Congressman Steve King of Iowa has his say...The Blame Game...Immigration Reform in 2006...

In an article appearing on The Monitor online edition, Congressman Steve King of Iowa puts his two cents into the immigration debate by stating, "Anybody that votes for an amnesty bill deserves to be branded with a scarlet letter 'A'". 'A' for amnesty. Cute. What's not so cute are the actual reasons why he'd like to pass around the branding iron. His rhetoric revolves around his stance on how illegal immigrants are cutting into middle class America's rightful piece of the pie. King, when talking about America's upper crust which he deems as the "new ruling class", is quoted as saying, "this new ruling class of America is expanding a servant class in America at the expense of the middle class of America, the blue collar of America that used to be able to punch a time clock, buy a modest house and raise their families...These young people are cut out of the process". Well, Mr. King, for people who like to stick their foot in their mouth, you rank right up there don't ya. First off, if we're going to play the blame game, let's be a little more specific, shall we? If his claim that the "new ruling class" is responsible for the growth of illegal immigration, then we must assume that the "new ruling class", not the illegal immigrant, is responsible for passing the tax, medical, and educational burden onto the middle class and lower class as well. After all, it isn't so much a question as to how the illegal immigrant takes low paying jobs, as much as why they're able to. The illegal immigrant is looking for a means to provide for his family, whether that family is in the United States or not. Say for instance, your car broke down. You've got mechanic 'B' and mechanic 'C'. Mechanic 'B' has made a good name for himself and was recommended by a close, personal friend of yours. You can trust that mechanic 'B' will do a good job. The only problem is price. Mechanic 'B' will charge you for parts, labor, etc., and they add up to a pretty steep bill. He's not taking you to the cleaners, mind you, but he is in business to stay in business. Now before you take your car to mechanic 'B's shop, along comes mechanic 'C' who is going door to door soliciting his services as a mechanic. You've seen this guy around the neighborhood doing odd jobs for people, including fixing your neighbor Frank's car last month, to which Frank has given nothing but praise to mechanic 'C's ability to do the job right, and cheap. Frank's not your friend, in fact he blares the music too loud on weekends, and he never ties up his dog that thinks your lawn is a permanent "dump" site. But you're strapped for cash, it's the end of the month, so you're not too particular about spending a whole lot of money. So you take a chance, perhaps out of curiosity more than anything, but you ask mechanic 'C' how much he would charge to fix your car. Mechanic 'C' will do it for the price of labor. He will forgo the price of a new part that is way too expensive because the car model requires it to be, but that's another story. Which one would you pick? And who should mechanic 'B' be pissed off at? The guy he doesn't know from Adam, who just wants to earn some money to be able to provide for his family, or you who decided it was best to go with the cheaper alternative? This example is a little far fetched, I know, because it doesn't take into consideration whether the mechanic's are citizen's of this country or not, or is there anything "illegal" about the situation period. But it does take into consideration the issue of money, which is why this "new ruling class" hires illegal immigrants in the first place. Congressman King's claim that the new ruling class obtains "cheap servants to manicure their nails and their lawns, for example", only feeds into the minds of angry American citizens that it is the fault of the immigrant and not the "new ruling class" itself that's wholly responsible. So my answer to his claims is this. Instead of continuing to pass the inevitable blame to a segment of the population, legal or not, that you've chosen to define as "cheap servants", concentrate on passing legislation to punish the corporations in charge of hiring a workforce that holds no rancor or anomisity towards the citizens of this country who are getting the short end of the stick. And in case you forgot, Congressman, there are those of us in the lower bracket you chose not to address in your vicious comments, who still find the time to cut our own nails, and mow our own lawns.

Senator Frist's Plan...That blasted "virtual" fence...

