Thursday, April 2, 2015

MASSO VS. SAENZ 2016, NY TIMES DOES THE MAQUINITAS

"Mr. Saenz’s focus on eight-liners has cost him votes, led to a death threat against him and supplied him with his own gambling room, of sorts. About 100 slot machines seized in the raids sit in a brick warehouse. Roughly 500 others were sold to a company that paid the county $100,000. Mr. Saenz said environmental regulations prohibited him from destroying confiscated eight-liners.
“I wanted to steamroll them to send a message,” he said." NY Times, March 31
We know now that Cameron County District Attorney – despite promising to "steamroll" the maquinitas in front of numerous local, county, state and federal law enforcement officers – did no such thing and that he sold them to net $100,000 to augment his staff's salaries.
No one knows better than one of the representative of the buyers, Brownsville Navigation District commissioner and local attorney Carlos Masso.
Masso was typecast as the "heavy" in Saenz's bid for the DA's Office four years ago. That, according to Saenz's campaign workers at the time, was the only thing that they could find to besmirch his candidacy. Not that Masso himself was doing anything wrong with the eight-liner trade, merely that he had relatives who had been associated with eight-liner operations. 
As an attorney, they knew Masso was within his professional right to represent his clients. Nonetheless, the campaign focused on the eight-liner bogeyman.
Well, it's that time again and Masso is back for another go-round with Sanez.
After Saenz went back on his word on destroying all the confiscated machines and actually profited from their sale, many believe the tide against his anti-maquinita crusade has gone on far enough. As the New York Times article by Manny Fernandez indicates, the crusade has become a charade of cat-and-mouse between investigators and the Cameron County DA's Office.
Elderly retirees patronize clandestine eight-liner salons in Cameron County or go to the cities along the Hidalgo-Starr County line to play in communities who have found their operation a fiscal godsend and no longer have the stomach for Saenz's Operation Bishop. 
Saenz's claim that "environmental regulations" prohibited him from destroying confiscated machines belie the fact that the City of Brownsville – where Saenz's office is located – stages periodical recycling of electronic components for free. If he had taken advantage of the free service and recycled them there, of course, would have meant foregoing the $100,000 that he got from the sale of the 500 maquinitas he confiscated.
Still, his PIO claims that not one red cent of the $100,000 has been touched. But unless you have the serial numbers of the $100s they deposited in the account, we'll just have to take their word for it.
There are a lot of unhappy campers this time around who feel that Saenz and his chosen cadre of enforcers which include to ex-federal investigators have worn out their welcome and will be shown the door come elections in 2016.
People who contributed money, campaigned for him, and put up sings on their lawns have said they won't do it this time around. There has even been some talk that he is pushing for investigator Victor Cortez to tun against Sheriff Omar Lucio, a former ally.
And he gave only lukewarm support to former county clerk Joe Rivera who was running for county judge against Republican Carlos Cascos. He, in fact, administered the oath of office to Cascos before the latter resigned to take the position of Texas Secretary of State with new Gov. Greg Abbott.
Some say that Saenz will run as a Republican to garner the support of that party's loyalists and the economic infusion from the state and national GOP where his buddy (and former county judge) Cascos can pull strings for him.
Regardless, there are dark clouds on the political panorama of his reelection.  
   

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

good for Luis Saenz !! me and my family will vote for Luis Saenz, Masso is a Jerk who is friends with questionable people ... and its time for Sheriff Lucio to retire , new blood is needed ...Joe Rivera is a has been, rumor has it he is more at the courthouse now than before when he was employed their ... Ya go Home Joe. nobody wants you ..... puro coffee house gossip.....

Anonymous said...

Mr. Masso is a camel Jocky and does't know it . My brother lives in Palestine who could be his twin . This camel driver lives in Brownsville . The difference is that I would walk a mile for a Camel.......er, I Mean to VOTE ,!!!

Anonymous said...

Take your meds please....

Anonymous said...

