RGV Politics

RGV Politics Re-Visited

2006-10-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

Attention RGV Politics readers and visitors:

All further posting will take place on the new web site RGV Politics Re-Visited at http://rgvpolitics.blogspot.com/

A New Blog

2006-10-10T14:43:00.000-05:00

I have created a new blog entitled RGV Politics Re-Visited. You can visit it here at http://rgvpolitics.blogspot.com A month earlier than I predicted, but there have been a lot of things going on in our political and social environment that for lack of a better phrase- I just couldn't take it anymore.

Blogging will be slow on the new site for now. As I'm typing this, I can still feel the cobwebs and the rust working their way out of my thoughts and fingers. But with a little luck, we'll be up and running at a smooth pace soon.

Thanks again to everybody who left a comment.

Hector Gomez

RGV Politics...A Semi-First Hand Account of Politics in the Rio Grande Valley and the Great State of Texas...To Be Continued

2006-09-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

Due to circumstances that require my wholehearted commitment, I will not be posting to RGV Politics for an indefinite amount of time. My sincerest hope is to return by the November elections, and hiring of a new superintendent for PSJA ISD. At the latest, in time for the newly elected governments to take office in January of 2007. At this point, it's hard to say.

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing RGV Politics. Doing so has opened my mind to a political process that until January of this year, I had only understood on a surface level. Nine months later, I found myself peeling layer upon layer to reach a deeper truth at what lies beneath all the corruption, nepotism, and selfishness that has become the status quo in the Rio Grande Valley. It is my strong opinion that this is the reason why political blogging in our area has become so important. We're still digging for that deeper truth.

There is an old saying that goes,"Never bite the hand that feeds". It has become engrained into our South Texas culture to believe "the hand" represents elected officials. Those in power. Those with influence. Those with surnames, kinships, or affiliations who were raised to believe that because of this, the soles of their feet float a little higher off the ground than the rest of ours do. They are wrong. And so were we for believing it for so long.

In truth, "the hand" represents the community. A voter who has a voice in whether the types of actions by elected officials will be tolerated or not. Actions done as a matter of policy and personal conviction. A kickback on a construction project. The hiring of a family member to high-level positions within a school district which is rich with those more qualified to do a better job. Returning a political favor by awarding contracts without a legal bidding process.

RGV Politics, and so many other blogs across the Valley have tried to bring these truths to the surface. For our readers, and for ourselves. Perhaps as a way to better understand the social and political environment we've been raised to accept "as is". No refunds-No exchanges. Through different styles and presentations, the message has been the same.

"The hand" in charge has always been the community. Not elected officials, or their well connected co-horts. It should no longer be a matter of how we continue to support corruption, or questionable policies by electing these people into office. It has become a matter of why we continue to elect these types of people. We can make our communities better once we learn to let go of that fear which dictates that our world will crumble beneath us if we decide to speak out openly about our elected government. We should constantly remind ourselves that the word "elected" means we as a society put them there by choice, and it has always been our choice. Not the other way around.

A final thought for those who might have failed to recognize the importance of voicing an opinion by means of a political blog, or have missed the point entirely. If history judges us, let that judgment be based on an ignorant truth that we as a society chose to adhere to. But let history also know that there were those of us within that society who strived to make a difference.

PSJA ISD makes appearance in The Paper of South Texas

2006-08-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of The Paper of South Texas has an article by David Robledo concerning the rise of violence in the Pharr San Juan Alamo school district, and what the school board is doing about it. Or rather, what they hope they can accomplish with a $93,000 a year price tag. If you haven't picked up a copy, you can log on to their web site at www.thepaperofsouthtexas.com or follow the link on the RGV Politics sidebar.

La Joya...Serving as a sad example to our troubled times...

2006-08-28T18:32:00.000-05:00

The political dust in the small South Texas town takes long to settle. Dubbed the jewel of the Valley, recent allegations of nepotism and cronyism by the newly elected school board may have long lasting affects that reach far beyond the city limits of La Joya, Texas. Affects that will stretch across a region thirsty for political change as it is for a solitary rain cloud to cure a parched earth from a much too long lasting summer.

What makes the accusations in La Joya unique, especially in an area of the state as deeply rooted in political corruption as it is on Sunday morning barbacoa, is that the newly elected school board pledged to bring an end to these types of political practices. And it was not so much a political platform, it was touted as a deep personal conviction to do what it takes to ensure these things would never happen again. The enemy was clearly in their sights, and the era of former La Joya Superintendent Filomena Leo was coming to an end. It served as another example of life's musts. Like a rabid dog that needs to be euthanized. For it's own good, as well as ours.

But we're not talking rabid dogs here. And as of late, the current administration would be hard pressed to distinguish itself in a far better league of professional ethics than those of Leo. Especially when, by all accounts, everything politically corrupt about Leo amounted to nothing more than heresay. Which is why the best the newly elected administration could do was remove her from her post for lack of qualifications to serve as Superintendent of schools. Post haste, at that.

The problem with the current administration is that they were smart enough to slip through the cracks to get their piece of the pie. At all costs, especially to the thousands of citizens in the Rio Grande Valley who want more than promises. We want results.

The problem for us, especially those of us who have taken to political blogging as a means to inform people about the right candidate, the ones that will do what's best for the community at large, is that the credibility of such claims are lost. Gone with a nostalgic ideal of wanting to know that this country can still live up to it's original intention. A government by, for, and of the people. Not someone's husband. Not someone's daughter. Not that person who sold the most barbecue tickets for the political fundraiser. But people who care not only about their futures, but ours as well.

The newly elected school board have gotten their say, and have accomplished what they'd hoped for. Their names emblazoned on the masthead. Just another piece of the political pie they so longed for. Their actions to serve as a reminder to any of those across the Rio Grande Valley with the notion of not forgetting when it comes to their own respective school districts, and city commissions that if it can happen in La Joya, it can happen anywhere else as well. If there is a lesson in all of this, for all it's ranting and raving, it is that some politicians need a means to their ends. La Joya just got a taste of how low these types of people are willing to stoop to get there. And that's the sad part for everybody whether you're from La Joya or not.

Official Press Release by the Texas Democratic Veterans Executive Committee endorsing Barbara Ann Radnofsky

2006-08-23T17:51:00.000-05:00

For immediate release:

August 23, 2006

Texas Democratic Veterans was formed June 14, 2002 at the Texas Democratic Convention held in El Paso, Texas. We allow veteran and non-veteran members-the only requirement that we have is that all our members support and honor our veterans and military personnel and keep the issues important to them before the Democratic Party of the State of Texas and the Democratic National Committee. We Texas Democratic Veterans are proud of the legacy of leadership of the Texas Democratic Party over the past 130 years.

We see in Barbara Ann Radnofsky someone who, like us, believes that the service of those who have gone before us is something to emulate and respect. She is the daughter of a WWII veteran and the granddaughter of a WWI veteran. Her grandfather was injured in his navy service and proudly served as commander of his American Legion post.

When her father was in prisoner of war camp in Germany and the Nazis visited the camp and told all the Jews to step forward, to a man every prisoner stepped forward. Barbara Ann has repeatedly said during her more than 480 campaign trips across Texas that she is here because of the service, risk-taking, and sacrifice of our veterans, and that they deserve the treatment they were promised.

Barbara Ann's own words: "My parents raised me to believe that we are here on this earth due to the service and sacrifice of others."

Barbara Ann's opponent demonstrates that talk is cheap among too many of our elected officials. Barbara Ann Radnofsky's opponent promised,"I've always said that I would serve no more than two full terms. This may be my last term, or I could run for one more--But no more after that. I firmly believe in term limitations and plan to adhere to that." This was November of 1994, twelve years ago. She signed a contract with America reaffirming her position but broke that contract and pledge when she announced she would run for a third term.

On January 17, 2003, the Bush Administration stopped enrolling new Priority 8 veterans for Veterans Administration medical care, and the president's budget continues this restrictive policy. This has prevented one million veterans, who make as little as $26,902 a year, from enrolling in VA health care. For over three years Barbara Ann's opponent has remained silent.

The veterans of South Texas for too long have been denied the care they deserve. Barbara Ann stood with them and continues to stand with them demanding a new, fully funded, and operational VA hospital in South Texas. For over twelve years her opponent ignored this issue, and after two terms in office Texas is facing closing of veteran's facilities.

Knight-Ridder reported on December 30, 2005 that according to the VA's own data, people who call the agency's regional offices for help and advice are more likely to receive completely wrong answers than completely right ones. It currently takes about $1.4 billion additional funds each year just to maintain current VA services and the federal pay rise.

According to the Veteran's of Foreign Wars and other veteran's organizations, the Bush Administration's 2006 VA medical care budget request is woefully inadequate by about $2.4 billion. Raw data from the Veterans Benefits Administration suggest more than 11,000 of the 696,841 veterans who served in the Persian Gulf have died from various injuries and illnesses. More than 256,000 have filed claims against the government for veteran's compensation or medical care. Though the federal agency cautions that the data are raw and not reflective of mortality rates. "It's significant because it's...more than the casualty rates post-Vietnam."

Barbara Ann has advocated for service members and exposed the ineffective leadership and anti-service bias of her opponent. Veteran's issues in Texas are long-term, critical, and they deserve careful foresight and advocacy in Washington. It is with great pleasure that the Texas Democratic Vetereans Executive Committee endorses a true voice for veterans in Texas, Barbara Ann Radnofsky for the United States Senate.

Texas Democratic Veterans Contact:

Dennis Ferguson

texasdemocraticvets@yahoo.com

(press release provided by the candidate through email to RGV Politics)

The Issue of Violence Plaguing the PSJA School District...What it boils down to

2006-08-21T19:05:00.000-05:00

Growing up in the Tri-City area, a child learns one of life's harshest realities early on. The word fair is a concept reserved for those that count themselves among the more affluent members of the community. It is a keen understanding that to have is to be treated with respect, and to have not is something they tend to push further and further towards the edge of long forgotten, or never really went anywhere with anything in the first place. Our community is not mutually exclusive from those around it, but the politics of the situation seems to lend itself a little more to the problem.

In an article by James Osbourne in today's issue of The Monitor titled, "Eyebrows rise after mayor's son nets contract", Osbourne tackles the issue of questionable contracts being awarded to a son of a friend's friend. The same ol' twice removed scenario of business that has become the accepted norm in this community, but is a taste that is beginning to fall flat in places like La Joya, or Edinburg. Hector X. Palacios, owner of HXP Counseling and Consultant Services, was awarded a one year contract with the district in the amount of $93,000.00 effective at August 15th's PSJA school board meeting. What makes this interesting, is as the report stated, Hector X. Palacios is the son of the City of Pharr mayor, Leo "Polo" Palacios. What he's being asked to provide the district is detailed in the article, with the overall sentiment being that Mr. Palacios will provide a thirty hour anger management course for those students who are deemed "at risk" by the school district. Mr. Palacios is quoted in the article as saying, "In these classes, the focus is more on intervening for kids who are at risk to join gangs. I'll help them think consequentially and to empathize..Like I tell everyone, it's just a piece of the pie. It doesn't guarantee an end to violence in the schools."

An interesting choice of words, and no doubt will garner the approval of the many around him who have hired him in the first place. But for those of us who grew up knowing the exact impact violence has had on our school district, words like these echo the tired stale sentiment of not knowing what to do, but trying in vain to figure it out once they get there. That's fine if the school board wants to talk athletic uniforms, and what next week's school cafeteria lunches will consist of. When it is dealing with children that far exceed a solution that is based upon telling them what the consequences of their actions are, or having a security camera that will somehow magically instill the fear that they will get caught, there is not the vaguest idea what the problem is. Much less an honest offering of real solutions that will last. Real solutions that will change the amount of violence that occurs in our schools. Real solutions that will profoundly affect these children in a more positive light, so that they themselves can serve as positive role models in the community. This is what it boils down to, positive reinforcement. It is perhaps the naivest of concepts, given the cynical environment our children are being raised in. But it is at the root of what is affecting these children in the first place. To be "at risk" doesn't mean you've been singled out in the first grade and your adminstrators are going on a hunch that you just won't cut it in a society you're so desperately rebelling against. "At risk" means you've had your share of troubles, and if we don't scare the living wits out of you, you're bound to do much worse. Which consequently affects who? Who's life is inevitably tarnished by the violence and accusations of incompetence? Not the children we really need to be caring about in the first place. It tarnishes the reputation of a school board that would much rather bandage a downward spirraling situation by paying someone close to a six figure contract on the slightest hope that if even one child is reached, something has been accomplished. Indeed, hope in a magic bottle when the truth of the matter is, the money may have been better spent on hiring a district school psychologist who may be more qualified, and could perhaps offer better solutions to what a $93,000.00 a year contract and school surveillance cameras could offer. Caring. A sentiment that is obviously not at the level the local school board, and those surrounding it, are willing to reach. Or pay for.

Republican Senator George Allen sticks foot in his mouth...Seems to be the rule nowadays...But you CAN do something about it...