According to the web site Instituto Fe y Vida, hispanics make up about 14.4% of the nations total population. Actual figures are estimated to be about 42 million hispanics, the largest minority population in the U.S. followed by African-Americans at around 37 million. Aside from the 42 million hispanic citizens, Pew Hispanic Center reports that there are between 11 and 12 million undocumented workers in the United States. Word out of ABC News earlier tonight is that "in an unusual move by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, lawmakers will start with the Tennessee Republican's own border security workplace enforcement legislation that does not include a guest worker program". The report goes on to state that "Hispanic activists and analysts say the Republican split on immigration could sabotage the party's long range effort to court the country's fastest-growing ethnic group". No kidding, at more than five hundred million hispanic protestors this weekend around the country, they better be worried about something. But the idea that the legislators will be taking into consideration Senator Frist's immigration reform plan, worries me. In Senator Frist's floor statement published on his web site http://frist.senate.gov/ , he highlights his plan to secure the United States, though he sure seems to be more interested in protecting the U.S./Mexico border than anything else. He pays good lip service when referring to his bill as acknowledging "the overriding principle that we must protect our citizens by securing our borders." I agree, as I've stated in the previous post, but to include in your plan a proposal that "establishes the long-term project of building a virtual barrier to cover every mile of our 1,951 mile border with Mexico", well, that rubs this Latino the wrong way. I am a United States citizen, second generation on my mother's side, and not too far down the line along my father's side. What upsets me most about this "virtual" fence is the fact that it screams racism to me, if only because Senator Frist clings to his stance on National Security, but fails to bring any measure to securing all of our borders, not just the one that is providing the influx of increasing numbers to it's largest minority population. If such a fence should be built, it may provide the message that our border with Mexico is secure, but it also sends the psychological message that no one of brown skin is welcome. Period. To me, that's a spit in the face to every United States citizen of Hispanic ethnicity who are here because our grandparents, mothers, or fathers, took a chance so many years ago to make the journey northward in order to provide a better life for themselves, and their posterity. Senator Frist's plan undermines this determination and human spirit, in such that he is willing to lump all of the United States security problems with immigration from Mexico and Latin American countries. But so what? Right? Who among our elected officials are willing to stand up for hispanics along the U.S./Mexico border, and the rest of the United States as well? Or for that matter, how many of our local leaders are willing to organize a peaceful march as well? But the matter regarding the lack of involvement and inactivity in the Rio Grande Valley is a whole different issue, or maybe it's the same only we're too scared to see it, or do anything about it.

Monday Night thoughts...One Latino's perspective on the immigration issue...

