Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Filemon Vela Employs Heritage In Congressional Kickoff


Spotting his District 34 opponents a 60 day head start with his late announcement for the congressional race, Filemon Vela summoned a base of support rooted in his family's half century legacy of public service. The Longhorn Cattle Company Barbeque of San Benito reached capacity in both it's front and "back 40" with a hundred or so more outside.

Using a slide clicker to chronicle the character and servitude of both the Vela and Sanchez sides of his family, Vela traced his family's service back to the 50's. Many of those seated around Nena and I seemed to identify with the Vela's forebears including Filemon Vela, Sr., Blanca Vela and Mr. and Mrs. Moises Vela.





In sort of a Clintonesque throwback, Vela introduced his wife Rose, who serves as Justice in the 13th Court of Appeals.  Vela, like the former president, said, with he and his wife, "you get two for one".  Of course, for many in the audience, their thoughts drifted toward the late Filemon B. Vela,  the former judge.


Vela's voice seemed to break a bit as he talked about his father's work ethic and devotion to the community.  Vela may not be a natural politician or public speaker, but his appeal to his family's heritage in public service did seem to touch some in the audience as they visibly fought back tears.  While very few specifics were given, Vela spoke of "giving this region a voice in Washington" and "shaking things up".

33 comments:

  1. In before negative non-sequiturs.

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  2. Have not attended any political event in recent memory filled to capacity like this one. With people sitting outside the restaurant on folding chairs, standing room only inside. Enthusiastic crowd and wonderful candidate.

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  3. The turn out was amazing. The parking lot, the lots around it and the side alleys were packed with vehicles. The crowd inside the venue was made up of people who go to the polls on election day. It was a stunning show of quantity and quality voters supporting a candidate that started his congressional campaign months after the others.

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  4. of course you'll get the turnout; it's not because of junior's charm and wit. hell, serve rib eye and t-bone in southmost and you'll get a full house, maybe too full and that's why they had it at longhorn's, far enough to keep away the hobo political moochers from bville and near enough to get some treasure hills money.

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    1. Roman. . . you could have driven or gotten a ride with someone.

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  5. When I look at his face I see the image of his father. Brought back many wonderful memories of the Judge, and talking to Moises again was a blast. Best of luck Filemon!

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  6. I am Vela Fatiqued, tail coating on his father's position. Sorry, someone else for congress.

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    1. fatigued? You must be from one of the other congressional campaigns lol

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  7. while everyone else is fundraising, fil is giving it away,he can afford it and of course you'll have a full house..ITS FREE. Voters can not be bought, they're smarter than that. Just who does Fil represent, not our interest but his own special interest. Jim, I hope you give all the other candidates in this race equal time. SAY NO TO FIL VELA!!!

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    1. We covered the kickoffs for Troiani, Saenz-Blanchard, Alela Garza in a similar way. Villalobos had his out of town. Ramiro Garza's was on SPI, but we covered and event of his at Galleria 409.

      Jim

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    2. Wasn't Vela's out of town as well? Just saying...

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    3. didn't all of the candidates have food at their announcements? Troiani had BBQ, Blanchard had a buffet, Vela had BBQ, Some of these comments are just silly.

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  8. Good people! I will vote for him

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  9. I find it funny how people are saying he has tons of money yet he has a candidate loan of $150,000.

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    1. Vela has accumulated over one hundred and sixty six thousand dollars more than any other candidate's available cash. Stating the obvious here. Darling, you have two choices:

      1. continue bitching about how far superior Vela is to you in funding his campaign
      or
      2. take action

      Pull your ass away from the computer, get off the blogs and raise some money of your own. May 29th is only four weeks away.... hurry hurry hurry

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  10. Vela doesn't have all of e money he wants people to think that he has. The vela name is not what used to be when the judge was alive. HE was respected. But for me, it's not the money, its the arrogance. Mr. ,Vela, has yet to present himself at a forum to let us hear about him. What is his platform? What does he stand for?

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    1. I agree. Jim: Did you get a chance to ask Vela about his absence to all teh forums that have been held? I saw that you had a real issue with TSC candidates not attending tonight. Do you feel the same way about Vela? Just curious.

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    2. Some of those forums were a joke. The one where candidate Aycock started attacking Villalobos and Troiani was just sad. Everyone says the same thing about bringing more jobs. unless they are bashing each other.

