POLITICAL ROUNDUP... FROM NUECES TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO

COMENTARIO:
POLITICAL ROUNDUP... FROM NUECES TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO

ISSUE 1:
Is the Nueces County Commissioners Court Becoming A Partisan Bully Pulpit for the Three MasKaChicle Republicans?

As of late the commissioners court her in Nueces County has been under fire and the target of a federal lawsuit for its views on redistricting. County Judge Loyd Neal and Commissioners Mike Pusley and Joe McComb have been -reportedly voting in lockstep on many issues that affect the citizens of Nueces county in partisan fashion with a Republican and Corporate and good ole boy agenda. In one recent interview on KTMV's South Texas Crossfire, Joe A. Gonzalez indicated that there had been voting on hiring lawyers that the City had shotdown as subpar yet Neal, Pusley, and McComb, the three amigos/gringos, hired them anyway and in fact appropriated at least 30,000 more dollars of the taxpayer money for the lawyers. Gonzalez also indicated that the redistricting issue and the advantage that Pusley sought to increase anglo and Republican votes in his area has been and will be bitterly fought by Pusley, McComb and Neal because of the decision courts have shown to keep a balance based upon the Mexican American population being underserved.

I mean honestly, Does Connie Scott know where Agua Dulce is or who the leaders in Jim Wells county are? Reportedly she was clueless as to John Lemon being Mayor of Alice! The alienation of the Latino vote because of the relentless charge for power by the Republicans is a dangerous game of Russian Roulette that the Latinos in Nueces County may answer with a candidate. It is whispered that one woman with bipartisan support and bicultural support may even challenge Pusley who is vulnerable to such an attack and is being resented by many anglos as well as Mexican Americans as being arrogant and out of touch. One consituent says: We see him shining a seat at BBQ Man off Navigation and 37 and on a Billboard more than we see him around here. I mean he makes 80,000 to work 8 hours a month and has another business. He's raking it in. If this was the French Revolution he'd be a candidate for being guillotined! He need's to go!"

This comes on the heels of their position on redistricting where Pusley led the charge for a closed and quick meeting and vote on advancing his agenda and making his precinct more anglo and more Republican. Is this race baiting at its worst? Are the three Republican Amigos blatantly forcing the hand of latino voters or keeping them in the dark? South Texas inquiring minds want to know. Is Joe McComb a “yes man” on key issues with his party and only paying lip service through a few votes – jestingly assumed “bones” -- to his Democratic Commissioner counterparts Gonzalez and Ortiz? There is the Freudian slip again: “Say it ain't so, Joe, say it ain't so!!!”

As for Commissioner Joe McComb who reportedly covets the Judgeship he lost at to Terry Shamsie in 2002 with the "Say it Aint so Joe" campaign on his alleged failure to pay sufficient taxes. He has been seen of late in tow with Commissioner Mike Pusley at lunches (BBQ man lunches) and hunched over in conspirational tones in reported attempts to isolate Commissioner Joe A. Gonzalez and Commissioner Oscar Ortiz, the two Democrats on the court.

Is it partisan politics that should govern or should bipartisan support rule the day? Should cronies and buddies receive juicy contracts such as Neal's old consultant friends for insurance? Many are now feasting on insurance contracts based upon their political leanings and who were once humble now are seen in 1000 dollar suits and chewing cigars at local high class bars such as Havana. Greed and corruption – how often do you find two words that go hand in hand and care must be taken to be transparent to avoid the look of impropriety.

Are the voters of Nueces County sickened by this Republican bullying enough to switch the tide to a Democratic overrun of candidates? Will the Democrats produce a candidate that can crush Pusley? Will McComb be next? No one's position is safe as the Solomonistas learned through the efforts of many politicos who thrashed them in primaries with their own candidates. Can the Republicans have the same problem this cycle because of over the top arrogance in governing how taxpayer dollars should be spent?

CAN THE DEMOCRATS UNITE WITH THE STUBBORN SOLOMONISTAS' DYING EMBERS CAUSING SEPARATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY? CAN THE SORE LOSERS BE SILENCED BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE?

