Save Jerry McHale: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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ERNIE BARKS UP WRONG TREE WAGGING TAIL FOR ERIN SEEKING PET LOVERS' VOTES, AND RAIDING THE BUDGET
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXihPxg8r_N_rh6aDScilX6p_3Kv92akyf2HEc22MJ3GsSNz2ByWZHyrutjkfkOd81KZoBva9TYHclDSpEdTU2wKSN-65CK3ICsjTIcbJ_LDAmiUdV3oHGFBxAVUBZLGoik99ARFdOnoM/s1600/erneee.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 362px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXihPxg8r_N_rh6aDScilX6p_3Kv92akyf2HEc22MJ3GsSNz2ByWZHyrutjkfkOd81KZoBva9TYHclDSpEdTU2wKSN-65CK3ICsjTIcbJ_LDAmiUdV3oHGFBxAVUBZLGoik99ARFdOnoM/s400/erneee.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714710114342912082" border="0" /></a>By Juan Montoya Why is Cameron County Commissioner Ernie Hernandez so suddenly concerned about our furry friends? Why is it that he suddenly wants to undo the work done â€" and which he voted for â€" during the contentious budget process back in October? Why, a scant four or five months later â€" does he want to undo all the compromises and hard decisions that he pushed for to bend over backwards to please animal-rights supporters who showed up asking for a new animal shelter? Cynics might say that Ernie has seen the light on the road to the Democratic primary where his daughter Erin Hernandez Garcia is facing an uphill fight to overcome her father's amply documented transgressions as she seeks the support of an electorate that has become disdainful of the Hernandez brand of pubic representation. Erin is running for Justice of the Peace 2-2 against a handful of opponents. Hernandez's latest antic has been to try to have other commissioners give up their hard-fought gains from the county budget to support projects in their precincts for Ernie's latest "pet" project â€" to get his daughter elected with the help of the men and women who support animal rights in the county. That group has already proven its muscle when they helped to elect Pat Ahumada to the mayorship of the City of Brownsville over, you guessed it, Ernie Hernandez. So, the chameleon that Hernandez is, now he is emerging as the paladin of animal-rights groups after he ridiculed the efforts of pet-lover Ahumada, and had to lick his wounds for four year until he ran for county commissioner. "In Ahumada's case, he was out there campaigning for animal rights in public," said a county employee. "Ernie has never done that. What he sees now is a tight race between his daughter and her opponents â€" particularly Yolanda Begum â€" where their tireless support could make the difference." Hernandez never counted that the sleeping giant of U.S. citizens who have traditionally done business in Matamoros and in Mexico and who have now taken an interest in local politics as a result of their fleeing social and political strife across the Rio Grande would play a crucial role in the upcoming elections. Used to harvesting mail-in votes to conquer the local contenders, the Hernandez machine never figured that the sudden influx of an educated, upper-middle class segment of the population would suddenly take a strong interest in this race when one of their members declared herself a candidate for the position now sought by his daughter. But the giant has awoken and the Hernandez equation has no response to it. First, his daughter's supporters â€" including so-called social media change agents â€" ridiculed Begum as having an accent, no formal English education, and of no experience in political or civil life. Guess what? That is exactly what this until-now disinterested social class of educated middle- and upper-class citizens were until the violence and political necessity forced them to take a closer look at Brownsville politics. You're just going to make them mad and work even harder to elect their candidate. There is no antidote to this in the Hernandez arsenal. Combine that with the ongoing investigation into the shady hiring of his brother-in-law Roberto Cadriel as a security guard at the Veterans Bridge in spite of the fact of a felony conviction and allegations that someone else took the test for him to pass it, and the stench begins to grow. And shall we mention that he used his influence to have the Cameron County Sheriff's Department hire his his daughter-in-law only to have the passionate lass get involved in a drunken brawl in Los Fresnos, dump her car, and take off in the monte to evade the law before she was nabbed by lawmen? Or how about the fact that his cousin's daughter, as magistrate at Rucker-Carrizales, quickly released her from custody at the jail without her having to spend the night in a cold cell like the rest of us? No wonder Omar Lucio didn't want to reinstate her out at Carrizales despite Ernies' pleadings. We don't blame Pct. 1 Commissioner Sofie Benavides for not going along with giving up the $1.3 million that the court unanimously voted to establish the multi-service center out at Browne Park for the residents of her impoverished precinct. They have always been shortchanged and the most she â€" or anyone who is commissioner there â€" can do for them is not nearly enough. To allow Ernie to hijack the cash to help his daughter get elected by giving the animal rights folks their shelter this late in the game would be a disservice to them and to the rest of the commissioners court who are playing the game by the rules.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-7033522940767302493?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/ernie-barks-up-wrong-tree-wagging-tail.html