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  11. Some of above comments are erroneous. Mr. Vela is the fundraising frontrunner, with an extreme 4-to-1 advantage over the other Democrats. Federal financial disclosure reports.

    Democrats, Current cash on hand April 2012

    Filemon Vela $208,000
    Armando Villalobos $4,333
    Elmo Aycock $183
    Denise Saenz Blanchard $42,067
    Anthony Troiani $39,216
    Ramiro Garza $25,812

    Solomon Torres April report has not been published. Does anyone know why? In December he showed $15,941. Nearly all candidates' reports show loans, gifts, or in kind contributions to themselves.

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    1. Thanks for posting. Looked up report myself. Looks like Fil gave himself $150,000 which means he only raised over $50,000. What happened to that $1million amount everyone was talking about that he was going to raise?

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    2. No you are looking at cash on hand. In total fundraising Vela raised over $245,000 in just three months. Will he have any trouble reaching 1 mil by November? Nah.

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    3. Of course Vela might not even need to raise that much. Since no other Democrat candidate's fundraising efforts yielded a fourth of what Vela has on hand now, only four weeks away from May 29th election. Villalobos, once the frontrunner with a one year head start, now down to less than 5 grand. The Republican candidates are too busy playing whack-a-mole with each other to project a unified opposition.

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    4. I went to the Vela kickoff because like many others, I was curious to hear him. What a disappointment! Didn't hear one thing he plans to do. All I heard is what his family has done. My vote is not going to someone running on their name. I remain undecided.

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    5. He definitely has our vote. It's time to throw Gilbert Hinojosa's and Solomon Ortiz's corrupt friends out!!! Go FILEMON!!

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  12. I don't know about everyone else, but I LOVED the mariachi performance by The All Female Group Mariachi Margaritas!!!

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    1. bravo ladies! beautiful music :)

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  13. It was a fabulous event. Too many negative envidiosos on the blogs. Crabs in a bucket! Que triste!

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  14. i see the velas as a self serving bunch. the ex mayor has used her sway to get a lot of things named after her family. i was really disapponted when they lobbied to get the courthouse to be named the Garza/Vela building. I mean Garza was the FIRST hispanic federal judge who rubbed elbows with the likes of JFK and LBJ. Garza would have been the first hispanic Supreme Court Justice, but he refused the offer to stay in south Texas. Although many revere Judge Vela, he was not at the same level as Judge Garza. The building should have, and would have been named soley for Garza if the Velas weren't so self serving.

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    1. ^^^ pathetic fail
      Please remember these two men are dead. Show some respect. In life they were both brilliant, makers of history who devoted their lives to this community. It is telling how desperate some opposing candidates get to win this election that they anonymously try to pit two dead federal judges' families against each other. The Garza's and the Vela's have class...... some comments on this blog show none;

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  15. no one is pitting two dead judges against each other. or their families for that matter. just simply pointing out that the velas are in search of glory. the judge probably was not, and this candidate may not, but some in the family have actively tried to have many things named in honor of their family. from statues at parks, to city streets to buildings. yes, i will conceed that this family has dedicated years of public service, but those types of honors are given, and sometimes, it seems that those types of honors are requested by some. i am not a candidate, just a voter. and i still havent' decided for whom i will vote, but i am merely expressing an opinion. speaking of having things named in one's honor, i think it is silly for any active, living politician to accept anything being named after them. Eddie Lucio, who is pretty good for Brownsville in my opinion, should have not accepted having FM 511 named after him, at least until after he retires. and don't even get me started on the county annex building in san benito...

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    1. Then stop pitting two families against each other PENDEJO!!

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    2. The difference between the Vela's and others who have things named after them is that the Vela family are blessed to receive these honors, and all are law abiding, tax payers who have given years of service to the community. Unlike politicians cutting deals and getting indicted, arrested, imprisoned, and wanting crap named after them. Or thrown out of office because of corruption, like Solomon Ortiz, who still named the Corpus Christi convention center after himself.. you are comparing apples and oranges

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  16. I'm sorry but I CANNOT support a REPUBLICAN. This man should be truthful and file as a Republican because that is what he is.

    http://riograndeguardian.com/lista_story.asp?story_no=21

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