Citizens of Cameron Cameron don't forget Luis Saenz went easy on his nephew and niece when they hit a man while driving drunk . Instead of checking on the man they switched drivers and took off . Luis's nephew Victor was always bragging that he was untouchable in Cameron County , so keep this in mind when voting in the DA race . Let's VOTE Luis and his family out in 2016 !

Anonymous said...

No doubt Omar Lucio should retire. He announced early to discourage others from running. Lucio has used his office regularly to give "special" favor to his Dumbocratic friends and on TV he said he would give "special" favors to his supporters. When Aurora de la Garza's son Joey was charged with fraud, Lucio refused to arrest Joey as a "special" favor to Aurora.

Anonymous said...

As a Republican supporter, I don't think Luis Saenz can win as a Republican. Everyone knows Saenz is and has been a part of the Democratic corruption in Cameron County and Republicans know this and we know that he is a Democratic Dick!

Anonymous said...

"Me and my family will vote for Luis Saenz " This must be from Victor Garcia ,Luis Saenz nephew . The same nephew who hit a walking man while driving drunk . Not only did he hit the man but he took off . When Luis won the last election Victor was bragging all over Brownsville that he was untouchable in Cameron County , guess he was right . Let's send Luis and his family a message in 2016 and vote him out !

Anonymous said...

Are you fucking kidding me?! Luis Saenz AND Carlos Masso are birds of a feather, a corrupt, stinking feather, and you know it. Masso is even worse than Saenz. They are both back room dealing, law breaking liars.

Anonymous said...

thank you for the friendly reminder , however Luis Saenz is the best of the two evils !!

Anonymous said...

I heard he frequently forgets where he is and calls for back up to pick him up !!!! Lol. Seriously tax payers money wasted

chief cool arrow said...

Any other candidates please stand up i wont vote for either one of these two we need some new blood in this office too.

Anonymous said...

How can the Times say it's cost him votes if there hasn't been an election yet? Any polls to back that up? A quote from a psychic? No, just over dramatizing the story at the cost of ACCURACY.

Anonymous said...

As a general rule, Mouthpieces are dishonest, corrupt, two-timers, and they run for public office. They make and pass the laws in Austin. They are like women of ill repute at their usual bordellos. Funny thing they are passing laws against women's rights. They must be Republicans.

el southmost kid said...

Puras ratas de dos patas, corruption R US, folks which is your choice or poison???? saenz or masso? take you rpick.

Anonymous said...

El Masso is a secret courier for El Alamhbra.

Anonymous said...

They're both crooks, to see pics from the event scares me, Steve Guerra, Carlos Elizondo and Erin Hernandez, pues esta cabron. Aparte el carnal que se dedica a las maquinitas, ya saben. Puro tranza.

Anonymous said...

My family and I will vote for Carlos Masso

Anonymous said...

Out w/Saenz, Masso, big ? mark.

Anonymous said...

Neither of these good men are Crooks. I know them both to be men of high integrity. I will carefully weigh their worth for this office before I place my vote. Every politician is a "rata con dos patas " to the cowards that do not have the balls to run for public service.

Anonymous said...

El Kobar for D.A.

Anonymous said...

Masso does hang around very questionable people. Not to mention he had a hand in some of this illegal gambling as well. I would NEVER vote for him. One of his biggest supporters was an attorney who beat his wife and had a drug problem.

Anonymous said...

Everyone says Masso is involved in illegal gambling but where is the proof. It's all Saenz propaganda!

Anonymous said...

LouieSáenz is a direct descendant of Doroteo Arango. Note the similarity. El Masso is a distant cousin of El Kobar. Note the sinister look.

Anonymous said...

It's Rick not propaganda cabron

Anonymous said...

Rick , the Dick, will prevail !!!!

Anonymous said...

Saenz a man of high integrity? What a joke! He has not made one positive change in this county. His time in office has been to promote himself. He went around town giving his word on numerous promises that never surfaced. He us a liar, worthless, and incompetent.

rita