Even the influential political lawyers with money and the media behind them such as Canales, Flores, Watts and Vela are whispered to feel unwelcome and a bankrupt party foolishly not inviting them to the table. The problems that plague the Democratic party are myriad. Yeah, myriadly magnified to the point that it might soon melt the very steel and annoys holding up the fort.

Chief among the problems is the lack of unity and efforts to reach out to other strong factions by the Solomistas and those that occupy the Democratic HQ (where is it located now anyway?) such as the Canales family who have not soon forgotten the wounds inflicted upon their daughter and socialite/attorney/ business woman/ and philanthropist Barbara Canales by Rene Rodriguez in 2002 and candidates led and managed by attorney Joe Flores which caused mass upsets in Democratic primaries in 2010, coupled with the strong Democratic leadership of Commissioner Joe A. Gonzalez (JAG) who also enjoys Republican support by giants such as Tony Lamantilla of L&F distributing, making JAG the patriarch of the Democratic party, and Filemon Vela, multimillionaire trial lawyer who has now chosen to run for Congress.

It is whispered that Vela is united with Watts and Flores to formulate a campaign and that Flores has been asked to run key Democratic campaigns in the Valley and Nueces County and tapped on the shoulder by powerbrokers in smokefilled rooms heavy with the stench of power. All of these factions have not been brought into the fold but have strong influences on the Latino voter. Yes, the leadership of the Nueces County Democratic party by Rose Harrison led to isolationism – via conscious or unconscious machinations -- and the licking of the proverbial wounds by Gloria Caceres and others who reportedly and secretly conspired to aid Republicans such as candidate for County Commissioner Gil Hernandez in the general elections against Democrat Joe A. Gonzalez!
Now, supposedly stalwart Democrats such as Rene Rodriguez and certain precinct chairs have hypocritically turned a blind eye to their own actions of helping Republicans and paying lipservice to the Democratic party and have come crawling back and want people to forget that he – yes, fencejumper Rodriguez -- aided 3 R campaigns. What Fil Vela did only to support his wife, Rodriguez did to help Anna Jimenez' embarrassment of a tenure as DA, the success of Angelica Hernandez, for District Judge who trounced the nicknamed (by rivals) “Maximum” Manuel Banales, and Hernandez is noted to have wide popularity and of course the darling of the Republicans, Amanda Torres for JP. Now Rodriguez desires everyone to have political amnesia and his political wife and supporters cry foul and demand and expect Democratic blind support. NOT!

This schizophrenic behavior has not been unnoticed by many many a faction: such as the Canales, Flores, Vela and JAG factions -- factions who see the taint of the dying embers of the Solomonista isolationists as counterproductive to the indispensable “Unity” that the times call for as well as the skunk not seeing its own stripe throughout the party. More hypocrisy by the "Avon ladies and student council girls" of the local Democratic HQ by illustrating a point with Juan Reyna, a prominent lawyer, who reached out in a bipartisan fashion in his campaign and who was fried at the stake at one point for his middle of the road approach and friendship with Connie Scott and Rose Vela, but now those that pointed their fingers are stepping down as precinct chairs and sheepishly saying, "Ok, Ok, we also have Republican friends..".

Again, ironically, Rene Rodriguez (who has sued this paper in the past for exercising its First Amendment rights and calling us “yellow” when he ran the dirtiest campaigns in the 90's) who's wife is a judicial incumbent on the Court of Appeals is asking for Democratic help when Rodriguez ran three (count them) – yes, three Republican campaigns in 2010. Reyna must only see this as hypocritical and bipolar because of the hypocritical tongue-lashing given to both Reyna and Filemon Vela for supporting his wife to switch to the Republican party in 2006. Reyna must now stand in bugeyed shock at the hypocritical antics of the Rodriguez factions.