2006-08-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

"Mr. Mehlman,

has it become the practice of the Republican Party to single out non-white citizens as foreign born naturalized citizens for no better reason other than the color of their skin? The gall of which strikes me as peculiar, Mr. Mehlman, given that a very high percentage of our young men and women fighting your "precious" war in Iraq are non-white men and women. Young men and women serving our nation with courage. The likes of which will never be known by lily-livered punks who have the audacity to serve as Senators, and do something as moronic and ignorant as singling out a non-white member of the audience and spew a racial slur his way."-excerpt from a petition provided by moveon.org to Republican National Committee Chairman, Ken Mehlman, urging the organization to stop all support of Senator George Allen's bid for re-election. Personal comment section written and signed by Hector Gomez, Saturday, August 19, 2006.

I received a forwarded email from Ignacio Almaguer yesterday concerning a petition provided by moveon.org. It didn't take me long to process the sheer stupidity with which Senator Allen bases his actions on. Apparently at a campaign stop, Senator Allen singled out a member of the audience who was of Indian descent and called him a "macaque" (spelling has differed among the blogosphere, others have spelled it "macaca"). The word is a derogatory term meaning "monkey". The Senator, in all his fine brilliance, went on to say, "Welcome to America". The citizen he was speaking to was born and raised in Virginia. I signed the petition, and urge all readers of RGV Politics to do the same. You can visit the site directly at www.moveon.org or visit the petition web page at:

http://political.moveon.org/withdrawallen?id=8472-3869257-FIYpkAYwXwOuSKxmE6hAgA&t=3

Press Release from Barbara Ann Radnofsky Concerning the TransTexas Corridor...my thoughts for Friday 8/18...

2006-08-18T14:47:00.000-05:00

August 18, 2006

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Barbara Ann Radnofsky met with concerned citizens, the advanced Project Development Director of the Texas Turnpike Authority Division Dieter Blick, listened to testimony of Rockwall residents and other spearkers, and gave testimony against the Trans Texas Corridor Thursday evening at the Freshman Center August 17 in Rockwall. She remains in Rockwall for two additional days of study, discussions, and receptions for her U.S. Senate campaign, as she reached her 480th campaign trip.

"Rockwall certainly has a big voice for the smallest Texas county, and the impassioned objections of its citizens should be heeded," Radnofsky said.

"Why are we undertaking a project which, if finished in fifty years, will be obsolete, with no studies as to the modes of transportation we'll actually be using at that time? Why are we trying to fund private, massive pofits for foreign corporations, paid for by tolls that are charged to the public, on roads that will be tolled forever?

"The reason is not science, technology, traffic congestion, or public need. The reason is generating profit for private companies. Texas lacks the money to finance such a project, and no thinking taxpayer would willingly fund it. TxDOT claims and concedes that Texas lacks the resources, the tools, to fund the estimated 184 billion dollars the project will supposedly cost. The vast majority of the toll money collected will end up in the pockets of foreign corporations.

"Why does Texas lack the money for highways and public transit development, and rail? Why are communities pitted against each other, fighting for scarce federal highway dollars generated by our gas tax dollars?

"The answer: Texas leaders want to fuel private schemes proposed by their big donors and can only justify wasteful private companies reaping huge profits at our expense, charging Texas drivers tolls to pay for private profits if they have an expensive proposal and no money to find it. It's a perfect storm of circumstances, since we Texans donate nearly ten cents of every gas tax dollar from Texas to the rest of the country. Now, TxDOT can rightly claim that Texas is underfinanced for our transportation dollars, giving statewide elected officials a convenient excuse to turn to private financing. The lack of public money has been used to justify a boondoggle project to utilize private industry, to be repaid with money out of the pockets of ordinary Texans."-excerpt from official press release by Barbara Ann Radnofsky 8/18/06. Received via email to RGV Politics. For the complete press release, follow the link to Barbara Ann Radnofsky's home page provided on the side bar.

That's the wisdom for today, everybody. Bottle it up and keep it close to your hearts because lightning like that never strikes twice. Especially in a political landscape that has seen more than it's fair share of corruption. What Radnofsky's words do, and should do, is echo the sentiments of every living, breathing citizen this side of the Falfurrias checkpoint. The battle lines are drawn, my friends, what we do now will affect us for the rest of our lives. Something to think about when our commissioners, and mayors want a Republican governor in Austin for the next four years. A governor who has all but sold his soul in promises of better roads and livelihoods for all Texans to ensure that the Trans Texas Corridor becomes a reality. The problem with making those types of promises, is that inevitably, you take a lot of people down with you. The sad fact is, those people have become the everyday working man and woman struggling to provide for their families and themselves. Those are the people who least deserve it.

Texas ISD web site posts PSJA Superintendent Vacancy...Qualifications and Timelines...The Dawn of a new era? or the eve of the same ol' setting sun...

2006-08-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

I recently looked up the Texas ISD web site, and found that the PSJA School District Superintendent vacancy is listed. You can find it at http://www.texasisd.com/

The web site has a link to a pdf file brochure provided by the firm of Pena, Ruiz, and Associates who was picked by the school board to handle the candidate search. According to the brochure, candidates for the position must have the following:

-obtained or be qualified to obtain the Texas Superintendent Certificate

-at least 15 years of experience in public schools

-at least 10 years of administrative experience

-at least some experience as superintendent or in central office

-Doctorate preferred

-Communication skills in English and Spanish.

The brochure also states that the Board approved a timeline for the entire process. The deadline to apply for the position is August 31, 2006. Interviews will be conducted by the PSJA School Board the first two weeks of September. Those applicants which make the cut for a second interview will be interviewed September 18-22. The first week of October, the above referenced firm of Pena, Ruiz, and Associates will conduct reference checks. The week of October 9-13, the school board will name a finalist for the position. Finally, the week of November 6-10, the Pharr San Juan Alamo School Board will hire it's new superintendent.

The process by which the PSJA School Board SHOULD elect the best possible candidate for superintendent of OUR schools, is in place. Will this school board take full advantage of this process? Or will we be seeing more of the same ol' it isn't what you know, it's.... right. Time will tell.

The Story of Politics continues...The Tri-City Area, and the question of whether change is coming, or not...

2006-08-02T18:42:00.000-05:00

A recent anonymous comment on my previous post got me thinking. As far as the question of citizen involvement in the Tri-City area, the anonymous commentator mentioned there are still quite a few people unwilling to get involved because of retaliation. Namely from what he/she called the Tri-Cities main employer, the Pharr San Juan Alamo School District. Well, are we still at that stage when we as a community will only go so far in our demands for better government?

As a lifelong resident of the Valley, and the Tri-City area, I would be foolish to think otherwise. But that should not mean I should lose all hope for a better future, in spite of the consequences. For those out of Valley readers of RGV Politics, the Tri-City area consists of the cities of Pharr, San Juan, and Alamo. Now back to the question of where citizens stand.

As far as I know, there are two community watchdog groups in the Tri-City area. The SanJuanistas who keep an eye on San Juan politics, and Grupo PODER who keep a watchful eye on PSJA ISD policy. From what I gather, though as I am not a member of either group (though there is a link to the SanJuanistas from RGV Politics), the numbers in these groups are not such that they can make a sustained impact on what goes on. They've both shared their victories, but no matter how hard they've tried to make a lasting impact, it's only a matter of time before the way things used to get done makes a quick recovery. My feeling on this is because, as the anonymous commentator mentioned, many people who want to get involved, who know what's wrong, who know what needs to get fixed, and how to fix it, are afraid.

That's understandable. But the problem lies in never finding out how great our community can become without factions, without nepotism. Imagine a community where a citizens right to protest, or question policy does not fall on deaf ears. Imagine a community where these same people are not treated as naysayers, or troublemakers by those factions who continue to rely on history, and tradition to get their way, year in and year out. For that matter, imagine a community with no factions at all. Simply a community that elects certain individuals to get the job done. To do what they're supposed to do, and look out for the community as a whole, not just what we've been used to as the status quo for so long.

Something to think about, and something to question what we really want out of our community. Are there enough of us to demand positive change without fearing retribution? Or have things become so engrained in our communities spirit that to even try to change something would be at once considered foolish, and useless.

San Juan Politics...Same ol', same ol'...I thought we put this behind us...

2006-08-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

It seems like San Juan politics just can't let go of the way things used to be run. So from the more things change, the more they stay the same files, here's one for the books. According to a report out of today's edition of The Monitor, San Juan City Commissioners Bobby Rodriguez and Pedro Contreras met last week with a Monitor reporter to make a presentation on proposed land development in south San Juan. Other people in attendance, according to the report, were Greg Ayala, Director of the San Juan Economic Development Corporation, and Charles Schuster, President of the San Juan Plantation Association. Wow, so many chiefs, not enough indians, huh?

But anyway, the report states that San Juan's mayor, San Juanita Sanchez openly criticized Commissioner Rodriguez for not informing the mayor, the mayor pro-tem Eddie Rodriguez, and Commissioner Claudia Gonzalez of last weeks meeting. Commissioner Bobby Rodriguez is quoted in the report as stating that he'd forgotten, and "if there was some confusion I was responsible. I will try to improve on my communication skills, as I have asked the mayor to do so." Gee, you think? How many years must a someone walk before one can no longer use the excuse of forgetfulness.

Now, to Commissioner Rodriguez's credit, I have attended city meetings before, and in those meetings, well...you can't accuse the mayor of playing nice with the Commissioner. But, first off my opinion's subjective to say the least. After all, we can't go around judging people's attitudes simply by what we see at first glance. Secondly, the mayor isn't calling meetings out of quorom to discuss development projects for the city. That's the way things USED to get done. I thought there was a new way of getting things done. A better way. One that would benefit the community as a whole. Last time I checked, I was not informed of any meeting by the commissioners and the San Juan EDC. Of course, I was also not informed that the City Commission meetings would be held on Monday instead of Tuesday. So who's to blame. Jesus, we could go around in circles playing he said/she said can't we?

But damn it, we have better things to argue about. The city needs to move forward in a more positive light, and if all we're going to do for the next few years is wait for one faction to completely vote out the next while playing these childish games, we're better off starting from scratch with a whole other group.

Word to the wise, if anybody wants to make due on moving the city forward regardless of what "faction" one belongs to, they better start by getting the community more involved. Period.

Memories of Robert Frost Poems...Monday, the Day After Sunday's Report...Here we go again...Politics as usual...

2006-07-31T19:03:00.000-05:00

I was going to get philosophical on everybody tonight, but the day's work has left me tired and weary, "and miles to go before I sleep," so I'll keep it short. The problem for me started yesterday when I ran across an article in the Sunday edition of The Monitor and read a report entitled "Building security: RMA complete; board plans funding for development". You can read the article at www.themonitor.com, but to sum it all up there are six board members headed by a chairman who are "charged with planning the infrastructure and transportation system for Hidalgo County." The chairman, Dennis Burleson was appointed in 2005 by Republican Governor Rick Perry. Who are the remaining six members and who appointed them to the Regional Mobility Authority?

Well, I'm glad you asked because I took a close look at the list, and here it is courtesy of The Monitor:

Joe Olivarez-appointed by Pct. 1 County Commissioner Sylvia Handy

Ricardo Perez-appointed by Pct. 4 County Commissioner Oscar Garza

Ruben Plata-appointed by Pct. 3 County Commissioner Joe Flores

Ramiro E. Salazar-appointed by the City of McAllen commissioners

Ruben Serna-appointed by Pct. 2 County Commissioner Hector "Tito" Palacios

Bobby Villarreal-appointed by County Judge Ramon Garcia

The report did not state why these individuals were chosen specifically in regards to experience or qualifications, so if anybody out there has any clue why, drop me a line via the comment section.

Here's the thing. Last week, the Democratic blogosphere in the Rio Grande Valley was taken aback at the news that several mayors from the Valley were publicly endorsing Republican Governor Rick Perry's re-election campaign. I don't agree with these types of endorsements because I believe it lends itself to a lot of ethical questions, but to my knowledge there's nothing in the books about not doing it, so we'll have to swallow this one. Basically I was left with questioning why? Why in a Democratic stronghold that is the Rio Grande Valley would our elected offiicals do such a thing? Why, when we need improvements to all our roads would a board be brought together to discuss the financial scope of our infrastructures and "visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads" while peering into the economic crystal ball?

The thing I won't swallow, though, is the fact that when I posted about these public endorsements, I said there was probably a reason behind it. And sooner or later we'd find out. Well...that didn't take long did it?

If you take a look at the list, you may notice that the people appointed to the board represent cities and towns whose very mayors were among the endorsers. Mayors from the Delta area, the mayor of McAllen, the mayor of Pharr, the mayor of Mission.

"But come on, Hector," you might say, "if we want results, we have to go with the elected official that gets us those results." Quick sidenote, according to various media reports this afternoon, Perry leads public support with 40% of Texans willing to vote for him, Dems it's time to get moving-these elections don't win themselves, but I digress.

I understand where you're coming from if you were to tell me something like that. What bothers me, is that we have an elected official who has made his promises for our support, (Valley and other parts of Texas) but yet our electric bills are through the roof, our schools are in need of new facilities, teachers need a competitive pay raise, and the toll road issue will just be rerouted to another part of the Valley affecting citizens who've got enough problems with their communities.

