Corpus Christi Mayoral Candidate Linked To Personal Agenda Of The "Big Boys"!!!

Corpus Christi, Texas – Many key “Big Boys” (associated as being part of the core of the “Municipal Ruling Class” and who seemed to be the influential members of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Board) are turning against Mayor Henry Garrett day by day, many independent political observers are alerting. They are aligning with a bitter candidate -- Joe Adame – that has “an axe to grind with the incumbent mayor” (one insider told El Defenzor).
The big questions are now circulating -- “Why do they have more confidence in mayoral candidate Adame?” and “Is Adame the guardian of their lynch-pin?”
“Joe Adame is the former President of the EDC (or Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation). He is more likely to vote in their interests. The ‘Big Boys’ did not want to see Angel Escobar as the city manager – but Mayor Garrett did for pragmatic reasons.
There are other issues. Adame himself has a few corporate properties in the downtown area (which fall under the TIFF). Recently one of the old buildings he (and Joe Adame and Associates) asked a permit for was turned down by the city council in that it was determined by authorized city officials that some of the materials that were used (e.g., siding) were of inferior quality and thus did not meet the code,” an inside source within the city told El Defenzor. “Adame, in my interpretations of things, when he was turned down acted like a wild beast tangled in a net – a tantrum that gave him the courage to enroll and run for the top seat in the city… Did you know that if Adame were to be elected mayor, he cannot vote or participate in the discussion off many downtown issues because he owns properties in the TIFF? Garrett has no vested interest in that parcel of land.”
According to a cluster of important sources, Adame after the above incident decided to throw in his hat in the the mayoral race. Recently, Adame haughtily told the editor of El Defenzor: “I went and told Henry (Garrett) personally I would be running against him.” The aforementioned meeting took place at the HEB Store located on Violet Road in the Annaville area. About two weeks, ago, he braggingly hinted that the Whataburger “high-ups” were going to back him up and were prepared to criticize the tenure of Mayor Garrett.
Well it can of no surprise to El Defenzor (last week) when Whataburger CEO -- Tom Dobson – attended a fundraiser at Gaslight Square in support of Adame. Dobson said Whataburger’s latest declaration that it is relocating headquarters to San Antonio came after failed discussions with Garrett and other officials to work out some issues via an incentive plan. Dobson was quoted in a local newspaper as saying: “Garrett saying, ‘We are doing everything we can.’ ”
“There seems to be a deep reason that has not been explicitly voiced,” Mayor Garrett detailed. “Is is on record that the city closed the street by Whataburger’s headquarters at their request (i.e., the company’s) … They were approached to fill out the required forms for incentives, incentives that I believe the city was willing to support them but they just did not.”
Bush Escobedo, a local businessman, said: “It appears that Dobson is using the issue to manipulate votes Adame’s way. Hey, this is the nature of politics. Blame someone else for exiting the town.”
A city official that wanted to remain anonymous provided other insight: “Whataburger made an official announcement in November, citing their reasons for leaving -- “cost-efficient office space for our expanding headquarters staff, ease of travel to the 10 states where we currently do business, a skilled technology work force to build our systems for the future and protects us from the impact of hurricanes.”
The genuineness of this subject matter seems to hint that Dobson is tied in with a powerful political clique that was mentioned at the commencement of this article. Dobson has gone as far as to disparate the municipal leader publically calling Mayor Garret – “Uncle Henry … who has not been an inspiring leader.” Joe Adame – this candidate represents is weak and malleable to Dobson’s interests and vision. Dobson has gone as far as to allow Adame’s political signs to be placed at some of the businesses he controls.
While Adame seems to be catering to an elite of powerful interests groups, Mayor Henry Garrett is trying to work with the entire community – not just his immediate supporters. “He wants to be a mayor in the most representative and broadest sense of the word,” David Noyola, a local activist and former City Councilman and former City Commissioner said.
On the surface, Adame seems to be projecting that he is trying to “reach very young people, but he is really trying to be a voice of an insatiable business elite. “I believe Mayor Henry Garrett stepped on some of the toes of persons who are affiliated with the EDC board (i.e., the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation) by providing his vote to appoint Angel Escobar as City Manager.
Mayor Garrett did not want to significantly underline the issue but did state: “I have had some persons who are very angry with me. But I felt that by appointing Angel Escobar – whom I have known for a longtime and who very efficient and professional – it would be a benefit to the city overall. … Angel (Escobar) since then has implemented a participatory form of decision-making that allows staff on many occasions to come up with ideas and solutions to problems in specific areas being faced by city management. Some staff can say: ‘This is one of the ideas I helped put in place.’”