ranting about how we should do our homework as responsible citizens. Run background checks, credit checks, and see that he is the only candidate with a clean record. "I've never been in trouble with the law, I've never even bounced a check". The scary thing isn't so much what he said. He raised some fine points that we should all take into consideration when we're faced with electing a County Clerk, County Judge, Mayor, or School Board Member. What frightened me was the way he drove his points home. The was an air of superiority in his voice that echoed he would smile with all those that followed every word he said, and frown upon any one who questioned his every action or motive. Hence the clean cut never done anything wrong in my life attitude. That's dangerous in ways most voters don't realise until an official DOES do something wrong. Then we're stuck with the "Didn't he say?" Right. The question shouldn't be about what you may or may not have done in the past, but what your inclination would be once you're given a position of authority and power. That's the same problem that runs rampant every time the local media chooses to cover all of the illegal activities by elected officials here in the Valley. In the end the choice is always the individual voter's. Guajardo is banking on his experience in the County Clerks Office to push him through. Campos is banking on the voters taking a shot in the dark to get him elected. That's dangerous too, given that we took a shot in the dark with a dark horse candidate a couple of years back who was running for District Clerk. That one didn't turn out too well, did it? Then again, they don't call it RGV Politics for nothing.

Edinburg Auditorium Debates...Part One

Edinburg, Texas. "All-America City". The road sign at the edge of the city limits reads population 48,465. Edinburg is also the county seat of Hidalgo County. I was headed north on Business 281 that becomes Closner the closer one gets to the town's center square where the courthouse sits. I turn west, then north, then west again on University Drive inching my way to a convenience store on a corner which the sign reads "The Party Barn". I turn north on that street, and drive two blocks to McIntyre. On the corner, an old building. The Edinburg Auditorium. I park across the street in a lot that is usually reserved for potential jurors from Monday through Friday. 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is 5:35 p.m. on a Thursday, the sun is still a good hour from touching the horizon, and the sky is just beginning to fade into violet. The violet of an evening sky above the Rio Grande Valley. The temperature was warm this Thursday, unseasonably even by Valley standards. We're in the midsts of a drought, and judging by the clear warm sky on February 2, 2006, it looks like the Valley will get the worst of it before it deserves the better. As I make my way up the sidewalk to the entrance, there is a statue of Tejano music legend Roberto Pulido facing the building. Tejano music, a genre that at it's peak saturated the airwaves of every home, car, or business just ten years ago. A weathered statue that marks a peak that has passed what seems like ages ago. A peak that culminated with the death of Selena Quintanilla of "Selena y Los Dinos". A peak that one time 'super' Tejano groups like "La Mafia", and "Grupo Mazz" tried in vain to keep going. A peak that gave way to a new genre for a new audience that was tired of hearing "our parents" music. Norteno and Musica Regional have all but clinched an unflinching grip on radio stations all over the Valley. Music by the likes of groups such as "Intocable", and "Control", now mark what's 'in' to listen to nowadays. The death of our parents music, and for that matter anyone over the age of twenty five. Death was on my mind as I entered the auditorium, and the rumors of it were spreading like wildfire from the menial crowd that had gathered to listen to a debate sponsored by "The Young Democrats" in Hidalgo County. A debate that would feature candidates for County Judge, County Clerk, and the 92nd District Court. But like I said, the news of death and tragedy were spreading quickly as I could hear bits and pieces of information regarding the passing of one of the candidates father's, Mr. J.D. Salinas. Death is never an easy issue to deal with, no matter how many times you witness it, been involved in funerals for, etc. It may be harder to grasp when the news is about a child or young person dying simply because we as a society view youth with optimism and possibility. But the same feeling gets stirring in your gut when you get that phone call in the middle of the night, or see a relative walk up your driveway with his head held down, and the air of sorrow following too close behind. That lump in your throat is the same for everybody, and I for one was saddened to hear the loss of Mr. Salinas' father. May God deliver you and your family the strength to hold on to his memories, and the courage to move forward. Until next time, to be continued.....

Local Political Debate tonight...Edinburg Auditorium...5:30 P.M.

Just a quick note today, according to State Rep. Aaron Pena's A Capitol Blog site there will be a debate held today at the Edinburg Auditorium. The auditorium is located at 415 West McIntyre. For anybody unfamiliar with Edinburg streets I have more user-friendly directions. There are two ways to get there. The first one, as your driving into Edinburg heading north, the first intersection passed the courthouse, turn west. Keep going west until you reach the Edinburg Auditorium, which will be on the right hand side of McIntyre. The second way to get there, is to get on University going west behind the courthouse. Keep going west until you reach a corner that has a drive thru convenience store called "The Party Barn". Take that street north until you reach Edinburg Auditorium. If I'm not mistaken, you can actually see the Edinburg Auditorium from University Drive. It's a big building, so you can't miss it from either direction. The debate is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., and as related in A Capitol Blog, the debate will feature candidates for County Judge, County Clerk, and the 92nd District Court. Hope everybody can make it out there this evening. I also wish the local news media would do a better job of informing us about these debates before we have to read it as "yesterday's news".

Jessica Reyes-Martinez...Back on the ballot at High Noon tomorrow...

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go 'round and 'round...I really love to watch them roll. John Lennon sang those lyrics some thirty years ago, and every time I hear those words, I can't help but smile. I'm not sure he ever really said what he meant by those words, but it's all relative anyway, and any great song from "November Rain" to "Mr. Tambourine Man" should be. It's what makes them memorable. It's what makes them classics. It's what makes you hear them ringing in your ear on a random morning with no stereo or television on. It's engrained in your psyche, and it will stay there until the day you die. As Hunter Thompson would write, "for good, or ill". In my psyche, John Lennon's song reminds me of politics, politicians, policy, and corruption. Lately, it's reminding me of the state of local politics, especially regarding the race for House District 39, and Jessica Reyes-Martinez battle with the local Democratic Chair Juan Maldonado. According to reports out of NewsChannel 5 this evening, Democratic Chairman Juan Maldonado has commented that he's always felt there was something wrong with Jessica Reyes-Martinez' disqualification early last month. Yeah, we all did at the time, didn't we. But if memory serves me right there was a lot of "we" back then that didn't seem to include the Democratic Chair. His attitude seemed to be the same ol' that's just the way it is routine. He goes on to say that he is giving Reyes-Martinez until noon tomorrow to re-submit her application because the ballots need to be reprinted with her name on it. Of course, that's standing policy in the RGV, the sorry for the goof up, but make up your mind already, we don't have all day policy. Jessica Reyes-Martinez is quoted as saying that she will meet his deadline tomorrow with her application. Good for her. Hell, good for all of us.

District Clerk Troubles...Omar in the news...AGAIN...No wonder Laura Hinojosa's smiling

When our District Clerk Omar Guerrerro first got into legal troubles last year stemming from a DWI charge, I knew in my heart he sealed his fate. There was no way an incumbent who found himself in trouble with former employees, and political enemies could slither his way back into the office once the elections were counted and done with. But like a lot of other instances where I've felt that a politician pretty much killed his odds to win re-election, there was still that slight possibility that he could pull it off. He was, after all, an incumbent running on the slogan, "I'm just getting started". Well, he needs to clear out his desk, because he's just finished. It doesn't take a political expert to know that with today's announcement on NewsChannel 5 regarding his legal troubles with First National Bank in the amount of $17,000 dollars, sans court costs, Mr. Guerrerro has indeed sealed his fate, and the District Clerk's office is up for grabs for pretty much anybody who filled out an application to be on the ballot this March. Hell, after seeing Laura Hinojosa's campaign ads, I'd be smiling too.