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CHAVEZ'S REMOVAL SHOWS BISD IS READY TO CLEAN HOUSE
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<div>By Juan Montoya </div> <div>With at least two of the top Brownsville Independent School District administrators recommended for termination or reassignment in the forensic report by Defenbaugh and Associates now removed from their high-paying positions, it is becoming apparently clear that the distr<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCBsCvsATQylSJ0UjSdBH2c1cB8cgwqdcarMmbk62aCcAuLrM_WB8ROYrLwr5nto2BrK3CgWAjGe-UK_q5gZdi-blyu2QiA6IltP9E-kqyEEf7ljJBbze2IsW1dUlBoiiuPckzPLL0TM/s1600/chavez.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 236px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714609374230471314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCBsCvsATQylSJ0UjSdBH2c1cB8cgwqdcarMmbk62aCcAuLrM_WB8ROYrLwr5nto2BrK3CgWAjGe-UK_q5gZdi-blyu2QiA6IltP9E-kqyEEf7ljJBbze2IsW1dUlBoiiuPckzPLL0TM/s320/chavez.jpg" /></a>ict thinks it has the goods on the rest to clean house once and for all. The latest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5-megIVLYXW1lg1Justb28k_cOmHoUdILKO3w4AtgFHoofM-V_QC2POXCNmdFQxFb2JkW2qd0RHOf8oB4oEuFzw7KcMSL6bwTYCn0Br_z0sCURgsAW0NMSdLY9i-fIGprYxnnLFhtJ0/s1600/chavez.jpg"></a> was BISD Athletic Director Tom Chavez who was reassigned to as a Wellness Coordinator in the wake of the findings in the forensic report hat shows he steered business the way of his predecessor â€" and mentor and benefactor â€" Joe Rodriguez that resulted in the district paying an additional $50,000 to the former AD's BSN sports supply company. </div> <div>Anywhere else, someone like Ray Arteaga, who at $109,000 sits at home and eats up his earned days and sick days while drawing a paycheck, and Chavez, who before he was moved to the wellness position drawing at least $100,000, would understand the district doesn't want any part of them anymore an move on.</div> <div>That's everywhere else but here. </div> <div>Now, buttressed by the support of his mentor Rodriguez, Chavez will be content to hunker down and make like a piece of furniture in utter disregard of the personal disgrace he has incurred for carrying water for his former mentor and close personal friend. </div>There are other heads lined up on the chopping block like that of Jose Hector Chirinos, Jose Cisneros at Lopez, former CFO Tony Fuller, and a handful of other lesser demons. <div>If they, too remain true to form, they will also linger on and draw the blood from the district until they are pulled off by board action or the evidence that the audit produced is acted upon by the different prosecutorial authorities like the Cameron County DA, the FBI, or the U.S. Attorney's office. </div> <div>In Chavez's case, his sins are listed in the report thus: </div> <div>Initial allegations were that Rodriguez was using undue influence and coercive tactics to pressure BISD coaches, athletic coordinators, and athletic personnel to purchase sports uniforms and equipment from a company, BNS Sports, Rodriguez became a sales representative for after he left BISD in Dec. 31, 2009. </div> <div>In addition, Rodriguez in a telephone call made to Margarita Pizano-Flores in<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VTOtffXW4QNLemqDcZRveOJvldxt9Yf5Hi0IZXAM73Gf28ysDO8Z0d_kyz05nvL0B6E4b5lr9l925DXsyA2v8YGF3Mpms_e1pMJ6B1QtOLjrUA5H71yMSVTkGc6LNeEHcAw0mW1tVxg/s1600/joe+rod.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 289px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714609205632482258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VTOtffXW4QNLemqDcZRveOJvldxt9Yf5Hi0IZXAM73Gf28ysDO8Z0d_kyz05nvL0B6E4b5lr9l925DXsyA2v8YGF3Mpms_e1pMJ6B1QtOLjrUA5H71yMSVTkGc6LNeEHcAw0mW1tVxg/s320/joe+rod.jpg" /></a> Sept. 2011 threatened to sue BISD because the Purchasing Department had changed and improved the Catalog/Co-op procurement process. </div> <div>Investigation and analysis subsequently revealed that a substantial amount of payments of uniforms and equipment totaling $497,117 in fiscal year 2010-2011 was completed compared to the previous fiscal years (2009-2010) total of $175,715; an increase of 283 percent. </div> <div>Interviews identified most of the purchasing was made by the athletic department, in general, and by Chavez, in particular. Chavez, an admitted close friend with Rodriguez for over 30 years, succeeded Rodriguez after he left BISD. Record review of purchase orders also support the fact that the athletic department fulfilled most of those purchases, predominantly for Manzano Middle School and Veterans Memorial High School, both newly constructed schools, with no prior uniforms or equipm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKr-dDC_MmO3oz7Ip0FhzCz4wJaW61tS2GN_v2iSfkZSyrBqOOgskEG5TqkiELLXLQKllvB1KcJsQElwcVXQmEFoDHAb9fEhkRHTJxxpujdMVbxikE9ipmuYkuM3JtgNT16Ag7JppIlpQ/s1600/joe+rod.jpg"></a>ent.</div> <div>Although Chavez denied giving preferential treatment to BNS and/or Rodriguez in the purchasing process for both schools, Chavez never gave any due consideration to at least three other approved vendors sports distributors. At the beginning of September 2011, BISD's Purchasing Department changed the Catalog/Co-op procurement procedure shifting control of catalog procurement process from the end-user, Athletic Department, to the Purchasing Department. This change provided more internal control and was the apparent reason for Rodriguez's telephone call to Lead Auditor Margarita Pizan0-Flores after the realization that BNS would have to be more competitive in terms of price. </div> <div>Shortly thereafter the other sales representative at BNS informed the Purchasing Department that a 10 percent discount would be rendered on BNS catalog items. If BNS had implemented that discount before the purchasing process was changed, it would have meant $50,000 less for Rodriguez's BNS and a savings for the district in the same amount. </div> <div>It is the opinion of the Forensic Audit Staff that no doubt the Athletic Department in general and in particular that Chavez exercised undue influence and misuse of authority in choosing BNS Sports, through their sales rep. Rodriguez, particularly in the purchasing of uniforms and other sports supplies for Manzano Middle School and Veterans Memorial High School in school year 2010-2011. </div> <div>(This) resulted in close to $500,000 of purchases being given to Chavez's close friend and former BISD A.D. Joe Rodriguez. Chavez allowed he and Joe Rodriguez's personal relationship to interfere with what should have been a business decision causing a potential loss of revenue ($50,000) to be sustained by the district. </div> <div>The closest Rodriguez got to a state title as football coach was the drubbing that Seguin imposed upon the hapless BHS Eagles in 1969. As far as Chavez being the winningest coach in BISD history, well no state title there either, only a district title at Rivera. </div> <div>The bar in Brownsville for heroes has been set way too low but they have been able to purvey their mediocre performances into personal industries for them them and cronies. It's time, for the benefit of the students and the taxpayers, for this board and administration to put an end to this gravy train for pampered jocks.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-7569179222916468017?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/chavezs-removal-shows-bisd-is-ready-to_29.html