Furthermore, it is whispered that Rodriguez wife pulled a political opponent because of her plotting against Rose Vela along with Gina Jimenez another judge on the court of appeals. This political playing with fire cost her dearly if that is true. Fil "Darth Vader" Vela (as his new, growing groupies screech at the top of their longs) was reportedly incensed and presto chango there was a candidate. Ironically again, it was Vela who was again the brains and armed with a hefty warchest stirred with the ever pulsing and heart and soul of the olla podrida of the Democratic party locally in the 90's – and it continued up to the year 2006 and left throwing up his hands with the antics and civil war mentality of the party. Then, as we witnessed in the past elections the branded “prodigal son” returned and attacked mercilessly and ruthlessly with what he felt was an annealed righteous indignation.
Apparently, the core democratic headquarters is perceived by many as the porcupine that wants a hug but wants to stab Canales, Flores, Watts, Vela, Reyna and other prominent lawyers and leaders and keep them away. How can the Democrats think they can win without money, power and influence and holding on to old and bitter wounds? Time will tell if they extract their collective heads from their nether regions and realize that unity and a bit of eating crow and swallowing pride and reaching out to these men is required.

A NEW PHENOMEN – Does thie word exists? Who cares, why linger pondering the banal details when the flow of words is protruding to cast ashes in the face of political hypocrats in both corners of the political sphere. The NEW PHENOMEN … MEXICAN AMERICANS BEING SWAYED BY TEA PARTY, REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENT FACTIONS WHILE BEING PUSHED AWAY BY THE NUECES COUNTY “CLICA” (clique) AT HQ WHO INVITE NO ONE OVER AND TREAT IT AS A SEWING CIRCLE OR TUPPERWARE PARTY…


More complications: Voter suppression and apathy is a real possibility and the extinction of the politiqueras in Robstown, except for Susie Luna of Grassroots Consultants, who now is bipartisan, is another factor that will affect the vote.

ET TU REPUBLICANS? ET TU?

Republicans are not “lilly white” either. The Greek tragedy of Connie Scott and Raul Torres spurred on by Todd Hunter setting them up for a fight has led to bitter feelings and showdowns about the State Rep spot. Torres, logically is the odd man out. Many whisper that if one plays with fire as a Hispanic in a non-Hispanic dominated party if you run or if you need backup. Only the informally crowned “darling” of the Republican party, Amanda Torres, is treated with Goddess-like care. “The virtual makeover and runway model looks and statuesque presence have many Republicans in awe and desiring her to make a congressional or senatorial run or a Supreme Court Justice run,” shared a key Republican activist. Judge Torres has had a meteoric rise while the other surnamed Torres, Raul, is being pushed aside as many forcast – prematurely or not.

This has made his handler and de facto rep Gene Seamen hopping mad and thus the Republicans who were unified in 2010 may not be so unified now. The veritable absence of Congressman Blake Farenthold and his off-the-wall comments on many votes have left many Republicans miffed and rolling their eyes as well.

THE CHESNEY FACTOR: A REPUBLICAN EMBARRASSMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE TO TODD HUNTER’S OFFICE, ALL FLEEING FROM "THE ELEPHANT MAN" OF NUECES COUNTY:
Finally, the antics and repeat mistakes of the once darling of the Republican party, now political leper, Brent Chesney, have also wounded the Republicans. One Republican leader speaking in anonymity spoke plainly and said:

"Brent is a disappointment to us all. He wanted to run for office for State Rep against Connie and was thrown the Court 5 guesito (bone), because we knew Terry Shamsie -- the Judge at the time -- was very vulnerable as were all the other Democratic judges including Marisela Saldana and Manuel Banales who were all ousted. But Brent's continued stupidity, laziness, and blatant lying about his lawyering record to the governor last summer have crucified him (Chesney reportedly lied on the application for the appointment to the 347th district court held by Missy Medary now by saying he tried 75 cases when in truth he reportedly had 75 hearings, as many trial lawyers know it takes years to amass 75 trials and requires being in constant litigation. Chesney according to our public service search handled many real esate transactions, a few divorces that were not contested, and no trials). Look Homero, Brent held the stake, the nails and hopped up on the political cross. Even Todd Hunter his former mentor is treating him like he is radioactive and dipped in ****. We all thought how much trouble can he cause in kitty court? Well there is a dead 88 year old woman and her family who don't agree and parents being denied lawyers when their kids are stripped away, and now this scandal where he is moonlighting doing real estate law to turn a buck. He also issues gag orders on the press and lawyers at a whim and has refused to step off cases even when it is clear he should. I mean the guy is just a plain embarrassment and a chink in the Republican armor. The guy should just resign and help us all or hide in a closet until after November. Brent won't listen to anyone and he is his worst enemy and has alienated so many people and crossed the wrong lawyers and powerbrokers that now he is through politically unless he can hold on to Court 5, which I hear he hates. The boy needs to be a lobbyist, not a judge. He's got the temperament to be lobbying in Austin, not sitting on a court in Corpus. Lord help us if he actually got on to the District Court where the death penalty and even more complex cases get tried.. thank God he didn't."

