FACT-CHALLENGED BOBBY WIGHTMAN CERVANTES GETS MIXED UP YET AGAIN

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes with
a Background of Fruit Loops

Fact-challenged blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes can never seem to get a story straight.

While its a given he will mangle the sentence structure, break grammar rules right and left and ignore punctuation, does he always have to get his facts wrong?

Typically, its a matter of perspective.  Blogger Bobby views the universe as revolving around him, when the reality is that, even in this galaxy, he is a lesser luminary and not a very bright one.

In yesterday's blog offering on the unreliable BROWNSVILLE VOICE, Mr. Mixed Up chides BISD Candidate Erasmo Castro for doing something he didn't actually do.  Note Bobby's self-righteous pontification:

"Sorry but also a word on Erasmos Castro. He either lacks the minimum skills to read, or chooses to deceive. Either way, whether it is an inability to read or a desire to deceive he makes himself unfit to be a BISD Trustee.

So, he knows I will not put up with him copying my stories. We made a deal I would be allowed to comment on his page when people post ridiculous claims about my stories which are complete falsehoods. Castro never having met a lie he would not tell, broke the deal. So now he tries to rewrite my stories and in the process proves he cannot read simple English or he seeks to deceive."

Erasmo Castro

Bobby goes on to claim Castro, not only reposted his story, but inserted the inaccuracy that Stephen F. Austin was a member of the Confederacy.

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby!  All it would have taken was a tiny bit of research to see that the quote you used to demonstrate Castro's distortion of your story was not from your story at all, but directly from Newsweek.  

Here's your quote again Bobby:  

"Well Castro having little regard for reality or facts paints him as a confederate. From Castro: 

'The city of Austin, Texas has suggested in a preliminary report, that highlighted historical connections to a former Confederate leader, Stephen F. Austin, otherwise known as the “Father of Texas", that it might consider changing its name.'"

Now, Bobby.  Here's the link to the Newsweek story Castro quoted:  https://www.newsweek.com/austin-confederate-monument-name-change-1047065

A simple Google search of the quote would have shown that Castro was quoting Newsweek, not the 

BROWNSVILLE VOICE as you claimed.

Now, many know that I've had my problems with Erasmo Castro, but Bobby is simply wrong in his claims and, if he truly has a moral compass, he will apologize to Castro.

As a blogger, its perfectly fine to be "unbought," but its good to be factually correct at least part of the time.

DIAMONDS AND RUST BY JOAN BAEZ

Folk singer Joan Baez blew me away at the Seattle World's Fair in 1964.  Up until then, my musical exposure had been the Christy Minstrels and the Four Freshman.  

Some of my friends took up the guitar, but I knew better as my failure with and hatred for the violin helped me keep my senses.

So, from my interest in Joan, I was exposed to Dylan, her boyfriend at the time, the subject of the song below, "Diamonds and Rust."

When I first met Nena in 1966, I noted a resemblance to Baez in looks and sassiness.

FINALLY BOOKING A TRIP TO CEBU AFTER YEARS OF FANTASIZING

Grand Superior Room, Castle Peak
Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines

My wanderlust came early.  At first it was simply running through the woods in western Washington, pretending to be native American guide Chingachgook of the "Last of the Mohicans," then, at age 16, taking my '59 VW to Penticton, British Columbia, eating at a Chinese restaurant, and, at 17 buying a Bohemia beer at the Texas Bar in Matamoros.

I'm no world traveler, like TSC Trustee Ruben Herrera trekking through South America, Board President Adela Garza going to various places or Martin Sarkis doing his thing all over the world.

Nena and I did travel all over the U.S. during our 49-1/2 year marriage, a trip through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, Mount Rainier and Seattle in 1982 and  a "silver cities" run through Mexico in the 90's, but, in recent years, seldom ventured outside Brownsville.

Several years ago I became infatuated with YouTube videos on retirecheap.asia by JC, a native of Oregon, living in Thailand for the past 17 years.  Chiang Mai, Bangkok and rural areas had their fascination.  The effervescant JC, with his broken sing-song Thai language, came close to getting his point across to Thais with his Thai girlfriend typically bailing him out.

View of Cebu from the Deck of Castle Peak Hotel

The language thing got me thinking more about the Philippines.  No Thai food, but, at least most there speak English in addition to Tagalog and Cebuano.