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The Paz Files

The Paz Files
http://thepazfiles.blogspot.com/

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Romancing McAllen...
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFKMyuDpXM7y5Ebjh3fsFvi_JDrVmwjVDAcjb9sZQ_hRCHaZwODey2iL8ND9sh9ri5QDG0cXporBhPINts-tz1gc0CBkCCsBVlZziEOoL9z-3vCbRgE-HMmgsDRNOHs7YSrI6lG2ttjjN/s1600/aaaaaaaamcallen.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714612355121168194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFKMyuDpXM7y5Ebjh3fsFvi_JDrVmwjVDAcjb9sZQ_hRCHaZwODey2iL8ND9sh9ri5QDG0cXporBhPINts-tz1gc0CBkCCsBVlZziEOoL9z-3vCbRgE-HMmgsDRNOHs7YSrI6lG2ttjjN/s320/aaaaaaaamcallen.jpg" /></a>By PATRICK ALCATRAZ The Paz Files McALLEN, Texas - For the last few years, the downtown business district here has been an unabashed All-Mexico, All-The-Time welcome mat, a literal embracing of the neighboring country's culture. Shops geared toward the Mexican trade dominate buildings where once Anglo-McAllen traded. Today's Main Street looks very much like the old, calmer Reynosa, Mexico of the 1980s and early 1990s. Once proud stores such as Woolworth and Terry Farris and JC Penney which occupied prime real estate on the city's main drag have been replaced by electronic shops, bridal outlets and discount clothing stores that are seemingly frequented only by shoppers from Mexico. There is Gilberto's on 15th Street near the new bus station, and there's Hollywood Fashions up toward the intersection of Austin Street. The yellow-splashed La Mordida Mexican Restaurant is two doors east, not far from a money exchange business. On a recent Saturday afternoon, downtown McAllen looked very much like downtown Monterrey. The hustle and bustle of Mexican shoppers jabbering with each other as they made their way past stores blaring Mexcian music is as much a part of the scenery as are the many vehicles sporting Mexican license plates. It's an occupation of sorts for the City of Palms. McAllen has opened its arms as wide as it can open them to welcome all Mexican trade. At the corner of 15th and Austin streets, a vacant building is being offered for lease. The realtor's sign notes that the building is "in the Entertainment District," and the metal being used to frame a new front door overhang says, "Arco Metal. Hecho en Mexico." Made in Mexico. That's right, and likely paid with income generated from the numerous Mexican shoppers. Soon, it appears, it will be yet another of the entertainment district's many bars, clubs and eateries. Indeed, it is impossible to move about McAllen without sensing that you're among moving crowds of Mexican nationals in their country. They're, well, everywhere, at the mall, the movies, the restaurants, the car dealerships, the health clubs, the tennis courts, the spas and, yeah, the Botox clinics. In exchange for throwing the border door wide-open for them, McAllen receives hefty sales tax revenues other Rio Grande Valley communities can only dream about. Is McAllen just the lucky city in the RGV? Or has McAllen, unlike Harlingen or Brownsville gone all-out to take the lead in boosting its economy with cash coming in from the south. Mexico is going through Drug Cartel hell, and many Mexicans are not only driving across the river to get away from the fear and danger, but also to outright relocate. McAllen's population is listed as 106,000 on the city limits signs. On any given day, it swells by more than 40,000. Saturday is a business gangbusters day at La Plaza Mall on South 10th Street, where the Mexican shopper mingles with locals. Downtown, it is largely the Mexican crowd. Few locals shop the Main Street stores, and fewer even know of the action at the bus terminal, where locals using that sort of transportation go to buy a ticket that'll take them to San Antonio and Mexicans a ticket on a bus bound for San Luis Potosi. The spacious bus station lobby is a veritable scene out of a bus terminal in any large Mexican city. Flinty, mustachioed men in straw hats, wearing ostrich-skin boots and matching belts funnel in and out all day. Physically-eccentric women in tight jeans and hefty bottoms drag their kids to the ticket counter, arriving to pay the fare with a string of questions. Near the snack store on the side of the station facing Austin Street, a woman wearing flip-flops adorned with the Chivas futbol logo grabs a pastry, a bottle of water, and five Lotto tickets. I marvel at the ant-like movement inside the terminal, marvel because it is a sort of organized arriving parade of humanity. It is the counter dealing in tickets to Mexico that is busiest, far outworking the one for Greyhound buses headed north, in the opposite direction. That McAllen has opened its arms for all-things-Mexico is no longer in doubt. Mayor Richard Cortez speaks positively of the historic relationship at every opportunity. Mexican citizens in town is nothing new. The city's history on that is clear: It is what it is. End of discussion. Indeed, the Mexican flag has joined those of Texas, Canada and the U.S. on the four flapoles in front of the bus station. Nothing wrong with that. Clashes of culture happen elsewhere. Here, it is an arranged marriage that seems to be working... <div align="center">- 30 -</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8418586410607151775-2325590992844472294?l=thepazfiles.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://thepazfiles.blogspot.com/2012/02/romancing-mcallen.html

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Brownsville Noise

Brownsville Noise
http://brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com/

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Nobody's going to hell, it's already here.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBqxnNZd4pgK-dtGIJs20QiDQBOF5a3BX3c44RUJilyNUAiWmM39fYDwACRgQlTVzKKiHKLkc3UYAp602rwOSCa0TDUu-34T0838dvXyBUQooaJKKpCNmHp5CwT0fWT4tv0M-qmNebYO2/s1600/wtf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBqxnNZd4pgK-dtGIJs20QiDQBOF5a3BX3c44RUJilyNUAiWmM39fYDwACRgQlTVzKKiHKLkc3UYAp602rwOSCa0TDUu-34T0838dvXyBUQooaJKKpCNmHp5CwT0fWT4tv0M-qmNebYO2/s640/wtf.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not Pictured: Tony Yzaguirre, Gilberto Hinojosa, The Juliet Garcia Family, Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez, Ray Ramon, Conrado Cantu, Charlie Atkinson, Rick Longoria, Rose Timmer, Rose Gowen, Sylvia Perez, and Ruben Gallegos, Jr.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7460924536583987444-4065849396793016486?l=brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com/2011/03/nobodys-going-to-hell-its-already-here.html

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â™¥ â™¥ BFFs â™¥ â™¥
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTW6vSITIWPsKkuoumenechNTUUwraeokw7C-5ABOqNzfhdx4yznexCezVkondI1Y33NIxoZkp7-rPSbvx12qxSj75nPV5C7w_m3nM35QWWqjDHKxZUK84IeatQYJVIOHOhAmNk200oIK/s1600/bff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTW6vSITIWPsKkuoumenechNTUUwraeokw7C-5ABOqNzfhdx4yznexCezVkondI1Y33NIxoZkp7-rPSbvx12qxSj75nPV5C7w_m3nM35QWWqjDHKxZUK84IeatQYJVIOHOhAmNk200oIK/s400/bff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Rick congratulates his BFF Charlie on his Turd Place showing in the recent valleycentral.com poll.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7460924536583987444-8997923795881558037?l=brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com/2011/03/bffs.html