As a kid spending my summer's outside the city limits of Edcouch, it wasn't surprising to see an illegal immigrant make his way northward through the backroads of the Valley. Every now and then, some of them would ask if they could do odd jobs around the ranch. Cut down some high grass, or trim those pesky low lying tree limbs that my cousin's and I were too lazy to ever get around to. In return, all they would ask for was something to eat and drink, before they continued their trek northward. Let me clarify that it wasn't as if there were hundreds of people passing through the roads along my grandparent's ranch in mass exodus. It was one or two every summer that we'd encounter. It wasn't surprising then, and in some instances, it's still not surprising to see a lone wanderer or two along rural roads in the Rio Grande Valley. Where these immigrants end up is anybody's guess, but it's not entirely inconceivable that they meet their desired destinations, settle down in a job, and assimilate into the United States culture. And that's the issue at hand this week, isn't it? According to various media outlets, more than 500,000 people in Los Angeles protested the immigration debate being held by the Senate Judiciary Committee. According to a report out of The Monitor today, the U.S. Senate is debating different solutions for the immigration "problem" this country is facing. Some of the solutions for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in this country include, "Erecting a fence on the Mexico border to deter illegal immigration". Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. is quoted as saying "the most important concern is improving national security in an age of terrorism". Right, well, there's also a back door to the house of the United States, Senator Frist, it's called Canada. Let's look into building a fence on that side as well, okay? "Treating people who sneak across the border as felons to be deported". Okay, this one could be feasible, but I doubt it will put a dent into illegal immigration, simply because if a person really wants to come back to this country, a criminal record isn't going to stop him or her from doing so. "Allowing foreigners to stay in the country legally as custodians, dish washers, construction workers, and other low-paid employees" Okay, round of applause from legal United States citizens who work these jobs for an honest living who just felt like a second-rate citizen. Right. "Allowing those working in the U.S. a path to citizenship". Now we're thinking clearly, and not out of both sides of our mouths. "Requiring them to get in line behind everyone else back in their home countries who want to become Americans". This one could definitely work. Ever get pissed off about standing in line for what seems like hours at a concert, or movie, only to have the person in front of you recognize and signal to someone one hundred places behind you to come stand with them? The people in the back of the line who got signalled know it's wrong, but for some reason the jerk in front of you seems convinced that it's okay, no one's going to get upset. Right. And so these are some of the solutions the Senate is taking into consideration. I would like to offer my two cents in on the matter of solutions. First, require Mexico to make an immediate plan of action regarding economic growth and development in that country. Let Mexico handle part of the burden. It's their house, clean it up. Provide incentives and opportunities for Mexican citizens to make a decent and honest living in their own country. Many times, these illegal immigrants are traveling into the United States to provide for their families back home. What kind of a world do we live in, where family and loved ones must be seperated for extended periods of time just to put food on the table. All because of the corruptness and greed of a government that continues to treat the poor and hungry in their country as third class citizens, while the wealthy dine on expensive china plates, and crystal glasses. I'm exaggerating, but not by much, eh? Just take a trip to places like Reynosa, or Nuevo Progreso, and you'll see the types of conditions these citizens deal with. Second, require all United States companies that continue hiring illegal immigrants to provide a means for them to obtain citizenship. They can do this by paying for company sponsored classes, and any documents or paperwork needed to fill the requirement. The need for these types of jobs will always be there. If corporations want cheap labor, pay for it by helping this labor obtain citizenship. Next, lower eligibility requirements for U.S. Border Patrol applicants to mirror those of the United States Armed Forces. If National Security is indeed a priority, we need more Border Patrol Agents to protect ALL of our borders. Once the eligibility requirements are lowered, hold a mass recruitment campaign to get young men and women to sign up. Upon successful completion of any and all training, disperse agents across the U.S./Mexico border AND the U.S./Canada border. The agency is not called the U.S. Border Patrol to Control the Influx of Non-White Immigration, it's called the United States Border Patrol. If any financial issues arise, start taking portions of the budget earmarked for the War in Iraq, to provide assistance to the Border Patrol. National Security should begin at home. After all, you don't pay to set up a burglar alarm for a neighbor two blocks down the street that you hardly even know, and then pray to the good Lord that no one comes and breaks into your unsecure home. You take care of your house first. These are just some of the solutions I came up with after seeing solutions our government is dealing with. It's going to be a long debate. By the way, South Texas Chisme, and Dos Centavos have excellent coverage of the protests held around the country this past weekend. Log on through the link list on my side bar, for more information. If any of you have solutions of your own regarding illegal immigration, leave a comment, I'd like to know what you think...

Blog of interest for Monday March 27,2006

Good news for any blogger wanting to cover the Texas Democratic Party Convention. Vince over at Capitol Annex has provided a link to a new site called Blogger's Caucus. To visit the site, go to http://bloggerscaucus.capitolannex.com/ My sidebar will have a link to the site as well. Blogger's Caucus will provide information on how blogger's may obtain media credentials for the convention which will be held June 8-10 in Fort Worth, Tx.

"Chuy" asks Perry to address electricity rate relief...Too many issues may spoil the session?

According to an article in yesterday's The Monitor, Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa has "asked Gov. Rick Perry this week to add electricity rate relief to the agenda for the special session to begin April 17th. Senator Hinojosa is quoted in the article as saying, "I have heard from numerous constituents in my district that they have had enough with electricity rates that are skyrocketing through the roof". I agree, especially after seeing my electricity bill double last summer. I even know a few people around the local area that had said their bill went up by as much as three times the amount they were paying the year before. BUT, shouldn't this issue have been addressed last year when we were seeing these hikes first take place? Excuse me for being somewhat naive to how things work in Austin, but I would like to say that if these issues were so important to these officials, why are we waiting until a special session is called on SCHOOL FINANCE REFORM to deal with the issue of electricity price rates going up? We as constituents have enough to worry about in regards to our legislators getting the job done on school finance by June 1st, to be worried about an issue that should have been addressed last year when the constituents were facing higher electricity bills. Senator Hinojosa, how about pushing the tax reform issue through fast enough, so you and the rest of the legislators can consider giving teacher's a pay raise this upcoming school year so they don't have to look elsewhere to afford a decent living? And while we're at it, how about all of the legislators taking a bigger stand in Austin to address these important issues while they are still fresh in the minds of the constituents. The issue of electricity rates going up has become just another financial burden to deal with, and not so much of an outcry anymore.