Is this is the type of representation we're getting for our votes? Well, it's the same type of government we've grown accustomed to then. Elected officials who want to butter up a Governor who has done little for the Valley, if anything (By the way, the offer still stands for anybody to write me in regards to anything Gov. Perry has done for our Valley. Send it via the comment section or email me at gomezrgv@yahoo.com) Big roads mean big money. Remember that the next time a politician claims they're doing what's best for the community as a whole.

Hail to The Chief...President to visit Anzaldua's Park next week..

2006-07-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

There is a sense of nostalgia that comes over a person when someone mentions Anzaldua's Park in Mission, Texas. In my life, Anzaldua's Park was the upper Valley's answer to the mid-Valley's Delta Lake. Most of my memories seem to revolve around spending a few Easter Sunday's at the park. The cracking of multi-colored egg shells on everyone's cousin, sister, brother, aunt, unlce, or grandmother. The smell of South Texas' barbecue staple beef fajitas sizzling on the grill beneath the shade of an old mesquite tree. Ah, memories...but on to the business of business.

According to various media reports, Anzaldua's Park will be visited by the President of the United States George W. Bush. His mission, according to the report out of today's issue of The Monitor, is to "discuss his five-point immigration plan unveiled in a primetime address on May 15." The plan included sending six thousand National Guard troops to the U.S./Mexico border to aid the Border Patrol in their tasks of keeping our nation's only border, because the one between U.S. and Canada apparently doesn't exist in the minds of Congressional Republicans, safe from terrorists.

Update to last night's post...The List

2006-07-27T08:57:00.000-05:00

Mack Harrison over at Valley in Exile has got the complete list of Rio Grande Valley mayors who are taking a stand for issues Valley citizens want addressed by endorsing a candidate who....wait a minute....oh, right. Jesus, so much for hoping it was all a bad dream, they're endorsing the current REPUBLICAN Governor Rick Perry for re-election. You know, the Governor who up until now has meagerly addressed the issues of rising electricity rates, but fully endorses the need for toll roads. The one who called for a special session on school finance reform which did little to address the real needs of educators in the Rio Grande Valley.

You know the one, I thought the mayors of our part of the state knew as well.

Check out Mack's list, until next time, if anybody out there feels the need to explain why the Valley should re-elect Rick Perry, the comment section is open.

Valley Mayors make their endorsements...Who's tide is changing?...and why?

2006-07-26T18:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you run across a bit of information you wish you hadn't discovered. Word from the blogosphere courtesy of Rio Grande Valley Politics, and Valley in Exile today that mayors from several Valley cities are endorsing Republican Governor Rick Perry.

Here's the list: Brownsville, Harlingen, La Villa, Edcouch, Elsa, Rio Grande City, Palmhurst, McAllen, and Mission.

A few questions come to mind when I see the list.

First, why would any official who is elected to public office that assumably represents the opinions and voice of the community, publicly endorse a candidate? (This one's a no-brainer for those of you who actually take an interest in the political environment of our region, but more on that in a later post).

Second, is it just the view of RGV Politics, or are the cities represented in the list above in very close proximity to each other? (Again, a no-brainer for those of you who understand the implications and forethought into endorsing a candidate for Governor, Democrat/Republican/or Kinky).

Third, are the mayors from the cities listed above, cities which historically stand for Democratic principles, and ideals, assuming that a Democratic candidate doesn't stand a chance against the Republican incumbent? A governor who has up to date paid lip service to the problems that affect Valley residents, i.e. rising electricity rates, school finance, toll roads, etc.? (Alright, a tad presumptious, but not without warrant. Last I heard, the Republican party in general has done little for the Valley except show up during election years to push their agendas and hope that we can trust them enough to at the very least show up at the polls and vote them in. After that, well, what can we do about it then, eh?)

Of the list, three of the Valley's major cities are being represented by mayors who for one reason or another are jumping on the Republican bandwagon. Reasons which will sooner or later become clear to their constituents. But how soon? And if not soon enough, how reasonable is later?

New Web Site Information from the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)

2006-07-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

RGV Politics has just received an email from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, or CPPP. It states, "Working with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, CPPP is now maintaining a new online database for assessing how children in Texas and your county are faring." One of the most recent articles on the web page deals with the rise of children living in poverty. For more information you can log on to www.cppp.org/kidscount

Xicano Power has a few words about our health care system...The Phoenix Rises

2006-07-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

Xicano Power at Para Justicia Y Libertad has a good post on the state of health care in our country. I know some of us have had similar experiences with our loved ones, young and elderly alike. Glad to hear your grandmother is doing better, XP. You can read the post at Para Justicia Y Libertad by clicking on the web site on my link list.

Results for the Kerry-Feingold Proposal

2006-06-22T17:30:00.000-05:00

Here's are the results of the Kerry-Feingold proposal via John Kerry's email.

"Just hours ago, the Senate voted on the Kerry-Feingold proposal to redeploy American combat troops out of Iraq by July 1, 2007. Thirteen Senators voted for it."

The thirteen Senators that voted "For" the proposal are listed as the following:

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) co-sponsor

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT)

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) co-sponsor

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

"Please call, write, or email these Senators and acknowledge their leadership on Iraq."-Sen. John Kerry.

Big thanks from RGV Politics to anybody who took the time to look at the proposal by Senators Kerry and Feingold. Extra big thanks to those of you who signed the petition as well.

Link to Senator John Kerry's web site and petition calling for a definite plan to "redeploying our troops out of Iraq"

2006-06-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

RGV Politics just received an email from John Kerry's web site. So here goes a quick note to an important link. If you're one of many citizens who wants a definite answer to when our soldiers will be coming home, take the time to sign your name on the petition supporting the John Kerry/Russ Feingold Amendment on Iraq by following this link http://www.johnkerry.com/action/iraq/?sc=ftf More detailed information about the bill, and what John Kerry is fighting for at http://www.johnkerry.com/

Star-Teleram Op-Ed piece...Link to HD 90 State Rep. Lon Burnam's article...

2006-06-19T20:15:00.000-05:00

I just received an email from House District 90 State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth. He has an op-ed piece that came out in yesterday's issue of the Star-Telegram. The piece is titled, "Hold that applause", and the issue is this past special session on school finance reform. It's an excellent piece, and I thought I'd pass it along to the readers of RGV Politics. Here's the link, http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/14842147.htm State Rep. Burnam would like some feedback, so post your comments on RGV Politics and I'll pass along the local reaction, or there might be a feedback section on the Star-Telegram's web site, you could leave your comments there as well.

City of Pharr..."On the Rise"....Especially the high price of renovations...

2006-06-15T17:25:00.000-05:00

Word out of The Monitor today, newly designated All-America City of Pharr is looking to spend $2.1 million on renovations to the Tierra Del Sol golf course.

$2.1 million?

Whew, must be the price to pay to keep up with the "Jones's" across small town Americana.

So who pays for this?

Surely not the National Civic League that designates All-America cities across the nation in the first place. According to Mack Harrison over at Valley In Exile (http://rgvmack.blogspot.com/) basically the organization provides the city permission to use banners and stickers for promotional use. These items are emblazoned with the All-America City logo.

Great way to help the taxpayers who now face $2.1 million in renovating a golf course to be completed just in time for the Winter Texans to take advantage of, as City Manager Fred Sandoval was quoted in the report. Well, okay, fine, yes Winter Texans are probably the best business the golf course gets, but man, if I'm a taxpayer and the city I live in is going to spend $2.1 million of my taxpayer dollars to renovate a golf course, you better bet your bottom dollar I'd be demanding free golf lessons, community functions, summer youth golf programs, and invitations to any and all events taking place at Tierra Del Sol year-round. Year-round, not conveniently scheduled events to cater to one set of the community who's only here half the time.

I've got an idea.

Why doesn't the city use that $100,000 Mayor Palacios was questioning when he offered to hire a couple of extra police officers but was actually going to be used...

Oh, that's right. They spent the money frivolously by attending a conference where all they got out of it was bragging rights and a couple of bumper stickers to boot.

Hope they can fit the name of the golf course on those banners as well. At $2.1 million, they'll need all the help they can get.

Upcoming Campaign Stops for Barbara Ann Radnofsky...Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate...

2006-06-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

Via information sent by email to RGV Politics, here are Barbara Ann Radnofsky's scheduled campaign stops in the Rio Grande Valley this week:

June 16, Hidalgo Fundraising Barbecue

6-9 p.m. Mission, Texas.

Contact Sonny Martinez or Juan Maldonado at (956) 867-8096

Directions-Take Conway north through Mission to Mile 3. Wal-Mart on the right, turn left. First road is Trosper. Turn left for 2.5 miles.

June 17 Fundraising Breakfast, Brownsville

9:30-10:30 a.m. Brownsville, Texas

Contact Rose Melendez or Sylvia Berry (956) 433-1015

Directions-VICC, Brownsville, Texas.

There's more information on Barbara Ann Radnofsky's web site, just click on the link in my sidebar. If you've got any questions regarding how to get to the Mission fundraiser, let me know and I'll try to clear up any questions.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky...Democratic Nominee to visit Valley this week...back to the drawing board for one blogger...

2006-06-13T19:17:00.000-05:00

"What bothered me then, and still bothers me now, is that she (Radnofsky) won by the slimmest of margins. This in turn worries me. Hidalgo-Radnofsky 9,418 (Gene) Kelly 8,565 difference of 853 votes. Cameron-Radnofsky 3,212 Kelly 2,478 difference of 734 votes. That's slim pickin's for an area of the state that although is historically Democrat, also has a history of voting on name recognition alone. That's the worrisome part, Seth....if (Gene) Kelly could pull 11,043 votes from people who don't know him from Adam, I'm worried (Kay Bailey) Hutchison may do the same. I believe in her (Radnofsky), and what she can accomplish. If I didn't, I wouldn't have voted for her, and the issue of whether she could win the RGV in November wouldn't even cross my mind." Exerpt from an email to Seth Davidson, Campaign Manager for Barbara Ann Radnofsky for U.S. Senate, 4/19/2006.

That was two months ago following the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate Run-Off. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, in my mind won by the slimmest of margins in the Rio Grande Valley. (See "Too close for comfort" post, April 2006) The general feel two months later really hasn't changed much. If you asked the average voter on the street, they may not even know there is a general election in November in the first place. After the primaries, things are relatively back to normal. Even I got back into the normal swing of things, although Seth Davidson invited me to spread the message around the Valley as far as who and what Barbara Ann Radnofsky stands for. "Sign me up," I told him, as I immediately made plans to give the Valley heavy, heavy doses on information regarding Radnofsky.

What ended up happening was local politics became a hotbed for change. Especially in the case of extreme local politics from my own point of view in San Juan, Texas. Here the main focus of the year seems to be out with the old, in with the new.

So I got a little sidetracked from writing letters to the editors of different publications around the Valley. You see my writing is usually well thought out, at least by my standards, albeit seemingly hurried some times, but nevertheless, I'm not some three hundred pound gorilla randomly striking the letters on my keyboard. Then hoping against hope that people will make sense of it all.

I sincerely believe in getting the word out about Barbara Ann Radnofsky.

So I recently emailed Seth again, apologized for any delay I've personally made in doing my part to get the word out, and what my plans were for jumping on board again. The good news is Barbara Ann Radnofsky will be visiting South Texas this week at different functions, and fundraisers, and for the Valley's sake, that's good. Especially at the midpoint of her campaign for U.S. Senate against Kay Bailey Hutchison. The great news will have to hold off a little longer as I'm hoping certain events will come through for us. Until then, look to RGV Politics to be posting more on the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate, Barbara Ann Radnofsky.

Click on Radnofsky's web page link on my sidebar for more detailed information regarding the candidate....(to be continued)

San Juan City Commissioners Meeting...It's Tuesday, It's Hot,...And something doesn't smell right...

2006-06-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

Every now and again, since I started this blog back in January, there have been brief instances when I question the value of continuing RGV Politics. I don't do this full time, and I don't get paid for it. Why then, should a citizen care about what's going on in his community? For that matter, why should a citizen care about passing on any pertinent information other citizens may not otherwise get? Tonights San Juan City Commissioners meeting cleared all of the skepticism I had about continuing on this path.

I have attended two meetings, the previous one and tonights, and overall, I'm getting a good feeling about the current administration. For instance, Mayor San Juanita Sanchez in item 10 of tonight's agenda brought up the issue of city commissioners sitting on the San Juan Economic Development Corporation. The mayor questioned the ethics behind having a sitting commissioner being able to vote on items brought forth by the EDC that affect the City of San Juan. Commissioner Eddie Rodriguez motioned for a vote to eliminate any sitting city commissioner to serve on the EDC as well. Commissioner Claudia Gonzalez seconded the motion. The motion passed. And, hell, I for one applaud their efforts. Why? Because by voting to bar any sitting city commissioner from voting or holding office within an Economic Development Corporation means there's less chance of anything unethical going on. Commissioner Bobby Rodriguez had something to say about this when he stated that up until now, the EDC has been transparent in all their dealings, which brought "tsks" and hushed colorful comments from some citizens in attendance. Not sure what that means, but if you're like me, you can probably put two and two together on that count.

However, the little cynic in me can't help but bring into question the items that followed the EDC vote.