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Brownsville Noise

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The Paz Files

The Paz Files
http://thepazfiles.blogspot.com/

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GOP's Fear Of Losing...
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QbT_zXnw3U_y81ogBZiCqfUIGcfHG2Rmkb2KV35Vq5HipvZ65BvSPX6vq82LG42OyDg9ML3W5fFzbLBbDApgIy7CFX8_BPng8BzA7y1y86tJ2xYojyDIZYQ3MQX4F-HpDCWYfQJT6cjM/s1600/aaaaaaaGOPBEST.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 281px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714554181974285842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QbT_zXnw3U_y81ogBZiCqfUIGcfHG2Rmkb2KV35Vq5HipvZ65BvSPX6vq82LG42OyDg9ML3W5fFzbLBbDApgIy7CFX8_BPng8BzA7y1y86tJ2xYojyDIZYQ3MQX4F-HpDCWYfQJT6cjM/s320/aaaaaaaGOPBEST.jpg" /></a>"The trouble with radicals is that they only read radical literature, and the trouble with conservatives is that they don't read anything..." - Thomas Nixon Carver By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ The Paz Files AUSTIN, Texas - God-fearing Republicans across the country aren't exactly jumping in the pews these days. Well, a few of them are, but those are the ones squeezing into what they believe is the creator's private box, front row in church, otherwise known as that oft-mentioned extreme right wing of the GOP cathedral. For the larger majority of the party's ever-dizzy flock, this ongoing 2012 presidential nomination process is now a stunning disaster. Last night, presumed frontrunner Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, eked out a win against his three opponents in the Michigan primary, barely topping former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum by a 41.1 to 37.9 percentage margin. In the Arizona contest, Romney did a bit better, winning there with 47.3 percent of the vote to Santorum's 26.6. Perennial also-rans Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul arrived in third and fourth place, as they have done in the recent primaries. What's troubling for Republicans is the lingering image of Romney as a member of the country's wealthiest class, a candidate whose social status will hurt him in the November general election against incumbent President Barack Obama. Romney is not suffering, as is most of America. His manner of campaigning strikes an elitist chord, making him appear to not be someone sympathetic to the plight of the dominant working class, the so-called 99-percenters. At last check, the U.S. counted more Democrats than Republicans in its population, although Independents generally move between both parties in presidential voting. Romney glowed in his victories last night. Things hadn't been as cheerful in his camp in the days and weeks prior, however, when giddy political pundits opined he might lose his homestate primary in Michigan, something that would have crippled his campaign. But his chief opponent these days is an idiot by the name of Santorum. He's the one who labeled President Obama a "snob" for daring to wish every American student a shot at a college education. Then he took on former President John F. Kennedy and blamed him for the endorsing the concept separation of church and state in this land. Santorum is in the wrong race. Really, he should he posturing himself as the nation's answer to our lull in good, late-night comedy. Still, he is, believe it or not, not as bad a candidate as are serial adulterer Newt Gingrich, the last place finisher in Michigan, or Fake Libertarian Ron Paul, the last place finisher in Arizona. Gingrich lives to eat off the public trough and has an annoying wife; Paul still carries the stamp of racist newsletters he published decades ago and the backing of White Separatist groups. Compared to these two, Romney looks like a billion dollars and Santorum like a sane Italian. This Republican Party is going nowhere in November. And, worse yet for the Grand Old Party's stalwarts, it is seeding the sort of growing contempt that might spark a credible Third-Party push needed in this country. Thank you. Send in the clowns... <div align="center">- 30 -</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8418586410607151775-185367415197579899?l=thepazfiles.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://thepazfiles.blogspot.com/2012/02/ennui-fuels-republican-angst.html

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Maclovio OMalley

The Maclovio O'Malley Show
http://www.spreaker.com/show/the_maclovio_o_malley_show

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Episode 18, Feb 28, 2012
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LINK: http://www.spreaker.com/user/maclovioomalley/episode_18_feb_28_2012

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Brownsville Noise

Brownsville Noise
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Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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BISD EARNS FEBRUARY ROTTEN APPLE AWARD FROM AFP
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By Peggy Venable Americans For Prosperity (Peggy Venable was the first White House Liaison for the U.S. Department of Education under President Reagan.) Today I learned of an audit report done on Brownsville ISD which alleges â€œsystemic corruption at practically every level.â€ It appears not only were taxpayers abused, but kids in that district were cheated. The District is rated â€œRecognizedâ€â€¦but if auditors found corruption, can we trust that the rating <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_dHLmcA7KyIjp42bSd2KQ5rEoI7vrW7ygQH6KFFcEEXtGIq0iD36DJ-4-q5rqvKI05Tyk9I4EgIkdIuXrnxNLV6r13fAFKjEIccYERzLaA4TJ-q_oSnvkADmG5K_Fd6BDxWj7ToeLro/s1600/RottenAppleAward.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 369px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714275029524144946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_dHLmcA7KyIjp42bSd2KQ5rEoI7vrW7ygQH6KFFcEEXtGIq0iD36DJ-4-q5rqvKI05Tyk9I4EgIkdIuXrnxNLV6r13fAFKjEIccYERzLaA4TJ-q_oSnvkADmG5K_Fd6BDxWj7ToeLro/s400/RottenAppleAward.jpg" /></a>was earned legitimately? It seems the forensic audit firm shared the report with the District Attorney and others, so I anticipate this wonâ€™t be the last we hear of it. Brownsville ISD has around 49,000 students and expenditures of around $593 million. Their ISD debt is $326 million. The audit covered three school years. It blew me away. And that is saying a lot. For the past three years, AFP-Texas has had The Red Apple Project (<a title="www.RedAppleProject.com" href="http://www.redappleproject.com/">http://www.redappleproject.com/</a>) and have worked to educate the public on how our education dollars are spent, or misspent as the case may be. Our goal was to encourage efficiency in education spending. After all, our state constitution calls for an efficient system of free public schools. We know they arenâ€™t free, so the taxpayers deserve for those dollars to be spent efficiently. We have held the Rotten Apple Award and highlighted the most egregious education spending. Our intent has been to ultimately encourage more of our education dollars to be spent in the classroom and on good teachers. Currently only half the education dollars are spent on instruction, and ISDâ€™s across the state average one non-teacher for every teacher. It is clear that education dollars are not spent efficiently, but to learn of an audit report which alleges widespread corruption in a public school system is shocking. I was on a McAllen radio station this evening discussing the matter. One of the school board members had been on the show before me and I heard him say the former superintendent Brett Springston (was) fully responsible. (The superintendent who served during the audit period is no longer there, having left recently to go to tiny Bartlett ISD, moving from an ISD with almost 50,000 students, 54 campuses and expenditures of over a half billion dollars to one with under 400 students, two schools, and spending just under $4 million.) Education is big business in Texas. We have just under 5 million students in public schools and ISDs spend $54 billion. Are those dollars being spent efficiently and are kids getting our billions worth? It appears that for the years in question that has not been the case in Brownsville ISD. We will follow what happens and post what we learn. Posted 2-23-12 Read more: <a style="COLOR: #003399" href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/022412-brownsville-isd-earns-rotten-apple-award-february#ixzz1nhuEoUIx">http://www.americansforprosperity.org/022412-brownsville-isd-earns-rotten-apple-award-february#ixzz1nhuEoUIx</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-7260962201181838386?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/bisd-earns-rotten-apple-award-from-afp.html

