Wednesday, May 23, 2012

ERIN HERNANDEZ BETTING A LAW DEGREE WILL TRUMP A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE

By Juan Montoya
By now we've all heard the justifications of Erin Hernandez Garcia's supporters that we should all jump off the elections cliff and vote for her because she has a law degree and we don't.
You know Erin, she's a local lawyer who happens to be Cameron County Precinct 2 Commissioner Ernie Hernandez's daughter, a point she doesn't readily acknowledge on her campaign literature to limit her liability over his quasi-legal escapades.
The mantra has taken yet another twist now with these same acolytes claiming that the candidate that they see as Erin's main opponent Yolanda Begum isn't educated.
As usual, these simple statements strike a chord with people who might not know any better. Now we understand that Begum's supporters are making their point forcefully that not only does Begum have an education, but that in terms of life experience, she is heads and shoulders way above Erin whose legal practice has consisted mainly of keeping her dad's money-making schemes (such as the vending contract with the county) barely legal.
"To be clear, Yolanda Begum graduated from both high school and college," one of her supporters wrote us. "She is also certified in anger management and domestic violence resolution skills apart from obtaining many years of formal education in liberal arts. Yolanda attended
a community college where she graduated with a business and accounting degree."
Unlike Erin, whose family has been siphoning the resources of local public entities like the city and now the county, as she was growing up, Yolanda’s family was by no means wealthy, they said.
When she married Mike Begum, a downtown retail pioneer who immigrated to Brownsville
in the early 1950’s from Russia, they operated and managed numerous women’s and children’s retail stores in the valley and Yolanda branched out to operate other small business interests including starting a restaurant, property management, an art studio, and a beverage company.
As far as her family, Erin has nothing on Yolanda. She is the eldest of seven children, with one of her brothers being a prominent doctor, her second brother is a lawyer, and her sisters all had careers ranging from a biochemist, human resources director to interior decorator.
Not only has Begum spent almost all of her adult life in the valley, she has also been involved in charities, business organizations, civic organizations, teaching children on probation, and teaching woman with cancer how to utilize alternative life saving strategies for surviving cancer.
Her two children, Sasha and Alex Begum, are both successful lawyers.
No stranger to life's adversities, Begum, a cancer survivor, was forced to undergo thee years of chemotherapy, radiation, cancer surgeries, and finally was able to beat cancer through the use of alternative medicine and diet. Two younger sisters were not so fortunate. They were diagnosed with breast cancer and died after long-fought battles with the disease.
There was a reason why the Texas Legislature, in its wisdom, created the Small Claims Courts with the specific provision that no legal degree is required for that position. The legislature wanted people who could be fair to folks who did not hire lawyers.
The Legislature wanted Justices of the Peace to be regular folks who could hear common sense arguments and not apply legalese or complex procedural hoops to folks coming before these courts. They were set up so that regular people with everyday problems could go and argue their own case without having to hire an expensive lawyer. These courts were an alternative to the Federal, County or District Courts where all the Judges are lawyers.
Some political opponents argue that a law degree is the only qualifier for Justice of the Peace. A Law degree does not bring with it life experiences, wisdom, compassion, integrity, honor and an ethical disposition.
A cursory look into the many lawyers and public officials with law degrees who are currently
under federal indictments in Cameron County should dispel that misconception. Does a law degree in and of itself, then, bring the qualities that are vital for a good public official or Justice of the Peace?
President Reagan was once quoted as saying: "I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."
Erin Hernandez's minions are probably past the point of understanding or of viewing the point objectively. But even in Begum has no law degree, she does bring life experiences, wisdom, education, compassion and integrity to the office of the Justice of the Peace that Erin would need a whole lifetime to achieve. No one in Begum’s family has ever run for public office and she is not a career politician. She is not looking to use the position as a spring board to further her political aspirations or that of her immediate family.
But as a mother, a teacher, a successful business woman, and a civic leader who wants to bring positive change to this position and address issues such as truancy so that youth do not
become societal tax burdens in our community, Begum is about as different from Erin as night and day.
Given her family's track record, do you really expect someone like Erin Hernandez to offer integrity, respect, accountability and honesty to this position?
Between a law degree used for her family's and personal benefit and Begum's wealth of life experience dedicated to our community, Begum is our choice.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I voted for BEGUM.

No mas ya basta con los Hernandez! Too much free caliche to their child rape murderer family Aroldo Cadriel for this voter to give them a second thought.

Anonymous said...

Begum is a much-needed change from the corruption, incompetence and compadrismo that has taken over the Democrat party. Electing an educated woman with integrity like Begum; Will breathe new life into a party crumbling under it's own dead weight. Villalobos, Conrado Cantu, Ernie Herandez, Jim Solis, Abel Limas, a party drowning in slime. This Democrat is proudly supporting Yolanda Begum.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget Erin's uncle getting his test taken for him at the County. for a job he couldn't earn on his own.