To wit, items 11, 12, and 13.

Item 11: Consider and approve appointment(s) to Amigos del Valle Corporation Board of Directors.

Commissioner Eddie Rodriguez nominates Commissioner Claudia Gonzalez.

Commissioner Claudia Gonzalez nominates Commissoner Eddie Rodriguez as alternate.

Item 12: Consider and approve appointment(s) of representative(s) to the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Commissioner Eddie Rodriguez nominates Mayor San Juanita Sanchez.

Commissioer Claudia Gonzalez nominates Mayor Pro-Tem Eddie Rodriguez as alternate.

Item 13: Consider and approve appointment to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Board of Directors.

Commissioner Claudia Gonzalez nominates Commissioner Eddie Rodriguez.

The votes passed. Now....

Something doesn't smell right to me. It didn't at the very moment it was happening, and in retrospect as I type these words, it still doesn't.

Here's the thing. If, as citizens, we are going to demand a better government whether you're from Brownsville, or Hidalgo, or Pharr, or Edinburg, we need to put an end to anything that even closely resembles that tired word, "compadrismo". Now, I'll concede that if we're going to clean up dirty politics, we're going to have to weed the old regimes out. I'm speaking of course, of factual information, not innuendos, or I heard it from a friend of a friend. I'm talking about honest to goodness, in your face, we don't care if everyone and their grandmother's know what's going on we're going to do it anyway type of politics. The Valley is in need of a positive change from this type of politics. I'm not sure what the commissioners intentions were tonight, but as citizens we need to keep an eye on this.

This is dangerous because it brings up the question, in my mind, of whether a new slate is only after their slice of the political pie. I hope not, and if the commissioners intentions are different, time will tell. Like I've stated before, and I believe it warrants repeating, I believe in the mayor and the commissioners, but it's one thing to "beat them to death with their own rules", as Oscar Z. Acosta put it. It's a whole different story when "we need to keep our eyes open, we might just be changing names on the masthead." I said that a few months ago on RGV Politics, and if I had my pick of ideaologies to warily approach politics in the Valley, well...I didn't decide to start this blog for nothing.

Mayor Leo "Polo" Palacios takes a step for better financial management...One bloggers view...cynically yours...

2006-06-04T21:33:00.000-05:00

In a move that surprised even the hardest of cynics, myself included, the Mayor of Pharr is questioning the financial responsibility of being included among 81 delegates which will attend the National Civic League conference, according to a report out of Sunday's The Monitor. The report states that the City of Pharr budgeted $100,000 for the trip. Mayor Leo "Polo" Palacios is quoted as saying, "I didn't see why the city should spend money on five nights in hotel, plus flights, and meals for me and my wife. I think all of us should be more concerned with how we spend our money. For $100,000 I could hire a couple of extra police officers." The report continues by stating that the 81 member delegation will leave on Thursday.

Finally, another elected official stepping up to the plate to make responsible choices for the community at large. If that's the case with the mayor, more power to him and the City of Pharr.

However, I can't help bring up the question of timing. There is a run-off election in a couple of weeks between Arturo Cortez and Edelmiro "Ed" De La Garza for City Commissioner Place 1. On May 14th, The Monitor reported that Cortez belongs to Mayor Palacios' slate. Could this be a case of the mayor paying lip service to an important issue in hopes of swaying some votes for Arturo Cortez? I don't know, but the question isn't without merit. How many times have citizens in the Valley seen an elected official promise better fiscal management only to turn around and do the exact opposite. Time will tell.

Live to your computer screen...It's a bird, it's a plane...Nah, just another half-bright plan by the Governor....

2006-06-02T14:52:00.000-05:00

As if blogging wasn't enough to fill the web universe, a report out of The Monitor this morning reveals a plan by Gov. Perry to install live webcams along the Rio Grande River. "Gov. Rick Perry wants to install hundreds of cameras along the Rio Grande so Internet viewers can watch illegal crossings in real time and report them to officers on the border."

According to the report the cameras are priced at $5 million. No word though on what might happen if this type of move backfires. And who's stuck paying for it.

There's a web site, and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it, but it has to do with a ghost that supposedly haunts a library somewhere in the northeast United States. What the library did was install web cams so that millions of viewers in real time can sit in front of their monitors and wait. And hope. And wait. And...oh, geeez, was that...no. Then hope. Then wait some more. The basic idea is to capture the ghost by clicking on the webcam any time you think you see a flash of light, or a distinctive blur on the monitor. Now, if what you capture turns out to be a moth, or just a blip on the screen, hey no harm, no foul.

But, if you install webcams at a price of $5 million dollars with the overall plan to send law enforcement out to the scene of the crime at that very moment, well, it's not inconceivable to think that we're setting ourselves up for a lot of false alarms. A lot of pranksters out there with nothing else better to do than waste our law enforcement officers time. Or, we could be looking at overzealous viewers who call law enforcement officers on the "hunch" that they saw something "clear as day" make their way across the screen.

Come on, let's think this type of thing through before asking the legislature to spend money on something that may very well do nothing to stop the influx of drug smuggling, or human trafficking. What's next, setting up webcams in the brush country between San Manuel and Falfurrias to capture UFO's?

The San Juan Hotel issue...not quite dead yet...The Monitor quotes owners reaction..."The art of controlling your environment"...

2006-05-25T16:17:00.000-05:00

According to a report out of The Monitor today, PSJA School Board Member Roy Rodriguez gives his reaction to Tuesday's San Juan City Commissioners vote to stop any further study into purchasing the historic San Juan Hotel. Rodriguez, owner of the property states, "The City Commission could have taken advantage of the funding grants that are out there, done something with it, but that wasn't the vision of the newly elected commission. They made it a political issue."

Well, maybe, but let us not forget the following:

The fact that the city had two commissioners vote on a measure to continue to study the purchase of the hotel. Commissioners who are employees of the same school district the property owner is a board member of-That's political.

The fact that the two commissioners motioned and seconded the vote, ignoring the citizens of San Juan who voiced their concern over such a study-That's political.

The following two things occur to me.

First, Mr. Rodriguez seems to have forgotten what the city commissioners are there to do in the first place. That is to do what's best for the entire community of San Juan. If the majority of the community has spoken out that they do not want to pay for a hotel at an overinflated price, the actions taken by the mayor and those city commissioners to stop any further study isn't a political issue. It's called responsible government.

Second, the PSJA community recently passed a $70 million dollar bond, and the selection of a new superintendent looms in the near future as current Superintendent Arturo Guajardo will retire in December. Perhaps as a school board member, Mr. Rodriguez should concentrate on these pressing items instead of putting his two cents in for what the citizens of San Juan did or did not miss out on due to what he claims are political issues.

Item 9...The Rise of a New San Juan City Commission...The End of the San Juan Hotel Issue...

2006-05-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

"Mayor and commissioners, item 9 on the agenda is asking to stop all studies on the purchasing of the San Juan Hotel. This issue was one of the deciding factors on who to vote for during this past election. I hope that the entire panel votes in favor to stop from spending any more money to purchase a hotel that the majority of the citizens have opposed. I am a member of the La Union del Pueblo Entero or the organization more commonly known as the United Farm Workers. We have a chant we use in order to unify ourselves and it says El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido. Loosely translated, commissioners, the phrase says we will not be defeated if we are united. The study to purchase this hotel has unified the citizens of San Juan asking for accountability from our elected officials. Please do what is right for the citizens of San Juan."-Ignacio Almaguer in a speech before the San Juan City Commissioners, May 23, 2006.

There are two things a novice attendee to city commission meetings takes with him at the end of the day. First, is the realisation that unless your idea of an interesting evening revolves around listening to political jargon like items on the agenda, motions, second the motions, all those in favor, all those opposed, you're not going to find these meetings very exciting. It is an event much akin to waiting in a dentist's office for an hour knowing those final moments are leading to a root canal. Or watching golf on a Sunday afternoon in July because basketball season is over, and football season is still a month and a half away. But I braved the heat in the RGV this afternoon because of the second thing that a novice attendee to city commission meetings takes away with him.

A sense that a new era of political responsibility is upon the citizens of San Juan, Texas.

Item 9 on this week's agenda in the San Juan City Commission Meeting revolved around removing any further action, study, or mention by the commission on a study to purchase the historic San Juan Hotel. The final nail on the coffin. The be all to end all.

And so, with a motion brought forth by newly elected Place 4 Commissioner Eddie Rodriguez, seconded by newly elected Place 5 Commissioner Claudia Gonzalez, the panel that Almaguer refers to voted to end the turbulent saga of the San Juan Hotel. "The community has spoken," said Mayor San Juanita Sanchez at the beginning of the meeting, referring to a previous commissioners meeting on March 28, and subsequent dissent by the citizens of San Juan on whether the idea of purchasing the hotel for $575,000 dollars was both feasibly prudent, and ethical.

To wit, the San Juan Hotel is owned by a PSJA School Board Member. Two Commissioners on the San Juan City Commission in March, are PSJA School employees. Draw your own conclusions, I've stated some of the obvious ones in previous posts here on RGV Politics. But let's not digress too much, or brood on things from the past. The important thing now, is the future. The future of a community that, according to Lydia Perkins a San Juan citizen who spoke before the commissioners, has big expectations from their municipal government. This is one case where if we're promised more of the same after tonight's meeting, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

The Ghost of William S. Burroughs...One Example of Activism in the Age of Conformity...The Rise of the Human Element...

2006-05-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

"In the Valley economic laws work out like a formula in high school algebra, since there is no human element to interfere. The very rich are getting richer and all the others are going broke." -William Lee, protagonist in William S. Burroughs' novel "Junky"

That book was published over fifty years ago. It describes one outsiders brief look into the political and social environment of the Rio Grande Valley. Sad thing is, the criticism still seems to ring true when describing the current state of affairs in South Texas. Take for instance, the growing rash of political corruption at the hands of local officials. According to various media reports earlier this year, PSJA school board member, Jaime Santa Maria pled quilty to bribery charges stemming from "backwoods-type" financial transactions with McAllen based contractor Al Cardenas, Jr. Bribes in exchange for construction contracts throughout the PSJA school district. A few miles to the northeast, the bad apples don't seem to fall far from the corruptive school board tree. Former Edcouch-Elsa school board president Aaron Gonzalez awaits his own trial this month from similar charges of bribery, but has since been charged with witness tampering as well.

In spite of this, not many citizens in the Rio Grande Valley seem to care too much about corruption within our municipalities, and school districts. There is a general sense of apathy towards how our political and social systems work, as well as what citizens can do to ensure those systems run ethically, and responsibly. "Shucks, they're going to do it anyway, what can we do about it?" asks one. Still others are jumping on the increasingly popular, "I'll leave all that to the media and journalists, hey, what time's happy hour?" train.

It is a generation that when faced with the proverbial crossroads of life chose to accept things the way they are, and have been for decades. This type of attitude, though, lends itself to bowing down to a status quo which calls for an unrelenting blind faith in the world around them. A school board member knows what's best for the school district, even if it means buying fifty dollar screws, or five hundred dollar toilets from the "lowest" bidder, which just happens to be someone's cousin, or at worst a politiquera cashing in his chips.

As Burroughs described, there is still no human element to interfere. The very rich, in this case local elected officials, are still getting richer. The others, regular citizens, are going broke. There are exceptions to the rule. As the illegal immigration debate rages on in the U.S. Congress, and the Rio Grande Valley is amidst corruption scandals with FBI investigations on local community entities, there are those who are, for lack of a better term "Bucking the system." In the city of San Juan, thirty-two year old Ignacio Almaguer is accumulating a community involvement resume that could rival that of a seasoned activist twice his age.

What makes Almaguer unique, is the fact that he's lived in the Valley all of his life. He does not share in the knowledge other activists like him have gained from living in activist-rich cities like Austin, Houston, or Dallas. Places that see more than their fair share of community involvement such as the millions who took to the streets this past April to protest the illegal immigration debate. That's not to take away from the important work these activists are making in our community. But there's something to be said about the local wave of otherwise home-grown community activists who somehow found the motivation within themselves to challenge the status quo.

In 1978, his family legally immigrated to the United States. A move Almaguer attributes to necessity, "In order for my parents to provide a better education for my brother, my sister, and myself." I asked Almaguer what he thought of political ideals, such as author Hunter S. Thompson's claim that at the very core of activism, getting involved in politics was essentially "the art of controlling your environment." He responded by saying, "I believe this type of control over your environment is the benevolent side, but the malevolent side is when you become a contractor shortly after you are elected to oversee tax properties and you start purchasing properties at a low price to in turn sell them to municipalities at an inflated price."

So the motivation is what? When other's are afraid of becoming involved because it represents going against an ingrained sense of not being able to think outside the box, or the corruption is still not evidently clear to some people that something is going on, indeed ignorance is bliss, what drives Almaguer to keep going? "My parents taught us to be humble and to help our fellow neighbor. It was the example of hard work that my parents established in my brother, my sister, and myself that led me to provide my skills to the community that gave me so much," he concluded.

Lesson learned.