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'GATOR GAR TO YOU, YUMMY CATAN CHICHARRONES TO US
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By Juan Montoya SAN PEDRO â€" Even some of the local fishermen couldnâ€™t believe it. The splashing on the large concrete pipe sticking out of the muddy irrigation field between this town and Los Fresnos caught their attention as they headed to an isolated pond of irrigation water. They knew there were gar there trapped after the fields dried up. But when they peered down the four-foot <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8tr8Q7jST2cAOWvUP6WoLh7A7_8GE3-bJ1tMRxR4BMdVyzAQ4qaaOLEJ4HAWc0K6DTpy3zLGd0xrLl8hgyjGVLUJuAxzoLaGcE6r6fnHDhyphenhyphenhddqFaKUP9MF3AtlRygB8hLJQiHbpjbM/s1600/catan1.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 368px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 286px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714241398769320306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8tr8Q7jST2cAOWvUP6WoLh7A7_8GE3-bJ1tMRxR4BMdVyzAQ4qaaOLEJ4HAWc0K6DTpy3zLGd0xrLl8hgyjGVLUJuAxzoLaGcE6r6fnHDhyphenhyphenhddqFaKUP9MF3AtlRygB8hLJQiHbpjbM/s320/catan1.JPG" /></a>circumference concrete tube, the sight of two large alligator gar thrashing because they were jammed in the concrete elbow made them catch their breath. â€œIâ€™d seen large gar before,â€ said Joe Luz Leiva. â€œBut these two were giants. There was no way they were going to make it out the irrigation pipe. We had to go after them.â€ The men eventually dropped a seine net (tarraya) into the pipe and snagged it with a wire after it draped over the struggling fish. Some tears were caused to the strong nylon netting by the razor sharp teeth of the fish. Afterward, two monsters, one almost seven feet long, writhed on the ground. â€œMan, did we eat catan chicharrones (alligator gar fritters) that day,â€ Leiva recalled. Everybody in San Pedro got some and there were some left over.â€ Allligator gar chicharrones have been a local delicacy here since anyone can remember. The Blue Mermaid Cafe and Seafood, 119 Billy Mitchell Blvd., has been selling catan chicharrones for almost 30 years. That menu entry has remained popular with local residents. A Snodgrass Seafood employee said gar remains a popular choice for many local residents. He said the although many northern diners donâ€™t have a taste for the fish, it has remained popular here. â€œA lot of people who arenâ€™t from here donâ€™t have the tradition of eating gar at home,â€ he said. â€œBut we sell a lot of it to the locals. It's more expensive than redfish.â€ Economically, a plate of the chicharrones is not much more expensive than regular seafood, although it costs less than choice shrimp or beef. A combination gar chicharron and shrimp plate sells for around $8.50. A pound of chicharrones alone including tortillas, salsa and limes averages about $11.50. â€œThatâ€™s really not a bad deal for seafood,â€ said Paula Hernandez as <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_3ZgXAWxcsTzqDkjO8sgd_eBHt1ENqc01xh6WgcWPs5qT0Qn0iYwt2P4fo5Movf0VS2GF8sfX32NR1hXCp3I2lrSKeVn4v9XFy97Pye7EuQCmXq2oGDdUV3VZJki2a49Ft9Dh4Y19pc/s1600/gar.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 185px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714241243845851458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_3ZgXAWxcsTzqDkjO8sgd_eBHt1ENqc01xh6WgcWPs5qT0Qn0iYwt2P4fo5Movf0VS2GF8sfX32NR1hXCp3I2lrSKeVn4v9XFy97Pye7EuQCmXq2oGDdUV3VZJki2a49Ft9Dh4Y19pc/s320/gar.jpg" /></a>she munched on some. â€œI love catan and so do my brothers.â€ Visually, the fish is a fearsome animal. Gar have traditionally been considered rough fish by the majority of anglers. However, for a relatively few mavericks gar fishing may be quite an exciting and enjoyable sport. In Texas, alligator gar up to 279 pounds have been captured by rod and reel anglers, and over 300 pounds by trotliners. In the southeastern part of the state, including the Rio Grande Valley, gar are commonly accepted as a fine food fish. Alligator gar are often taken by by bowfishers or by anglers using nylon threads, rather than hooks, to entangle the fish's many sharp teeth. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife, the rod and reel world record alligator gar weighed 290 lb, and the trot line, or unrestricted division record weighed 302 lb. Both were caught in the Rio Grande River back in the 1950s, and measured a little over 7-1/2 ft in length. Alligator gars are widely sought after by bowhunters, but a much smaller following of anglers fish for them for sport. The states of Texas and Louisiana permit regulated commercial fishing for alligator gars. However, in the rest of the state, unlike in the Rio Grande Valley, the demand is nominal. â€œIâ€™ve never eaten gar before, and I donâ€™t know if I want to just looking at that animal,â€ said Doug Wolter, from southwestern Minnesota. â€œIâ€™ve got a policy of not eating something that looks like it could eat me.â€ Alligator gar are only present in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain from the Econfina River in west Florida west and south to Veracruz, Mexico. There are no gar on the Pacific Ocean side. The species range extends north in the Mississippi River basin to the lower reaches of the Missouri and Ohio rivers. An isolated population also occurs in Nicaragua. In Texas, alligator gar may be found in coastal rivers and streams from the Red River west to the Rio Grande.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-5712601902073979018?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/delish-catan-alligator-gar-to-you.html

