Are Sylvia Garza-Perez and Carlos Masso Still Butthurt About Not Getting their Way?

Carlos Masso, Crybaby or Butthurt?

Nena and I had a mild disagreement over my choice of the word "butthurt" in the title of this article.

"That's not the way you talk!" she said.

That's true.  People of our era would say that Sylvia Perez-Garza and Carlos Masso were simply crybabies for not attending Cameron County Democratic Party meetings because they didn't get their way on the selection of officers.

But, I did my due diligence and consulted one of several online dictionaries:
butthurt

Annoyance because of a perceived insult; Upset because of a perceived injustice; Overly annoyed, bothered or bugged because of a perceived insult; aimlessly offended; having an overly sensitive ego

As we reported back in October:

In a clandestine, sneaky meeting held September 7, 2013, with a reported 20 in attendance including prospective candidates at El Mercadito, two rooms on the ground floor of the old Majestic Theater owned by realtor and Democratic Party power broker Larry Jokl, Masso had been named county chairperson. That decision didn't hold as the wife of former Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, Cynthia Hinojosa screamed foul, citing party rule violations.

The make-good meeting held October 11, 2013 in the same meeting rooms was somewhat better attended. Out of 109 Cameron County Precincts, 37 were there to cast votes with Masso garnering 18 of those. Unfortunately for Masso, the relatively unknown Amber Medina, 35, from McAlester, Oklahoma, received 19 votes and was installed as Cameron County Democratic Chairperson. Mayor Tony Martinez, sitting next to outgoing Chairperson Sylvia Garza-Perez, visibly annoyed at the selection, did not join in the applause following the announced results and promptly left the room. 

Masso did accept the Vice-chairmanship of the county party, but when it came time to prepare for the Wendy Davis event, he was a no-show.  After the other officers worked for several hours to set up the event, Masso cavalierly showed up precisely at the event's start, but in poetic justice, couldn't get in due to the large crowd already overflowing the building.  As we left the event, we ran into Rigo Bocanegra and George Lerma of B.U.C., just outside the building, then we saw Carlos Masso in his black sport coat, looking a little lost.  The Vice-chairman of the local party did not even make it inside an event.

Sylvia Garza-Perez

Sylvia Garza-Perez, the former county chairperson, who left the local party in financial and organizational disarray, has followed a similar path to Masso.  She was 20 minutes late to the first monthly meeting Amber Medina chaired and has been a no-show since.

We caught up with a local Democrat to get an assessment of how the February 1, 2014 meeting went:

Mean Mister Brownsville:  Did Masso and Garza-Perez make the monthly meeting of the Democratic Party?

Democrat:  No.  Neither one made the meeting, but Tony Martinez did.  I think there were about 30 in attendance.  

Mean Mister Brownsville:  How's the party doing financially?  I remember Treasurer Skaggs saying the local party was broke.

Democrat:  Mr. Skaggs said we now have $52,000 in the bank after Sylvia Garza-Perez left us with no money and a bunch of bills.  They are planning more fundraiser.  Oh, Dale Roberts said we can use his office space.  He will refund all the rent back to the party save for one dollar.

What about Democratic Party I.D. cards?  There was quite a discussion in November about each member paying $5.00 for an I.D. card, then the local party selling advertising on the back.  

Democrat:  Nothing has been said about that since that meeting.  

Mean Mister Brownsville:  I recall that fewer than half of the precincts had precinct chairs.  I think Amber Medina promised that all of the precincts would have a chair and a list of chairs with their picture would be furnished to all party members.

Democrat:  That didn't happen.

Mean Mister Brownsville:  Well, it seems like the local party is still pretty divided, unorganized and in disarray.  They just have some money in the bank.

Democrat:  Pretty much.