Ignacio Almaguer is president of the local school board watchdog group, Grupo PODER. PODER is an acronym which stands for "Por Otros Decidimos Escuchar y Responder". This loosely translates to "For others we've decided to listen and respond." The group, Almaguer states is concerned with providing the community at large with the information pertaining to the PSJA school district. He is the creator of the web site for the San Juan community watchdog group, The SanJuanistas. The site, he says, "was initially created to inform the citizens of San Juan about the proposed toll road that would have gone through San Juan." This past Valentine's Day, the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court resolved, at the behest of the SanJuanistas present including Almaguer, to defeat a measure of a toll road through the city of San Juan. The current plight of the group revolves around the purchase of the historic San Juan Hotel by the city from PSJA school board member Roy Rodriguez at a price tag of $575,000 dollars. A move that has been put in limbo due to this past May 13th election which saw Commissioner Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez defeated by challenger Claudia Gonzalez. Commissioner Rodriguez was one of the commissioners responsible for voting on a measure to study the purchase of the hotel according to The SanJuanistas web site. Commissioner Rodriguez is also an employee of the PSJA school district.

Almaguer is currently a Board Member for the San Juan Housing Authority, and member of the Texas Chapter of La Union Del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE. An organization which believes strongly in the words of it's founder Cesar Chavez who said, "members of the low-income community have the responsibility and the obligation to organize themselves, and through their association, begin to advocate and articulate for the issues and factors that compact their lives."

There is a quote by sixties author, attorney, activist Oscar Z. Acosta that states, "Beat them to death with their own rules." It is a reference on how to approach a political system that has long since lost it's taste for doing what's right for the community at large. Instead, has turned it's bloodthirsty lust for doing what's right for the chosen few. The Valley, itself, may be far removed from radical words like Acosta's, but the underlying sentiment is there, waiting for the last voice to push things over the top. Human elements are beginning to interfere. So now, Mr. Burroughs, how do you like them apples?

A Changing of the Guard in the City of San Juan...The Lords of Political Kharma...Citizens brace for positive change...

2006-05-17T08:16:00.000-05:00

Somewhere in the universe, the lords of political kharma must be smiling. After this past Saturday's general election, the citizen's of San Juan may have something to smile about as well.

Claudia Gonzalez, the challenger for Place 5 on San Juan's City Commission, and who people around town said held no real name recognition, defeated incumbent Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez. Claudia Gonzalez garnered 56.57% of the total ballots cast with 1,072 votes. Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez held his own but came up short collecting 43.43% of the total ballots with 803 votes.

Results were published online on the Hidalgo County Elections Department website. The results were still unofficial as of Tuesday, but what's interesting to note is that the Place 4 election for city commissioner almost mirrors the Place 5 election, vote for vote.

Eddie Rodriguez received 57.09% of the total ballots cast with 1,071 votes. The challenger, Ruben Navarro received 42.91% of the total ballots with 805 votes. It doesn't take a genius to realise the definite faction lines across San Juan.

But so what? Or better yet, what now? Do, or should the citizen's of San Juan expect positive change? Or have they set themselves up for more of the same?

After all, the recent controversy that wrought the City of San Juan revolves around the study to purchase the historic San Juan Hotel. To wit, according to the commissioner's meeting dated March 28, 2006, and information provided by The SanJuanistas web site, San Juan may have dodged a major financial bullet brought upon by City Commissioners Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez, and Pete Contreras. Rodriguez and Contreras are employees of the PSJA School District. The owner of the property is PSJA School Board Member Roy Rodriguez, who plans to sell the hotel for $575,000 dollars to somebody. This past March, that somebody was almost the City of San Juan. City Commissioner Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez voted a motion of continuance into the study of purchasing the hotel. Despite protests by citizens in attendance, City Commissioner Pete Contreras seconded the motion. Currently, the issue stands in some type of limbo, given that Gonzalez has replaced Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez as Place 5 City Commissioner. Where thing's stand now, the citizens of San Juan should definitely keep their eyes and ears peeled.

Time can only tell what type of change the two new city commissioners will bring to the city of San Juan, Texas. Will it be positive? Will it be negative?

Only the citizens, and the lords of political kharma hold the ledger on that.

Post-Address Thoughts...Bush's Plan...Latino's Thoughts...

2006-05-15T19:27:00.000-05:00

"...we do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that." President George W. Bush, Presidential Address May 15, 2006.

Well, short speech, about twenty minutes long. Basically, Bush's plan revolves around two things: sending National Guard troops to the southern border, and providing a Temporary Worker Program.

Bush's plan calls for six thousand troops to be deployed to the southern U.S. border with Mexico. These troops will set up shop to help the Border Patrol with surveillance issues, installing cameras, building fences (Jesus, that always pops up somehow, doesn't it?), etc. Bush says the National Guard will not help the Border Patrol apprehend illegal immigrants. The number of National Guard troops will decrease after one year, when as Bush explains, they will slowly be replaced by new Border Patrol agents. By 2008, Bush projects that the Border Patrol will have an additional six thousand agents to be sent along the U.S./Mexico border.

Bush also informed us that he will do away with catch and release. As a result, he predicts, this will mean that immigrants will no longer want to come into the U.S. illegally.

The President wants to incorporate a Temporary Worker Program. He says this will be a legal path, and more orderly entrance into the United States. He believes this program will meet the needs of the economy, reduce human smuggling, and will replace illegal workers with legal taxpayers.

President Bush believes that the millions of illegal immigrants in the country should not be given amnesty, but under the Temporary Worker Program, they will be given the opportunity to provide for their families for a designated time. At the end of which, they will be sent back home. People remaining in the United States will have to pay a penalty for coming into the country illegally, and he'd want each immigrant to learn English. After all, according to Bush, English is the means by which someone can go from "picking crops to opening a grocery store."

You've got to be kidding me. A lot of rhetoric for easing the qualms of critics and supporters alike, while not really providing any realistic long term solutions for a problem that goes beyond that of someone working in this country illegally or not. There needs to be more responsibility from countries like Mexico. Our illegal immigration problem is not an issue of how many troops, agents, civilians we put along the border. It's not about erecting any "fence". Corporations in this country need to take responsibility for hiring illegal workers in the first place. They should pay their share of penalties in all of this, and the whole, "it's hard for them to know who has legal documentation and who doesn't, because there's a lot of document fraud out there". Please, how much kissing ass did these corporations do to get the President of the United States to say that? Rest assured, if any middle or lower class citizen in this country used an excuse like that, well...

As for countries like Mexico, they need to start providing a means for their working class to make a better living for themselves in Mexico. Until they do, this whole temporary worker program isn't going to amount to a damn thing, if we still have millions upon millions of immigrants who are left with no other choice but to take their chances in the hot desert, or brush country sun, the trailer of an 18-wheeler, or being stopped by a Border Patrol Agent, because things in their home country just don't cut it. And they never have for the working class poor in that country.

The President and his take on the illegal immigration issue...

2006-05-15T18:47:00.000-05:00

Just going over the exerpts from George W. Bush's Presidential Address in about twenty minutes. The topic will address the illegal immigration.

According to a press release from CNN (http://www.cnn.com/) President Bush will talk about Temporary Worker Programs. "The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across".

Okay, I'm not sure if he's going to provide details on this plan, or he's just throwing things out there for the American citizens to chew on.

We shall see, the address is about to begin.....

Quick Post...Contribution to The Paper of South Texas

2006-05-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know, I contributed a piece to The Paper of South Texas. The issue is out today, and there are several locations in Hidalgo County where you can pick one up. There is also the official web site. Follow the link on my sidebar to The Paper of South Texas.

A Call to Hidalgo County Voters...The floor is yours...

2006-05-06T11:59:00.000-05:00

As the early voting for next Saturday's general elections continue, I'll leave the floor open to any comments from those of you who have any rants, raves, gripes, or praise for your local school board and the candidates vying for places on it. How about bond proposals, do you as voters agree? Disagree? Comments section is open. Who do you support? Who do you want out? Explain.

Overnight Update...Fox May not sign new Drug Bill into Law

2006-05-04T07:33:00.000-05:00

Overnight news reports that Mexico's President Vicente Fox has reconsidered signing the drug bill into law. It is preliminary, and as one reporter from KURV TalkRadio stated, "we won't know for sure until we don't see a signature." Apparently the Mexican Congress is going to reanalyze the bill before Fox signs it. Let's hope this report is true, as it will definitely mean good news for Valley citizens.

Mexico's New Drug Laws Could Spell Trouble for the Youth of the RGV...

2006-05-03T18:09:00.000-05:00

An Associated Press report out of The Monitor today says that Mexican President Vicente Fox will in all likelihood sign a bill into law which will make it legal to carry small amounts of illicit drugs. Details of some of the drugs and their legal amounts include possessing up to 25 milligrams of heroin, 5 grams of marijuana, or up to 0.5 grams of cocaine. Ruben Aguilar, a Mexican spokesman for the President, is quoted in the article as saying, "The president is going to sign this law," and "The government believes that this law represents progress, because it establishes the minimum quantities that a citizen can carry for personal use".

Progress? At what cost? And to whom?

We live in an area where going to the discoteques on Friday or Saturday nights is not only looked at as the popular thing to do, but in many cases, looked at as a right of passage. "Oh, you haven't lived until..." yeah, anyone who remembers being a teenager can fill in the rest. It's bad enough that teenagers go across the border to get "fashionably" drunk, and put themselves at risk by driving back home. This is hard to swallow, but the reality is that these occurences happen, and for some reason or another the Rio Grande Valley has dealt with teenage drinking in one way or another. It shouldn't have to be this way, but....

Now, throw into the mix, the fact that they can legally possess marijuana, up to four joints, cocaine, up to four lines, and up to 25 milligrams of heroin.

To me, this spells trouble, no matter how you slice it. Especially when we're talking about serious drugs like cocaine and heroin, which have serious side effects. I mean come on, we're not talking about smoking a couple of packs of Marlboro's and downing a few cuba libres. Some one is going to get hurt here, and in all likelihood it's going to be our kids.

Make that strike two in my book for Mexico not doing it's part to be a more responsible country.

Mexico reminds me of a deadbeat parent. A parent all too willing to push their children towards the more responsible relatives because the children are having trouble in school, or have self-esteem issues, or to put it simply, the parent just doesn't want to deal with the child. Period.

All the while never assuming responsibility that the one who really needs help is themselves.

These Quiet Border Towns Ain't What They Used to Be...Mexican Citizens Put in Their Two Cents...

2006-05-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

Raising a few eyebrows this evening, the citizens of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, have taken protests to a higher level. According to news reports out of local television outlets, citizens have created a human barrier on the Mexican side of the International Bridge, between Reynosa and Hidalgo, Texas. By doing so, they are barring any entry to Mexico by United States citizens, Latino, or otherwise. Their purpose is to protest the illegal immigration debate that continues in the U.S. Congress. Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, sees it's fair share of United States citizens looking for a good bargain on everything from liquor to prescription drugs. Items usually found at half the price their U.S. counterparts sell them for. For the official story follow this link to http://www.newschannel5.tv/

New Stadium for PSJA Update...well, sort of...we'll need to keep digging...

2006-04-28T11:57:00.000-05:00

It's Friday, and I know I let some people know that I'd keep them updated on the PSJA New Stadium article that ran in Sunday's edition of The Monitor. Please refer to my post written on the article Sunday April 23, 2006. One anonymous commentator wrote, "rumors running around that the board is split right now", referring to the vote the school board had taken on Saturday morning concerning the addition of constructing a new stadium with some of the funds that would be made available through the $70 million bond proposal set for election in May. I sent Wade Baker, Deputy Sports Editor and author of the original report, an email asking for any clarification regarding some of the rumors going around in PSJA. Here is what I sent him:

"Mr. Wade Baker,

my name is Hector Gomez, author of the blog site RGV Politics and contributor to the East Texas political blog site Capitol Annex authored by Vince Leibowitz.

I'm writing in regards to your article "PSJA looking at new stadium" which ran in Sunday's edition of The Monitor.

As authors of blog sites around the country, the main source of our material comes from the mainstream media outlets, newspapers, television, radio, etc. For the most part, many bloggers seem to take great liberties with the details provided in such reports. Mine, nor the one I contribute to, do that. Sites like ours depend on facts that are printed, or presented to the public. We give credit where credit is due, at least speaking for my own blog site, and the one's I'm affiliated with or link to.

Being as such, your article that I referenced to on Sunday, has garnered some attention from the citizen's of PSJA. There are rumors to the effect that call into question some of the quotes and facts presented in the report. I'm not here to question whether you provided accurate information, as you would not be in the position you're in, if you had not. I'm writing in hopes to clarify any questions the readers of RGV Politics may have.

To be fair, some of the rumors abound include:

No one from The Monitor was present at Saturday's meeting.

Superintendent Guajardo was misquoted.

The vote taken was to renovate the existing stadium. No new stadium was discussed.

A discussion of building a new stadium was left in the context of purchasing land for the "possibility" of a new stadium some time in the future. A future that at this point did not include the details of a new stadium.

Please note that even though these are some of the rumors, many of the claims have been made by reliable sources in the PSJA community. This is why I find it necessary to clear up any confusion the citizen's of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo may have. The very few of us in the blogging world have taken a serious stance in using these outlets as tools to provide the public with information they may not otherwise get. And by the looks of the reaction we've received, it seems to be working.