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JUST HOW MANY KINGPINS CAN THERE BE IN ONE CASE?
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By Juan Montoya The attorneys for Austin lawyer Marc G. Rosenthal indicted on federal racketeering charges related to the case against former state District Judge Abel C. Limas and former state Rep. Jim Solis and others ask a good question. In seeking a dismissal of the charges against their client, they ask: Just how many kingpins can there be in the case involving the same alleged crime? Federal prosecutors have already secured plea-bargain convictions against Li<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8u4omr3oGWK5fu9r14LXl93aYEvW5bGGBk7DU6pdzJ62RVoG3Kb2PU7wumWwQgpdt3141brqb5iS87S10YJv45T_y6yHcO2hzMiifJIi5T4zhSQ8ZrpkiMpZlPTUxXelVDs3nHQ44Xk/s1600/slimas.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 218px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714238126217647698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8u4omr3oGWK5fu9r14LXl93aYEvW5bGGBk7DU6pdzJ62RVoG3Kb2PU7wumWwQgpdt3141brqb5iS87S10YJv45T_y6yHcO2hzMiifJIi5T4zhSQ8ZrpkiMpZlPTUxXelVDs3nHQ44Xk/s320/slimas.png" /></a>mas and Solis where they admitted extorting Rosenthal, say his attorney Ernesto Gamez Jr. of Brownsville and John Patrick Smith of Houston. The motion for dismissal was filed Friday and lost in the Charro Days hoopla engulfing Brownsville. Gamez and Patrick called the indictment â€œfatally flawedâ€ because the U.S. Attorneyâ€™s Office has already secured the guilty pleas from other defendants that are now contained in the charges against Rosenthal, charged in a 13-count indictment with racketeering, tampering with a witness and proceedings, extortion and mail fraud. "Just how many kingpins can there be in one case involving the same acts?" asked an attorney at the county coffee shop on Monday. "Gamez and Patrick ask a good question. If in his zeal to secure a plea bargain Abel oversold the goods, is that legitimate?" The attorneys, according to a report in the Brownsville Herald by reporter Emma Perez-TreviÃ±o, say they will seek information to determine if the information the U.S. Attorneyâ€™s Office presented to the grand jury constituted prosecuto<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ423ojBTE2Wy12eTnotaP25d_E_pCqxJLmbK_8g8WNEKu871eNJ-IaOHkqeK3FNIHP1U9KftFs-SbN0jYWoWVY0cuMqHMdh4ZV0qFN6meS4HlPkJkFG2UVFcl_aN2vTxWfp-EqCzygQw/s1600/KingpinLarsenBW.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 159px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 215px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714237957832597714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ423ojBTE2Wy12eTnotaP25d_E_pCqxJLmbK_8g8WNEKu871eNJ-IaOHkqeK3FNIHP1U9KftFs-SbN0jYWoWVY0cuMqHMdh4ZV0qFN6meS4HlPkJkFG2UVFcl_aN2vTxWfp-EqCzygQw/s320/KingpinLarsenBW.gif" /></a>rial abuse to convince the jury to bring the indictments against their client. â€œThe government as a matter of law cannot allege two leaders in one racketeering enterprise and use the same overlapping and common facts,â€ Gamez wrote in the motion. In a curious turn of events, Gamez also charged that Limas had in a sense "overpleaded" to offenses he could not have possibly committed to protect his family â€" his wife and son â€" from going to prison in the case. "In one instance Limas pleaded guilty to setting a case, but as a judge he cannot possibly set the case," said another lawyer. "That is up to the courts administrator. If I was trying to keep my son and wife from going to prison, I would probably do the same thing. Prosecutors have yet to file a response to the petition for dismissal.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-6691366362976429748?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/just-how-many-kingpins-can-there-be-in.html

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Brownsville Noise

Brownsville Noise
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Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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A FITTING END TO 75TH ANNUAL CHARROS IN FINAL PARADE
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNIP9I4wtVGfV2yaSPLle9l3ZGr9wdByiWCVtnPaIj8yfCwvNbH7G7QG2OfbafKuVwGvsTCRJb5TxMErV5g16p30PeqS5U6YNBwLDpTbniv1zGMzy2CFHPQQkcSyGxaPNLTwZyrU8wkQ/s1600/charrohorse.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 655px; height: 380px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNIP9I4wtVGfV2yaSPLle9l3ZGr9wdByiWCVtnPaIj8yfCwvNbH7G7QG2OfbafKuVwGvsTCRJb5TxMErV5g16p30PeqS5U6YNBwLDpTbniv1zGMzy2CFHPQQkcSyGxaPNLTwZyrU8wkQ/s400/charrohorse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713984023929280658" border="0" /></a> By Juan Montoya And so we come to the end of the last parade for the 75th Anniversary of the Charro Days Fiesta. Brownsville residents and visitors braved overcast skies and a chilly north wind to see the riders off, the marching bands and the floats on Elizabeth Street. All along the route â€" from the Palm Lounge to International Boulevard â€" crowd throngs four or five deep to see the riders go by and their prancing steeds clip clop on the pavement. Mariano "Bean" Ayala gave a blow by blow account of the festivities from the city stand before the old Post Office building that now houses City Hall. City Manager Charlie Cabler and Public Information Officer Bill Young sat in review of the parade for the city's cable channel. Afterwards, and despite the damp weather, friend congregated at the Palm, the Sportsman, the Barrel House and, of course, the handful of water holes dotting Market Square. At Ben Neece's Crescent Moon his Earthmen pounded out their rendition of blues-rock tunes before a select few who wandered in and out between sets. The old tannery building was open for inspection while the Neece boys cooked up the fajitas on the commercial-size asador at the rear of the courtyard. The tannery is a huge cavernous building that once housed a leather tannery business that shipped off hides to customers out East. After several reincarnations as a bar, and more recently, a melange of ropa usada outlets, local arts supporter George Ramirez and Neece are out to make it the entertainment anchor of downtown. The crescent moon, Neece says, will become the Half Moon ant ultimately, a Full Moon with the expansion.<div>On hand to check out the development was Tony Gray, a former Herald reporter and now administrative assistant to a state rep. Duane Neece, a sort of hand-on guy who c<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZtRvIaSk-lPUECfYc61VWTFJWnAytDnFx-GsYQEq6xORqDlnxf1e2HpWqsrCuorrz470kdRRP3T_W5JpCsMi2V5sXEf8MMMx0o505s7XJc7cBGYe3cc8K4PWpYT-U2ikHgxYZxq3tiw/s1600/charroboys.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 252px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 208px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713872513282176642" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZtRvIaSk-lPUECfYc61VWTFJWnAytDnFx-GsYQEq6xORqDlnxf1e2HpWqsrCuorrz470kdRRP3T_W5JpCsMi2V5sXEf8MMMx0o505s7XJc7cBGYe3cc8K4PWpYT-U2ikHgxYZxq3tiw/s320/charroboys.jpg" border="0" /></a>an just as easy make a dove-tail joint or wire up your house, is a part of the crew refurbishing the place. He and Gray were giving a roaring rendition of the blues outside the moon as the Earthmen be</div><div>lted out the rhythms from inside. Then it was time for eats and BobTamayo shared a few of his views on the state of local politics. Tamayo, a member of a politically-active Brownsville family said the people of Brownsville must take matters into their own hands and straighten out the mess that our schools, city and other governmental entities have become. "We have people who are making way too much money while the majority of us struggle from say to day," he said over a brew. "Less than 3 percent of the population votes. That means that one and a half persons plus one vote out of 10 decides what happens in the city." One of Tamayo's relatives was a county commissioner in the past so he knows what he's talking about having grown up in a politically charged environment.</div><div>Between Gray, Rey Guerra, Jerry McHale, Adrian Foncerrada and the rest of the crew, a Round Robin of chistes and jokes kept the table hopping</div><div>. No, it's not New Orleans, but it's our town.</div><div> There are worse places, believe me. Until next </div><div>Charro Days, visit downtown and El Mercadito and put in your grain of sand to its resurrection.</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwK3L5s67bNLX77XfH3Ps-87OhlfIudlQYYdIch3g800FDHSXr_-DGpKgvjNt_ZbxuSm2tsC9vqE0n6SNLRt-y-zweuWEIN6FzRHkDVRFNhyphenhyphenY8tp7RK1VYhpauqEDvGX5Z0DAnVYNZm28/s400/CMC+Charro+Days+Don+P+Bday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713983512280803762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " border="0" /><div> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-8427736247781067959?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/fitting-end-to-charros-in-final-parade.html