Special Session on School Finance...Memo to our Legislators...Cut the crap, let's fix this thing...

I have been blessed. Truly blessed to have lived in the great state of Texas for all of my thirty-three years. I was born and raised in South Texas, and lived in the PSJA area since I was four years old. I went through the PSJA School District system, and graduated in 1991, from what at the time was PSJA's only high school. It never occured to me, until these recent years, how important it is to have a good education. I remember fondly, some of the greatest teachers who served not only as educators, but mentors, counselors, and friends as well. So it comes as no surprise to me, or the people who know me closely enough, to know that what I have to say to our legislators comes straight from the heart. Cut the political crap, and let's get on with the business of making Texas the best state in the union for raising our children. Jesus, when I first started this blog in January, I knew I was going to have to deal with politics on a politicians level, but I underestimated how much most of these people actually don't give a damn about what happens to any of us. It seems to me that many of these politicians are indeed only out for themselves, or their comadres, compadres. This doesn't just apply to South Texas politics either. Take for instance, news out of Austin this week, via the San Antonio Express-News. According to the report, Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst are at odds on what the legislators should address when the special session on school finance begins in April. Governor Perry reportedly wants to stick with the issue of property tax reform, and leave out the issues of teacher pay raises, and improving public schools. He is quoted as saying, "we can come back to the table and open up the session to the other issues". Silence...the sound of crickets chirping, and the far off howl of a coyote...Sure we'll get to it later. But later comes to late when as according to a report that was issued by Carole Keeton Strayhorn in December of 2004 entitled The Cost of Underpaying Texas Teachers she maps out just how badly our teachers are underpayed in Texas as opposed to teachers in other states. For instance, in the 2003-04 school year the average teacher salary in Texas was $40,476. Texas was ranked 32nd in the nation. The following year, 2004-05, the average teacher salary in Texas was $41,009. Texas was ranked 33rd in the nation. The increase of teachers salaries between these two school years was 1.3%. At that rate, Texas was ranked 40th in teacher pay raises in the nation. If I'm not mistaken, there are only fifty states in the union. Texas ranks second in population, and land area, behind California and Alaska respectively. How on God's green earth, does one of the largest state's in the union rank so low? The issue needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. I'm in favor of what Lt. Governor David Dewhurst is proposing. According to the same article in the San Antonio Express-News, Dewhurst wants to put teacher pay raises in the special session. He is quoted as saying, "I think we have a window of opportunity to address not only improving our schools but lowering our school property taxes. What I worry about is that if we take the attitude of 'Let's do this sequentially' we'll never get to school reform and improving our public schools". Well, not until 2007, at least, unless there will be another pressing issue, and there always is, for our legislators to tackle. Legislators, as citizens we need you to push for these items to be put on the agenda, so that we don't lose fully qualified and talented teachers to other states, or other jobs period. All we ask is that you get to working on what's important for us. This includes taxes, pay raises for teachers, and school improvements. And if these issues need to be tackled by burning the midnight oil throughout the special session, then by all means, DO IT. That's why we elected all of you in the first place.

"One Tough Grandma" calls Perry out...Sharp's plan to increase the price of your puff...

