Mean Mister Brownsville: From the Cameron County Campaign Reports

Gilberto Hinojosa

While perusing the Cameron County Elections website listing of campaign finance reports, I noticed that only county races are included, no mayoral or city commission campaigns.

Impressions can still be gleaned.  With his considerable reputation as a shady character, it is no surprise that Gilberto Hinojosa's first 2005 campaign report in his run for county judge is unreadable with a very faint copy of an illegible document. His second 2005 report is upside down.  Finally, in 2006, the report is almost readable, but written in a backhand style with much larger first letters followed by the undecipherable.

His primary large donors seem to be law firms, businesses from outside the county: (I can just barely make out the location of the donating firm) Miami=$2,000, Dallas=$1,500, New York=$1,000, McAllen=$1,000, Hollywood, FL=$1000 and again, Hollywood, FL=$1,000.  Also, a Harlingen PAC=$1,000(actually in the county) and a Houston PAC=$1,000.  Why are almost all of the larger contributors to the Hinojosa campaign from far OUTSIDE the county he wished to serve?

Subway Restaurants

Something unique to Gilberto's campaign report is a very large listing of restaurant expenditures for relatively small amounts:  Two are actually for just $1.07(a coke?).  Some of the charges seem to be for single meals.  Can more than one person eat at the Longhorn Cattle Company for $13?  Of course, hard campaigning requires nutrition and Gilberto evidently ate well during the campaign.  Here is just a partial list of restaurants charges listed as campaign expenditures:  Subway=$64.60, ?? Tortilleria=$9.95, Subway=$37.83, Longhorn Cattle Company=$30.17, Chapita's=$23.83, Unreadable=$21.21, Johnny Cavazo's=$47.57, Casa ???=$75.11, ???=$7.06, Casa Roma=$48.34, Pirate's Landing(Employee Appreciation Dinner)=$220.72,  Omaha Steaks, Omaha, NE=$93.49, Subway=$36.39, Blue ??? Restaurant=$33.62, Johnny Cavazo's=$43.37, Chili's=$23.50, Antonio's=$26.12, Blue Onion=$42.24, Longhorn Cattle Company=$40.49, Blue Onion=$30.06, Longhorn Cattle Company=$65.62, Lopez Meats=$62.46, Antonio's=$37.61, La Milpa Tortilleria=$125.00, Taco Palenque=$59.50, Speedy Stop #6=$1.07, Subway=$36.69, Gazpachos=$21.24, Elva's=$16.34, La Feria Coffee Shop=$96.77, Julia's, Los Fresnos=$418.80, H.E.B=$15.54, Central Express Shell=$1.40, Subway=$36.69, Feldman's=$1.40, Elva's=$16.99, Chapita's=$15.01, Johnny Cavazo's=$23.44, Costillo's=$71.47, IHOP=$72.30, Costillo's=$30.71, The Lone Star=$68.26, Taqueria Julia's $77.08, Julia's=$160.35, Jason's Deli=$20.90, Breaktime #4(gas)=$42.84, Casa Blanca=$77.84, Cotten's BBQ, Robstown, TX=$56.48, Rosita's=$47.04, ????=$62.50, Taco Palenque=$59.52, Speedy Stop=$1.07, Circle K=$3.01, H.E.B.=$15.54, Subway=$36.69, Feldman's=$1.40, 77 Cafe=$15.08, Super Antojita=$20.65, ???=$21.21, Radisson=$84.85, Johnny Cavazo's=$49.76, Gazpacho's=$21.00, Big J's BBQ=$295.00, ??? Restaurant=$62.76.  Longhorn Cattle Company=$13.34, Vito's=$27.42, Johnny Cavazo's=$51.49, Lotus Inn=$44.53, V.I.C.C.=$42.72, Lotus Inn=$21.89.

I do think some of the charges may be listed more than once.  Notice there are three lunches listed at Subway for $36.69.  That may be a mere coincidence with the Gilberto party ordering the exact same thing each visit.

Enrique Escobedo

When "Dr." Enrique Escobedo ran for County Commissioner in 2010, the Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson law firm gave him a contribution of $500.  Escobedo was and still is on the BISD School Board which again awarded the contract for delinquent tax collection to Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson.(Perhaps, the law firm suspected Escobedo would lose his bid for County Commissioner and remain on the school board to do their bidding.)  He also got a contribution of $3,000 from Attorney Marc Rosenthal who was recently convicted of bribery.  Rosenthal's firm, Watson & Rosenthal gave Escobedo an additional $3,000.(Actually, Rosenthal has been spreading his money around, giving Daniel Sanchez $5,000 to help him in his run for County Commissioner and another $1,000 to Ernie Hernandez.)  South Texas Amusements(8-liners?) sent $2,000 to both Escobedo and Sanchez.

Judge Cascos

The largest war chest in the county was accumulated by current County Judge Carlos Cascos.  $139,177.04 was declared on his 2010 report with an additional $5,267.28 accumulated since.  Cascos' largest contributor seemed to be Horacio Barerra, Mayor Tony Martinez' law partner, who gave the Cascos' Campaign $2,500.