Reekay Velez

On YouTube, I shifted my attention to Reekay Velez, an Hispanic from Southern California with six years experience in the Philippines.  Reekay, like JC, had become an expert in traveling, living in southeast Asia.

So, after Nena's death, I took the plunge, ordering a round trip ticket to Cebu, Philippines after some phone negotiation with ASAP tickets.  Yes, I know, ASAP, the cheapest, has a bad reputation for not transferring tickets if need be, without sizable penalties.  I'll take my chances, but I did order so-called trip insurance.

Castle Peak Hotel Pool

After several nights reading hotel reviews on Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, etc., I settled on the Castle Peak Hotel in downtown Cebu, liking the fact that it is close to the Ayala Mall and has a swimming pool.

From the editor:  Meanwhile, during the 100 day interim before my trip to the Philippines, I've stopped cooking and turned into a BW-C style foodie. 

Fully intending to stop at Trey Mendez' Dodici, I saw John Woods and wife entering.  The place was full.  As I peered throught the window, I witnessed a pretty waitress telling some waiting customers a table was ready. 

So, I turned to tacos.  I've been ordering the same thing at each place, not for a story, but just for my own research:  3 tacos de bistek, frijoles charros and a limonada.

After the initial surge of the grand opening, I will stop and see Trey and his partner at the Dodici, check out that 800 degree oven and watch Trey monitor the bake.  

MY FIRST BIKE, A SHORT-LIVED PATH TO FREEDOM AND EXPLORATION

Bruce Springsteen has a home town while I have at least two, if not three home towns.

But, in reality, I was more attached to my first bicycle than any specific geographic location.  

At 9, slightly older than Grandson Jack is now, I got the J.C. Higgins bike, pictured at left, ordered from the Sears-Roebuck catalog.  I was proud it was a "heavyweight," not a "middleweight," like my sister got and also proud that, on the fork were the words "Made in Germany." 

The bike was too tall for me and, on my first ride, I realized I didn't know how to get off.  Thinking fast, I peddled next to a house in the Highland Park subdivision in Renton, Washington, letting the bike gently fall against the house.

An old geezer, about the age I am now, rushed out of the house, refusing to accept my apologies for bashing his home.

"No, son.  I saw you were kind of wiggly and thought you were going to crash.  You'll learn how to ride that thing.  Just keep trying."

That bike was freedom, freedom from a verbally and physically abusive father and the freedom to explore.  I drove through downtown Renton, stopping to read the poster at the Renton Theater for Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender," then over to Tony's Pizza Parlor to be mesmerized by Tony flipping pizza crust high into the air and catching every time.

My ne'er-do-well dad, in one of his frequent moves to "find a job," sold my bike midway through seventh grade.  He said it "didn't fit" on the makeshift trailer pulled by our family's 1955 Chevy Nomad.

BREAKING STORY; REPUBLICANS HOLD ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING AT THE BROWNSVILLE LIBRARY

Cameron County Republican Organizational Meeting

It was inevitable.

"So, you're becoming a Republican?" was the greeting I received from former Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, as I entered a meeting room of the Brownsville Public Library for my third Republican event in two weeks.

If the true believers only knew, I'm not comfortable in either house of worship, Republican or Democrat, feeling like an agnostic in a fundamentalist church.

In my feeble defense, I did submit a request for the time and place of their next meeting to Democratic Chair Jared Hockema, but Hockema has been too busy engaged in a spirited discussion on Facebook with Democratic operative Ruben O'Bell about the merits of the 1961 movie West Side Story.

Kids like Hockema and O'Bell better not ever try to critique "To Sir with Love," a Sidney Poitier movie Nena and I saw at the Majestic Theater on Elisabeth Street back in the 60's.  Realize your limitations boys!

Carlos Cascos swore in County Chair Morgan Graham, borrowing reading glasses from a precinct chair so he could read the oath of office from a device, glancing my way with "we're getting old Jim.".  

Judges Jaime Tijerina and Ernie Aliseda each swore in half of the precinct chairs.

As I walked out, a lady making sandwiches admonished:  "Write a good story!"

Precinct Chair Elizabeth Dierlam whispered in my ear:  "Jerry McHale hates me!"

IS SOMEONE DUMPING TRASH ON THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE?

In an almost uncanny linking of somewhat disparate entities, a Google search for the "Brownsville Republic" by Duardo Paz-Martinez routinely displays the blog alongside Republic Services, the local conveyor of refuse, slop and otherwise smelly shit to the City of Brownsville Landfill AKA dump.