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The Paz Files

The Paz Files
http://thepazfiles.blogspot.com/

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Miracle At Los Flores...
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJx_eTEauFsotTBbOW_5yyKAw2sY_CK1IGqCjIp6JI2tPLO968d3mE2XFmV1I-fUdEO3mZFB-IZI6MSZjqnmkzkIhpbKaS3npk2bAQyHHVsbB_ICgAqrRFBeS4tdkbmaNbQr0-WHH8v16/s1600/aaaaaaaaaJESUS.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 279px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714197024833725266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJx_eTEauFsotTBbOW_5yyKAw2sY_CK1IGqCjIp6JI2tPLO968d3mE2XFmV1I-fUdEO3mZFB-IZI6MSZjqnmkzkIhpbKaS3npk2bAQyHHVsbB_ICgAqrRFBeS4tdkbmaNbQr0-WHH8v16/s400/aaaaaaaaaJESUS.jpg" /></a> By JUAN DAVIS CARRANZA The Paz Files NUEVO PROGRESO, Mexico - Rain started to come down with the arrival of a cold front as Raul turned south from the expressway, at Weslaco, for the eight mile drive to the border crossing at Progreso. He considered turning back, but had promised his tio, Mario, he would make the crossing and pick up his uncleâ€™s heart medication. In Nuevo Progreso, there is no visit-to-the-doctor or prescription required to buy most pharmaceuticals. Tio Mario was down to his last two tablets, so this errand could not wait. Nearing the bridge, Raul decided to park and walk across inspite of the rain, or more precisely, because of the rain. He knew the muddy, poorly-paved and patched streets in Nuevo Progreso would be slick with rain, and, the chance of an accident was high. An accident in Mexico would mean making a sizeable gift of cash to one or more police officers, even if not his fault. No, today he would walk. Raul walked a short distance from the parking lot to the bridge. He arrived damp, thinking, "Iâ€™m wet, but at least I didnâ€™t melt." The sidewalks on the bridge are covered, and the throng of mostly older persons was moving slowly once out of the rain. Near the center of the span, foot traffic almost came to a stop by a brass plaque announcing the demarcation of the U.S. and Mexico. Couples and small clutches of day-trippers asked passersby to take their photographs while posing by the plaque. The south end of the bridge had changed since Raulâ€™s last visit in November. Gone from the foot of the bridge was the Mexican army tank, with its barrel aimed straight down the seven blocks of the main drag. Also missing were the sandbagged machine gun emplacements on either side. A temporary truce was in effect between the Mexican government and the cartels, one establishing a military checkpoint three miles south of town - and a cartel checkpoint seven miles south. Otherwise, in Nuevo Progreso, or Los Flores as it is known locally by old-timers on both sides of the river, nothing much had changed. On this day, the narrow sidewalks were packed with locals and winter visitors alike, jostling elbow-to-elbow under awnings and overhanging facades, all trying to avoid the rain. The crowding was made worse by carts and business stalls lining the curbs, vendors hawking crucifixes, shoestring bracelets, bootleg DVDs, and, of course, by the many boys offering shoe shines. Every corner was packed with men handing out cards and flyers for dentists, doctors, liquor stores, pharmacies, and the most recent commercial enterprise - waxing salons. And everywhere the streets and sidewalks were slick, coated in muddy water. Raul plunged into the press of bodies, with the sounds of Mariachi music blaring from a bar and snippets of conversations from the multitude of buyers, sellers and gawkers passing by. There was the babble of voices, and a wide range of accents, but mostly the flat, broad consonants and tonal inflections of the Midwest prevailed. Raul set about finding Mario's pills. He avoided the pharmacy closest to the bridge because its prices are said to be high. On the second block, he entered Poncho's, a store offering almost everything Nuevo Progresso has to offer, except prostitutes. Regrettably, Poncho's pharmacy did not have the pills he was looking for. The pharmacist advised him to try Farmacia San Joaquin two doors down. At the San Joaquin, he was advised to try El Medico another two doors down. So it went for six more stops, each just two doors down, until Raul reached Farmacia Crystal. Yes, they had the medicine in question, and yes, they would be only too happy to sell him a bottle. Raul, considering the length of the search, and the unpleasant aspect of having to return anytime soon, asked for two bottles of Mario's pills. Most solicitously, he was informed this was the last bottle in stock. The pharmacist made a quick call to a sister store, and told him, that, in a few minutes, another bottle would be forthcoming. Ten minutes later, a runner arrived with the second bottle. Before leaving, Raul asked the location of the sister store for future reference. The pharmacist replied, "It is the first pharmacy you come to, on the right, after crossing the bridge." Exiting the pharmacy, Raul started to cross the street, squeezing between a cart vendor peddling tamales and a kiosk selling sunglasses. Halfway across the street, while waiting for an army truck full of soldiers to go by, Raul was almost run down by a bicyclist. The cyclist's attention was on the soldiers and not on where he was going. The rider looked ahead just in time, wobbled left and right and Raul took a quick step back. A handlebar snagged Raulâ€™s shirt and the cyclist tumbled onto the muddy street. Raul helped the man up, and then quickly faded into the crowd before attracting the attention of the police. Achieving the sidewalk, Raul headed back for the bridge. It was then he saw her. She was sitting on the cold, wet, muddy sidewalk with her legs drawn up beside her and her back against a storefront. She was wearing a long skirt and a plain white blouse, her long, braided black hair hanging almost to her waist, and she was thin, painfully thin. She held a plastic cup in one hand and with the other a nursing child. She was "Pura india," pure Indian; a class looked down on by many in Mexico who trace their heritage back to Spain. Here, she was a figure of desperation, lost in the world. Looking closely, he could see she might have once been a beautiful young woman. Now, she looked tired and worn, much older than the twenty-five or thirty years he guessed as her age. It was easy to see that a hard life, poor nutrition, and giving what energy she had to the child at her breast, had drained her strength and stolen her youth. She sat there without a word. She did not beg or look up - she just held the cup in her lap and her daughter to her bosom. The moving crowd passed by, no one giving this woman or her child a second notice. Raul saw in the cup a few coins, small change, far less than a dollar. Border wisdom says not to give money to the poor as it only encourages more beggars; and then there is the old saw, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life." Both were reasons to just keep moving, to continue on his way, to justify no action, but Raul could not simply pass by. Knowing there was nothing he could do to greatly change her life, but also knowing that, for an amount that mattered to him very little, he could feed her for the day, Raul reached in his pocket and felt some bills he had received in change at the pharmacy. Pulling out a bill, thinking it was a ten, he leaned over to place it in her cup. As he dropped the bill, he saw it was a fifty. Raul was surprised, but the woman was visibly moved, all she could do was gaze at this "little miracle." Slowly, a look of wonderment came over her face. She looked up, as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and started to thank him. Raul quickly held a finger to his lips. He knew, if she attracted attention, that in a short time someone would relieve her of the money. She smiled, and, as her face lit and up - briefly there appeared a vision - the face of "Our Lady, Nuestra SeÃ±ora de Guadalupe." There was a faint scent or roses, then, as quickly as the vision appeared...it was gone. Raul was shaken. Stumbling backward, he quickly made the Sign of the Cross and was caught up in the moving crowd. He was shoved along until a half block down the street he was able to turn and look back. The "Little Madonna" was up and moving toward a cafÃ©, her baby now held in both arms and the cup gone. She was away from the long parade of muddy shoes and boots and, away from the gnawing hunger in her belly - at least for one day. Two blocks down, Raul encountered an obese man and a woman. They were standing, sheltered from the rain under an awning. As he passed, he heard the man say, "Let's stay here for a few minutes, and maybe the rain will let up." Sarcastically, the woman replied, "By all means Henry, we wouldnâ€™t want you to melt." Raul just smiled and kept walking. He didnâ€™t care about the rain, he had seen a miracle. He was now giving thanks to God that he had passed up the first pharmacy... <div align="center">- 30 -</div>[Editor's note:...Writer Juan Davis Carranza resides in San Benito. This is his second report for The Paz Files. He can be reached via Email at: <a href="mailto:juandaviscarranza@hotmail.com">juandaviscarranza@hotmail.com</a>. Disclaimer: The Paz Files merely publishes this story without vouching for the existence of a God in the universe...]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8418586410607151775-2993922684289100135?l=thepazfiles.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://thepazfiles.blogspot.com/2012/02/miracle-at-los-flores.html

