JAMES HARDEN LEADS THE HOUSTON ROCKETS INTO A DITCH AGAINST GOLDEN STATE

Me-First James Harden a Loser Again

GIRL FROM GUATEMALA SHOT AND KILLED BY CUSTOMS AGENTS IN LAREDO

Shot and killed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on Wednesday at the Río Bravo near Laredo, Texas.

Claudia Patricia Gómez González from Guatemala

Link to story:  https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/27/us/texas-border-patrol-shooting-victim/index.html

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVED

Nena Barton, U.S. Army, Specialist 5, 1963-1966

BROWNSVILLE'S SEARCH FOR SPIRITUALITY GOES BEYOND CHRISTIANITY

POPE FRANCIS TO GAYS: "GOD MADE YOU LIKE THAT"

Pope Francis

5/26/18~THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED IN BROWNSVILLE AND CHARLOTTE NC

Diego Lee Rot

by Diego Lee Rot,

Music Writer for 

the Brownsville Observer

Sparse crowd for Kraken
Lounge Concert Series II

Green Jelly, formerly Green Jello, until a lawsuit by Kraft Foods caused a name change, quickly aborted its show Saturday night at the Kraken Lounge.

I went to the rest room after their opening number.  When I came back out, Bill Manspeaker, lead singer for the comedy rock band, was handing out masks for what would be the finale, a shortened version of their 1992 MTV hit "Three Little Pigs."

No explanation was given for the quick exit, but when Manspeaker called for "25 volunteers to come on stage" to don masks, he added:  "if there are even that many here."

My friend Robert Silva, formerly a drummer for Freddy Fender, told me:  "Brownsville doesn't support white music, just Mexican."

Junebug played a nice set at Kraken, coming up to me later:  "Dude, do you remember when you, Andy and I used to jam at Andy's house in Laguna Vista.  We were tight, man!"

Willie Nelson Leaves Stage in Charlotte

Over in Charlotte, NC, 85 year old Willie Nelson walked on stage, picked up his guitar, then put it down.  He hurled his cowboy hat into the audience like a frisbee and walked off.

An hour later, concert officials came on stage to announce the concert had been cancelled saying that "Mr. Nelson is ill."

Many, who bought tickets, weren't buying that explanation.

"Willie looked pissed!" one disappointed concert goer stated.

5/26/18. . . . the day the music died in Brownsville and Charlotte.

LOVE SICK OR AN INFINITE LOOP? IT'S IN THE PERCEPTION!

It had been a long day for Grandson Jack.  We'd walked downtown through Market Square, then circled through the alley behind the Half Moon Saloon, sneaking in the back door long enough for Juan Montoya to do his Elvis impersonation for the grandson.  

Juan and Jack fist-bumped as we exited.

Since Jack doesn't get cable TV at home, just the internet and Netflix, he was enthralled by a commercial for a men's supplement.

"They tell you all the great things that drug does, but not the side effects," Jack offered.

Later, Jack asked:  "What's that song you keep humming, Grandpa?"

"It's  'Love Sick' by Bob Dylan," I answered.

"It's about a man who keeps saying he's sick of love, is being destroyed by it, but then admits he'd do anything to be with his lover."

"I think that's like being in an infinite loop," Jack pontificated.

Dylan would probably say to Jack:  "Well, you could see it that way."

Jack fell asleep in his grandma's bed, not waking up for 13 hours.

THE BLUES AND THE GULF BREEZE FLOW THROUGH THE HALF MOON SALOON FRIDAY NIGHT

Emilio Crixell y Los Bluzanos at Half Moon Saloon 

Had Nena been with me last Friday night, the world would have a video of Juan Montoya of El Rrun Rrun performing a karaoke version of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" at Brownsville's Palm Lounge.  But, I didn't even have the presence of mind to take a pic, instead sitting on my bar stool mesmerized as Juan mimicked  every Elvis nuance.

