𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗢, 𝗔 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗬𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗢 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬

 cat·a·lyst  /ˈkadləst/noun

a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

Rodrigo Moreno

In the ultra-political world of the lower Rio Grande Valley, Rodrigo Moreno is a notorious catalyst, someone who fosters a chemical reaction without using himself up chemically, retaining his own chemical makeup to rinse and repeat a similar reaction.

2019 would be the case in point, when Moreno served as a political advisor to three very disparate candidates for city office;  John Cowen, Nurith Galonsky and Trey Mendez, with almost nothing in common 'cept they'd paid Moreno to help them win their respective primaries, $138,347.67 collectively for just the first round. (If Moreno held back to guarantee a runoff and more revenue for his company, that was a master stroke.)

By the time the horn sounded at the completion of the runoffs, the three candidates had each turned over in excess of $100,000 to the Rodrigo Moreno kitty and each candidate had won their respective elections.

kit·tyˈkidē/noun

a fund of money for communal use, made up of contributions from a group of people.

The victories of candidates who pay Moreno can't all be realistically classified as coincidences.  Back around 2010, I first met Moreno advising John Villarreal, the young, college-educated son of a tortilleria owner in West Brownsville.

Rodrigo was annoyed that I was asking Villarreal questions that he was trying to politely answer.

"Who is this guy?" asked Moreno.

"Don't tell him anything!"

That was good advice for which Moreno was handsomely paid.