La Joya ISD School Board: A Valley "Jewel" of Shame?

On Friday, OCtober 19, 2007, Judge Fred Hinojosa stated

"Our system of government depends on free and fair elections. I find that the La Joya ISD school board election of May 12, 2007, and specifically the polling places at Bentsen Elementary and E.B. Reyna Elementary was anything but free and fair.”

“I find that the contestants have proven by clear and convincing evidence that illegal votes were counted, that the officials failed to count some legal votes, and that the election officers engaged in fraud, illegal conduct and made mistakes all of which materially affected the outcome of the election.”

“I find that the number of illegal votes is greater than the number of votes necessary to change the outcome of the two places on the ballot.”

“However, I cannot ascertain the true outcome of the election.”

“Therefore, I declare the La Joya ISD school board election of May 12, 2007 to be void.”

“I order the La Joya Independent School District to conduct a new election for school board trustees on February the 16th of 2008.”

When was the last time an election was declared "Void" in Hidalgo County. Wow.

Meanwhile, Espie Ochoa and Arturo Gonzalez, Jr., the candidates in question, are allowed to sit and vote on the La Joya School Board until a new election occurs.

Oh yeah, new election- how is that going?

According to Sara Perkins of The Monitor

Little progress has been made in the La Joya school board election case even though an appeal in the overturning of that election is supposed to be on the fast track.

If the process does not get moving soon the election may have to be postponed until after March's primary election.

Ramon Garcia, attorney for Garza and Villarreal told The Monitor "Hopefully, its not an intentional delay. We're hopeful that all the timetables will be complied with"

Hopefully.

The opposition also had hoped for perjury charges against the LJISD election judge Aida Rivas and La Joya Board members Johnn Alaniz , Rita "New town sheRuff" Uresti and Fito "I hate liars" Salinas.

Any progress there? Anyone, anyone?

I find it hard to tell you, Cos I find it hard to take, when people run in circles, it's a very, very Mad World

Happy Halloween! Boo!

Which lovely politician (local or national) will you be
dressing as on this spookish holiday?

Boo!

"I Hate Liars" LOL...

"What kind of idots do you have running this place?¨
The finest in La Joya!

La Joya ISD Election Ruled Void

A call for Opinions

If you don't already know, well, the Harmonious Anarchist has developed an independent opinion which has rolled onto this blog... Now, i would like to know what you think of your valley reps. From Eddie Lucio (Brownsville,) or Representative Armando "Mando" Martinez; Aaron Pena, or Kino Flores,etc.....For one reason or another we want to elect or NOT reelect these folks into office. Why? Why not?

At the request of several, I ask of posts ***please keep them of POLITICAL IMPORTANCE8** so that the public understands your meaning in all causes. Any posts about affairs, parenting, or anything else i see to be insignificant or un-related to WILL be removed. So. please, stick to the facts. All other skeletons will be brought elsewhere.*****

It's a Wrap- for now... La Joya ISD Update

Judge heard closing arguments from lawyers on both side of the La Joya ISD School Board election challenge. Looks like the challengers presented a good case, the strongest being the fact that over 500 people OUTSIDE of the district did indeed vote in this district. (that means ILLEGAL votes) Both Garza and Villarreal lost their elections by little under 400 votes.

Lawyers for La Joya ISD had a difficult time challenging a few arguments, - they called only 1 witness on their behalf. It is now up to Judge Hinojosa to determine whether or not the evidence presented should warrant a new election.

Meanwhile, the La Joya School Board will be having a meeting tonight at their Central Office Board room at 6:30.

Kino's Got an Opponent

Sandra Rodriguez officially announced her bid to oust Craddick sycophant Kino Flores in the race for the District 36 seat.

Rodriguez launches campaign for District 36 House seat

A native of Mission, Rodriguez is a former probation officer and high school teacher. She is married to former State district Judge Fernando Mancias and has four children.

Rodriguez has stated she wants to increase funding for the Childeren's Health Insurance Program. She has already received the backing of Annie's List, a "statewide political network that recruits, trains and financially supports Democratic women candidates so that they are credible contenders."

While Flores may have the advantage of being the incumbent, his track record in the Legislature has been criticized. From his open support of Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick to his absence during the Voter Id Bill which would require voters to show photo identification in addition to their voter registration card.