So, last night, with harmonicanist Henry Hawk sitting next to Juan at the Half Moon Saloon bar, I took a shot at redemption.

"Henry, did you know that Juan does a great version of Elvis' 'Suspicious Minds?'" I asked.

Juan was already shaking his head "No!" to performing on stage with Los Bluzanos.  I tried.

An old friend and I stayed through three short sets by the Brownsville blues band, even a requested rendition of B. B. King's "Night Life."

Owner George Ramirez came by our table to shake hands, also asking if we thought the room was a little "cold."  

In a few seconds, George turned off the AC and let the Gulf breeze do its thing, opening those green shuttered doors of the old Miguel Fernandez Hide Yard Building.  That's what was called flo-thru ventilation on my '59 VW bug.

THE PALATINES INVADE THE HALF MOON WHILE TRANSVESTITES ROCK LA MOVIDITA!

The few minutes between sets at a music gig can be frantic as amps, drum kits and pedals from one group are removed, replaced by the equipment of the next.

As I saw The Relapsers make way for The Palatines last night at Adams Street's Half Moon Saloon, I recalled John Mayall of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers screaming thirty years ago at Riverfront Park when a Little Rock stage hand tried to unplug his amp.

"Don't touch my stuff!" I remember Mayall shouting. 

No shouting or screaming last night at the Half Moon, at least between sets, just a bartender handing the bass player three draft beers for the group.

"Thanks man!" said the guitarist.

"You won't like the music, Dad," Diego Lee Rot had been telling me all week, "but The Palatines are at least a real group."

The Palatines' drummer looked like a punk rocker, but the other two players in the McAllen outfit were at least 50 lbs heavier than the 60's guys Rot had been "educating" me about lately, giving some credibility to the theory that tacos are more filling than cocaine.

Having done my due diligence at the Half Moon, once again sitting in those comfy chairs Ben Neece long ago took from the decaying El Jardin Hotel for his Crescent Moon Saloon, I walked toward my car.

I was unable to pass La Movidita without buying a Budweiser to watch the transvestite show.  One of the "ladies" briefly interacted with me much to the delight of the bar room crowd.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT COURT OF NY RULES PUBLIC OFFICIALS INCLUDING TRUMP CANNOT BLOCK TWITTER ACCOUNTS

President Donald J. Trump

In a 75 page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled that President Trump and/or any other public officials who block constituents from their Twitter page are violating the First Amendment rights of those citizens.

The defendants in the case include:  Donald J. Trump, Hope Hicks, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Daniel Scavino.

Here is an excerpt from the ruling, giving the court's essential opinion:

"We hold that portions of the @realDonaldTrump account -- the “interactive space” where Twitter users may directly engage with the content of the President’s tweets -- are properly analyzed under the “public forum” doctrines set forth by the Supreme Court, that such space is a designated public forum, and that the blocking of the plaintiffs based on their political speech constitutes viewpoint discrimination that violates the First Amendment. In so holding, we reject the defendants’ contentions that the First Amendment does not apply in this case and that the President’s personal First Amendment interests supersede those of plaintiffs."

The suit was filed in July 2017 by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, as well as seven other plaintiffs who had been blocked on Twitter by Trump.

Of course, President Trump has largely eschewed presidential news conferences, preferring to send early morning tweets to his followers, tweets that reveal his state of mind, but also announce governmental policy, even before its revealed to his cabinet officers.

Commissioner Tetreau-Kalifa

Thinking about the possible effect of this ruling locally, two individuals, extremely active in social media, including Twitter, come to mind;  City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa and likely BISD School Board candidate Erasmo Castro.  While Tetreau-Kalifa has reportedly blocked Twitter accounts of locals, Castro is noted for blocking Facebook accounts of those who disagree with his views.(Facebook, another popular form of social media, was not mentioned in the judge's ruling.)