Is Google onto something in unwittingly associating the "Brownsville Republic" with trash?

Duardo Paz-Martinez, Considered by Himself
as a Dapper Dresser with a Snappy Hiarstyle

Duardo Paz-Martinez, not to be confused with his blogging brother from another mother, fact-challenged Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, has frequently bragged that, not only can he accurately "cover" Brownsville from McAllen, he could do so from Mars.

Let's pick through the garbage, I mean insightful offerings, recently submitted by Duardo about Brownsville in the "BR."

About the city of Brownsville's relative importance in the valley, Duardo asserts:

"No one disputes the fact that Brownsville is always listed as last of The Big Three (McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville) in the Rio Grande Valley. And, they note, it won’t be long before neighboring San Benito overtakes it…"

Long priding himself as a dapper dresser, wearing collared shirts not from the ropa usada, Duardo comments about Brownsville:

"Martinez oversees perhaps the laziest, worst-dressed town in America."

After hailing Robert Sanchez, Captain Bob, as a rising star in the city's blogosphere, using him as a co-blogger in the featured "Brownsville Republic" series, "The Paragraphs Man," now Martinez turns on his former writing partner with a juvenile reference to a facial aberration:  

"I told Capt. Bob he had an 'Arab nose.'"

Good stuff, Duardo boy.  Maybe you'll win the Pulitzer.  Hey, watch out for the trash compactor!

TAD HASSE, CANDIDATE FOR SBOE AND BROWNSVILLE'S RESIDENT NERD, HOLDS FUNDRAISER AT THE ALONSO BUILDING

Tad Hasse with a Master Class in Blackjack

The Alonso Building, 510 East Saint Charles Street, with its skinny 19th century auditorium and luscious brick-floored courtyard, is Brownsville's homiest meeting place.

This Saturday night it was the venue for Tad Hasse's Casino Night, a theme Tad has used for fundraisers in the past.

Hasse, the City of Brownsville's Information Technology Tech and computer expert, is a candidate for the State Board of Education, District 2.

Tad, Brownsville's resident nerd, uncomfortable in a business suit, is an idea man, with a quick whit and a reputation for helping any friend in need.  

After quashing Eric Garza in the primaries by over 2-1, Hasse faced charges of racism by little known blogger Duardo Paz-Martinez, tapping his laptop from McAllen.

Those who grew up with Tad and those who went to school with him at St. Joseph's Academy know better.  

As the Brownsville Observer reported in March:

Tad has worked for the City of Brownsville for nearly three decades. He is beloved, as a problem solver and as a person by co-workers 90% Hispanic. 

I've personally observed him dealing with locals willing to perform public service in lieu of jail time. He is not condescending and DOES NOT assign them to toilet cleaning. Hasse deals with these public service citizens as equals, respectfully and graciously.

Yes, charges of racism can't be "fought," anymore than charges of being a bad grandpa.  One just has to live their life and those around him will see what he is or is not.

Hasse's opponent for the State Board of Education is Ruben Cortez, the son of JP Linda Salazar.  Ruben is more of a political wheeler and dealer than an actual education man. He is not a high school or college graduate, although he did get a G.E.D.

(Above, County Judge Candidate Carlos Cascos, County Republican Chairman Morgan Graham and Tad Hasse)

POOR BOBBY! HE JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS NOT IN JUDGE SOROLLA'S COURT

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes!  Read my lips!  I wasn't in Judge Sorolla's courtroom period.  Not only did I not answer my cellphone in his court, I wasn't there.  

I did not go to the lobby to deal with a child causing a disturbance, because I wasn't there!

Bobby, Bobby:  I WASN'T THERE!  You obviously mistook some old white guy for me because I wasn't there!  

OK. .Repetition for emphasis:  I wasn't in Judge Sorolla's court.  I wasn't there!

"Repetition is the mother of retention."  

I WASN'T THERE.  YOUR ARTICLE IS WRONG!  

BIZARRO BLOGGER BOBBY WIGHTMAN-CERVANTES GOES BATSHIT CRAZY IN SOROLLA COURTROOM

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, with a Light
Dusting of Baby Powder or Powdered Sugar
Before Retiring for the Night

Brownsville's bloggers and blog readers love Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, well aware that there are, actually, two Bobbys, "Good Bobby" and "Bad Bobby."