One tough grandma has something to say about Rick Perry's call for a special session on school fincance this April. According to an article that appeared in MySA.com, Carole Keaton Strayhorn, an independent candidate for governor of Texas, is quoted as saying that Perry "deliberately delayed convening a special session until after the primaries". She claims that the delay was "purely for political and partisan reasons". A spokesman for Rick Perry is quoted in the same article as replying, "Real leaders offer more than just criticism. The governor and a special commission he appointed last year have been working on a school finance plan that will be unveiled shortly". The plan calls for a "revamp" of the state's franchise tax. John Sharp, former State Comptroller, was appointed by Perry to head the committee. According to an article that appeared in MyWestTexas.com, the plan includes cutting property taxes from the current $1.50 tax rate to $1. This, according to the plan, would slash property taxes by $5.9 billion. The void left in the property tax would be replaced with a modified franchise tax. The current 4.5% rate would be replaced with a 1% tax for all businesses except wholesalers and retailers. The plan reports that the business tax would generate $4 billion. Raising the cigarette taxes by $1 dollar would generate about $800 billion. According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, this proposal would prevent the state from increasing the sales tax, a tax the report states is one of the nation's highest. More detailed reports from these articles can be found on their web page or by logging on to http://www.texasisd.com/ As a citizen and voter, it may be in our best interests to keep an eye on the upcoming special session. Let's make sure no one falls asleep at the wheel on this one.

Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.'s mail-in survey...Fill it out...Let Austin Know What We Want...

Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., sent his constituents a pamphlet entitled "Captiol Update". I received mine in the mail today. In it, Senator Lucio discusses topics such as education, border issues, and contact information. What really got my attention was a survey in the back of the pamphlet that asks us to fill it out and mail it to his office in Austin. The survey is a list of priorities on issues that will be addressed in April's special session to discuss school finance. Some of these topics include, "Provide across the board pay raises for teachers". Good one, especially here in the Rio Grande Valley where teachers not only have to worry about preparing students for the dreaded TAKS test, they have to fight to make sure these same students don't drop out of high school. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard by our legislation. Please take the time to fill out the survey and mail it back to Austin. The price of a stamp is well worth our participation in the process.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!...Governor Perry calls Special Session...

According to the official web site of the Office of the Governor, Rick Perry has called for a special session to begin Monday April 17, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. Rick Perry is quoted as stating, "The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that Texas' current tax system must be reformed by June 1." Governor Perry calls the special session a "rare opportunity" for legislators to reduce property taxes, reform the franchise tax, and "ensure our school have a reliable and constitutional stream of revenue". I will have a more detailed report as to the details of the new franchise tax that has been proposed by ex-Comptroller John Sharp. According to a report on Chron.com, Sharp was appointed by Governor Perry to spearhead a committee to "revamp the current franchise tax". I have also logged on to the official web site for the Texas Supreme Court at http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/ to find out more about the ruling regarding school finance. Until then, have a good weekend everybody.

PSJA ISD...Bond Issue..Let's Follow Burleson's Example....