Erasmo Castro

Another aspect of Twitter allows members to limit their readership to "friends," excluding the general public.  The court has not ruled on the exercise of this option, but it seems to violate the spirit of the ruling and Constitution likely as a form of preemptive blocking, .

Judge Buchwald described Twitter as an "established public forum."  

OLIVEIRA'S THREE DECADES OF "SERVICE" COMES TO A CRASHING HALT!

Oliveira Waves "Goodbye" to Politics, Linebarger

His erectile dysfunction is legendary, his affinity for the bottle, well known. None of that matters now to Brownsville, Cameron County and the rest of District 37, whose voters finally tired of being screwed, if not satisfied, for 30+ years by the inept Oliveira.  

Alex Dominguez, the obvious winner, currently with something around 56% of the vote, can't take credit for victory, running a tepid, uninspired campaign featuring a promise to submit a bill to the Texas house to lift the sales tax on feminine products.

No, this race was LOST by Oliveira, more than it was WON by Dominguez, lost on April 27, when Oliveira, after a night of libations at Cobbleheads Bar & Grill, rammed into the back of another vehicle at the intersection of Central Blvd. and Boca Chica.  This was not Oliveira's first drunken escapade, but perhaps his last as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

While District 37 has continued to wallow in poverty, Oliveira's real employer, Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, LLP, long ago assessed him as a drunken little pawn that could generate more income for the statewide tax recovery law firm. Oliveira, in a brief moment of sobriety, orchestrated a single bill through the Texas House of Representatives, increasing Linebarger's take on the collection of delinquent taxes by 2.5%, after that enjoying gainful employment by Linebarger on a six figure retainer.   

LNG AND WEST RAIL ROAD LIKELY ISSUES IN CASCOS VS TREVINO RACE

County Judge Eddie Trevino

The 5,000 residents, many from West Brownsville, who signed the petition against the West Rail Road will not forget County Judge Eddie Trevino's promise at FOUR public hearings to do what he could to block the road.

Trevino has since vacillated on his "no-road" promise, signing a joint city/county resolution admitting that “the design for the corridor will have a segment with a road, but will also have a robust and rich hike and bike trail or green space.”

Common sense calls for the 100 foot Union Pacific easement, that cuts through some of the most dilapidated housing in Brownsville, to include an artery linking West Brownsville and downtown with I-69.

The representation of Brownsville as some sort of cycling mecca is a total fabrication by City Commissioner Rose Gowen, a thinly disguised attempt to promote a personal legacy at the expense of real needs of the city.

Oh, the bike trail aspect of the West Rail project will be used by octogenarian cyclist Gene Novogrodsky and several operators of triciclos, who scavenge Brownsville's alleys nightly for cardboard and other recyclables.

Another hot issue for the county judge's race will be the location of three liquefied natural gas plants at the Port of Brownsville.  The profit is made through a highly polluting process that compresses natural gas to 1/600th of its volume, making shipping extremely economical, thus profitable.

LNG Plant Explosion 2006

The LNG companies have been relentless in pursuing tax abatements from the county and the Point Isabel School District with the inept County Commissioner Court already agreeing to a $373,000,000 tax abatement to ONE company, Rio Grande LNG.

Alex Dominguez, a candidate for State Representative, District 37, feebly argued at a recent candidate forum, that in lieu of the taxes, Rio Grande LNG would provide community services worth "as much as $65 million."  That's laughable as those are Rio Grande LNG's estimate of the worth of those considerations, but Dominguez naively parroted the company's talking point.

Eddie Trevino, to his credit, had the political sense to vote "no" on the abatement, but it passed anyway.

Trevino's opponent in the judge's race, former County Judge Carlos Cascos, will get an opportunity soon to express his viewpoint on these issues.

WILL THE REAL CARLOS CASCOS PLEASE STAND UP?

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? 

then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jeremiah 13:23, KJV

Carlos Cascos

There are obviously many things we CAN'T change. but others we change readily.