So please, let me know about any clarifications you might have regarding your article, or stand by it "as is". The main concern of the citizens of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo isn't so much whether we've been presented the facts by your report, as much as we fear that some leaders in our community would like to make it seem that you didn't.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Sincerely,

Hector Gomez"

-email sent 4/25/06 11:47 a.m.

Subsequent emails sent were to ask whether they had received this email, and whether they had any clarifications. I have not received any response.

For the citizen's of the community, I assume we'll have to take someone's word for it, once the bond election comes around. Who's word depends on whether or not we do our homework on this one. Get some additional knowledge on the bond proposal. I'll continue to look into any information regarding the issue. As for the rest of the PSJA community, consider the floor yours via the comment section. Let me, and the rest of us know some facts, if you find out before we do.

The Men's Resource Center of South Texas...A Guest Post by Cesar J. Alvarado...

2006-04-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

The following is a guest post by Cesar J. Alvarado regarding the importance of the Men's Resource Center of South Texas to the Rio Grande Valley:

"My journey to manhood has been interesting. After being born and raised in San Juan, Tejas, I moved to Central Tejas where I sincerely realized everyone was not Latin@. Life experiences took me through a lot, colegio-no colegio, work-no work, partying-no partying, dating someone-not dating someone. Overall, I cherish the eleven years I lived in between Bryan-College Station, Austin, and Houston.

Today, I walk with much gentleness and respect. After recoginizing I was living a destructive life, I knew I had to change. The Men's Resource Center of South Texas is a place where I have personally seen and felt radiating light. This safe place in Harlingen, Tejas, is one where males can discover "growing, sharing, connecting, and building community with other males".

I genuinely invite you to the Center and its website, www.mrcofsouthtexas.org. The Men's Resource Center of South Texas is one of the Valley's best assets. Emiliano Diaz DeLeon and the rest of the all volunteer staff will welcome you with love. Hopefully, more people will recognize the magnitude a place like this has in providing safe opportunities for el Valle."

-Cesar J. Alvarado.

Cesar J. Alvarado is a Community Organizer for the NGO, The Texas Council on Family Violence, in Austin, Texas. For an additional essay written by Cesar J. Alvarado, titled "People of Color, and the Color of Love" please visit http://www.mensresourcecenter.org/coloroflove.html

If you'd like to learn more about this important organization here in our very own Rio Grande Valley, click on the link provided by Cesar in his guest post, or follow the link I've added to my sidebar.

PSJA...The Line Between Sports and Politics is a very, very thin one...

2006-04-23T19:56:00.000-05:00

A report out of The Monitor's sports section this morning states, "during a school district workshop Saturday it was voted that the school district may be in line for a new stadium within the next five years." The issue of a new stadium was included with the building of a fourth high school, a middle school, and an elementary, as part of PSJA's seventy million dollar bond proposal set for a May vote by the community. The new stadium is estimated to cost $7 million according to a quote in the report by Arturo Guajardo. The idea of simply renovating the current football stadium would cost the district $5 million, the report continues. Superintendent Arturo Guajardo is further quoted as saying, "There's not much difference between $5 million and $7 million, in the interest of the children, the board decided to go ahead and install the new turf, the track, and make a few renovations for now. We're being told that they can work around the football season. If the bond passes, we hope to purchase the land for the new stadium within the next year. This was just a smarter decision for everyone".

A two million dollar difference between new and renovated is no big deal? Going with a new stadium was a "smarter decision for everyone"? Excuse me, but last time I checked the universe we lived in has the Valley as one of the poorest regions in the state, let alone the country. And in a time when the special session on school finance reform will not address issues such as classroom upgrades, teacher pay raises, overall school improvements, an extra two million dollars is a hell of a lot to ask from the community for a new stadium.

Here's an idea nobody asked for, but then again, I wasn't asked if a new stadium should be part of the bond issue, either.

If the bond issue passes, use five million to renovate the current stadium. The artificial turf was installed less than ten years ago, along with the track. There's no need to spend money installing a new one at the moment, the idea of which in turn makes no additional sense because who in their right minds would want to install a new turf, only to build a completely new stadium with it's own new turf less than five years from now? Oh......well, let's carry on shall we.

As I was saying, completely renovate the current stadium from the ground up. Since we can do without the new turf, or track, the field is pretty much playable during football season which will last between September and November. Playoffs can be held in a neighboring stadium, when chances are most games would be away anyway. These other minor renovations can be done in the off-season if it hinders the possibility of conducting home games. These minor renovations can be part of the overall complete renovation of the stadium. Five million.

Those two extra million, here's an idea, let's use it to alleviate overcrowding by building additional classrooms, or upgrading some classrooms that are in need of new computers, or supplies. Let's go the extra mile, and use some of that two million to create programs to help underprivileged children with school supplies, and uniforms. Maybe set up funding for programs that would help "at-risk" children from dropping out. Start upgrading our existing elementary schools so that they all have a chance to be exemplary schools. Put money into upgrading programs for special needs children.

Two million, in my universe, is a lot of money. If this bond passes, let us at least make sure it's going towards something more practical than a new stadium. There's nothing wrong with the existing one that renovations cannot clear up. Many championships have been won in that stadium, it would be a shame to fathom what would happen to it, if a new one gets built. With everything that's been going on in PSJA lately, I can only imagine.

Quick Links for Friday, April 21...Living in "interesting" times...

2006-04-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

Two quick links of interest this Friday.

Octavio over at South Texican has an interesting post regarding indictments being handed down on three Hidalgo County District Judges. Should raise a few eyebrows around the Valley, especially in Hidalgo County. Read more at http://southtexican.blogspot.com/

Rep. Aaron Pena has an interesting post on his site as well dealing with the ongoing special session. Read more at http://www.acapitolblog.blogspot.com/

Jesus, where's that thesaurus when I need it. Very well, then the operative word for today is "interesting". Have a good one.

Mid-Week Link Dump...A Lot Going on in the blogosphere...

2006-04-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

If you've got some spare time, take a look at the following links:

Vince over at Capitol Annex has an excellent post on the gov' not considering electricity rate relief, and asks the question that weighs a lot on most of our minds, why does it take the Texas Legislature so long to consider one issue? Read it at http://capitolannex.com/

Couldbetrue over at South Texas Chisme has a good read about the electricity rate relief bill that Senator Hinojosa, and others, are asking the gov' to put on the agenda this special session. Read it at http://stxc.blogspot.com/

Finally, if you're not a big fan of columnist Michelle Malkin, and I know I'm not, XicanoPwr has an excellent post on "The Lunacy of Michelle Malkin". Read it at http://xicanopwr.blogspot.com/

If you have any trouble accessing the links on this post, just go to the links on my sidebar, click on them, and you're there. Enjoy.

Blame it on the Sun...Will Texas Teachers Ever Cut A Break...Constituents Must Demand More

2006-04-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

There's is only one way to describe South Texas weather these past couple of days. Scorching.

I'm just surprised the local news media hasn't done the annual fry the egg on the sidewalk ritual that's usually reserved for months like late July and all of August. At least when we see temperatures surpass the century mark, we can say "Well, that's August for you. The Dog Days. The Canicula". But April is too early to be brooding on things like how hot it is outside. Didn't we learn in school, March winds bring April showers, or something like that. No, let April 2006 be forever known as the year of the "blackouts". So far, the Rio Grande Valley has not seen it's share of the blackouts, that I know of. But cross your fingers, because according to forecasters we're in this heat wave for the long haul.

Jesus, just when I was getting used to paying an electricity bill in the hundred to two hundred dollar range. And that's what we should be worried about. The cost of electricity, because bet your bottom dollar, some corporation is going to take advantage of this, just like they did when Hurricane Katrina hit. Dear Lord, will this babbling ever stop, I mean isn't that why I created the other blog site Palm Dreams for? So I could dedicate my time to writing about politics on this site, while publishing non-political ramble on the other?

Rambling? Nonsense, and if it is so what? We can always blame it on the Sun, can't we? Indeed good ol' Mother Nature. Who else can we count on to insure that low to middle class citizens in our communities get the bill past to when corporations see opportunity knocking on the door?

"But halt, what light through yonder window breaks?" It is the legislature, and their bills may very well cover our own, but at what cost?

According to an article on the front page of The Monitor this morning, a group of Republicans and Democrats, including our very own State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, have asked the gov' to "allow the Texas Legislature to consider bills that would reduce electric rates across the state this summer".

Gov' says not so fast. His agenda is passing a new tax system for Texas to, in someway or another (it's an issue that's kind of become a bit muddled lately), make the current school finance system legal. Thirty days to do this. Thirty days to decide which type of tax plan would work best for businesses....Oh, scratch that, I meant school finance. But enough about school funding and getting teacher pay raises into this special session. Those issues have become so yesterday. At least to the people who don't know, remember, or give a hoot in hell what the special session is all about, or should be about. That's the way some people like it, folks. The less you know, the better. But I digress, and there's a point to be made after such a long dose of rhetoric that many people might think is going nowhere.

Point being, I'm still not in total agreement with putting issues like controlling utility costs on a special session that seems to be, slowly but surely, getting to the point where it's no longer about school finance reform. And the more legislators keep trying to put issues like these in, you can rest assured those that aren't for looking into regulating electricity costs are going to take their sweet time with tax reform by way of fillibustering the thing to death. Thirty days later, we may find ourselves, if we're lucky with a new tax system, but still no immediate way of tackling the issues of upgrading hurting school districts, and teachers who yet again, are faced with the dilemma of actually going back to class next Fall. And we sure as hell won't be looking at lower electricity costs. An issue that should have been nipped at the bud when it first started to skyrocket. Where were all these legislators then? According to the report in The Monitor, last year "the Legislature abolished the System Benefit Fund". This fund "helped low income households pay their utility bills using a fee collected on all Texan's bills." Here's the kicker, the report goes on to state that "customers continue to pay the fee on their bills but the money is directed to the general revenue, not to be a low-income assistance program". Questions are, why were they abolished? And if they were abolished, why do customers keep paying it? Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa is right on one front as he is quoted as saying, "I am very concerned about what is going to happen to our elderly and low-income families this summer if they are not able to pay their electricity bills". Tell you what Senator, if as customers Texans are still paying this fee, inform your constituents of this and have them demand from the electricity companies the right to have those fees directed to helping low income families, and tell us the names of the Senators who voted to abolish this program in the first place to make sure that when election time comes around, we have someone else to blame besides the Sun.

Is building a Border Fence really the issue?...Or are we just being taken for a ride?

2006-04-17T19:26:00.000-05:00

A headline in today's issue of The Monitor got me thinking.

It reads, "Border Security could go private". Uh-huh. Well for those of you who like to play connect the dots with issues, this headline should give you something to write home about.

In the midsts of an immigration debate which should re-convene next week, here comes a report that states, "U.S. Customs and Border Protection is asking the private sector to help secure America's borders". The report states that the Department began a bidding process for items such as "technology and surveillance". "Detection technology like fences and infrared cameras".

"fences and infrared cameras"....

Let's call this dot point A.

The immigration debate revolves around what the government should do to stop illegal immigrants and what to do with illegal immigrants already living in the U.S. It's a debate that is even cutting through party lines. Plans to solve the immigration dilemma includes actions that most critics deem as "amnesty" for those illegal immigrants already working in the United States. Other plans call for returning all illegal immgrants "post-haste" to their native countries. Tackling the issue of further illegal immgration, there are some Senators calling for the erection of a "fence" along the U.S./Mexico border.

The erection of a "fence" along the U.S./Mexico border.....

We'll call this dot point B.

If we take point A-"Border security could go private", and connect it with, here we go, dot, dot, dot, dot, to point B-some Senators calling for a Border fence, what do we get?

I could be wrong, but what I see is the convenient correlation between the Department of Customs and Border Patrol seeking private entities through a bidding practice to provide technological support including building a fence, AND some powerful Senators pushing an illegal immigration reform act which would include building a fence along our border with Mexico. We've all seen our fair share of "honest bidding practices" in the Vallley before, haven't we?

The thing is, and the thing that seems to be weighing on me regarding this issue, is that if policies and actions of our government are at times a direct result of lobbyists pouring big money into someone's pockets, it seems to me some Senators may be, maybe, looking for a little more than just tackling the issue of illegal immigration.

After all, if they were really worried about the influx of illegal immigration, one might think they'd have started tackling this issue before they have eleven or twelve million people on their hands, and are faced with a "now what" scenario. For the full report in The Monitor, go to www.themonitor.com

Special Session on Schoo-no, Tax Reform Commences Today...Miles to go, before they sleep...

2006-04-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

The end of another Holiday weekend, and it's back to work. Business as usual for the State Legislature today that will begin it's special session on school- um, I mean property tax reform. Somewhere between then and now, the issue has taken a turn towards concentrating on a revamp of property taxes, business taxes, and cigarette taxes. Many local Senators were reportedly optimistic about the special session and the tax reform proposal presented under the leadership of former State Comptroller John Sharp. See www.themonitor.com for the details.

It's early, way too early for most of us especially, to be writing about politics. The weekend was good for the most part, but now let us address the issues once more. Good luck to the legislators, and a safe trip to those who have to travel the extra mile to get there.