The reminder to the voters of Chesney's record and the support he received have not gone unnoticed and the headlines scream for justice in the Juvenile Court. Republicans all are running for cover and do not want to take credit for ungainly Brent Chesney.

CONCLUSION: The politics is definitely heating up and both sides face internal turmoil and external factors which may cause upheaval that will make it anyone's race. As in love, politics is unpredictable and treacherous. Stay tuned my dear readers, more to come....

Homero Villarreal

Filemon Vela, son the later Honorable Filemon B. Vela Sr.(Federal Judge for 20 years) announces His Intent To Run For a Congressional Seat

Friends: I hope you will join me on THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012, at BACKSTREET CAFÉ from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for a fundraising reception honoring Filemon Vela. Fil will be running as a Democrat for the United States Congress in a new congressional district anchored in Brownsville. Fil was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. He graduated from Georgetown University and then received his JD from the University of Texas at Austin. Besides his tremendous success as a civil litigator for over 20 years, Fil has been active in public service and politics his entire adult life--at the grassroots level in community causes, organizing and getting out the vote, and beyond. Moreover, his family history is deeply entrenched in public service. His late father, the Honorable Filemon B. Vela, served as a United States District judge for over 20 years in the Brownsville Division of the Southern District of Texas. Fil’s mother was mayor of Brownsville. His wife Rose is a Justice on the 13th Court of Appeals. Other relatives have served and serve as elected and appointed officials at the local, state and national levels. Fil is committed to carrying on that legacy. Filemon Vela not only has the sound reputation, broad support, and outstanding name to win the Congressional seat in that region, but he will also be an important and pragmatic voice for South Texas and for all of us in the Southern District of Texas.

I hope you will join me and others in welcoming and supporting Filemon Vela this week at Backstreet Cafe. And, of course, I hope you will make a financial contribution to his campaign Attached to this email are an invitation to Thursday’s reception and a Contribution Form.

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

CHESNEY: IS HE FIT TO PRESIDE OVER COURT FIVE AFTER LIES, COVERUPS AND NOW BLOOD POSSIBLY ON HIS HANDS??

CHESNEY CANNOT SUPPRESS THE FIRST AMENDMENT OR THE OUTRAGE OF THE PUBLIC WITH HIS POOR PERFORMANCE AND DECEIT!!!