Both Bobbys, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as it were, were on display in yesterday's column of the BROWNSVILLE VOICE, written by Bobby Wightman-Cervantes.

First, "Good Bobby" did a feel-good story about the "soft opening" of Dodici Pizza at 1204 E. Adams Street, downtown Brownsville, owned by Trey Mendez with partner/operator Dante Alighieri.

Bobby described ordering a 12 inch Classico, tasting the "airy crust" and the "hint of fat" from the mozzarella, describing a "genius" complementary salad of "cucumber, watermelon, mint, feta cheese, a hint of lime and maybe something else."

Damn!  Is this really Bobby or some con·nois·seur
sent from food heaven?

Cervantes was not done.  There was this little matter of "the wine."  In typical "Good Bobby" eloquence, he said: 

" I had a red Chianti. I enjoyed it. It was very refreshing with the pizza."

Thank you, "Good Bobby."  That was great.  We consider Trey Mendez a friend, although we were not, like you,  invited to the soft or hard opening of Dodici.

But, suddenly, black cumulonimbus clouds appeared accompanied by the sound of thunder. The sky darkened.  

The thunder and lightning were nature's announcement that Bobby Wightman-Cervantes was morphing into "Bad Bobby!"

In a millisecond, Cervantes turned from condescending foodie to disbarred lawyer, yes becoming "Bad Bobby" as he played footloose and fancy free with the facts in his gavel to gavel coverage of the TRO with respect to the hiring of Mario Lozoya as Executive Director of the GBIC.

Bobby's court commentary obviously included ludicrous, bizzarro, insane attacks on me and my grandson Jack.  Notice this excerpt from Bobby's BROWNSVILLE VOICE:

Sorola showed extreme bias for Mike Hernandez's side. He looked Barton straight in the face when his phone rang and he answered it in the courtroom. Barton then left the courtroom. Any other judge would have ordered Barton's phone confiscated. Twice Barton had to leave to control some out of control child in the hall making a ton of noise disrupting the proceedings. In both cases Sorola did nothing.

"Barton?"  That's me, just as "Montoya" is Juan and "McHale" is Jerry in Bobby's writings.  

Did my cellphone ring in Judge Sorolla's courtroom?  Did I answer it as Bobby suggested, then go deal with an unruly child in the lobby?

Hell no!  I was not even there!  Bobby is delusional, pulling shit out from between his ass cheeks.

Grandson Jack,  Was He Out of Control, Making a Ton 
of Noise in the Lobby Outside Judge Sorolla's Courtroom?

Many in town know that my grandson Jack accompanies me to meetings at the MPO, the Airport Advisory Board, the BCIC, the GBIC.

During the Marisa Goveal trial in the hit-and-run death of Mary Tipton, Jack was not allowed in the court room because he was under age.  He sat quietly for hours every day in the lobby with his grandma Nena. 

Even before Nena's death, he became the camera person for the Brownsville Observer, an absolutely "one take" guy.

Jack simply asks "what do you want in the picture?"  He walks over and takes it.

He has acted like a perfect little gentleman at every meeting, never disruptive or loud as implied by Wightman's column.

Of course, in the case of the TRO hearing with respect to the hiring of Mario Lozoya, Jack and I were not there, despite the reporting by the fact-challenged, disbarred lawyer, Bobby Wightman-Cervantes.

"Bad Bobby" simply makes shit up!

"Jack, do you want to sue Bobby Wightman-Cervantes for defamation?  He implied you acted badly outside Judge Sorolla's courtroom," I asked.

"No, I don't care about that," Jack answered, barely looking up from his I-pad.

"Grandpa, do you want to see the new drum machine I made on Minecraft?  I added some reverb and echo."

"Sure, Jack," I replied.

MARINA BUTINA, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE!

Marina Butina

"A SPLENDID TIME IS GUARANTEED FOR ALL!" TAD HASSE (MR. H.)