San Juan Police Raises...A Dire Step in the Right Direction

2006-04-13T17:34:00.000-05:00

According to a report out of The Monitor today, police officers in the City of San Juan will have to wait until the next city council meeting to be held in two weeks to see if their "demands for a twenty-five percent pay raise" will go through. The Monitor continues by stating that the hourly wage of the police officers "has only increased 25 cents over the last three years and leaves them one of the lowest paid departments in the area". How's that for employee morale?

Imagine knowing full well that the same job you're being asked to go above and beyond for is paying sometimes twice as much somewhere else. You're tired, you're stressed, and the only thing you have to fall back on is that you enjoy the city you work for too much to take a chance and try to work somewhere else. You can't even try to convince yourself that the pay makes it worth it, because it doesn't. If only you could get your boss to see that you're worth more than what they're presently giving you. But for the last three years, all the boss cares about is the bottom line when it comes to making a profit, and it's your salary that bears the brunt.

Don't know if local law enforcement feels this way, but I doubt I'm too far off the mark.

In the same report, Sgt. Albino Rodriguez is quoted as saying, "We barely make it. We're pay check to pay check. They (other officers) have friends in other departments who talk about the salary they're earning over there and they try to convince you to leave".

Considering the circumstances, I wouldn't blame anybody for trying to leave. After all, when you're caught between the battle of your employers fiscal responsibility and your own, especially if you have a family to support, the choice is sometimes a no-brainer. The fact that we haven't lost the whole police force because of this, is in my opinion, a miracle. As a citizen, I'm all for putting aside any other issue on the board agenda to make sure we're done with all this 25 cents every three years business.

Let's see what the city council thinks of this in two weeks.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senator...But, was win too close for comfort in RGV?

2006-04-12T10:39:00.001-05:00

Looks like this November will be a humdinger of a battle for U.S. Senate. Barbara Ann Radnofsky eliminated Gene Kelly yesterday for the Democratic nomination in a run-off election that garnered Radnofsky 103,819 votes statewide. Kelly, a candidate most Texans believed was running on name recognition alone, received 72, 408. That's a 31,411 vote victory for Radnofsky, and an overall total that should be raising more than a few eyebrows over at Republican Senator Hutchison's camp.

But the outlook for Radnofsky is a little dimmer once you get further south than Corpus Christi.

In Hidalgo County, Radnofsky received 9,418 votes, while Kelly received 8,565. That's a difference of 853 votes.

In Cameron County, Radnofsky received 3,212 votes, Kelly received 2,478. A difference of 734 votes.

These types of numbers, at the very least should have more than a few eyebrows raised in Radnofsky's camp as well. Especially if, as most Democrats across the state will tell you, Kelly got this many votes by name recognition alone.

Last week, I asked Vince Leibowitz of Capitol Annex to contribute a piece that may give Valley voters insight into who Barbara Radnofsky is, and what she stands for. If you haven't done so, I encourage you to read it again. It's a very good piece, and hits every issue on the mark. In essence, it gets the message across that Radnofsky will be the best choice for the next U.S. Senator. This was my intention, and for the most part, I think many of you voted for Radnofsky because of it. Of course, I would like to feel that you did.

But that's the problem facing Radonfsky in the Rio Grande Valley. Information provided to voters by way of this blog site, or any other South Texas blog site, is limited. The numbers reflect that. Because, honestly, of the 8,565 votes that Kelly got in Hidalgo County, how many people actually know who or what this candidate represented? If you are one, I encourage you to drop me a line via the comments section. I may be going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that the same thing many Democrats across the state were fearful of Kelly getting by on his name alone, came really close to the truth here in the Valley.

Radnofsky narrowily won the nomination, as far as South Texas votes go. But the word narrowily could also be a synonym "worry" or "disaster". Especially against a highly recognized, highly influential candidate like current Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. If name recoginition alone nearly garnered Kelly the vote down here, you can rest assured, Hutchison, Republican or not, will get the same treatment. Regardless of the Valley's historical leanings towards the Democratic Party. I've listened to enough voters, educated and otherwise, to know that at the heart of every vote cast, is the spirit of who will help us make the Rio Grande Valley a better place to live.

In a word, I think Radnofsky better start making her name, and her stand on the issues clearer to Valley voters who may or may not have access to a computer. Blogging is one thing, and in my mind it definitely works, but it's not enough for those who are not in Radnofsky's or any other candidate's line of site when it comes to campaign stops. If she doesn't, we could very well see Hutchison's smiling face come that Wednesday morning in November when all the votes have been counted and the only thing worth remembering about this year is what could've been.

Hidalgo County Election Totals...Low Numbers...Big Results

2006-04-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

The official vote count is in, according to the Hidalgo County Elections Department, here are the numbers.

In the run-off race for Hidalgo County District Attorney, incumbent Rene Guerra received 12,461 votes. Opponent Alma Garza received 10,135.

The numbers for statewide run-off elections show that Barbara Ann Radnofsky held off opponent Gene Kelly to take the Democratic Nomination for U.S. Senate. Radnofsky received 9,418 votes in Hidalgo County. Gene Kelly received 8,565.

In the run-off race for Democratic Nominee for Texas Lt. Governor, Maria Luisa Alavarado took a whopping majority of the Hidalgo County vote. Alvarado received 15,134. Her opponent, Benjamin Z. Grant received 3,030.

The votes are in...Four more years...

2006-04-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

Quick post to announce the winners in Hidalgo County run-off elections

Rene Guerra maintains his seat as Hidalgo County District Attorney.

Barbara Radnofsky is the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senator.

Maria Alvarado is a winner as well.

More details on numbers, and percentages as the official count is presented tomorrow.

Slow Run-Offs...Delayed decisions...What's our alternative?...No free lunch for these candidates...

2006-04-11T09:32:00.000-05:00

Slow morning at the polls as I drove around town this morning. Which wasn't entirely unexpected. In a county where only 13% of the more than two hundred fifty thousand eligible voters turning out for the March primary, this decline was bound to happen. What is unexpected is this sudden flopping back and forth in my mind as to who I should vote for the next Hidalgo County District Attorney.

On one hand we have an incumbent District Attorney who isn't the most personable human being on the planet. But so what, right? If we're voting a person to elected office on the premise that we have a guaranteed smile and a handshake every time we see them at the local convenience store while grabbing our favorite breakfast taco, we're in bigger trouble than I thought. It shouldn't be about that really. And in most cases, it isn't for me, except when it comes to how these elected officials get it into their heads that all of a sudden our voice isn't important anymore. And at twenty three years in office, I wonder if Rene Guerra has forgotten that, i.e. how he handled the Irene Garza case, "if you believe pigs can fly", etc. Frustration is what I felt. Here was a man, in essence, and maybe he didn't mean it this way, but it came across this way, who made it seem to us that his office is his business and we as citizen's have no right to second guess his decisions. Well, maybe, or maybe not. But one thing's for sure, this is an elected position that most of us have grown tired of the same treatment from a District Attorney who finally realises he has to do the whole smile, dog and pony show for us if he wants our votes. Hence the negative campaign ads against his opponent, Alma Garza.

That's our alternative. An opponent who is married to as Rene Guerra put it, "his nemesis" on Valley Newsline this past Sunday. He also went on to say that the reason he moved Alma Garza from the one office to another while she was at the D.A.'s office was because of his newly found knowledge that Garza was connected to Hector Villarreal. Talk about not giving someone the credit they deserve to stand on their own. To make the decision to run for District Attorney on her own terms, on her own record. No, Guerra had to bring in the issue of her husband being behind the decision to run for District Attorney all along. Which is at most, an unfair assessment of her decision to run. But then again, maybe our District Attorney knows something we don't. In which case, it was pretty naughty of him to just give us a tidbit of the whole picture, the tip of the iceberg to what the citizens of Hidalgo County would be in for if we elect Alma Garza. Should we worry then, that because Garza is married to a powerful attorney, this may lead to a conflict of interest somewhere down the line? Maybe so, maybe so. Then we're back to square one.

Trying to figure out who is the best alternative, or as most political enthusiasts would say, "the lesser of the two evils" is not an easy task, especially this year, when my vote for another elected official didn't get me what I thought our county deserved. Jesus, this whole run-off fiasco just causes headaches and ulcers. One of which I already have, the other is just a matter of time, and enough of these types of situations to get it going. Ben Franklin is quoted as saying, "the only sure things in life are death and taxes". Yes, but add that to a law of economics which states, "There's no such thing as free lunch".

I suspect our candidates got a taste of that during this run-off election.

The San Juan Hotel...Ignacio Almaguer...The call for better responsibility...

2006-04-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

"The San Juan Hotel was completed and opened for business in 1920. Its construction reflected the plans of the town's early business leaders to establish San Juan as a Rio Grande Valley commercial center. Originally constructed with little ornamentation, the mission revival details were added in 1928. These included the red tiled parapet along the roofline and the curvilinear parapet over the entryway. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1985"-Text to Texas Historic Landmark Plague at location.

San Juan, Texas. The small South Texas town, nestled comfortably between it's two sister cities, Alamo in the east, and Pharr to the west, makes up the heart that is the Tri-City area known as PSJA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, population estimates as of 2003 record a citizenry of 28,894 inhabitants. As far as towns in the Rio Grande Valley, a community this size is fairly medium ranged when compared to smaller towns like Edcouch, or La Feria, but still lacking in numbers when compared to McAllen, or Brownsville. In spite of it's size, or maybe because of it, this community has grown tight-knit over the last couple of years, and has essentially split into two factions of civic and political power.

On one hand, you have the "old-school" mentality of the majority of the people who hold public office, and perhaps it was that same mindset that got them elected there in the first place. A sort of blind-trust you have on a neighbor who only smiles and waves when he wants something, but hardly knows your name if you come across him at the grocery store, or gas pump when he doesn't. It would be futile to go into a debate of what is "old-school" compadrismo, and what isn't, in the Rio Grande Valley. You have those that believe it still exists, those who say it doesn't, those who think nothing can be done about it, and those who don't care at all.

On the other hand, you have a "new wave", if you will, of second and third generation citizens in this town that are fed up with the status quo, and want to do something about it. A generation, mainly in their thirties, and forties, who have seen and learned enough about how things "work" around town to know things need to change. Their voices are still small, but like all things, if you're relentless enough, the day will come. And that, in my opinion at least, is what scares the old regime of business men who may or may not be looking for the fast buck when it comes to talking "brass tax". Perhaps, the word scare is too harsh. Maybe "worried" would suitably fit, but one things for sure, after the commissioner's meeting on March 28 of this year, there are some on the city council that have pretty much shut the door on any citizen that carries words of dissent in their armory.

At issue is the councils motion to study the viability of purchasing the historic San Juan Hotel from PSJA School Board Member Roy Rodriguez in the amount of $575,000. City commissioners Rick Rodriguez, and Pete Contreras, who are employed by the school district, moved and seconded the motion according to local activist, Ignacio Almaguer. Mr. Almaguer also stated that this action was in total disregard to those citizens in attendance who at the very least questioned if such a study would be ethical in the first place.

Good question.

I did not personally attend the meeting, but I did contact local activist Ignacio Almaguer about the situation. Ignacio Almaguer is president of the local school board watchdog group Grupo PODER, and member of the community watchdog group the SanJuanistas, whose most recent victory came in the form of barring any measure regarding toll roads through the city of San Juan, (link to the site on my sidebar). I asked Ignacio if it was too late for the citizen's of this city to do anything about the motion to study the purchase. He said it wasn't, informing me that "We need to get people to the city meeting on 04-11-06 to voice opposition". When I asked him that as a community leader, what would he recommend the next course of action be, he replied, "Stop all studies and all attempts to purchase the hotel. We need to pay our police officers a decent salary, finish the library and bring in more business to San Juan. I will be the first to push an initiative to purchase the hotel after we have the basic infrastructure stabilized." I agree. It's time to ask our local governments to act on issues they were put in office to do in the first place. We've reached a point in Valley politics where promises of better communities, and better financial opportunities are all but "lip service" agendas set forth by certain politicians just out to hustle your vote, then hope that you either are one of those people who forget very easily, or in the worst case scenario know the whole "song and dance" routine well enough to understand they were bluffing all along. But in my mind, hustling a vote is one thing. Not following through on your promises is another.

And when you've got a city of medium sized population, at least by Valley standards, paying more than half a million dollars for a historic site under what some would call "questionable" circumstances, all the while the police force is hurting, and the local library is nothing more than a portable building with sub-par resources, priorities need to be straightened out around here.

District Attorney Run-Off Drama unfolds...The New Catch Phrase for 2006...The Rounds Keep Coming...

2006-04-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

Seems like the District Attorney's recent missive against opponent Alma Garza is getting some attention. According to an article appearing in today's edition of The Monitor, Garza and her husband, attorney Hector Villarreal have a few words of their own regarding a campaign ad that began it's rotation on local television channels Wednesday. The campaign ad deals with forty thousand dollars worth of taxes owed by Villarreal. The ad slogan, "People who don't pay their taxes, should keep their hands off ours". District Attorney Rene Guerra is quoted in the article as saying, "The campaign is getting heated. We are at the last gate of the race. This was a negative fact ad on something we need to alert the public". The new catch phrase for the 2006 Election is "Negative Fact Ad".

