Sunday, May 18, 2014

THE GLOVES COME OFF: POLITICAL ADS GET "D" AND "D"

By Juan Montoya
After a decent interval following the Texas Southmost College and Port of Brownsville elections and  Mother's Day, the gloves are off in the local political runoffs for November's nomination for various posts in Cameron County.
The first was the biting multimedia post by Cameron County Judge candidate Ruben Peña pointing out his assertions that his opponent Cameron County Clerk Joe Rivera is a pampered bureaucrat who cares only about raising his pay. Well, after 36 years on the job, one would expect a few pay raises in that time, maybe even longevity pay. Peña does add a touch of humor with some cartoons in the "Irregular Joe" clip.
So far, Rivera has not retaliated in the social media or in the newspaper ads. We sill see whether the Peña gambit will resonate as early voting begins Monday through Friday early voting period until May 27 election day.
In the JP 2-2 runoff between Mary Esther Garcia and former constable Pete Avila, Garcia's ad documents through pictures of check and the settlement document, that Avila and the county paid his former secretary Melinda Henderson and her attorneys $150,000 for dropping sexual harassment lawsuit.
Avila has told us in the past that he had wanted to go through with the trial, but that the court's legal counsel and the commissioners had decided otherwise. A link on the Garcia ad leads the readers to the documents in the case. www.maryesthergarcia.com
The settlement had gotten limited coverage in the mainstream media, with only Channel 4 running a report. The Brownsville Herald apparently felt that the public really didn't need to know and did not cover the issue.
But if you think these are the only runoff races generating fist-o-cuffs, get ready for the Pct. 2 commissioner's runoff between front runner Alex Dominguez and Leo Lopez. Lopez, for the uninitiated is the husband of 404th District Court Judge Elia Cornejo-Lopez.
There are some things everyone can agree about the candidates. Alex was not born or raised in Brownsville, although he lives now has lived here for the better part of a decade and pays his property taxes here. Lopez has a medical degree from the University of Tamaulipas in Matamoros and has held several jobs – none as a doctor – from a few months as an insurance administrator at the Brownsville Independent School District and now as a professional embalmer (and apprentice funeral director) with Darling-Mouser.
From the beginning, the Lopez propaganda has stressed the difference between Dominguez and their candidate as one between fatherhood, family, religion, and (we assume) a bachelor and bon vivant (gasp) lawyer like Abel Limas, Jim Solis and Armando Villalobos.
In their television ad, Dominguez's image is alternated with blaring headlines of that Unholy Trinity. The fact that he is a lawyer seems to be the Lopez trump card. They forgot to add that the lawyer has no hair, unlike Leo.
Well, that coin also has two sides. Judge Cornejo-Lopez is guess what?, a (gasp) lawyer, too.
And as far as handful of Texas Ethics Commission complaints filed by zany blogger Robert Wightman that are featured prominently in the Lopez ads, Cornejo-Lopez also has a couple pending, both related to her involvement in partisan races in apparent violation of the judicial canons governing that activity.
The latest ad by Lopez is disingenuous in that he appears to be calling Dominguez outside the bar to defend home and hearth. "Man to Man...Leave my Family Alone. My family is not fair game in this campaign," the headline reads.
Leo says that those complaints with the TEC were meant to "hurt my family and throw off my campaign." He said that just like Mark Rosenthal, Jim Solis, and Abel Limas failed to have Elia charged, indicted, and arrested, so too, will Dominguez fail in this latest "conspiracy."
He also charges Dominguez with using "underhanded, cowardly, cronyism" and "he is not married, and does not have children, but if he did I would not attack his family. Only a coward (that word again) attacks a man's family to win an election at all costs."
So if something comes up in commissioner's court that Leo takes umbrage at, will he ask one of his colleagues or the county judge to step outside and settle it "man to man?"
So now we have Chivalrous Leo, a candidate whose strategy was to emphasize he is a family man, married, and a devout Christian implying that Dominguez somehow trampled on those fine values because someone filed TEC complaints against his wife? Oh, and if you don;t stop it, I'll give you one of these.
Hard as we've looked, we have never seen anything in any Dominguez ads talking about the Lopez kids or about Elia. In fact, it has been the Lopez ads and mailouts that have emphasized (and pictured) his children Elia, and her mom. So who brought family into this, if not Lopez himself?
You can't have it both ways, guys.
Those of us who have lived through a couple of election cycles recognize the Lopez slash-and-burn, take-no-prisoners strategy from way back. Poor Rebbecca Rubane got a dose of it when she announced she was going to run against Elia. Properly chastised, she shrank out of sight. Elia's role in the Lopez campaign has now become a major issue in this race. But just as the prolific TEC malingerer Wightman demands that candidates toe the line with his edicts, judges are also governed by rules. This highly selective brand of morality isn't selling big on the street.
That those complaints are being used in Lopez's ads and that Lopez throws down the gauntlet for a street fight "man to man" simply illustrates the level to which this campaign has deteriorated.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Remember when election time comes around. If you have sense, you vote for the "lesser of two evils"

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter. It's mostly Messicans again. Need a racial turnaround, Juan. you know it and I know it.

Anonymous said...