The band begins at ten to six

When Mr. H. performs his tricks without a sound

And Mr. H. will demonstrate

Ten somersets he'll undertake on solid ground

Having been some days in preparation

A splendid time is guaranteed for all

And tonight Mr. H. is topping the bill

"For the Benefit of Mr. Kite(paraphrased)"

Lennon/McCartney

FIT AND FEISTY CARLOS CASCOS ADDRESSES THE NORTH CAMERON COUNTY REPUBLICAN CLUB

We live in a political world

Turning and a-thrashing about

As soon as you’re awake, you’re trained to take

What looks like the easy way out

"Political World"

Bob Dylan

Copyright © 1989 

North Cameron County Republican Club

For a second, I thought I'd walked into my high school reunion, not a standing room only audience of the North Cameron County Republican Club.  The small meeting room on New Hampshire Road in Harlingen was packed with folks somewhere near my age bracket, eager to hear from candidates Greg Perkes, Dr. Rey Gonzalez, Tad Hasse, but hanging on every word of their beloved Carlos Cascos, the former Secretary of State, now running to reclaim his former office of County Judge.

Carlos Cascos

Cascos, fit and a bit feisty, shared the sobering reality with his audience:

"To be successful, you need three things; a fire within, a platform and money.  We have two of those things, the fire and the platform.  We need money."

The candidate for county judge reminded the group that they were the minority party in the county, encouraging them to focus more on the quality of people, not party affiliation.

"I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or vegetarian," he said at one point.

"We feel empowered in this room, but we don't control things in Cameron County," Cascos stated.

Cascos estimated the Republican base in the county at 32%, "because that's what Trump got in 2016."

"So, we need that other 19% to cross over from the Democrats," he added.

Eager to clear up speculation that his departure from his position as Secretary of State was less than amicable, Cascos held up his cell phone to play a recorded message from Governor Abbot aide John Jackson who said the governor was endorsing Cascos in his current run for County Judge.

Cascos stated that he and the governor had a "good relationship," but disagreed on some things, particularly "about the border."

He hopes the governor will attend his $140 per plate fundraiser planned for the Alonso Building, featuring 80's cover band the Spadtastics.

"That's the only fundraiser I will have," Cascos told the group.

In private conversation after the meeting, Cascos said he favored a regional Metropolitan Planning Organization over three small MPO's, feels the second causeway to South Padre Island and the West Rail Project are currently in "limbo," does not feel LNG plants can be "stopped" if they meet EPA requirements and clear other governmental hurdles, but does not favor giving abatements to corporations "already coming."

Tad Hasse, Candidate for State Board of Education

Dr. Rey Gonzalez, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Greg Perkes, Candidate for 13th Court of Appeals

BOBBY WIGHTMAN-CERVANTES SEES THROUGH MY EVIL PLAN

"And God saw that the wickedness of man 

was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart 

was only evil continually."

Genesis 6:5, KJV

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, the finest legal mind in Texas, editor of the BROWNSVILLE VOICE,

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes

the only unbought blog in Brownsville, saw through my self-serving, evil plan.  

Bobby proved false my frequent refrain that he "can find the dots, but cant' connect them."

Inspector Bobbie uncovered my greedy scheme to slant my blog in such a way that Mike Hernandez  would reward me monetarily. 

But, let the super sleuth, Bobby Wightman-Cervantes speak for himself: 

"There is no doubt in my mind Jim Barton is now begging Mike Hernandez to be on his payroll or is already on his payroll. Jim is either attacking me, Mike's nemesis, or backing Mike's machinations. Mike Hernandez is incredibly adept at picking losers."

Mike Hernandez

Anyone still reading this confession of wrongdoing may ask:  "Who the hell is Mike Hernandez?"

Well, he's the last guy that checked out El Jardin Hotel with some public words about renovation, a big-time car leaser in Metroplex, Texas.

Still don't know who I'm talking about?  Does the cryptic phrase OP 10.33 ring a bell?

Maybe this:  Pledged $2,000,000 to the now defunct United Brownsville. 

or

Spent $140,000 on candidates for Texas Southmost College and the Port of Brownsville, losing 5 out of 6 races.(A last minute contribution to Trey Mendez kept him from going 0-6)

OK, my last clue:  He's a close relative of Robert Sanchez AKA "Captain Bob?"(Notice the reference, Robert?  A free shrimp plate, maybe?)

Since Bobby's onto me, this might be the appropriate time to 'fess up to other shameful examples of my acting out with ulterior motives.

Tony Martinez, do you remember when I held the door open for you for a TSC event?  I was hoping for some free carrot cake from Lola's Bake Shop or some beef brisket from 1848 BBQ.

Trey Mendez, I was so jealous when Bobby got a free piece of Dodici pizza and I didn't.

Whew!  Now, I feel better.  Confession is good for the soul?  Tell me about it!