I've owned 28 cars in 56 years of driving, starting with a 1950 oil-burning Ford I bought from my grandfather for $100, paying for it in four weekly installments of $25.  

Nearly 50% of those now married in the U.S. will someday change marriage partners, or, at least, part ways with their current mate.

Changing religions might be rarer, but does occur.  Totally abandoning organized religion as Nena and I did twenty years ago raises eyebrows, but fits on the graph somewhere.

A few years ago, Carlos Cascos, changed political parties, moving from the Democratic Party to the Republican, his refrain at the time, being:  "I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me," hinting that core values were at the root of the change.

In 2014, shortly after being elected Cameron County Judge for the third time, Cascos abandoned the job for the office of Secretary of State, leaving those who'd worked hard and contributed monetarily to his campaign, frustrated and bewildered.

This sudden, unexpected change was not motivated by core values, but simply political ambition, rationalized by the spin that Carlos could do more for the his faithful supporters in a state office than the workmanlike job he'd been doing managing the county.

So Cascos went to Austin where Republicans, as they say, rule, not necessarily from deeply held core values like the ancient worthies, John McCain and Barry Goldwater, but ideologues with a few screws loose, like Rick Perry, Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick. 

Two years later, Cascos was back in Cameron County, explaining that "Secretaries of State don't have that long of a tenure anyway."

If Carlos Cascos, during his service as County Judge was Batman, his administrative assistant, Chris Valadez, was easily Robin.

So, in this discussion of core values, changes in direction and loose screws, what about the recent report that Chris Valadez is listed on Rene Oliveira's campaign finance report as a veritable handyman, pounding Oliveira signs into the clay soil for $500?

Did St. Joseph's Water Company, the Valadez family business go belly up or has Chris experienced a dramatic, heartfelt change in core values?

Certainly, the voters will have questions needing answers for both Batman AND Robin, Cascos and Valadez. 

IS GONZALO ALANIZ AKA FROG DJ, BROWNSVILLE'S NUMERO UNO DJ?

Gonzalo Alaniz, Frog DJ Productions

In one of my walks around town with Diego Lee Rot and Grandson Jack, we ran into Gonzalo Alaniz, a local dj with Frog DJ productions.

He was in front of his home/office at 2063 E. Jackson Street, just off the Texas Southmost College campus.

Mr. Alaniz told us he "plays all kinds of music, has been a dj since 1972."  

His specialty is a children's show.

"Do you know City Commissioner/part-time DJ Rick Longoria?" we asked.

"Oh yes.  He and I are friends, well not that close.  We've had DJ contests in the past, trying to outdo each other," Gonzalo added.

Bob Dylan's New Whiskey~"Heaven's Door"

SCATTERED THOUGHTS FROM SATURN'S DAY

Stuff I had to do caused me to miss out on the cartoons of Saturday or Saturn's Day growing up.  Still, I hummed the theme of my favorite cartoon in my head and sing it to this day:

"Mighty Mouse to save the day!!!!"

Passing the closed-for-the-weekend Skinner Elementary, I reviewed Public Speaking and Math with Grandson Jack.  He hit all the marks and I headed home, but not before stopping at Boca Chica H.E.B. to pick up the $1.77 blueberries and some Atlantic salmon.(Someone in the H.E.B. meat department has been putting cuttings of salmon in a tray for about $5.00 per lb., perfect for cooking for one.)

Great Kiskadee

For my afternoon swim, I was joined by a kiskadee, who kept diving after something in the pool, then flying back to join his partner in the branches of a huge live oak.

Live Oak 

After the kiskadee's third dive, I heard the sound of an ambulance on Minnesota Avenue, reminding me of the 4 times one came for Nena in the last few years.  

Two seagulls flew over the pool, as if in formation like Blue Angels.

Washington Palms, Cumulus Clouds

For my last lap, I always swim on my back so I can gaze up through the Washington Palms along the pool, watching the movement of the white cumulus clouds.  Today, a tiny sliver of moon was visible.

