Notes, Videos from UTB/TSC Congressional, State Representative, District Attorney Forums

 

     The two candidate forums held 2/28-9/2012 were part of UTB/TSC's Project 100%, an effort to get the entire, eligible student body to vote in the next election.  With the Rio Grande Valley voting currently at 13% of those registered, a 100% voting block increases the influence 7-fold(Actually, only 4% voted in the last City of Brownsville runoff election).  Influence or political clout is what our area lacks as politicians who control funding are concerned with number of voters more than raw population.  

     The first forum featured 6 congressional candidates along with one non-candidate:  Anthony Troiani, Jessica Puerte Bradshaw, Armando Villalobos, Ramiro Garza, Jr., Elmo Aycock and Denise Saenz-Blanchard participated as candidates.  Rose Meza Harrison was allowed to participate although the last minute changes in the district boundaries excluded her city, Corpus Christ from the districti.  Congressional candidates Adela Garza and Filemon Vela did not attend.  

     Two students conducted each forum, one acting as a moderator, the other as a timer.  The moderator read the questions from a manuscript.  The timer tapped a bell after two minutes, more emphatically 10 seconds later.  The moderators both nights, one female, one male, were content to read the questions in a monotone.  My personal belief is that students at this level are capable of real world skills, speaking extemporaneously with enunciation, modulation and eye contact if that expectation is made clear to them by their instructor.  Fortunately, a video screen overhead allowed the audience to catch the nuances of each question.  The order of response remained the same for each question, allowing the later responders to "go to school" so to speak on the first commenters and make counterpoints.  Rotating the order of candidate responses would have been a fair option.  Both forums started with a short bio from each candidate, followed by specific questions and, finally, a wrap-up by each candidate.  

     In the congressional forum, one question that seemed to separate the candidates was about the need for a full-fledged VA hospital in the valley.  The majority seemed to say unequivocably that a hospital was a necessity.  Anthony Troiani admitted that, realistically, a hospital was a longterm goal.  Denise Saenz-Blanchard mentioned a "teaching hospital" and was able to articulate the current VA agreement with Valley Baptist allowing veterans hospitalization when needed.  Jessica Puente Bradshaw thought the focus should be redirected from a new hospital facillity to allowing veterans a personal choice of doctors through a voucher system and second opinions on surgeries.  Armando Villalobos seemed to say that the valley's veteran population was insufficient for a hospital.  He called for recruiting more veterans to move to the area by encouraging colleges and technical schools to recognize military training and experience in lieu of secondary education, not starting them as freshman.  (If that misrepresents Villalobos' position, I will gladly edit this comment.)

     The second night's forum was separated into two segments, opening with four district attorney candidates:  Chuck Mattingly, Maria Urbina DeFord, Carlos Masso and Gus Garza.  The questions were about seeking the death penalty, dealing with non-violent drug offenders and working with local law enforcement.  The candidates agreed that death penalty cases and drug offenses had to be handled on an individual basis with a number of variables.  Mattingly was able to dramatically recount the names of some notorious criminals he had successfully prosecuted.   Maria DeFord admitted that currently the office did not have a good working relationship will all of law enforcement.  Gus Garza emphasized "America" as much as the county in his comments.  

     Four candidates for State Representative from two districts made up the last panel:  Alex Torres and Eddie Lucio III contending for District 38, Rene Oliveira and Alejandro Dominguez competing for District 37.  Torres is likeable but way overmatched here.  As much as I consider his father corrupt and self-serving, Lucio III is definitely in his element.  He articulated the issues effecting South Texas more easily than any of the current Republican candidate for president speak to national issues.  Rene Oliveira was at ease, relaxed.  Alejandro Dominguez was intense and articulate.