DAVID GARCIA BIGGEST FAN OF ROAD HAND DAVID GARZA

By Juan Montoya

During last week's meeting of the Cameron County Commissioners Court, Pct. 3 commissioner David Garza presented the Texas Department of Transportation Road Hand Award given to him by for his labors at the Alliance of I-69.

Garza is the secretary-treasurer for the group and he frequently travels upstate to perform his duties aside from those of a county commissioner and a pharmacist in San Benito. 

According to a Alliance I-69 press release, the award "is a TxDOT tradition to acknowledge those who have made major contributions to improving transportation in their community and in the state."
Garza is a long-time member of the board and is credited for making dozens of appearances before the Texas Transportation Commission to keep the spotlight on the fact that until 2013 the Lower Rio Grande Valley was the largest metropolitan area in the nation not served by the Interstate Highway System.
Garza, along with other leaders of Cameron County and Valley communities, worked with TxDOT, state lawmakers and members of Congress to attempt to convert US 77 and US 83 to freeway standard and to push successfully for legislation to allow these completed I-69 system sections to be added to be designated as interstates.
Those who attended the meeting where Garza showed off his award were somewhat embarassed when Asst. Administrator David Garcia – who often tags along with Garza on his statewide sojourns – was the lone audience member who rose to applaud his benefactor's efforts. It is obvious that there is a real camaraderie, if not mutual admiration between them both, but the lone member ovation was a bit much for some.
Some less charitable wags there contend that both are joined at the hip.
Now, those of us who live in the valley know that little has changed since the I-69 signs have been posted on the same roadways, but the signs are taken as an indication that the superhighway of the future is here.
Garza is credited with championing the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority which has moved forward with construction of State Highway 550 (a toll road) to create a link for commercial trucks between US 77 and the Port of Brownsville. SH 550 was also made a part of the congressionally designated I-69 system in Texas.
For years, the Road Hand Award has been awarded to politicians politically-connected to Republican Gov. Rick Perry and has been criticized by advocacy groups because many of them were huge donors to his campaign. The award to Garza is one of many given across the state to recognize local toll-road and RMA supporters.
As far as we can remember, commissioner Garza amy be the first Cameron County politician to receive that recognition.