IS BRENT CHESNEY FIT TO SERVE AFTER RELEASING TEENS TO MURDER AN 88 YEAR OLD WOMEN? JUDGE ISSUES A GAG ORDER ON ATTORNEYS AND KICKS OUT MEDIA TO COVER HIS TRACKS AND WIPE BLOOD OFF HIS HANDS!!!
Last year El Defenzor questioned the qualifications of Brent Chesney to serve as a judge. Time and time again he has disappointed us by awful rulings and denying justice to the poor. Because of Republican “Game of Throne” where Chesney was offered the judge spot instead of running against a district judge or Connie Scott he has taken a very vital court and many argue he is unqualified and lacks the judicial temperament to serve.
El Defenzor has learned through public records that Chesney lied to the Governor’s office when he tried unsuccessfully to gain the appointment which Missy Medary bested him out of when Nelda Gonzalez Ramos moved up for federal judge. He reported told the governors office he had tried many cases. When the Governors office checked his background they found NO TRIALS by Chesney who’s practice consisted of contested hearings and real estate transactions before taking on this tough court.
To make matters worse he has stubbornly refused to recuse himself when he has been painfully biased and refused to listen to evidence on more than one case and appointed lawyers who were conflicted in represented parties according to at least one court record costing the tax payers tens of thousands of dollars when he finally “smelled the coffee” and stepped aside to allow another judge to preside over a high profile matter.
To even worsen this horrible kangaroo court he randomly issues gag orders to avoid media scrutiny and kicks camera crews out. In this latest debacle where he allowed two 15 year old boys to roam free and murder an 88 year old he has issued a gag order on the attorneys! What is Chesney hiding but his own incompetence and his stubborn pride, lack of integrity and judicial temperament, and worse yet, the utter lack of experience in trying much less presiding over cases. Many lawyers have fled his courtroom and it is whispered because he does not know what he is doing and stubbornly refuses to admit it. Judge Longoria, presiding Judge over the area, reportedly shakes his head at Chesney’s judgment as well as the county commissioners. Many Republicans feel he has become an embarrassment and now what they thought was a safe “island of Elba” that they could leave him marooned on, known as “kitty court” has bled onto the streets and caused the murder of an elderly woman. Public outrage must be heard. A judge cannot suppress the media or the 1st amendment as he sees fit.
Finally, it is reported he is denying poor adults being stripped of their children the right to an attorney at critical times during the child termination phase and is heartlessly doing this and at the last 30 days after months of Child Protective Services proving their case for termination he then appoints an attorney who has an uphill battle.
LETS LOOK AT WHAT CHESNEY CAUSED AND THE BLOOD THIS MAN HAS ON HIS HANDS (this is what Judge Chesney wants the public to forget, that he released at least one of those accused when the parents begged him to detain the boy!!!!!):
THE CALLER TIMES REPORTED ON JANUARY 14, 2012 THAT…
two 15-year-old boys were detained Friday related to the fatal stabbing of an 88-year-old Corpus Christi woman. Residents of a multiunit apartment building in the 200 block of South Tancahua Street reported hearing unusual noises from the woman’s residence about 1 a.m. and called police.
Officers arrived to find the woman in the unit’s living room unconscious and bleeding from apparent stab wounds, according to a police spokesman.
She was taken to Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial in critical condition, where she later died.
Authorities have not released her name because her next of kin hasn’t been located.
Police searched nearby Blucher Park and the surrounding area for hours Friday looking for evidence, and a suspect blocking off several city streets into the morning.
At about 4 a.m., a patrol officer found two teens walking in the 400 block of South Tancahua Street, one who matched a description of a male with a shaved head seen fleeing the woman’s apartment, police said.
The officer discovered one of the 15-year-olds had an outstanding burglary warrant and detained them both on curfew violation. The boys had items on them believed to have been taken from the woman’s home, police said. The teens were taken Friday morning to the Nueces County Juvenile Justice Center and both were detained on suspicion of capital murder. (CAN CHESNEY EVEN CERTIFY THEM WHEN HE HIMSELF SHOULD BE CALLED AS A FACT WITNESS BY MARK SKURKA BECAUSE HE RELEASED THEM TO ALLEGEDLY KILL?)
During a press conference Friday afternoon at the Corpus Christi police station, Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka said his office plans to petition for a hearing to have the boys certified as adults.
“We are committed to bringing these two to justice,” he said. (WHAT ABOUT THE JUDGE WHO RELEASED THEM, D.A. SKURKA?)?
In Texas, anyone 17 and younger cannot receive the death penalty, Skurka said. If convicted of capital murder, the teens would face an automatic life in prison sentence. (COULD ALL THIS BEEN PREVENTED BY HAVING A MORE EXPERIENCED JUDGE? COULD A LIFE HAVE BEEN SAVED? IS THIS EMBARRASSMENT FORMERLY KNOWN AS A GOLDEN BOY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FINALLY BRINGING THE CHICKENS HOME TO ROOST WITH HIS INEPT JUDICIAL DECISIONS AND UTTER LACK OF EXPERIENCE?)
Police officials said burglary appears to be the motive for the attack. The teens apparently received bogus information that the woman had a substantial amount of money in the apartment, a police spokesman said. Police would not say whether they had recovered a weapon used in the attack.
At Friday’s news conference, Interim Police Chief Richard Badaracco commended the quick work of the department’s patrol officers and said the burglary appeared to be random.
“We want to assure the community, and particularly this neighborhood, that this was an isolated incident that led to this tragic death,” he said. ( A TRAGIC DEATH THAT WAS INITIATED BY THE DOMINO AFFECT OF CHESNEY!)
The death is the second official homicide of the year. On Jan. 3, a 71-year-old woman was found shot to death by her estranged husband, who also killed himself, in a home off Ocean Drive.
EXCERPTS FROM THE CALLER TIMES

PRESS RELEASE FROM LOPEZ BROADCASTING: MAYOR TO HONOR, TV AND RADIO GREAT HUMBERTO LOZANO LOPEZ!

