Meet Linebarger's Boy

A 28 Year Ride for Rene Oliveira~Is That Enough Already?

Are 28 Year

     Rene Oliveira always rides in the Charro Days parade and waves.  He has done little else for our region in the last 28 years as State Representative.  He talks a good game among "La raza",  but when he gets to Austin, he forgets who he's supposedly representing.  His only  real work in Austin has been for the huge Linebarger law firm while doing zero, nada, zilch for the taxpayers of south Texas.  Here is what Mean Mister Brownsville wrote February 2, 2012:  

    Rene Oliveira's salary as a "Representative" of District 37 which includes Brownsville and Cameron County is said to be $7,200.   He is also retained by the Brownsville Independent School District as interim counsel.  But it is his work for Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, LLP that gives his employer the most bang for the buck.     


     First, a little historical perspective:  In 2001 Oliveira spearheaded a committee to remove a line in section 3308 of the tax code limiting the delinquent tax collection fee to 15%, subsequently including language allowing a tax collection fee rate of 20%.  That bill sailed through the Ways & Means Committee of which Rene was chairman and was passed by the entire house.   Considering Linebarger's near statewide presence in tax collection, how many millions of dollars did this sleight of hand add to the agency's coffers?     


     Now, fast forward to 2012.  With Rene Oliveira retained by BISD as interim counsel, but still connected to Linebarger, the February 2, 2012 board meeting agenda contains an action item INCREASING the tax collection rate by 2.5%, netting the collection firm an extra $125,000.  And who is that newly named firm?  Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson LLP.  (Please note:  As documented by Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, Linebarger was a substantial contributor to the campaigns of BISD board members Longoria, Escobedo and Saavedra.)  Who pays this extra fee and the millions of dollars collected since 2001 by the passage Rene Oliveira's house bill?  The tax payers, the very people Representative Rene Oliveira claims to represent.


     We must not limit Oliveira's traitorous betrayal of Brownsville and Cameron County to tax matters.  We must not forget Oliveira's treacherous attempt to effectively nullify the 4-3 vote to preserve Texas Southmost College.  Rene totally misrepresented the will of the people by trying to overturn that vote with a house bill essentially for unification.  Only by the efforts of TSC Trustee Adela Garza to lobby the committee, carefully laying out the actual situation at UTB/TSC was Oliveira's attempted sabotage thwarted.      Yes, Rene Oliveira is a representative, but not of the people of Brownsville, Cameron County and District 37.

   
     It seems we may have an alternative to Rene Oliveira, 40 year old attorney Alex Dominguez.  Alex is one of 10 children of  Manuel and Olga Dominguez of La Feria.  6 of the children are current or former teachers.  Alex is a graduate of Rice University, but received his law degree from Arizona State.  He also is a member of local bar associations and the president of the Los Diez Education Foundation, which has provided scholarships to graduating high school seniors in La Feria for 15 years.

      This from the Brownsville Herald about Alex Dominguez:

Dominguez, an attorney who lives in Brownsville, said he is running for office because he wants to see positive change at the local and state level.

“We need a visible representative who interacts with his community. I hope to bring greater interaction and communication between Valley legislators and also with Republicans in the statehouse,” Dominguez said.

“Mr. Oliveira spoke recently at the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Update complaining that the Republican-controlled house limited benefits for the Valley. I believe an effective representative would reach across the aisle and find common ground with Republicans,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez noted that with his previous experience as a teacher, “I believe that I can bring not just passion but creative solutions for our classrooms.”

Noting that Gov. Rick Perry recently stated that Texas has a wealth of jobs, Dominguez said it’s past time more was done to bring jobs to the district, including facilitating tourism, developing infrastructure projects, enhancing the Port of Brownsville, and building education jobs instead of cutting them.

After being an assistant Cameron County district attorney, he opened his law practice in 2005."

     28 years is enough of a ride for Rene.  It may be time to give Alex a shot at working for our region.