Flores claims he was "sick" that day. Sick? When the Bill reached the Senate, Senator Mario Gallegos who was recovering from a liver transplant, defied doctors orders, traveled to the Capitol, and remained in a hospital bed outside the senate chambers for more than 48 hours to block the voter ID bill that narrowly passed the House. With the help of the ailing Gallegos, the bill died in the Senate and failed to become a law. Speculation suggest that Flores was too busy campaigning for the 2007 La Joya ISD School Board election, but Flores claims he was sick.

In Texas Monthly's Best and Worst of 2007, Flores was given a DIS-Honorable mention.

Kino Flores is one of the least trusted members. He operates in the dark corners of the Legislature.”When he presented his bill to provide tax breaks for RV trailers in Hidalgo County, he represented that local officials supported his bill and that no other county was affected. Neither was true.

Kino Flores lied? Gasp.

Stay tuned..........

La Joya ISD Goes to Court .Vrom Vroom!

Day three of the La Joya ISD School Board election challenge is to be taking place this morning. As mentioned before, Judge Hinojosa had already granted former County Judge Ramon Garcia permission to videotape depositions of over a dozen people who may have behaved badly during the May 12 School Board election. Now depositions have ended and the case is being heard by Judge Fred Hinojosa.

The suit, filed by opposing candidates Elma Garza and Domingo Villareal, Jr. shortly after Arturo Gonzalez and Esperanza Ochoa were sworn in, alleges that:
x
* More than 400 votes were improperly counted
* People registered outside LJISD were allowed to vote and their votes were allowed to be counted (confirmed by the Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro)
* LJISD election employees prevented eligible voters from voting.
* UNAUTHORIZED people were allowed to work as clerks or judges

According to The Monitor

Questioning has centered around four election officials: Linda Tijerina and Aida Rivas -- both also Palmview city employees -- Max Montelongo and Gloria Amador. The four were judges or clerks at Bentsen and E. B. Reyna elementaries. Team USA member Johnn Alaniz, a La Joya board member, is the city manager of Palmview.

Also on the witnesses list: Sofia Villareal who served as the election judge for La Joya ISD, Irene Garcia, a politiquera, mother in law to State Rep. Kino Flores who pretty much called the shots for the Ochoa and Gonzalez camp, and wife of Palmview mayor Jorge Garcia, and La Joya Board member Rita Uresti who is married to an alderman from Palmview. His name? Antonio Uresti, a middle school principal who was promoted to Asst. Superintendent shortly after TEA declared his school "unsatisfactory."

There were four voting locations for this election. Sullivan City, La Joya, Penitas, and Palmview. Where did most of these complaints occur? Palmview. Who are the alleged culprits in this election challenge? Not the candidates themselves, but individuals connected to Palmview.

Y'all see a pattern here?????

Photo of participants in the Ochoa-Gonzalez campaign. Top: State Representative Kino Flores. Bottom: School Board member Rita Uresti, and Irene Garcia.

**UPDATE: ** The Monitor has reported that closing arguments are set for tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. How long will the judge take to make a decision? I will try to make my way to the courthouse tommorow and report the news, hopefully, before 5pm tomorow. No telling what will turn up.

Oh Donna...

Already under scrutiny following a TEA investigation, the Donna school district has once again made headlines.

Donna School District Supe Under Fire

TEA investigation, Board pres indicted, a principal accused (charges were dropped) of theft. Ay, ay... Can this valley school move towards a positive path?

Well It's About Darn Time!

This just announced: Alberto Gonzalez, "the nation's first Hispanic attorney general, announced his resignation Monday — ending a nasty, months long standoff over his honesty and competence at the helm of the Justice Department."

First Hispanic AG and he had to be a screw up, even worse, he was appointed by Bushy #2. That is fanfreakintastic! Will there be anyone left in Bush's cabin by 2008?

Another Bush Star Falls

Karl Rove, the grand mastermind behind the Republican success in 2004, will join the ranks of Rummy, C. Pow, Ashcroft, and others, as he leaves the woefully distraught Bush admin. at the end of August.

According to the AP

After a lengthy hug from Bush and then his wife, Laura, Rove joined them on the president's helicopter. Rove, his wife and their son were flying with Bush on Air Force One to Texas, where the president is vacationing.