Press Release

At 1145am Tuesday January 17th 2012 Mayor Joe Adame of Corpus Christi will read a proclamation and designate January 22nd 2012 as Humberto Lozano Day . Press is invited to cover this event at city hall chambers. Humberto dedicated over 55 years in broadcasting and started his broadcasting career by being the voice of the American GI Forum and was hand picked by Dr Hector P Garcia. Mr Lopez did voice overs for several movies in Spanish like General Patton and Bruce Lee movies. He had one the first national Spanish language tv show which was seen nation wide on the Spanish International Network which is now Univision. He built several radio and tv stations in Corpus Christi, Victoria and San Antonio. In 1989 he built KMIQ FM Majic Q 104 which was was one of the first spanish fm's in the country along with his wife and son. January 22nd 2012 would had been Humberto 75th birthday! Humberto was recognized with a US congressional proclamation state legislative and senate proclamation and received the key of the city of Corpus Christi twice for his service in providing excellent coverage of city issues to his community.

Carlos Lopez was quoted as saying what a great honor it is not only for the memory of his father but for all Hispanics he served and he helped throughout his many years of broadcasting and to the legacy he leaves behind. "My father was a great man and a voice for the community. As I have said in the past and I will underline tomorrow at the proclamation honoring him with a day here in Corpus Christi, although he was very blessed, he always said his family was his greatest accomplishment, he loved his family and his community and that's why even though he could have lived anywhere, he stayed here."

Carlos Lopez said his father never turned down the opportunity to help those in need. He used his media networks to raise funds and give back to local families, churches and charities. Many a family voiced their gratitude when a sickly child was in need of medicine or doctors or when funds were lacking to bury a loved one. Humberto and his family were always there to get out the word and do so today to help the less fortunate.


General Counsel Joe Flores, remembers Humberto Lozano Lopez in these words,"To this day, it's a great loss to all of us," said Joe Flores, attorney for the KTMV Media Network. "He was a giant of a man, he was a pioneer. He gave a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. I honor him by thanking him at the beginning of each political and legal segment of our show. I salute the city and the mayor for recognizing this man, particularly following a tremendous day honoring another great man, Dr. Martin Luther King. May he rest in peace and God bless his family who give so much to the community."

WHO IS ANTHONY TROIANI? (CLICK ON IMAGE TO MAGNIFY)

Update Regarding the Texas Primary Election

Update Regarding the Texas Primary Election

As a result of the actions taken by the Federal District Court in San Antonio and the U.S. Supreme Court in recent days toproperly review the issues associated with the redistricting maps in Texas, the U.S. District Court in San Antonio, the Republican Party of Texas and the Texas Democrat Party reached an agreement last Friday regarding the date of the Texas Primary Election for 2012.

The general primary election for Texas was originally scheduled for March 6, 2012, but because of the judicial review of the redistricting plans, many of the election deadlines will need to be moved. The agreement will be contingent upon the Court entering redistricting plans for the Texas House, Texas Senate, and United States Congress by February 1, 2012. If this takes place the Texas Primary Election schedule for the Republican and Democrat Parties will be:
Feb 1, 2012: New residency deadline for candidates seeking election to the Texas House and Texas Senate.
Feb 2, 2012: The respective state party chair will deliver their list of candidates to the Secretary of State.
Feb 3, 2012: County Executive Committees will conduct their drawing for candidate order on the ballot.
Feb 11, 2012: First day for a voter to submit an application for an early ballot by mail for the primary election.
April 3, 2012: Texas Primary Election for the Republican and Democrat Parties for all positions on the ballot.
April 14 or April 21: County and Senatorial District Conventions. The date will be determined by the respective party chairman.
June 5, 2012: General primary run-off election (if necessary).