NURITH GALONSKY: CORRUPT OR SIMPLY READING COMPREHENSION DEFICIENT? PART 1

Nurith Galonsky

Rightly or wrongly, thanks to Tony Martinez, the name Galonsky will always be associated with corrupt politics in Brownsville, inside dealing, defrauding the hardworking taxpayers in the poorest region in the U.S.

Abraham Galonsky came to Brownsville c.1972, became a downtown merchant selling never used, but dated merchandise, much of it still in original packaging at La Casa del Nylon at 1304 E. Adams Street.

We don't know how profitable that enterprise was.  In recent years, no customers were in the store when we stopped in, but Galonsky, much like Bill Hudson, was active in the local real estate market, acquiring downtown buildings and tracts of land outside the city's center.  La Casa del Nylon had a "For Sale" sign on it for many years.

Tony Martinez Caricature
by Nena

In 2012, Galonsky's long on the market property got a bite.  Newly-elected Mayor Tony Martinez, desperate to keep Juliet Garcia University (UTB) in town, sent his doofus law partner, Horacio Barrera, to "negotiate" with Abraham Galonsky for a purchase price.  The two men agreed on a purchase price of $2,300,000, three times the building's appraised value, all to be paid for by Brownsville's uninformed taxpayers.  We don't know what Barrera's commission was on the sale or whether or not he divided it with Tony, but the city, the taxpayers, lost on this deal.

For the last six years the building sits decaying, off the tax rolls, while Brownsville's hardworking taxpayers pay for it.  

OK.  That is a brief synopsis of the elder Galonsky's political defecation on Brownsville.  Now, enter daughter Nurith Galonsky, a non-practicing lawyer, her legal degree coming from SMU in 2001.

We first knew there was a Galonsky daughter in 2013, when she became a member of the P.U.B. board, shortly after Tony, Horacio and Abraham fleeced the taxpayers.  We wrongly reported her name as "Lourdes Galonsky," writing this response in 2013:

I received a call today from a "friend of the family" of Brownsville resident, Lourdes Galonsky, stating that she was NOT a recent appointee to the P.U.B. Board as I had reported in an August 29,2013 Mean Mister Brownsville article. The "friend," a male, indicated not only had Lourdes not been appointed to a board, she was not politically-oriented, a stay-at-home mom and did not know Deborah Portillo, the City Commissioner making the swing vote in the appointment. In a friendly way, the caller asked if I was familiar with a lawsuit filed by the wife of BISD School Board trustee Otis Powers, where he claimed she recovered $75,000 for being wrongly identified in a published article. I apologize to Lourdes and family for any stress created by my error.

No, it was not Lourdes Galonsky, but Nurith Galonsky who joined the P.U.B. board in 2013, along with Mayor Tony Martinez,  having a hand in orchestrating the $100,000,000 increase in utility rates for Brownsville to build the Tenaska Power Plant.

That power plant has not been built, but the taxpayer money has not been recovered.  Nurith may have never tried a case as a practicing attorney, but she, along with our corrupt mayor, has severely tried the citizens of Brownsville with this boondoggle.

I'M GOING DOWN TO THE REPUBLICAN WELL TONIGHT AND I'M GONNA DRINK MY FILL!

 I think I'm going down to the well tonight

And I'm gonna drink till I get my fill

And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it

But I probably will

"Glory Days"

Bruce Springstein

Cameron County Republican Chair Morgan Cisneros Graham

When we posted a Facebook discussion among local Republicans about trading support for the party's candidates for a job, County Chair Morgan Graham suggested "we (Republicans) have to entertain you to some degree."

She later clarified that comment by saying: "I was referring to how some of us act when given a little anonymity."

Morgan is correct. I do lower my bucket down into the local Republican well on occasion because those stories typically generate interest disproportionate to the actual size and influence of the local G.O.P.

A small feisty group of mature females (blue hairs?), Bible thumpers and young gadflies, county Republicans and former Republicans are ever present as anonymous commenters, some say trolls. No matter what we post about them, we can count on post comments to vastly outnumber their strength and relevance in local politics.