Say what? Another Bush vacation? It's good to be President of the U.S. The boys will likely hang out at the Bushy ranch and marvel about the fact that Rove escaped an indictment (but not public prosecution) for leaking a CIA agent's name.

Karl Rove, hated by many, revered by others, was no doubt a damn good and shrewd political strategist, much of Bush's success was owed to him. You know what else? Karl Rove, the brain behind our brilliant president, has no college degree.

Kino Flores, Que no Sabe?

That he just isn't as well liked as he believes himself to be?

After an overwhelming response on my blogger polls, support for State Rep. Kino Flores is at a low. Alright so I'm not just going on the polls posted here but observations and talk around the valley.

It's not just the valley, Texas Monthly recently gave Kino a "Dishonorable Mention" among TX Legislators. Stating that:

Kino Flores is one of the least trusted members. When he presented his bill to provide tax breaks for RV trailers in Hidalgo County, he represented that local officials supported his bill and that no other county was affected. Neither was true.

Flores has even got sly in his campaign tactics by posting a few billboards marketing our state capitol. A political ad in disguise indeed.

There is hope for District 36, for the first time in years, el KFC will have an opponent in Sandra Rodriguez.

Start gearing up Kino, Robert Jackson's $360,000 can't fund your whole campaign, he's up for re-election in La Joya and also needs to pay salaries to Board members' daughters.

This certainly promises to be a very interesting race.

The Jury is Out and So Is Omar

It was the front page header for what seemed like years, but after a 2 week trial and spending over 4 months in jail, Omar Guerrero is a free man. Yesterday a jury found him not guilty on all 7 counts of sexually assaulting a teenager.

Public opinions have varied in this matter, but the prosecution and the evidence they presented must not have been convincing to a jury. After more that four hours of deliberating, the jury consisting of 7 women and 5 men, decided to acquit Guerrero on all charges.

There is no doubt Guerrero has had his own trials and tribulations since the charge that led to his political downfall. Here was a young man viewed by many as someone with great potential and in one incident threw it all away. Not an uncommon tale.

Could Omar's acquittal be his saving grace? Or will his family and valley be tainted by another front page header about Omar?

I sure hope not.

A Look at Some Numbers

March 9, 2003. Bush, in office for a little over 2 years, sends American troops into Iraq to search for weapons of destruction. What began as a search for the mysterious WMD has now turned into a mission to secure democracy in Iraq, protect the U.S. against terrorists, and who knows what else, I lost track.

Below are some numbers in relation to the war that began in 2003.

3634- American troops killed in Iraq

25- Rio Grande Valley soldiers who have given their lives to President G.W. Bush’s failed plan.
http://www.themonitor.com/news/body_3623___article.html/funeral_army.html

30- Average age of the 3,000+ soldiers killed in Iraq.
American Blog

110- Journalists killed while on duty in Iraq
40 media support workers killed

288- Coalition forces representing 20 different countries have been killed in Iraq.
Of those soldiers:

160 from UK , 32 Italy, 20 Poland, 18 Ukraine, 13 Bulgaria, 11 Spain, 7 Denmark, 5 El Salvador, 4 Slovakia , 3 Latvia , 2 Romania, 2 Estonia 2 Netherlands , 2 Thailand , 2 Australia , 1 Canada , 1 South Korea , 1 from Hungary , 1 from Kazakhistan , 1 from Fiji.

Vacation's All I Ever Wanted, Vacation Had to Get Away

63- Visits Dubya Bush has made to his rancho in Crawford since taking office in Jan. 2001.
405- Vacation days Dubya has taken since the Supreme Court made him president.
ABC News, April 2007

We hear about soldiers every day, but lest we forget Iraqi civilians? How many have people have been killed since war began? Iraq Body Count gives those details.

The Drama Continues in Valley Schools

The fate of Donna I.S.D. administrators may finally be decided at a special called meeting this afternoon.

Donna School Board Meeting Agenda

On the agenda, possible suspension of Superintendent Joe Gonzalez and the termination of Donna ISD's General Counsel Jacques Trevino.

Andale.....

The Donna school district has been under intense scrutiny following a TEA investigation last summer upon allegations of wrong-doing by someone in Donna.

