ERIN HERNANDEZ BETTING A LAW DEGREE WILL TRUMP A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE

By Juan Montoya

By now we've all heard the justifications of Erin Hernandez Garcia's supporters that we should all jump off the elections cliff and vote for her because she has a law degree and we don't.

You know Erin, she's a local lawyer who happens to be Cameron County Precinct 2 Commissioner Ernie Hernandez's daughter, a point she doesn't readily acknowledge on her campaign literature to limit her liability over his quasi-legal escapades.

The mantra has taken yet another twist now with these same acolytes claiming that the candidate that they see as Erin's main opponent Yolanda Begum isn't educated.

As usual, these simple statements strike a chord with people who might not know any better. Now we understand that Begum's supporters are making their point forcefully that not only does Begum have an education, but that in terms of life experience, she is heads and shoulders way above Erin whose legal practice has consisted mainly of keeping her dad's money-making schemes (such as the vending contract with the county) barely legal.

"To be clear, Yolanda Begum graduated from both high school and college," one of her supporters wrote us. "She is also certified in anger management and domestic violence resolution skills apart from obtaining many years of formal education in liberal arts. Yolanda attended

a community college where she graduated with a business and accounting degree."

Unlike Erin, whose family has been siphoning the resources of local public entities like the city and now the county, as she was growing up, Yolanda’s family was by no means wealthy, they said.

When she married Mike Begum, a downtown retail pioneer who immigrated to Brownsville

in the early 1950’s from Russia, they operated and managed numerous women’s and children’s retail stores in the valley and Yolanda branched out to operate other small business interests including starting a restaurant, property management, an art studio, and a beverage company.

As far as her family, Erin has nothing on Yolanda. She is the eldest of seven children, with one of her brothers being a prominent doctor, her second brother is a lawyer, and her sisters all had careers ranging from a biochemist, human resources director to interior decorator.

Not only has Begum spent almost all of her adult life in the valley, she has also been involved in charities, business organizations, civic organizations, teaching children on probation, and teaching woman with cancer how to utilize alternative life saving strategies for surviving cancer.

Her two children, Sasha and Alex Begum, are both successful lawyers.

No stranger to life's adversities, Begum, a cancer survivor, was forced to undergo thee years of chemotherapy, radiation, cancer surgeries, and finally was able to beat cancer through the use of alternative medicine and diet. Two younger sisters were not so fortunate. They were diagnosed with breast cancer and died after long-fought battles with the disease.

There was a reason why the Texas Legislature, in its wisdom, created the Small Claims Courts with the specific provision that no legal degree is required for that position. The legislature wanted people who could be fair to folks who did not hire lawyers.

The Legislature wanted Justices of the Peace to be regular folks who could hear common sense arguments and not apply legalese or complex procedural hoops to folks coming before these courts. They were set up so that regular people with everyday problems could go and argue their own case without having to hire an expensive lawyer. These courts were an alternative to the Federal, County or District Courts where all the Judges are lawyers.

Some political opponents argue that a law degree is the only qualifier for Justice of the Peace. A Law degree does not bring with it life experiences, wisdom, compassion, integrity, honor and an ethical disposition.

A cursory look into the many lawyers and public officials with law degrees who are currently

under federal indictments in Cameron County should dispel that misconception. Does a law degree in and of itself, then, bring the qualities that are vital for a good public official or Justice of the Peace?

President Reagan was once quoted as saying: "I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

Erin Hernandez's minions are probably past the point of understanding or of viewing the point objectively. But even in Begum has no law degree, she does bring life experiences, wisdom, education, compassion and integrity to the office of the Justice of the Peace that Erin would need a whole lifetime to achieve. No one in Begum’s family has ever run for public office and she is not a career politician. She is not looking to use the position as a spring board to further her political aspirations or that of her immediate family.

But as a mother, a teacher, a successful business woman, and a civic leader who wants to bring positive change to this position and address issues such as truancy so that youth do not

become societal tax burdens in our community, Begum is about as different from Erin as night and day.

Given her family's track record, do you really expect someone like Erin Hernandez to offer integrity, respect, accountability and honesty to this position?

Between a law degree used for her family's and personal benefit and Begum's wealth of life experience dedicated to our community, Begum is our choice.