Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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.



6 comments:

  1. Gilberto got his campaign money from the out of town businesses he awarded county contracts to over the course of his years on the county commission. He is the king of the kickback deal.

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  2. what a bore. cant believe i read this piece of shit article... why dont you go back from where you came from and get some help

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  3. Total amateursville, Jim. jesus. No wonder everybody says you suck the big one/. Get a life, man. This is dumb, dude.

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  4. Cameron County doesn't just accept corruption....we demand it! Gilberto Hinojosa, like other locally elected officials (the Lucios, Oliviera, even Filemon Vela) receive more contributions from outside their districts...from lobbyists who want to buy their votes, not from locals who want good representation. Gilberto Hinojosa, in his current position as State Dumbokratic Party Chair, thrives on lobby money. Now his compadre Maganelles is seeking to become another Dumbokrat on the public tit. The citizens of Brownsville don't give a shit.....as long as their entitlements arrive on time.

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  5. How did Gilberto escape the FBI'S wrath? He is the biggest crook!

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