COUNTY GERRYMANDERING USUALLY BASED ON POLITICS

By Juan Montoya
With the 2010 U.S. Census data indicating that the county grew by nearly 70,000 people, it's gerrymandering time again.
The last time the county was redistricted in 2001, the districts were redrawn in a move that saw the entire of South Padre Island and some parts of Laguna Madre shifted to form an unlikely precinct that encompassed the silk-stockings in South Padre Island and linked them with their blue(brown-) collar counterparts in areas like Portway Acres, Southmost and El 421 barrios.
Commissioners are looking at the area of Precinct 2 covering north Brownsville which now has a population of 121,432, to shift the lines to equalize it with the populations of Precinct 1, with about 92,101 people, Precinct 3 with 95,539 and Precinct 4 with 97,058.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Ernie L. Hernandez Jr. is already trying to protect his area by lumping all of Olmito together and strengthening his hold on the district for his next election.
“Just the little area of Olmito is covered by three voting precincts,” Hernandez told the Brownsville Herald. “The people of Olmito are disenfranchised … and that is not right. That is one of the areas we are trying to clean up because it shouldn’t be that way.”
And he made no secret that if he can get rid of Los Fresnos, it would suit him just fine.
At the time that the last redistricting was done, in 2001 Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza voted against it as did then-commissioner Carlos Cascos of Precinct 2.
Then-County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa and the late commissioners Pete Benavides and "Tivie" Valencia approved the new redistricting plan.
However, sources close to the commissioners court said Garza's "against" vote then was just for show because he had cut a deal with Benavides to erode the strong Republican voting block in Precinct 3 that had in the past elected James Matz and he felt threatened that another Republican would run and perhaps beat him.
I remember asking Benavides about the swap and he said Garza's fears were very real.
"He had a close call in his first election and he felt that unless he got rid of the Island, he would not make it," he said. "I wasn't worried that the Republican votes on the Island would be able to overcome the barrio votes in Southmost and East Brownsville so I agreed."
At the time of the vote, he quipped in open court that in getting the Island, he was getting an area that was 90 percent Republican.
Pete, a boating and fishing enthusiast, was delighted that he could now use the county's boating ramp next to the Sea Ranch Restaurant for free. He also played along with plans to help the effort to bring gambling to Isla Blanca Park and to enjoy the favors (and large political cash contributions) from Island residents.
Hinojosa and developers from Austin had spoken about establishing gambling casinos on Isla Blanca Park and allowed for the annexation of the Park to South Padre Island in preparation for the time that the Texas Legislature passed the bills making it possible.
"Pete loved his freebies and he enjoyed them fully," said a former Precinct 1 supervisor. "It didn't take long for him to lead a move to hand the county's boating ramp to the Sea Ranch Restaurant. Even after the ramp was made private, he was allowed to launch his boat from the ramp."
Precinct 3, after the Island was shifted to Precinct 1, has never had another Republican elected there.
Cascos said he does not want the redrawing of precincts to be decided for political reasons or for political gain. In 2001, a federal complaint was filed stating that that plan was developed to further personal political interests.
Well, how about starting with redistricting Precinct 1 and letting the chips fall where they may?

Now, 10 years later, it will be up to Cascos, Garza (both supposedly against the 2001 gerrymandering), Sofia Benavides (Pete's widow), and newcomer David Sanchez. Don't hold your breath.