TAKING AWAY FROM LUPE, TO GIVE TO ERNIE

By Juan Montoya

Don't say he didn't tell us.

When Cameron County Pct. 2 Commissioner Ernie Hernandez came into office he made it no secret that establishing a third Justice of the Peace position in the Brownsville area was one of his highest priorities.

Of course, no one knew that his daughter Erin Hernandez Garcia was contemplating a run for a JP position. And, given the condition of the county's budget, the idea had as much chance of flying as a lead balloon.

Still, Ernie boded his time and when Pct. 3-1 JP Julian Sanchez announced that he was retiring at the end of his term at the end of 2012, Hernandez saw his chance. He encouraged the rest of the board to accept Sanchez's resignation and close that office.

And lo and behold! Guess what Thursday's agenda calls for? Would you believe "consideration and authorization to hold a public hearing for the purposes of creating a Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2-3..(and in the following item)...Discussion and possible action for the creation of the JP 2-3" office in the Brownsville area.

Now, there just a little snag in the wondrous Hernandez web.

There was once a young man who had spent his life in law enforcement with Cameron County and his dream was to run for elective office. His name is Guadalupe "Lupe" Ayala, and he had filed to run for the Pct. 3-1 JP position held by Sanchez, the soon-to-be retiree. He had spent his time touching base with the constituents in his jurisdiction and had felt he had a good chance of defeating Sanchez for the port. To most everyone he spoke, he seemed like a decent man who wanted to serve.

But then, after spending time and money (climbing past $2,000) he was told that the position he was running for wouldn't be there at election time in November, no matter whether he defeated Sanchez or not.

Unfair?

Perhaps, but to Hernandez and others who support his dreams of empire, just collateral damage in his grand scheme of things.

Tough titty, Lupe.

Now there are vicious rumors abounding that the creation of the new JP court will be drawn in such a way that it will leave Erin with just one possible opponent, Yolanda Begum who lives just down the street. Remember, the position both are fighting for JP Pct. 2-2 is for the remainder of the late Tony Torres' term, which ends in 2014. With the lengthening of the primary to May 29, it is possible that the eventual winner of that in the Democratic primary will have to face Republican Raul Lopez in the general election in November.

With the primary campaign started in mid-year 2011, it is possible that the candidate who wins will have campaigned (and spent) more than a year to fill a position that will last only two before the campaign begins again.

Then, still other vicious tongues are saying that Hernandez wants the newly-created JP 2-3 position to be open for candidates and be up for grabs in this year's primary in May. If the filing deadline, which is still open, is given, say, a few days or week, for the competitors to be paired, the preliminaries can be taken care of and Ernie's gerrymandering completed.

In that way, he can eliminate the other pesky candidates and concentrate his energies on Begum, who is proving a more formidable opponent than the Hernandez clan imagined.

Will Ernie be able to convince two more commissioner (or county judge Carlos Cascos) to join his grand scheme at Thursday's special meeting to be held at 9:30 a.m.?

Or will they see through the smoke and mirrors and put an end to the machinations of shameless Ernie? We thought that once Ernie got a paying elected position with a vehicle and medical insurance to boot he would stop the nickel-and-dime scheming.

And you thought the leopard had changed his spots!