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Monday, February 27, 2012

Brownsville Noise

Brownsville Noise
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Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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DON PEDRO'S SECOND BIRTHDAY SHINDIG AT CRESCENT MOON
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<div>DON PEDRO ANDA PEDO OTRA VEZ</div>By Juan Montoya Don Pedro anda pedo otra vez Don Pedro anda pedo otra vez <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ8-4Ssjm9YF_KNYjp0f8H1VmScEbHG8PmWK1rzFlCT5Vq81Ji1_xncOIOUB7jqZkah2tl1OjxKYKLKdN-ro2ZU34MOzc3RfvqcyA0wRgT9gFZX-1Dl6Z12E_KEnGoqSbziHQA_6iw3A/s1600/don+pedro.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713910798548389394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ8-4Ssjm9YF_KNYjp0f8H1VmScEbHG8PmWK1rzFlCT5Vq81Ji1_xncOIOUB7jqZkah2tl1OjxKYKLKdN-ro2ZU34MOzc3RfvqcyA0wRgT9gFZX-1Dl6Z12E_KEnGoqSbziHQA_6iw3A/s320/don+pedro.jpg" /></a> He took off straight y regreso al revez He took off straight y regreso al revez Se le acabo la feria, otra vez Se le acabo la feria otra vez He turned the corner and there was Market Square He turned the corner and there was Market Square He bought a tarro with his remaining buck He bought a tarro with his remaining buck Saw his compadre when he'd run out of luck Saw his compadre when he'd run out of luck The widow ran him out of home again The widow ran him out of home again She chased him out the door with a sarten She chased him out the door with a sarten <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE98L6ht2VaVD7o5dGB9XDTiIODcmYAX6euVofwxiJ0F43973qG9J3AwM1Ddg51JtNZgG50J4icg7F8ph8Y6yxtpv9IShyxhRmfAczxT2uTXe1MUjSVDiPVHCQmB6wLDXl0t739SOdt-4/s1600/mariachi.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713913674341477954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE98L6ht2VaVD7o5dGB9XDTiIODcmYAX6euVofwxiJ0F43973qG9J3AwM1Ddg51JtNZgG50J4icg7F8ph8Y6yxtpv9IShyxhRmfAczxT2uTXe1MUjSVDiPVHCQmB6wLDXl0t739SOdt-4/s320/mariachi.jpg" /></a> Don Pedro anda pedo otra vez Don Pedro anda pedo otra vez He left the Palm y se fue al Uno Dos Tres He left the Palm y se fue al Uno Dos Tres With a hangover que se lo lleva el tren With a hangover que se lo lleva el tren Con dos tarritos ya se siente bien Con dos tarritos ya se siente bien Don Pedro anda pedo otra vez Don Pedro anda pedo otra vez Opened the door, he waved, and out he went Opened the door, he waved, and out he went (First performed at Don Pedro's Second Annual Birthday celebration at the Crescent Moon, Feb. 25, 2012.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-8100468870447445875?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/don-pedros-second-birthday-shindig-at.html

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MAD JOE WALLACE IS IMMOBILIZED AFTER CRASH
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By Juan Montoya Have you heard what happened to Brownsville Independent School District KBSD television production technician Joe Wallace Garcia on Saturday? Or should we say what Joe happened to do on Saturday? Apparently Joe was at the wheel of one of those gold carts that zoom in and out of the p<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDWqUTMgufTCu2h8Ehx7-mmBEXmfKc_TK-2PKndTLxWJ3w_I0qoXLO2rzUaev1BDz0rbEEQh4zcdYTAx33YxgabdlNuP0pVvxAadwvLQ_rXNVY8o4S-EzBLTkHgnMBxdLNtVeN9yFcFw/s1600/Crew_Joe.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 126px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713875784392332450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDWqUTMgufTCu2h8Ehx7-mmBEXmfKc_TK-2PKndTLxWJ3w_I0qoXLO2rzUaev1BDz0rbEEQh4zcdYTAx33YxgabdlNuP0pVvxAadwvLQ_rXNVY8o4S-EzBLTkHgnMBxdLNtVeN9yFcFw/s200/Crew_Joe.jpg" /></a>arade when he lost control of the souped up machine and ran over a couple of people, including, we have heard, a Brownsville cop. The local authorities don't like it when people run over their police officers and we heard that poor Joe had to alight from the craft and give up driving after the incident. Now, we know Joe and he is known as a sober working man. All we can deduce is that the excited crowds and the wet pavement probably contributed to the mishap. We don't know if the policeman was injured, but apparently being run over with a golf cart wasn't what he wanted to happen to him in the parade. Anyway, we hope he has recovered from his injuries(?) and his pride and Joe is over his embarrassment. At least there weren't any traffic tickets issued. Keep your chin up, Joe!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-1830322000723685580?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/mad-joe-wallace-is-immobalized-after.html

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