PACHANGA TIME FOR PCT. 2 CANDIDATES

By Juan Montoya

You know the primary elections are just around the bend when the smoke from the grill at Dean Porter Park wafts through the ebony tress and sabal palms and south toward the zoo.

And the same applies when you drive though a busy thoroughfare and see people with their candidate's signs inviting you to their get together at the Taquito Express, a popular taquito joint.

This Saturday and Sunday it was Pastor Victor Alvarez and former city commissioner Ernesto De Leon who were on the hustings trying to attract voter support.

Alvarez had a chicken barbecue at the park Saturday and, joined by his sizable congregation, tried to stir up support for his candidacy. There are seven candidates for the position that is being vacated by outgoing commissioner John Wood.

Although Wood probably will not announce he wants the nomination of the Democratic party this March, his signs have sprouted far and wide. In fact, they have sprouted in Harlingen, in the far reaches of the Southmost area and in strategic spots throughout the county. If he announces before January, state law requires that he would resign from his position, something he won't do.

Still, the other candidates are sure Wood will make a run for the top office in the Dancy Building and have thrown their hats in the ring.

"I believe in term limits," Alvarez said Saturday. "The first two years are a learning curve, and then you really begin to do things by the end of the fourth year. If you get elected to another term, then you can really be effective. But by the third term, you begin to coast and it's time to move on."

Alvarez is a pastor with the Iglesia Bautista Fundamental in Cameron Park. However, among the visitors to the $5 chicken plate barbecue were Vicente Robles, a mover and shaker in local politics with ties to his TSC trustee brother Dr. Robert Robles. He also has a long relationship with former Cameron County Judge Ray Ramon and other county officials.

And local Realtor Larry Jokl also plunked down his fin for a plate of chicken in support of Alvarez. This is interesting in that Jokl is a long-time business partner of Wood. Could his presence there be a subtle sign of where Wood stands in the race? Mum's the word on that one.

As far as the annexation of Cameron Park into the City of Brownsville, Alvarez said that it would benefit the colonia to hold off on the move until the funds from the state dried up.

"If we become part of the city, we couldn't access the money to pave the streets and put in place the curb and gutters," he said. "Maybe in the next 10 years it would benefit us. If we did it right now, we'd be paying city taxes without getting too much in return."

De Leon, a two-term city commissioner, emphasizes his experience as an elected official and his many contacts at the state, federal and international level. He is a tireless advocate of lower taxes and charges that Precinct 2 has been remiss in preparing the infrastructure necessary to nurture economic development. He favors regional cooperation on issues like drainage and in pushing for the maximization of renewable energy like wind.

"We used to be the prime exporters of cotton and citrus at one time," he said of Precinct 2. "Now our prime export is our youth because they have nothing to stay here for. We have to rethink our entire approach to this issue. And we can do this without raising taxes simply by learning to live within our means."

De Leon has been a thorn on the side of the BISD while on the Bond Oversight Committee which has directed the use of $165 million for school construction. The PUB recently confirmed that through his interceding to help supply water of sufficient pressure to the new Veterans High School, he saved the district taxpayers some $2 million.

"They called it political grandstanding, but if I saved our taxpayers money, they can call it whatever they want," De Leon countered.

The chicken at the Alvarez pachanga was nice and juicy, while the taquitos at the De Leon pachanga were delicious as usual.

With more pachangas on the way as the March primary deadline approaches, it'll be hard not to put on a couple of pounds munching down on the botana and trading scuttlebutt around the picnic tables.