In 1991, the year I was a senior in high school, Pharr San Juan Alamo was home to the Battlin' Bears. Fifteen years and two additional high schools later, the Pharr San Juan Alamo School Board is counting on citizen's to approve a $70 million bond issue in this May's elections. The money would go to construction of a fourth high school, a new middle school, and a new elementary school. According to a report last Thursday in The Monitor, the Pharr San Juan Alamo (PSJA) school district is growing at a rate of 800 students per year. The $70 million is necessary according to board member Roy Rodriguez because of the growth the school district is seeing. Reports indicate that the PSJA School Board called a special meeting on Tuesday and unanimously voted to put the item in the May election. Funny thing about local government, and politics, the citizens were never asked if we wanted a bond issue in the first place. Things are starting to work differently in other parts of the state. Take for instance an article that appeared in the Cleburne Times Review about the Burleson, Texas, ISD. According to the report, officials of the Burleson ISD have implemented a "citizens advisory committee". The committee would be "made up of business people, service club leaders, council members, students, retired and current educators". The report goes on to state that the committee would include a chairperson and "charge them with bringing a recommendation to the board of what should be asked for in a bond proposal". A summary of the report that states the steps a school board would take contains the following. Step One: District asks for demographic study in order for officials to determine where new facilities are needed. Steps Two through Four: Facility inventory regarding the condition of every building used in the district. Steps Five through Eight: Development of a future school plan. Consulting an architect and financial advisor to provide cost-revenue estimates for district projects. Steps Nine through Ten: Community Advisory Committee recommendations. Board decides to call for a bond election. Step Eleven: Trustees and other school officials promote election package by providing information and other support to the voting public. Again, these steps were outlined in the report appearing in the Cleburne Times Review. For the complete report go to http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/ Some of the questions that I have regarding the approval of a $70 million dollar bond issue is whether or not it is feasible to build another high school, middle school, elementary, when as according to the same report in The Monitor, the Administration Building is topping out at $800,00 and is over a year past it's completion date. In the same report, board member Vangie Garcia-De Leon is quoted as saying, "We have a bunch of educators overseeing construction projects, and there's little things they forget that later in the project end up costing us more money". She concludes by stating that "We on the board are starting to talk about looking outside from now on". Amen to that. Why don't we take it a step further and appoint a community advisory committee in the PSJA School District? This way, the community is more involved with what goes on in the district and isn't forced to choose items on anyone's agenda that are last minute "Vote, DO IT NOW!" issues. It just seems to me that in the era of bribery schemes and extortion charges, communities around the Rio Grande Valley should think about implementing the same type of system people in Burleson are implementing. I'm all for approving a $70 million bond issue as long as the details have been closely scrutinized to make sure the money and the construction is in the best interests of the citizens and students at large and not just another possible money making scheme that local news headlines will be covering and we're stuck footing the bill.

"Capitol Annex" Contribution...A Closer Look at "The Process"...

I have contributed a post to Capitol Annex this morning on the Edcouch-Elsa School District. It's an update of what I've been following in RGV Politics, so far, as well as last night's appointments to the seats made vacant by former School Board President Aaron Gonzalez. I'll be following the new appointments closely, in hopes that as citizens of the Rio Grande Valley, we can shed some light on how the process that gets so many elected officials in trouble actually works, and what solutions, if any, we can demand from them as well.

Edcouch-Elsa School Board to formally accept Aaron Gonzalez resignation...An opportunity for involvement in "the process"...

According to the Edcouch-Elsa ISD web site, there will be a "special board meeting" tomorrow night to formally accept the resignation of former School Board President Aaron Gonzalez. The web site states that the board will also "appoint individual to fill EEISD Board Vacancy", and "elect new EEISD Board Chairperson". No other items have been posted on the agenda. I hope the residents of Edcouch-Elsa attend tomorrow night's meeting, and hopefully have some input on who the next School Board President will be. I know that most people in the area know where the Administration Building is located, but for those that may not, the address is 920 West Santa Rosa Ave. in Edcouch. The meeting is set to start at 6:30 p.m.

A Change of the Guard in the Hidalgo County Judges Seat...J.D. Salinas wins...What now?

Reports out of The Monitor this morning brings good news for some, bad news for others, but in the end it is what it is, and now we have to move forward. Come January of next year, we will have a new Hidalgo County Judge, and the name on the masthead will read J.D. Salinas. The new judge has made his promises to the voters of Hidalgo County in regards to better health care, increased economic development, and full-time accessibility. I hope for the voters of this county, these promises are not just idle ones. It will be interesting to see how his promises play out. Can he deliver? At what cost? And to who? Will we see an increase in our tax base? Will we see honest government at work? Or are we just waiting for the next six o'clock news headline? Will Sugar Road from Pharr to Edinburg finally get the attention it deserves? Will Hidalgo County finally see a decent indigent health care system? Will War Veterans finally get their well deserved VA Hospital? Will Hidalgo County lure businesses to our area that will provide the same benifits and salary packages these companies provide for employees in other parts of the country? Or are we still being looked at as the new frontier of minimum wage labor? So many questions. And I thought paying off a loan note was bad enough.

Dissatisfaction with the DA...Guerra/Garza...One last go around the merry-go-round...

