Car Dealer Mike Hernandez III, The Virus That Just Won't Go Away!

Mike Hernandez Caricature by Nena Barton

Our county's voters fought hard to ward off the insidious virus challenging the political health of the Port of Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees.  

That threat of infection, introduced by Dallas car dealer Mike Hernandez III, is in remission for now, but no known antidote will keep candidates for BISD trustee from taking Mike's money and buckling to his influence.

The 0-6 total ass-kicking received by OP 10.33 candidates in the two elections is now denied by Hernandez and his lame spokesperson, Roger Lee. But, pointing to the lack of an obvious money trail leading to certain OP 10.33 candidates does not disprove Hernandez' backing in the minds of the politically savvy.  A just retired, local bank president was known for using surrogates to contribute in his behalf.

"Hernandez & His Band" Graphic by Diego Lee Rot

Do you think, for example, there is any doubt in Tony Zavaleta's mind that his opponent in the TSC trustee race, Evelyn Cantu, was being pushed by Mike Hernandez III and OP 10.33, even though the campaign finance reports only revealed contributions to Cantu from Hernandez lapdog Carlos Marin and his wife, Elena?  Reasonably, the nasty verbal skirmish that ensued during the race between Mike Hernandez III and Tony uncovered the real adversaries.

Beatriz Hockaday

Hernandez III even denied supporting Beatriz Hockaday in her quickly aborted "race" against Trey Mendez.  Few believe that Hockaday, then Hernandez III's secretary, decided all of a sudden to become a political candidate without Hernandez approval and encouragement.  It was simply one of many Hernandez brain farts, putting a newbie in an obviously unwinnable race against a popular incumbent, something he quickly "corrected" by donating to the Mendez campaign.

Mike Hernandez III, like convicted con artist Carlos Quintanilla before him, can smell BISD's $550,000,000 annual budget from Dallas.  This very minute, Hernandez III is willingly, knowingly spreading his virus by handing out contaminated greenbacks to BISD candidates, old and new.  

Several elections ago, Quintanilla assembled a harem he sarcastically called his "girls."  Now, Hernandez III has replaced Mr. Q.  "Same song different verse" or, if you prefer, "second verse is same as the first."