Cesar de Leon: From Grade School to City Commissioner to Charges of Racism~Part II

Cesar de Leon, Cindy & Carlos Elizondo, on a screenshot
taken from Nena's video

It was a warm winter evening, January 21, 2015.  Joe Kenny's always comfortable Cobbleheads Bar & Grill was near capacity, fuller than I'd seen it before for political meet & greets.

"Thanks for coming!" stated Carlos Elizondo as he extended his hand.

Nena videotaped Cesar de Leon's 3 minute speech, although he said nothing really, just repeating his resume' and saying that he, as your commissioner would have an "open door policy."  "Oh wow!" I thought to myself.  Carlos and Cindy Elizondo stood beside Cesar as he spoke.

I found it odd that Cesar was flipping rapidly through a yellow legal sheet, likely indicating his speech was in manuscript, probably written longhand.  When I got home I uploaded the speech on YouTube, more in respect of Nena's effort to tape than any substance in the speech.

City Commissioner Cesar de Leon, 6 days after the release
of the potentially career-damaging audio tape

Who could imagine that 2-1/2 years later, these men, Elizondo and De Leon, would be mortal enemies, each bent on damaging the other's career in "public service?"

At this moment Carlos and Cindy seem in full "persecution complex" mode, posting religious and scriptural nuggets of wisdom on their Facebook pages similar to the one at the left, gleaned from Cindy's FB page.

Cesar de Leon seems determined to carry on, "business as usual," having already given an apology for using racial epithets while defensively reminding us all that it was a "private conversation."

But, we're still left with the question: "Why would the normally polite, gracious city commissioner get so angry at a couple or three assistant district attorney's who happened to be black?"

The nonpolitical Diego Lee Rot, music writer for the Brownsville Observer offered this theory:  "Cesar is smart, very smart, especially for this town, but, probably just above average for the big city.  Those two black ladies probably smoked him in court, something he's not used to."

Hmmmm.

ADA Monica Lee Strickland

Monica Lee Strickland, one of the black ladies assisting the Cameron County District Attorney's office, received her law degree from the University of Miami in 1996, 18 years before Cesar received his.  Note this anonymous comment on our picture story about Ms. Strickland:  "Ms Strickland, I recently sat in a panel for a jury. I was not selected, however your poise and demeanor as well as your patience blew me away. You were with a my h less knowlegable and personal assistant DA and 2 very experienced defense attorneys, yet you held your own and saved the DA. I wasn't able to approach you as I didn't want to influence the case or the jury selection ,but welcome to our part of the world the k you for being here and may you be blessed and enlightened to do and accomplish the things you have set out to do. Thank you for being a classy I individual, (you may be a military off spring, but not a brat). Forgive the silver spoon fed brat that offended you.-cameron county juror #...

Mark Hanna, Rio Grande Guardian

In a September 11, 2017 interview with Mark Hanna of the Rio Grande Guardian, a month before the release of the audio tape, Cesar de Leon
explained his methodology in conducting a city meeting:  "I don't care if you're red or blue, what god you worship or the color of your skin.  When that door closes, we work together as a family."

Of course, anyone can recite platitudes that sound good, but don't reveal the inner man.  Still, on a ranch with a bunch of cronies, with one man stealthily audio taping, it's easy to disparage outsiders who've whipped your ass in court, especially after a few bottles of Bud Light.

Stating the obvious, Cesar de Leon will not resign.  We could demand, that, like a 5 year old kid, he go 'pologize to the nice black folks.  Actually, that would be an act of manhood that would engender respect, don't you think?

In the aforementioned Rio Grande Guardian interview, Cesar talks about economic development, the past failures of GBIC and BEDC to grow Brownsville economically,

Then, this bright young man, with a degree in economics and a stint at the London School of Economics, attempts to explain the funding for 4A economic development projects and 4B "quality of life" endeavors:  "Sales tax revenue is split like this.  The city gets 50 cents and the GBIC and BCIC get 25 cents each, about 11-14 million dollars."

Wrong, Cesar!  The sales tax take is 8.25 cents on the dollar.  GBIC and BCIC get 1/4 cent each.  Do you want Pete Gonzalez to whip your ass too?