GRANDPA ADDS PUBLIC SPEAKING TO ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE CURRICULUM

The candidate forum at the Brownsville Central Library reminded me of the importance of public speaking skills.

Grandson Jack was not opposed to adding speech training to his class load, especially after I mimicked the sing-song monotone of lawyers Adolfo Cordova and Carlos Masso at the forum.

"What is modulation?"  Jack asked.

"It involves the three 'P's,'" I explained, "pace, pitch and power."

"A good speaker varies his pace or speed, changes his pitch when appropriate and uses power to add emphasis."

We practiced all three "P's" and then added pausing for emphasis.  

"A short dramatic pause just before an important word can add emphasis,"  I explained.

"Just one more thing for today's lesson, Jack."

"When asked to speak, never just start talking.  Inexperienced speakers do this all the time and never get their audience's attention."

"Simply pause.  Look out at your audience, making eye contact with one or two people.  The pause will make people give you their attention as they wonder what's happening.  Don't start until most in the audience are looking at you, wondering what you're about to say."

"DELILAH" ROBS MUSICIAN DAVE HANDELMAN OF HIS STRENGTH

"Short Hair" Handelman Performs at El Hueso de Fraile 

"No short-haired, yellow-bellied

Son of tricky dicky's

Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me

With just a pocket full of hopes

Money for dope, money for rope"

John Lennon

"Gimme Some Truth"

THE AWFUL TRUTH OF OLIVEIRA VS DOMINGUEZ FOR DISTRICT 37

Representative Rene Oliveira

Rene Oliveira, at this point in life, is nothing more than a piece of human excrement, his brain cells likely damaged after years, decades of some sort of substance abuse.  

If he had responsible loved ones, relatives, brothers or sisters, they would be channeling him into some sort of rehab as we type.

In a perfect world, Oliveira would be facing a bright, young opponent for District 37, that could research the history of Oliveira's ineptitude in representing Brownsville and District 37, making a clear case for his replacement.

But, Alex Dominguez is not that man!

Young Alex has simply not done his homework and has not presented the obvious case against Oliveira.  

Dammit, Alex.  Do you not even realize that Rene  Oliveira's chief accomplishment in the Texas House is raising Linebarger's collection fee to 20%, netting the huge law firm millions paid for by poor folk like those in Cameron County?

Dammit, Alex.  I thought you had study skills!

Now, Alex, go back to 2012. With Rene Oliveira retained by BISD as interim counsel, but still connected to Linebarger, the February 2, 2012 board meeting agenda contains an action item INCREASING the tax collection rate by 2.5%, netting the collection firm an extra $125,000. And who is that newly named firm? Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson LLP.

Oliveira made even MORE money for Linebarger.  No wonder he's been retained on a 6 figure salary ever since!

We must not limit Oliveira's traitorous betrayal of Brownsville and Cameron County to tax matters. We must not forget Oliveira's treacherous attempt to effectively nullify the 4-3 vote to preserve Texas Southmost College. Rene totally misrepresented the will of the people by trying to overturn that vote with a house bill essentially for unification. Only by the efforts of TSC Trustee Adela Garza to lobby the committee, carefully laying out the actual situation at UTB/TSC was Oliveira's attempted sabotage thwarted. Yes, Rene Oliveira is a representative, but not of the people of Brownsville, Cameron County and District 37.

But, Alex.  You were not bright enough to share this with the voters.

Alex Dominguez

By all accounts, Alex, you are a person of integrity, honesty.  Yet, you lacked the political skill set to make your case against one of the weakest, most vulnerable candidates in south Texas history.

Your vision was reduced to eliminating the state sales tax on tampons, a nice idea, but hardly visionary!

Even if elected, you would not have the seniority or tenure to do much if anything for District 37.  Being on the bottom of seniority as a member of the minority party, without extraordinary political skill, means you could do nothing for District 37.

