Does Cameron County Clerk Joe G. Rivera Deserve Another Term?

Cameron County Clerk Joe Rivera, an incumbent for 32 years, is exactly the kind of office holder the county does not need.  Like so many other entrenched politicos in Cameron County,  Rivera has little respect for the taxpayers who pay for his salary, staff, office and transportation.  In his arrogant view, those assets become simply tools not to serve the community, but to help him get re-elected.

Refreshing our collection recollection, recall it was last November when some from Rivera's staff were being seen on county time selling tickets to a Rivera fundraiser in the halls of the courthouse.  Here is the inbox message we received at the time:

"Hi Jim.. . . . . Just keep my name confidential. At the courthouse...2nd floor...not sure of district. But county workers are soliciting attorneys to buy raffle ticket for $25.00 each. They say its for their Xmas party BUT the ticket says "Campaign and Xmas Party". I asked a worker and he verified it was for campaign of Joe Rivera and some funds for their Xmas party. It appears.all workers are required to sell tickets."

After we published that report, a Cameron County lawyer added this verification, sending us a copy of the ticket:

"have you seen a copy of the raffle ticket? I have one. I noticed it said "campaign" also. Thought it was weird. Every employee got 5 tickets to sell. i bought 2 yesterday AM. Please leave my name out of this"

Mean Mister Brownsville made this observation at the time:

"When an employee leaves the premises of a business while "on the clock" to go to the racetrack, a local bar or do anything not part of his job description, he or she is stealing time.  It is a theft because monies are being paid for no actual work.  Employees across the country are terminated daily for such a violation. 

Cameron County employees sometimes find themselves in the quandary of being asked to do something by their public official/boss that is not work for the county, but instead is political activity for the public official.  Certainly, to refuse to fulfill the assignment might result in termination, but it is a collaborative theft nonetheless.  The employee is being paid by the taxpayer, not the politician.  Of course, the public official making such demands on his employees bears the heavier responsibility, orchestrating the theft from the taxpayers."

In fairness, we received similar complaints from the staff of Elia Cornejo Lopez and Armando Villalobos among others.  Here are some of the comments we received to the articles about Rivera:

"Jim, this is not news. All staff members of the County clerks office are REQUIRED to either sell or purchase these tickets themselves. They are clearly told not to return unsold tickets. This action has been going on for at least the last ten years, possibly longer. Under threat of joining the unemployment line. Ask any of his staff. They hate it cause they usually get stuck with the tickets."

/DP-MNovember 21, 2012 at 4:45 AM

This is absolutely illegal. I'm not one to quarrel with Hispanics honoring themselves, i.e. Rivera's portrait or the naming of buildings. Lord knows, there are few monuments to the culture's contributions, in the Valley and elsewhere. But there is the very-recent case of the aide for Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker who got six (6) months in jail for campaigning for another Republican while on the state payroll. All it takes is judges who know and want to apply the law...

/DP-M

"NOBODY should stay in office longer than 2 terms. They say they are invincible but they have their staff campaigning and asking for donations not to mention the favors for money or support. All of our elected officials are dirty, corrupt, cynical and shameless, if the FBI, Texas Rangers, Attorney GenerAl etc. would even care to look our way, there would not be anybody left to close the jail gates"

"Tony Yzagurie has a better system for selling campaign tickets. He sends his uniformed police officers to drop off 30 or 40 of his campaign tickets at business(most at Auto Sales Lots) and then he sends the policeman back to collect the money(no return tickets accepted)just cash."

"Add the likes of Linda Salazar...who left her office to campaign for her son Ruben Cortez. The corruption and cost to the taxpayers continues...and our officials go about their corruption without fear and without the integrity to try to appear honest. The staffers of these officials are afraid for their jobs....and do the bidding of the corrupt officials. What a corrupt government we have in Brownsville and Cameron Co"

Despite the above observations, a 32 year incumbent has a tremendous advantage and will be difficult to beat.