Anonymous said...

"To be clear, Yolanda Begum graduated from both high school and college," one of her supporters wrote us. "She is also certified in anger management and domestic violence resolution skills apart from obtaining many years of formal education in liberal arts.

See..... This is why the Gilberto Democrats have lost all credibility. They screech about how Begum never even graduated High School. PURAS MENTIRAS y MENTIROSOS So it turns out in fact Begum has a degree and experience devoting years to rehabilitating local teenagers on probation. There is such a mountain of bullshit spewed by the Gilberto and Ernie Hernandez crowd. I don't believe a word any of them say anymore. All lies from lying liars telling us to vote for trash.

Anonymous said...

THIS FRIDAY
Is the last day of early voting!!

You have 2 days left after today to early vote. Vote for Yolanda Begum at:

- Brownsville Public Library

- Cameron County Courthouse Elections Office

- El Centro Cultural en Cameron Park

- Cristo Rey (Christ the King)

Anonymous said...

Begum? For Change? You joke right?

No?

THEN WHY IN THE HELL DID ALEX BEGUM GIVE $5,000 TO ARMANDO VILLALOBOS for congress?????

Anonymous said...

All the lawyers were scared of Villalobos retaliating against them if they didn't support him. Some lawyers still have his signs up just in case because he has not resigned and is still the DA of Cameron County. I don't blame Begum for that at all.

Now that the truth has come out about Villalobos at least there is a hope for change and a non-corrupt person being elected. A DA you don't have to contribute to or else face retribution.

Anonymous said...

Then WHY IN THE HELL is ERNIE HERNANDEZ wearing VILLALOBOS FOR CONGRESS on his SHIRT??? ha ha que tool, todos flonkes

http://brownsvilleblues.blogspot.com/2012/05/ernie-hernandez-offers-discount-blow.html

Anonymous said...

Do Linda, Erasmo and the two cheez followers have any credibility?

Anonymous said...

Funny reading all these crocodile tear excuses for that pussy begum giving 5 grand to Villalobos. Why you're really saying is dude has no spine, and buckles under political pressure. Is that what his mommy will do to? Is that the way she taught her son to be? Been there done that, no thanks.

To the pendejo that said Ernie wearing Villalobos shirts, there's other candidates beside Ernie's cow daughter and limp noodle begum mommy baboso.

Anonymous said...

The reality is that Ernie wants his daughter to suck on the County coffers like the rest of his family.......

Remember who this bunch is, Ernie's brother in law is a convicted felon who Ernie placed on a county payroll and then had someone else take an exam for him.

Ernie's wife is a known politiquera.

Ernies wife's cousin is a child sex offender.

Ernie used corrupt politiqueras to steal an election.

Now Ernie wants to shove another relative down our throats?

Anonymous said...

ABSOLUTELY NOOOOOO!!

Anonymous said...

linda, luisa and naomi are the remaining cheezers. . the rest of us have left cause we saw through the shit that is erasmo

Anonymous said...

The Begums are like the Velas - they both think that they can buy an election. Both Filemon and Alex are using their ambulance chasing money to hoodwink the voters into voting their way. What pair of saps!

Anonymous said...

Nice write-up for Mrs. Begum but..... have you bothered to research the "life experiences” of the other candidates, i.e. Javier Hernandez, Refugio Covarrubias, Raul Lopez. I’m sure they too have many “life experiences” which are possibly “head and shoulders” above those that Mrs. Begum has had. Could this possibly “strike a chord with people who might know better.” Keep in mind that Erin is not the only candidate in the race. You might also consider that it takes a lot more than having elaborate dinners, style shows and other lavish events to garner the vote of the educated voter. These events are mainly staged to entice some individuals to cast their vote in exchange for some beer and tacos. To me this is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to distract the constituency from the real qualifications (or lack of) of the candidate. The above-mentioned candidates have made known their educational background and law enforcement experience. I for one would like to know what schools Mrs. Begum attended, what charities she belongs to, other than the art tutoring, and what businesses she (and not her deceased husband) has she started.

Anonymous said...

Her campaign sign is not subtle with the "H" larger than other letters in the sign. Being a lawyer and passing the BAR means that you have completed the process to practice law, it doesn't mean you are better prepared to be a JP than anyone without those pieces of paper. Besides, she is Ernie Hernandez's daugther and has grown up in corruption and the elements of the Dumbokratic Party. Being Ernie's daughter disqualifies her, in my mind, for any office....We don't need another Hernandez on the public tit. We don't need more corrupt people.

Anonymous said...

Yolanda Begum is a breathe of fresh air in this stinky world of Brownsville Politics ... Speaking of STINK, Erasmo is nothing but a huge lump of excrement sitting on a couch in Austin with nothing better to do than hoodwink insecure followers.

rita