KLEBERG COUNTY, TX: p PLEAD ON RAX MURDER

Kleberg County, TX -- DANIEL GONZALES On (8-21-1983) plead guilty and was the last
Defendant sentenced with involvement in the Rax Murder. As part of a
plea deal with the State, Daniel Gonzalez plead guilty to two counts
of Aggravated Assault under the law of parties and was sentenced to
the maximum of 20 years in each count. In return, the Murder charge
was dismissed. Mr. Gonzalez also plead guilty on a subsequent charge
of Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to deliver and
received 42 years in prison, to run concurrent with all other causes.

The Possession of a Controlled Substance case evolved from an
investigation by the Kingsville Task Force, the Sheriff's Department
and the Texas Attorney General's Office when Mr. Gonzales, who was out
on bond on murder charges, was found to be selling cocaine. The
Kleberg County District Attorney's Office reviewed and the Kingsville
Task Force ran a search warrant on August 24, 2011 based on coded
telephone calls the Defendant was making at the time. Assistant Texas
Attorney General Ralph Guerrero, who was appointed as Attorney Pro Tem
in the murder case also assisted the District Attorney's Office in the
possession case.

District Attorney John Hubert said, "The assistance of the Attorney
General's Office, in combination with the cooperation from local law
enforcement, helped to reach this plea agreement. With tightening
budgets and few resources, assistance from the Attorney General's
Office in these complicated cases helped us to reach a fair plea
agreement with limited impact on other pending cases." Two other
Defendants in the August 8, 2010 Rax Murder case were previously
sentenced at trial to life in prison for their involvement in the
murder. There are still four unrelated murder cases pending in
Kleberg County.

EL VAMPIRE DE ROBESTON (THE ROBSTOWN, TEXAS VAMPIRE)

FOLKLORE: "EL VAMPIRO DE ROBE" (OF ROBSTOWN, TEXAS)

Robstown had a vampire? In 1958 or so lived in “el campo-santo” (cemetery) and he used to stand and comb his hair in the St. Anthony church area -- especially when a couple got married – even at quinceaneras (15^th year birthday).

Emiliano Carreon shared his enchanting mythological story – but he cited it as if it was yesterday. According to him, there was/is an underground chamber in the “campo-santo viejo” (old cemetery). He lived there, TV and other regular modern appliances.

“Era un hombre vestido de negro como Dracula (he was a man that dressed in black much like Dracula),” stated Emiliano Carreon at the local McDonalds. "I asked the vampire why he always placed himself in front of the bride and groom.." He (the vampire) said: 'Come here…' he showed me an espejito (mirror) and he could see the novia (bride) disrobed…”

No one ever talked to him – but Emiliano had the gumption to approach him and satiate his curiosity at a time when he --… Emiliano was there helping at church with a raffle/fundraiser.

WHY WOULD A VAMPIRE PRAY?

“The vampire would go walking to the church through the railroad tracks… I live in that area.” He would, according to Emiliano, even to inside the church and pray. A priest which I will not name would stand far away in the altar when he came in and burn 'copal": some kind of smelly incense."

“The old testament says, God is the god of both evil and good. It is up for us to decide… Like a circuit, we are, a positive and a negative wire.. our brain has a positive and a negative and it controls the body and other things.. Even the angels in heaven (like those in hell) God allows them to be mischievous. It is man which he gives liberties to while they are alive,” he shared his beliefs.

WAS HE RICH OR POOR?

“Apparently he was not a vampire pobre, because he could not afford to buy bags of blood that are sold at Memorial Hospital by the way.. todo se manija con dinero (all can be managed smoothly most of the time with money).”

“I don’t know what happen to him; if he died or not… he just disappeared. He preyed on women - especially Robstown women, Mexicanas. He loved their thick cheekbones and spunky resistance....There was another after that would dress like Freddy Fender, but when he died they didn’t like him because he was gay,” he concluded.

PHIL VELA FOR CONGRESS???

PHIL VELA FOR CONGRESS??? Just got wind of news that yes, phil vela, is considering running for the newly redistricted congressional seat 27 – runs from this area to Brownsville. Phil is 13^th court of appeals judge rose vela’s husband. His late, beloved father was a federal judge in the valley: his mom, was mayor of Brownsville… he once played a leadership on this area – first as a democrat, then as a republican. He help placed many in judicial posts – he helped open a flood gate of political opportunities for republicans here in the region. Has the whole expectional agende being messed up???