Rene Oliveira, with all his warts, has the seniority, the recognition in a primarily Republican Texas House of Representatives, to, at least do SOMETHING for Brownsville, Cameron County.  

Alex, you are overmatched.

DIESEL MECHANICS, BODY SHOP WORKERS NEEDED FOR GREYHOUND LINES REFURBISHING PLANT

GBIC Director Gilbert Salinas at right

Perhaps, the biggest news coming out the monthly meeting of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation Thursday evening was that Greyhound Lines, Inc. is now accepting resume's from experienced diesel mechanics and body men for their refurbishing plant to be located within the BRO Airport Business Park.

"Greyhound has given the GBIC permission to start accepting resume's at our office in the old Young House at 500 E. St. Charles," stated Gilbert Salinas, Executive Director of the GBIC.

Greyhound has leased a 68,000 sq. ft. building and will eventually employ 70 workers to restore and refurbish their entire U.S. fleet of buses and part of the Mexican fleet.

VIDA, a group purporting to fill a gap between the unemployed and local community colleges was also given its monthly stipend of $25,000 by the GBIC.

Interim City Attorney Luis Hernandez

Prepared to answer any legal questions during the meeting was Luis Hernandez, the interim City Attorney and a law partner of Rick Zayas.  Hernandez was noncommittal as to wanting the job of City Attorney full time.

EL HUESO DE FRAILE, BROWNSVILLE'S MUSICAL JEWEL

FRANK MAR OF NOMORECHEEZMEH.COM, A ONE-TRICK PONY

Yes, Nena and I had a problem with Erasmo Castro, when he kicked us out of Brownsville Cheezmeh seven years ago for not being willing to work for the recall of City Commissioner Melissa Zamora.  We started this blog the same day.

Frank Mar of nomorecheezmeh.com has an obsession, referring to Castro as "the pig who never stopped running."  His blog's primary function is to castigate Castro.

Mar's current blog article dated  May 14, 
"Castro announces candidacy for BISD, 7th time a charm?" is an example of his looseness with facts.

Erasmo has run 4 campaigns, not 6:  BISD, City Commission, Mayor and Democratic County Chair.

According to Mar, Castro lives in his parents' basement.  Actually, Erasmo's parents have been separated many, many years and Brownsville homes do not have basements do to the high water table.

Genuine criticism should be fact-based.  Mar, seemingly, does not let facts interfere with his agenda.

Mar, who claims to speak four languages, writes English with great difficulty as these excerpts from his blog posted today illustrate:  

"There is three board of trustees who are up for re-election this year"

"It will be quiet(sic) interesting in the next weeks to see who else will throw their name in the hat"

BOBBY WIGHTMAN-CERVANTES BLOWS UP, ATTACKS THIS BLOGGER!

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes

This blog has been uncommonly kind to Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, publisher of the BROWNSVILLE VOICE, treating him like a person marching to a different drummer, but still having something to contribute.

We've posted his blog comments, even featured some of his research over the years.

Our younger blogging brother rewarded us today with a blistering diatribe, accusations we won't repeat or attempt to refute.  We simply reference the words of someone Bobby refers to as "Joshua," an anglicized version of the English transliteration of the name Jesus, that is "Yeshua," quoted in St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse 15:  

"Let the reader use discernment."

En otras palabras, people can figure out if what Bobby is saying about me is true.

Nearly a decade ago, I noted that Bobby's contribution to Brownsville was as a researcher, qualifying that praise with the observation that "he can find the dots, but is unable to connect them."

Clarence Darrow

Many with a so-called "legal mind" have difficulty convincing a jury, the difference perhaps between a paralegal and Clarence Darrow.

While agreeing that Bobby has come up with some great legal research over the years, his blog is nearly unreadable do to his tumultuous relationship with the English language.

Reading two lines of the BROWNSVILLE VOICE is dizzying, three lines or more. nauseating.

How rich we would be if we had a nickel for every confused BV reader who wondered:  "What is Bobby TRYING to say?

