Friday, May 26, 2017

RIGO, A LA WOODS, IS RUNNING FOR COUNTY WHAT????

By Juan Montoya
Remember the days and months before the election for Cameron County judge when John Wood, the current Brownsville Navigation Commissioner and former Pct. 2 Cameron County commissioner, started putting up signs all over the county with his name and the year of the election, and nothing more?

There was no mention of the fact that Wood was going to run for county judge. Since he had more than a year left in his term, he would have had to resign his position, give up his salary, and name a treasurer. That would not have been convenient, so he opted for the teaser that he was going to be a candidate for...something.

Well, we're in mid-2017, scant months before the March 2018 primaries where the parties hold elections to see who'll face the other parties' candidates in the 2018 general elections. It used to be a sure thing that the Democratic Party candidates who emerged victorious in the primaries were a shoo in in November. But the election of two Republicans for county judge and a smattering of constables have changed all that.

So if you are eyeing a run at a county position coming up for grabs, say a county commissioner's post, it is to your interest to start putting your name out in the district to at least let people know you'll be running for...something.

We say this because we checked with the Cameron County Elections Office and found that so far only six candidates have filed an appointment of their campaign treasurer. They are:

JP Pct. 2-1: Linda Salazar, Treasurer Rick Zayas
JP Pct. 2-3: Mary Esther Sorola, Treasurer Ruben Gallegos, Jr.
County Commissioner PCt. 2: Joe "Joey" Lopez, Treasurer Frank Wood
JP Pct. 2-2: Javier Reyna, Treasurer Tony Torres, Jr.
County Court At-Large #2: Laura L. Betancourt, John R. Serna
County Clerk: Dahlia E. "Lali" Betancourt, Luis D. Gonzales, Jr.

Noticeably absent from the list is the guy with the baby blue signs (and eyes) Rigo Bocanegra, who last ran in the race for a position in the Brownsville Independent School District. In that race (a majority vote race), Dr. Sylvia Atkinson took the race.

Bocanegra has been coy about naming the position he is going to seek, but a cursory reading of his social media pages leave little doubt that he is eyeing the Pct. 2 county commissioner's seat currently held by Alex Dominguez.

Dominguez, in turn, has made it no secret he will be considering unseating State Rep. Rene Oliveira should the District 38 incumbent decide to seek reelection. It's hard to gauge Oliveira's intentions since he has racked up more that 30 years there and says he only seeks reelection with the justification that he has some "work" he has to finish before he retires.

Yet, a review of the treasurers' filings indicates Bocanegra has not filed his treasurer's appointment. As such, he is not supposed to collect or spend money on any campaign. Yolanda Begum was his treasurer for his BISD run, and when we asked him about this current endeavor, he said his treasurer – once he announces – will be Aida Montenaro-Flores. He said her name appears on his campaign signs and that he had forgotten to file it with the county elections office. He said he will do that this coming Tuesaday.

Bocanegra is being supported unabashedly by "Team Saenz," a group headed by Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz and his brother Mario. Both men have appeared in social media endorsing him as a "humble" man.
His campaign signs do not display the name of a treasurer, either. Of course, it may just be an oversight on Bocanegra's part, but having the DA as your supporter lessens the risk, it would appear.


The Texas Secretary of State website states that: "the law provides that you must file a campaign treasurer appointment form with the proper filing authority before you may accept a campaign contribution or make or authorize a campaign expenditure, including an expenditure from your personal funds. A filing fee paid to a filing authority to qualify for a place on a ballot is a campaign expenditure that may not be made before filing a campaign treasurer appointment form with the proper filing authority."

So, Rigo. It's still early before the March 2018 primary. Perhaps conforming with this small detail might make it easier sailing as the 2018 campaign season starts.



 

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

this was already on another blog, juan. Que te pasa, bro. Tarde, como siempre. Y que se oye de tu gran amor Ben Neece?

Anonymous said...

Great information. Won't someone please run against Linda Salazar...the current "Queen Mother" of corruption.

Anonymous said...

write about pussy, bro.

Anonymous said...

Rigo is an Erasmo Castro in the making - runs for everything, wins nothing.

Zeke Sauceda said...

Rigo doesn't have the brains to be a county commissioner! get real, dude!!!

Anonymous said...

Juan, a real story. I heard Erasmo "Shamu" Castro is combining his two loves of stuffing his face and shaking down restaurants to make a living. I hear that some restaurants higher him to go to competitors and diss the meals. He tried to shake down my aunt and uncle saying that they didn't support him in his race against the doctor. I guess his true colors are showing. That is the last time my family and I vote or help him ever.

Anonymous said...

Ponte a jalar, Rigo. VALE SEBO, ESE VATO.

Anonymous said...

Juanito, the signs do have the treasurers name.

Anonymous said...

Obviously you are a person that prefers to continue supporting corrupt candidates over a person that has the potential to do good for the people.

Anonymous said...

Higher him? It is "hire him". If you want to trash someone, be grammatically correct.

Anonymous said...

Higher me.

Anonymous said...

I would like to be higher.

Anonymous said...

Rigo is as dumb as they come. All candidates should take a reading and writing exam before they are allowed to run for office. I understand he reads at the 5th grade level

Anonymous said...

Rigo is a well mannered person. He seems genuine and caring about the community. I've seen him around actually helping people. Rigo hold your head up high. Do the right thing and it will be nice to have a commissioner who cares about the community and not just himself.

Anonymous said...

I never met Mr Bocanegra until only recently. To be honest, he strikes me as a determined open-minded individual who desperately wants to help his community. I truly believe all these negative comments are put here to sway the voters to another side. None of these comments are true and are probably written by envious individuals or his opponent perhaps? He is just that Mr Run Run, HUMBLE.

Anonymous said...

I still insist that there must really be money in the politicial world, for people to run and run and run and spend "hard-earned" money for an elected position, especially when there is no salary. How can they afford to do this? I guess that is why so many Lexus and Cadillacs or Mercedes Benz are seen being driven around Brownsville by any rasquache.

Anonymous said...

Rigo is a loser

Anonymous said...

Don De Leon is Rigo's campaign manager

Anonymous said...

Good luck rigo!

Anonymous said...

Rigo das pena ajena

Anonymous said...

Hahahahaha
Jajajajajajaja
lololololololol

Anonymous said...

Great guy. But He is going to lose, partly due to his failure to disclose his intentions to voters . Keeping the position a mystery is not a good move.

Anonymous said...

Frank Mar Chet Up

Anonymous said...

Frank Mar you need to get over Da Cheez

Anonymous said...

Tal para cual

Anonymous said...

GO RIGO GO YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!! FRANK MAR GO AWAY!!!!

Anonymous said...

Well, at least Rigo knows to put a period after a sentence.
I WILL VOTE FOR RIGO!

Anonymous said...

Haven't you learned that politicians will say whatever they think you want to know. I have yet to identify a single politician who has done what he says he is going to do and makes big promises that are bunch of crap. In plato de arros con frijoles y taquache asado, buys votes and then we have to swallow the crap they give us.
Seems positive - my ass! Until they get elected and to hell with you.

rita