Catching our attention currently is a post yesterday by the Cameron County Republican Party calling for "solidarity" behind the party's nominee for County Judge, Carlos Cascos posted below:

(https://www.facebook.com/901849823238411/posts/1756677594422292/)

Pretty innocuous, innocent. Cameron County Trumpers want tangible social media support for former county judge Carlos Cascos. You may recall, when Cascos aborted his last term as County Judge shortly after his election for a position in state government, Cascos anointed an unelected bureaucrat from the toll road authority to replace him. Now, Trump Republicans in Cameron County want him to get his old job back with the substantial salary.

But wait! There is a potential legal problem with the graphic used in the call to arms, referring to Carlos Cascos as "County Judge," a position he does not currently hold. Eddie Trevino is County Judge.

The Texas Election Code explicitly covers candidates under Chapter 255.006 “Misleading Use of Office Title.” Each offense is a Class A Misdemeanor. (https://ethics.state.tx.us/statutes/title15.html#255.006)

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes

Yet, it was not Carlos Cascos or his campaign who posted the cover photo. Were the Brownsville Observer to offer a position on whether or not the local party, not the candidate, could legally describe a mere candidate for county judge as "county judge," blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes would go bat shit crazy as Bobby alone, in this blogosphere, is allowed to make a comment even hinting at a legal matter.

Paraphrasing Morgan Graham, such a display of bat shit craziness would "entertain" us all "to some degree."

LOCAL REPUBLICANS DISCUSS CRONYISM, REWARDING POLITICAL SUPPORT WITH APPOINTMENTS

Fred Rendon, Jr.

Fred Rendon, Jr., a local Republican, openly wants to use his longtime service to the party and potential support of a party candidate to gain a position in that candidate's department once elected.

Note Fred's comments to Morgan Graham, currently the Cameron County Republican Chair:

 

Cameron County Republican Chair Graham

 























Chairman Graham's reply:

Carlos Cascos, currently a candidate for Cameron County Judge also weighed in:

For the record, I did not refer to him as a grouchy old man...but that is the least of the issues. The wanting to have a position created or replacing an existing employee, whom I believe is doing a good job for veterans, in exchange for support is just wrong. I trust that those people that support me do not expect anything in return other than open, transparent, efficient & effective government.

THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER AT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF BROWNSVILLE

The Children's Museum of Brownsville, an amusement park of creative stations in Dean Porter Park, was full of kids today and parents peering under wooden boats and around support pillars to check on their young ones.

Jack and I were originally headed to the kid pool, but when I asked Jack about going to the museum first, he responded:  

"That's a great idea, grandpa!"

We ended up staying all day until the museum closed its doors at 5:00 PM, shopping at a pretend H.E.B. with an actual scanner that read the UPC symbol to charge a price, standing like Tim Smith in front of a Newscenter 5 weather screen featuring a map of south Texas with summer temperatures, even a construction center with hard hats, goggles and Klein tools furnished the young builders.

An art class, bubble making, story time and face painting broke up the day.

Jack ran and skipped from exhibit to exhibit, twice running to the bench I was sitting on to give me an appreciative hug.

Walking out of the museum over six hours after walking in,  holding his art work, Jack was now ready for the pool.  Grandpa not so much.

"Jack it's late.  Your dad is probably home already.  Can we go to the pool tomorrow?"

Two "shoppers" at "H.E.B."

Jack Playing the "Griffin"

REPRESENTATIVE RENE OLIVEIRA TESTED DOUBLE THE LEGAL LIMIT AFTER HIS APRIL 28 ACCIDENT

Rep. Rene Oliveira

Let's not be dumb or even self-righteous about this.  

Rene drinks.  He's noted for that in his 35+ years as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

His campaign financial reports reflect expenditures for food and drink in the tens of thousands of dollars.

While his income with the Texas House is miniscule, his retainer for Linebarger, Inc. is not, easily in the $200,000 range, not to mention his legal fees on the BISD legal team.

Rene Oliveira had the wherewithal to hire a designated driver for his excursions to Cobbleheads or wherever.  Hell, he had Lorrie Sanchez, his mistress, following him in another vehicle the night of the accident. 

Rene CHOSE to act irresponsibly as he has several times in the past with respect to imbibing and driving.

As Mark Reagan of the Brownsville Herald reported Wednesday:

"However, court records do show that Oliveira is being charged with driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.15 percent, which is nearly double the legal limit in Texas of 0.08 percent.

In 2011, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1199, which created stricter penalties for people convicted of driving with a blood alcohol content that is greater than 0.15 percent. Oliveira voted in support of that legislation, Texas Legislature records show."