Well, at least Guerra admits it's negative, not like...well, what's done is done. But when are facts pertinent, and when do they border on childish, name-calling nonsense? After all, Villarreal is not running for District Attorney, Alma Garza is. The article states that the television ad asks, "What do you do if owe you more than $400,000 in taxes? If you're Hector Villarreal, you run your wife for district attorney." Yes, well, maybe. To me this type of "negative fact" falls under the 'I know that, and you know that, but we'll just keep it on the wink, wink, nudge, nudge level' type of innuendo. The same type of innuendos that most people are scared to speak of in public, or within earshot of anybody from the opposing side.

Or libel lawyers.

Which is exactly what Hector Villarreal must have in mind when he was quoted in the article as saying, "...I intend to file a lawsuit against (Guerra) quickly."

Alma Garza, taking the more professional approach to these types of tactics, is quoted in the article as saying, "I think it's done in desperation. Usually when a candidate gets dirty, it's because he's desperate and he doesn't know what to do". Indeed, and give her campaign manager a much deserved raise for leading her down this path. It takes a certain individual to steer clear of these types of tactics, and if Garza is unphased by the attacks on her husband's private financial matters, or why Guerra would have the public believe these are the reasons for running in the first place, then you know more or less what type of person you'll be dealing with if she get's elected. End of Round Two.

Let the mudslinging begin..Local ad blasts candidate for Hidalgo County District Attorney Alma Garza.

2006-04-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

I caught the last piece of a political campaign ad on television that accuses attorney Hector Villarreal of owing more than forty thousand in taxes. Hector Villarreal is candidate Alma Garza's husband. The ad states, "People who don't pay their taxes, should keep their hands off ours." So far, this is the first negative campaign ad I've seen in the run-off, but if history is any indication, this won't be the last one. I am curious if Alma Garza will remain on the higher path towards election day, or take the low road and go tooth and nail against this one, or any other mud slung her way.

The first punch has been thrown, does Garza walk away?, does she counter? Whatever she decides, she better do it quick. The election is less than one week away, and her slogan "It's time for a change", may not be enough to take her over the top. Negative campaign ads are tricky. It's touch and feel. Drop this one, see if the public bites. If it does, there's plenty more ammunition where that came from. Drop the next one. Does the public bite? If it does, drop the next biggest one, and so on and so forth. The biggest piece of mud, is saved for the last round, maybe it's needed, maybe it's not, but it is there, waiting for that precise moment before election day to spread through Hidalgo County like wildfire.

So much for a peaceful run-off? We shall see.

An Important Must-Read Message from Captiol Annex...Vince Leibowitz has the floor...

2006-04-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

"Dear Rio Grande Valley Democrats:

My friend Hector Gomez, who authors this blog and frequently contributes to my blog, Capitol Annex, asked me to say a word about Barbara Radnofsky, who is in a run-off with perennial candidate Gene Kelly for our party's nomination for United States Senate.

I appreciate that Hector asked me to write this. He may not realize it, but I was honored to have had the privilege of being among the first voters in my part of the state-East Texas-to meet her, get to know her, and hear her speak back in the summer of 2004. And, I was honored by being the first Blogger to break the news to the world back in 2005 that Barbara had ended her exploration and would, in fact, be a candidate for United States Senate.

I am honored tonight to tell you why I support Barbara Ann Radnofsky for United States Senate.

The first time I ever heard Barbara Ann Radnofsky speak, she was standing on a flat-bed trailer in a small town in rural East Texas as the keynote speaker for the opening of the Van Zandt County Democratic Party's headquarter's in 2004. She even took off her heels to make her ascent up to the trailer more swift. As soon as she took the podium, the crowd-myself included-were captivated by this intelligent, outspoken Houston attorney. She spoke passionately about healthcare and education. She touched on issues like foreign policy and veteran's care. The speech had substance more like that of a sitting United States Senator than a political unknown testing the waters and exploring a statewide race.

I could talk to you all day about Barbara Radnofsky's positions on healthcare, foreign policy, veteran's affairs, and national defense. I could tell you about her positions on this or that. But those are things I am going to encourage you to find out about on your own, by visiting her website www.radnofsky.com. Unlike her run-off opponent, perennial candidate Gene Kelly, Barbara Radnofsky has something to say, and she's saying it-all across the state.

What I want to tell you about are things you won't read about on her website, and that you'll only hear from people who have met her, spoken with her, or heard her address an audience of any size-from two to two thousand.

Barbara Radnofsky has a passion for the people of Texas. This was evident to me the first time I heard her speak. You don't spend months exploring a race, traveling from city to city (and all small towns in between) meeting people, shaking hands, and listening to the most basic of human concerns unless you truly care about the people of Texas. And I can tell you: Barbara cares about Texas.

I don't know how many of you have had the opportunity to meet Barbara Radnofsky, so I tell you this: if you meet her, you will be infected with the "disease" that sometimes those of us in politics get that is often jokingly called TB: True Beliverism.

Barbara Radnofsky will make you a true believer: in her, in her passion for the people of Texas, in her campaign, and in her vision.

And from the minute she shakes your hand and starts talking to you about veteran's affairs or education or healthcare, you'll believe.

You'll believe that Texas can be better.

You'll believe that Texas doesn't have to settle for second best when it comes to the care of our veterans in South Texas.

You'll believe that one day, truly no child will be left behind.

You will believe that it is time to take a stand on issues that are important to us.

You'll believe that Barbara Radnofsky is the one who will take a stand for Texans.

This may sound sappy to you or even hokey-perhaps the over-poeticized ramblings of one of those Texas Democrats who still believes in the good works of the New Deal, teh Fair Deal, the Great Society, and in the promise of progressive legislation like the Family and Medical Leave Act or healthcare reform.

But, as one Democrat to another, I feel compelled to tell you that Barbara Radnofsky symbolizes the best that our party has to offer: a strong, tough, intelligent candidate unafraid to tackle the toughest of issues, and go to bat for the people of Texas.

I have been privileged not only to witness Barbara Radnofsky interact with regular people like you and I, but with the media. I was never prouder of a Democratic candidate than I was of Barbara Radnofsky when she visited the Tyler Morning Telegraph in January of last year. Since she was up in my neck of the woods and I formerly worked for that paper, I asked Barbara if she would like for me to go with her and introduce her around, and she did. When she was interviewed for a story that later appeared on that paper's front page, she was marvelous. She cut through the journalistic rhetoric and questioning and got right to the point, telling her beliefs and why she believed as she did.

In that interview, Barbara Radnofsky wasn't talking to a reporter. She was talking to the people. She communicated her message in such a way that, upon reading the printed version, it seemed to seamlessly cross through the "filter" of the reporter and editors and leap off the page and tell the voters: "This is what you'll get from me. These are my positions, this is what I want to do, and I have a vision."

Editorial boards across the state have commented on the uphill battle Barbara faces in November against a popular incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison. I've seen Kay Bailey Hutchison speak several times, and met her in person. There is a world of difference between Barbara Radnofsky and Kay Bailey Hutchison.

There is, in a word-compassion.

There is, in a word-grit.

There is, in a word-intelligence.

There is, in a word-understanding.

Compassion for people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Compassion for veterans. Compassion for all races and cultures.

Grit--the fortitude and determination--enough to make this race and give the people of Texas a choice, a real, live, hand-shaking, door-knocking, speech-giving choice.

An intelligent voice for a new and bright future emboldened by the promise that our country can be great once again.

A true understanding of Texas and its people and that what they need isn't more party-platform rhetoric, but a real problem solver: someone to make us believe again. Barbara Radnofsky is that person.

If you are upset about the state of our nation and our state, disenchanted with the political process, or don't feel that your vote makes a difference, find out where Barbara is going to be speaking next, hop in the car and go see what she has to say. She will make you believe in the greatness of Texas again. She will make you believe in the greatness of our party. She will make you believe that Texans deserve better than the incumbent Senator hiding in her ivory tower or the perennial candidate sitting home in his recliner hoping his famous name pays dividends at the ballot box.

But, Barbara cannot get to Washington-or even on the November ballot-without our help. No candidate can meet every voter in Texas, but if Barbara could, I know she'd win so many over it'd be a landslide come November. But, before we can tackle Kay Bailey Hutchison, we've got to help Barbara win on April 11.

Please vote for Barbara Radnofsky on April 11. Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to do the same. Tell them it is time to believe agian.

I often wonder, as a blogger, what impact my words have on people who read them. It is my hope tonight that they have in some small way, informed you about Barbara Radnofsky, and why she deserves our votes.

It turns out I am penning this on a historic night. As I was about half-way through this, a news alert flashed across my MSN Messenger telling me that U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will step down, and cease campaigning for re-election. But I truly believe that isn't the most important "history" that can be made this year.

I believe the most important contribution that we can make to history this year is by making Barbara Radnofsky our party's nominee for United States Senate. And, I believe that with all my heart.

In spite of the numbers, in spite of the polls, in spite of KBH's massive war chest, I believe that, if we as Democrats give the people of this state the opportunity to view Barbara Radnofsky on a larger scale, that they will be impressed. And, I believe that, given a choice between more of the same and Barbara's fresh, bold, new vision for the future, voters will make the right choice.

I still believe. I believe in Texas. I believe in BAR."

-Vince Leibowitz, April 3, 2006

The Race for Hidalgo County District Attorney...Who Will Bring Out the Voter?...

2006-04-03T19:31:00.000-05:00

One key race to keep a close eye on this run-off will be the race for Hidalgo County District Attorney. Locally, we have an incumbent D.A. who finds himself playing catch-up with his constituents. At only a 45% vote count this past March, Rene Guerra had to dig deep inside, swallow some hard earned pride, and head back to the drawing board if he hopes to remain this county's District Attorney. Not an easy thing to do considering that part of the reason for his low vote totals came courtesy of the proverbial "red herring" of his tenure in the form of the Irene Garza murder case. Hot on his boot heels is the challenging opponent, Alma Garza, a former prosecutor turned candidate who is vowing to change the District Attorney's office for the better. As her campaign ad touts, "It's Time For a Change". Indeed, and Alma Garza may be the one to bring that change. Garza is the first woman to run for District Attorney in Hidalgo County, according to reports out of The Monitor. At 32% of the vote in the primaries, she proved at the very least to show Guerra that the people of Hidalgo County are questioning his style and manner through which he handles criminal cases. At best, she has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with. But all this leads to that last run down house on the street, where no one dares to enter, if only because the reality is too much to bear. And that is voting numbers. Of the more than two hundred fifty thousand registered voters in Hidalgo County, only thirteen percent showed up to cast their ballots. Compared to the statewide average of 11%, the county did better, but we must take into consideration that the hot oven which was the County Judge's race, brought most of us into the kitchen. History shows us that these numbers are going to shrink. By what and how much depends on how good a job the candidates can do to stir enough interest to keep bring you out once more. Not an easy feat, but one that will guarantee victory for the candidate who pulls it off.

Quick Post, Early Voting begins today...

2006-04-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know early voting for the run-off election between incumbent District Attorney and his opponent candidate Alma Garza starts today. Early voting will run through Friday, April 7. The actual election day will be next Tuesday April, 11.

"Capitol Annex" contribution...The Valley in the Age of Activism...

2006-04-01T13:55:00.000-06:00

Quick post regarding a post I contributed to Capitol Annex this morning. The post revolves around the Rio Grande Valley and the question of activism on the immigration debate in Congress. To view it, follow this link to Capitol Annex http://capitolannex.com/ Heard there would be more marches today to commemorate Cesar Chavez and deal with the issue of the new proposed immigration laws. Damn good thing for us in the Valley who really feel it's important to have our voices heard.

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

2006-03-31T11:47:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-29T19:02:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-27T19:21:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-27T19:09:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-03-26T10:33:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-22T18:42:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-20T22:09:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-20T19:44:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-17T15:51:00.000-06:00

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....

2006-03-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

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"...

2006-03-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

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"...

2006-03-08T19:49:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-03-08T08:29:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-08T07:39:00.000-06:00

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..

2006-03-07T21:16:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-03-06T18:58:00.000-06:00

"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...

2006-03-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

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?...

2006-03-04T11:38:00.000-06:00

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?...

2006-03-03T10:27:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-02T08:38:00.000-06:00

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.

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

2006-02-28T17:37:00.000-06:00

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"

2006-02-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-25T12:20:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-02-24T09:41:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-23T17:26:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-02-22T21:35:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-21T20:33:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-21T18:43:00.000-06:00

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.

2006-02-20T21:28:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-02-19T20:23:00.000-06:00

"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

2006-02-19T19:54:00.000-06:00

"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

2006-02-16T17:31:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-15T19:44:00.000-06:00

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"

2006-02-13T19:27:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-02-12T10:42:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-02-10T14:39:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-02-08T12:19:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-07T19:28:00.000-06:00

"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...

2006-02-06T19:48:00.000-06:00

"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...

2006-02-06T19:44:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-05T10:27:00.000-06:00

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

2006-02-03T14:45:00.000-06:00

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.....