U.S. REP. FARENTHOLD'S DISTRICT DIRECTOR EXPRESSING ANTI-MEXICAN SENTIMENTS? Racial Jujitsu? Expediency?

On Thursday, September 15 U.S. Representative Blake Farenthold’s District Director – that is, Steve Ray (who also owns a public relations company) was a guest on Jim Lago’s conservative radio show and consented with Lago that Hispanic Studies should be done away with at the universities though out the country. As Lago hammered away with his anti-Mexican culture sentiments, Ray bubbled back with reinforcement.

What was most upsetting to many an Hispanic listening was that during Hispanic Heritage month – September – the anti-Mexican fervor was high. Radio host Lago questioned ethnic studies so as to posture himself politically and attempted to identify a clear target to lash out at: “Why do we need Mexican American studies?” Lago implicitly and explicitly insisting further that the latter seems to be an anti-Anglo curriculum. Lago reinforcing that Anglos now when from being the majority to the new victims of oppression by minorities’ quotas and special educational programs. And U.S. Representative Blake Farenthold’s District Director (so as to repeat his name) -- Steve Ray – immediately reinforced: “I agree with you we should all just be good Americans?” Racial jujitsu.

“Good Americans” – these two words opened old historical scars in many a minority person listening who had struggled to struggle to eliminate the stereotypes and somehow Hispanics and others are not “American” enough. “In Blake Farenthold’s District Director I saw an image as if he was a wild cat trying to scratch out eyes out – so we won’t see the our own sense of who we are as a people and our way of life,” Joe Molina told this publication.

Farenthold’s District Director so as to aggrandize his anti-Hispanic sentiments and remarks went on to say he had Hispanic children and even allude to something fairly wary about Afro-American culture. Ray reinforced the myth that “whites” (or “Anglos) are racially oppressed in the area.

But Steve Ray’s echo resounds louder than most think. His boss, U.S. Representative Farenthold (who has deviated from his liberal grandma, Sissy Farethold, due to political expediency it seems) has identified not only with the growing signs of this displaced racial anxiety, but with a group of regional and state and national tea party fanatics that identify discrimination against whites as being just as big as bigotry aimed at Hispanics and blacks and other minorities.

“Good Americans” or is it Ray’s and Farenthold’s view are a growing concern in most colleges – some colleges are offering courses in "Whiteness Studies" as white Americans cope with becoming what one commentator calls a "dispossessed majority group." A Texas group recently formed the "Former Majority Association for Equality" to offer college scholarships to needy white men.

U.S. Census Bureau projections that (Anglo) whites will become a minority by 2050 are fueling fears that whiteness no longer represents the norm. This fear has been compounded by the recent recession, which hit whites hard.

Here regionally Conservative talk-show host Lago argues sometimes openly and sometimes amenably in the cited radio show that Republicans are an "oppressed minority" in need of a civil rights movement because its members willingly sit in the back of the bus and are afraid of the growing Mexican-American population.

But Ray’s, Farenthold’s and Lago’s voiced sentiments are reaching new tiers in other related movements. Not too long ago Fox talk-show host Glenn Beck led a march on Washington (attended principally by white people) to "restore honor," and once called President Obama a racist with a "deep-seated hatred for “white people” and “white culture." He later said he regretted making that reference.

The notion that many white Americans feel anxious about their race is not new. Today, however here regionally, Radio commentator Lago is capitalizing on economic anxieties -- feeding those racial fears. At one time it was mostly ethnic minorities (for the most part) that felt the first big pinch on an economic recession, but this time the recession hit blue-collar, white Americans hard, financially and psychologically.

“Many white Americans have lived under the assumption that if they worked hard, they would be rewarded. Now more white Americans are sharing unemployment lines with ‘those people’ -- black and brown,” a local professor said. “ "For the first time since the Great Depression, white Americans have been confronted with a level of economic insecurity that we're not used to… It's not so new for black and brown folks, but for white folks, this is something we haven't seen since the Depression."