Don't I remember someone getting arrested in San Antonio when they were tossed out of a private property (store, restaurant--I don't recall) and refused to leave?

Anonymous said...

Pinche Cu"Lito" he is still a wuss that hides behind elia's skirt, and gets jobs (BISD when she was Board probable with politiquera's help, then at the County when she became a judege) because of .
Cu"Lito" jobs are short just like his memory.

Anonymous said...

This election is providing great fodder for Juan's blog. And, he's doing a great job as usual. The reason Alex is going to win is because he's taking the high road. It is the very character that we need as a Commisioner.

Anonymous said...

Leo Lopez and Enrique have the same Medical Degree from the same Tamaulipas University.
Puro Pedo!!!!

Anonymous said...

I agree people need to be aware of Gracia's connection to Armando Villalobos. it is a legitimate concern.

But these accusations against dominguez are flimsy, flim flam, even the Texas Ethics Commission website says 1. anyone can file a complaint for any reason, even frivolously
2. they disapprove of people filing frivolous complaints with a political agenda, just to say "a complaint was filed with the Texas ethics commission" and use that at the end of political races for advertising agendas. Hello Bobby they mean YOU.
right here:

Resolution Regarding Use of Complaint Information in Advertising
http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/whatsnew/RESOLUTION.pdf

Anonymous said...

Poor "Leo" is a mere pawn to his "pit bull" wife's effort to find her hubby a job on the public tit...just like her. "Leo" is a mere "doughboy" for Elia. She has used her position (probably in violation of Texas ethics laws...but she doesn't care) to manage and support her hubby. She has probably been the power behind all of his jobs. How can he possibly stand up or be a voice for the people of Pct 2, when he doesn't have the huevos to stand up to or use his voice with his wife. Just remember, a vote for "Leo" is really a vote to empower Elia Conejo Lopez. We don't need that.

Anonymous said...

What about Avila!? of all the above mentioned, he us the worst scumbag of them all! Don't get me wrong, ethics violations need to be dealt with quickly, but from what I gather they have all been resolved, or are in the process! But this guy has run for a number of public tit positions, and has always had some kind of trouble along the way! And each time he has weasled his way out of it! This last time it cost us (tax payers) $150,000! Enough already! This guy has no business being an elected official! He should be in jail! If I, or any other taxpayer had done what he did, we wouldn't be bailed out by our county government, we would be locked up, and the key would be thrown away! And that is the way it should be for sexual predators!!! No this guy had us(taxpayer) foot the bill, and now he has the gall tio ask for our vote! You cab hoot and holler all you want, that it was her fault, and she wore this, and showed that, and she did this with this guy! No means No Pete! Which is exactly what our county should have told you! Way to go Cascos! Is this your idea of fiscal responsibility! You allowed this under your watch! Maybe next time, Pito Pete Avila will molest your wife, or daughter, ore niece, our any of your family members! Hell! He's drunk half the time! Maybe next time he'll molest you!!! UUUEEEYYY!

Anonymous said...

Pete did wrong, and when it went to the commissioner's court for an out of court settlement, Cascos jumped on doing the $150,000 to keep it out of court. His normal reaction is to offer between $5,000 and $15,000, but this time I guess he remembered that SHE had worked for him in his County office before SHE worked for Pete. I don't think he wanted her on the wittnes stand!

Anonymous said...

UUUEEEYYY!!!

Anonymous said...

Why did Pete take down all his signs that had his picture from when he was in high school with JESUS!??? Se watchava bien sexy el pinche BENJAMIN BUTTON!!!

Anonymous said...

I read the petition. It is unusually detailed. It is also unusually shocking. Either the victim has a telenovela imagination or the words tell what happened.

Second, the victim's attorney is NOT well known -- not at all. So, settlement must have been urged by the dynamic of the facts, rather than the identity of the plaintiff's lawyer.

Third, intentional actions such as Mr. Peter's are usually OUTSIDE any insurance coverage. That relates to crimes, too. So, that maans the taxpayers pitched in to pay all the more than one-eighth of a million dollars NOT the county's insurance.

Conclusion? Well, please permit me to suggest that Mr. Peter prowl on his own time as a retired county employee. His groping and stalking and other outrageous conduct will not be funded anymore by Cameron County.

This IS absolutely a public issue. This should be front page news on all the local TV stations.


Anonymous said...

Agreed! He should be on trial! Not a candidate!

Anonymous said...

The citizens of Brownsville are Smart enough to Not cast a vote for Pete Avila.... It looks like Mary Esther Garcia will win... Congratulations to her. I estimate her Win by a landslide.. God Bless Brownsville

Anonymous said...

Post May 19, 2014 at 12:45 PM hit the nail on the head! The lawsuit was a fraud, but the county can not defend themselves from women who dress like street walkers and are called out on it. When someone tells them to dress appropriately they cry "Sexual Harassment". So Sad For Everyone! Some women know how to play the system. Men Watch OUT!

Anonymous said...

Hey, Pete? I hope you win! Ya'll, right, damn drunk. Look at yourself, what makes you think that you could be a judge? LMAO...if you could be judge, well then, I could be the President of the USA. ROFLMAO!!!!

rita