I predicted that the race for Hidalgo County District Attorney would be a close one. I also predicted that Rene Guerra would still be able to reach the 50% mark which would have eliminated the need for a run-off election. I honestly thought that he would. I was wrong. But enough eating crow, it's on to business. The business of politics, which is why I started this little blog in our corner of the world in the first place. As it turns out, The Monitor reports that Rene Guerra received only 45% of the vote, while Alma Garza received 32%. In political math that equals run-off. With Mauro Reyna out of the picture, does this spell doom for Rene Guerra. That depends on one thing-How many people will go vote in the run-off election. For Rene Guerra to be at 45%, he needs to make sure that the same people that went out yesterday, or took advantage of early voting, are the same people, in a big enough number, to take time out of their busy schedules and cast their ballot. Get involved in "the process" once again. For Alma Garza, her worries are two-fold. First, she has to make sure that the 32% of Hidalgo County citizens who voted for her will turn out, every single one of them, to vote for her again in the run-off. According to the same report in The Monitor, Mauro Reyna received 23% of the vote. This leads to Garza's second dillemma, or hope, depending on whether you view the proverbial glass as half-empty or half-full. This of course does not apply if you are going to vote for Rene Guerra, in which case, you have your own glasses to worry about. But I digress, and my point is that Alma Garza needs to make sure that she is able to sway the 23% of people who voted for Reyna into her camp. It will take a combined effort between Garza and Reyna, but I get the feeling that the most die-hard of Reyna voters did not want Garza to win in the first place. Then you will have to convince those people not to vote for Guerra, or while we're at it, vote at all. There's a definite feeling in the air that Hidalgo County voters want a new District Attorney, but is that air strong enough to go back to the polls when the time has come? Jesus, for those of us who like the thrill of a good ride, this one just keeps spinning, and spinning, doesn't it? Welcome to politics in 2006.

Local Political Blogger Interview...The District Attorney's Race...Early Stats Smell of Run-off..

I spent part of the afternoon being interviewed by Ray Pedraza of KGBT Channel 4, for a piece he was writing about local bloggers. For being so nervous, I think I did pretty good for a first television interview. Ray's a great guy, and I'd like to thank him for making the interview as comfortable as possible. One of the questions he asked revolved around the Hidalgo County race for District Attorney. I told him that I felt Rene Guerra alienated a lot of voters because of the Irene Garza case. I felt that Alma Garza was his closest opposition, but the fact that she would be splitting the vote with Mauro Reyna, would hurt her chances for taking Rene Guerra on in a run-off. In the end, it would be a tough fight for Rene Guerra, but he'd pull it off because of the split vote. Currently, Rene Guerra has 46% of the vote, Alma Garza has 31%. The night's still early, and local political analysts are starting to call this one a run-off, but we'll see. Again, big thanks to Ray Pedraza, and his crew at Channel 4.

The Eve of Election Day 2006...When that last lever's pulled...who among them will be in charge of us?

"Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still. Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still. Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still"-Johnny Cash, Man Comes Around. According to the Hidalgo County Elections Department, estimated totals for early voter turnout rests at 32,634. These are combined totals for both Democratic and Republican Primary votes. I was not among these thousands who took advantage of early voting. I will be casting my vote first thing tomorrow morning. By now, most of us have pretty much made up our minds as to who we're going to vote for tomorrow. I think I've made it pretty clear as to who I will be voting for given the amount of time I've given to issues like negative campaign ads, and mudslinging. The rest of the candidates are, for the most part, no-brainers. Laura Hinojosa is sure to take the District Clerk's seat, and I think most of us would agree, she pretty much had it, the moment she announced her candidacy. As a personal opinion, I think Ricardo Rodriguez will win the 92nd District Judge race. Eric Cardenas-Jarvis just didn't impress me enough, and the fact that he would use Rodriguez' inability to pass the bar as a campaign issue really turned me off. The County Clerk position is one of those that depends on what part of Hidalgo County you're from. In any case, I think there'll be enough votes cast to send Guajardo Jr. and Morales into a run-off election. Now the big question on a lot of our minds is the race for Hidalgo County Judge. El mero-mero. Salinas turned me off the moment he began his campaign ads accusing Ramon Garcia of being a sub-par county judge, especially when the issue of indigent health care funds was involved. I did my homework, and for those of you new to RGV Politics, just take a look at some of the archives. February was filled with fact digging, and I pretty much made up my mind when I found out most of the snippets the campaign ads boistered were misleading. But I digress, and if you're interested, just take a moment to read the February posts, you'll see what I came up with. So my prediction goes to Garcia. I'm sure I'm not the only one that got turned off by Salinas' campaign strategy. So, if you didn't take advantage of early voting, be sure to vote tomorrow. It's your duty, and responsibility to do so, if not for yourselves, do it for your children. After all, the people we elect tomorrow will be in charge of our lives for the next four years, and if the wrong people get elected, it won't do us much good to whine and complain about it. We got them there in the first place.