IS STATE DISTRICT JUDGE DAVID A. SANCHEZ BREAKING THE LAW BY ENDORSING ADOLFO CORDOVA FOR DISTRICT JUDGE?

Candidate Adolfo Cordova, flanked by the Sanchez Brothers,
District Judge David on the left and Attorney Daniel on the right.  District Attorney Luis V. Saenz is second from the left.

Legal ethics is not a high priority in Cameron County. Local attorneys don't have to be particularly good barristers, just learn which judges might be receptive to a little greasing of the palm.

For a number of very obvious reasons, Texas judges ARE prohibited from openly endorsing political candidates.

Judge David A. Sanchez, pictured above openly endorsing candidate Adolfo Cordova, seems oblivious to the law or is not concerned about its enforcement.

Please note this statement from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics:

(2) A judge or judicial candidate shall not authorize the public use of his or her name endorsing another candidate for any public office, except that either may indicate support for a political party. A judge or judicial candidate may attend political events and express his or her views on political matters in accord with this Canon and Canon 3B(10).

OLIVEIRA VS. DOMINGUEZ, TAMPONS AND PLATITUDES HIGHLIGHT CANDIDATE FORUM AT THE LIBRARY

Representative Rene Oliveira and Alex Dominguez

Alex Dominguez could simply have looked out over the packed Brownsville Central Library meeting room and told the packed crowd with conviction:  "I will never embarrass you."

Everyone in the room would have realized he was talking about the fact that Rene Oliveira is not just a boozer, but an irresponsible one, who, after 33 years in office has not learned the wisdom of using a designated driver.  

Well, actually, he had one available April 27, when he had his DWI accident at Boca Chica and Central Blvd.  Trailing in a separate car was Lorrie Sanchez, Restaurateur Captain Bob's ex-wife, named on the Brownsville PD report as "Mrs. Oliveira."

Oliveira, who should be in rehab, not running for office, may kill innocents some day, likely in Cameron County, if he continues his longtime pattern of driving drunk.(Someone reported that he consumed 7 glasses of Merlot at Cobbleheads that eventful Friday night.)

That was the night Oliveira handed the election to Dominguez, who had neither the political skill set or fortitude to grab it and simply fumbled it back to the incumbent.

The Rio Grande Valley League of Women Voters and Frontera Progressives hosted the campaign forum Wednesday evening, featuring three questions for each candidate delivered by what appeared to be a couple college age sons of a league member.

Longtime Cameron County Sheriff Javier Reyna sat by himself at the table, with his opponent for Justice of the Peace, 2-2, incumbent Jonathan Gracia, a no-show.  Reyna chided Gracia for not "respecting the public" enough to attend.

Reyna, after bragging about having a "great work ethic," explained that public servants are held to a "higher standard," can't "be seen in public doing bad things." (All I could think of was how his brother, Sheriff Gus Reyna, drunkenly wrecked at least two county vehicles without calling the police or reporting the accidents, but we don't hold siblings accountable for their brother's sins.)

50ish lawyers Carlos Masso and Alolfo Cordova gave almost identical statements in describing themselves as the best to hold the 197th District Court Judgeship.  Both favor a judicial poll, a secret survey critiquing judges.

Masso said that responsible public servants "don't go party," while Cordova reminisced about the influence of his grandmother living with his family during his formative years.

But, the main event was Oliveira vs. Dominguez for the prized District 37 House of Representatives position and it was a dud.

Oliveira displayed some passion when he reenacted his fight on the floor of the Texas House against a bill banning sanctuary cities.  

Dominguez promised that, if elected, he will fight to remove sales tax on tampons.  Not exactly visionary, but you pick your battles.

Oliveira had the line of the night:  "Would any Cameron County parents whose child needed brain surgery call on a doctor who'd never even performed surgery?" a not-so-subtle jab at Dominguez' inexperience.

Some in the audience laughed while meek Alex Dominguez simply blushed.