RGV Politics to contribute to "Capitol Annex"...First missive out of South Texas by Friday...

Just a quick, but important post for this Sunday morning post. I am excited to announce that as of this week I will be a contributing writer to Capitol Annex, a blog out of East Texas that is owned by Mr. Vince Leibowitz. His web site has been on my link list for a while, and I hope many of you will take the time to visit the site, if you haven't done so by now. I'll be taking local political issues to a wider audience in hopes of letting the outside world know what's going on in the Rio Grande Valley. I look forward to entering a post on Capitol Annex, a sort of re-cap on the Edcouch-Elsa political issue. It will be ready by Friday.

Edcouch-Elsa...Getting "past this"...Then what?...

As reported yesterday, Aaron Gonzalez has officially resigned from his post as the Edcouch-Elsa School Board President. He is quoted in yesterday's The Monitor as stating, "I have enjoyed my association with many fine individuals over the years and know this district has provided and can continue providing great opportunities to our students". Current School Board Superintendent Michael Sandroussi responds to the letter of resignation by stating, "We are trying to move forward and we just need to get past this and the board needs to decide how to get past this". According to the report, the school district's legal counsel "said its members could either vote to accept the resignation at a board meeting or not do anything for eight days before it automatically goes into effect." Vice President of the School Board Juan Jose Ybarra declined comment, the report states, because he did not want to give the district "any more negative publicity". The thing is it's not the community or the student's that have given Edcouch-Elsa negative publicity. It is the actions of an elected official that has given Edcouch-Elsa a bad rap. Let's be clear on that at least, shall we? And since when is a letter of resignation good enough to sweep the whole affair under the rug? The problem with most elected officials is that they are all too willing for one person to be the "scapegoat" for a system that is obviously corrupt to begin with. A letter of resignation does not guarantee that this type of corruption will never happen again. Look at the Santa Maria case in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo School District. This type of corruption is not isolated, and I believe we are doing ourselves a great disservice if we just allow things to move forward. Move forward to what? Another person who will get elected and do the same thing? Let's stop concentrating on the people being indicted and accused of illegal activities, and start concntrating on a system that feeds this type of greed. Otherwise, as I've stated before, we will be stuck in a situation where we're just changing the names on the masthead, and when our kids grow up, they'll be dealing with the same crap we're dealing with now.

Edcouch-Elsa School Board President Aaron Gonzalez resigns...No Mas...Or is this just the beginning?...

According to local ABC affiliate KRGV NEWSCHANNEL 5, a letter of resignation has been presented to the Edcouch-Elsa School Board by a family member of Aaron Gonzalez Thurday afternoon. The report states that the letter was turned over "to legal counsel" and that the Edcouch-Elsa School Board "will decide what happens next". In most cases, the letter of resignation is put on the agenda for the following school board meeting. I'll keep you posted as to the date of the next meeting, and the results.

Updates on School Board President Aaron Gonzalez...Other issues soon to be addressed

Word out of cyberspace, according to the South Texican blog site this morning, sources tell Octavio that "Aaron Gonzalez has submitted his letter of resignation". Good news for the students and citizens of Edcouch-Elsa. I'll keep a close eye on this issue as news continues to develop. Also, I have been in contact with a local political activist regarding the issue of toll roads and am working on a full story I will present by Monday night.