TEA Report on Donna ISD Made Public

The Monitor

Ironically, Donna School Board President George Hernandez, who may have called the special meeting, is currently facing charges of 11 counts of conspiracy and extortion in a federal indictment unsealed June 5 as part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district bribery scandal. Hernandez's charges are not related to his school board position in Donna.

Its been a rough year for Superintendents in the valley. Last year Edinburg ISD suspended Superintendent J.L Salinas for violating nepotism rules and La Joya ISD School Board members, shortly after gaining a new majority, dismissed Filomena Leo. The Board never did reveal the reason (although School Board member Fito Salinas did state to the Monitor "It's political. I'm not going to say it's not.") for Leo's suspension or termination, but in another event of irony, Leo was hired earlier this year to serve as Interim Superintendent in Raymondville after School Board members terminated Superintendent Roy Casteneda for putting up signs for challengers of 2 Raymondville ISD Board members.

FBI raids, TEA investigations, election challenges, suspensions, elected officials trying to evade taxes, is there any political stability in this place?
Update: In a 4-3 vote this afternoon, the Donna ISD School Board voted to suspend the supe and terminate the lawyer. Politics has always been crazy, but now our schools are being invaded, couls this be a trend in thevalley?

Is It any Wonder?

Saturday, July, 7, 2007, lucky 7 was it?
7 continents, Former U.S. VP Al Gore and 24 hours of music marked a call for inhabitants of the earth to wake up and change their habits. Ladies and gentlemens: if you were clueless before, then after rocking to Madonna, Enrique Iglesisas, Kanye West and many other bands across the globe, you should now know that Mother Earth is slowly dying thanks to our consumer habits.
The question asked around the globe: Can these rockers get the word out and make a difference in the fight against our 'global crisis'? Maybe, maybe not.

Not to say that all these rockers aren't eco-friendly, but a better question to ask would be: What habits have these rockers undergone to combat the global crisis?

Elsewhere across the globe...
The New 7 Wonders of the World

While millions rocked to the save Mother Earth, others, including Hollywood's Hilary Swank and Jennifer Lopez, gathered in Portugal for the unveiling of the new 7 Wonders of The World.

Over 200 million voted and in the end decided on these 7 wonders.

Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
The Great Wall, China
Machu Picchu, Peru
Petra, Jordan
The Roman Colloseum, Italy
The Taj Mahal, India

The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is the only Ancient Wonder left standing and remains an honorable world wonder.

It is not a suprise that this contest drew criticism from many, including the the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who said wonders of the world should not be chosen in a popular vote.

Other finalists in this race included: The Acropolis, Greece; Alhambra, Spain; Angkor, Cambodia; Statues of Easter Island, Chile; Eiffel Tower, France; Hagia Sophia, Turkey; Kiyomizu Temple, Japan;Kremlin/St. Basil, Russia; Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany; Stonehenge, United Kingdom; and Timbuktu, Mali.

Other contenders, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and America's Statue of Liberty reportedly were at the bottom of the list. Not to worry America, once we build that great wall against Mexico, we too, shall become a world wonder.

I had hoped that the Acropolis, Alhambra and the Kremlin, because of their beauty and history would make the cut, but ah well, the masses have spoken.

For more info on our new wonders visit: http://www.new7wonders.com
Wanna save our planet? www.liveearth.org

Election Season Underway. Who will Run?

The U.S. Presidential race is heating up. Who will it be for the Democrats- Obama? Hilary? The struggling Edwards? Or, can Bill Richardson be the "little engine that could" and pull it off?

How about them Republicans? McCain and Giuliani aren't big favorites of the traditional conservatives, will Mitt Romney be the party's hope? Or, will Fred Thompson escape the Hollywood dome for a hopeful return to Washington? Guess we'll have to wait it out until Jan or Feb. 2008.

Meanwhile, valley hopefuls are gearing up for the season. While March is a primary for the Dems, in the valley March will be "do or die."

Up for another term are our Texas State Reps. What have we got so far?
The incumbents and possible opponents:
Aaron Pena District 40 vs. Eddie Saenz, Edinburg, TX
Kino Flores Distict 36 vs. Sandra Rodriguez
Veronica Gonzales District 41 vs. ??

In the U.S. Senate race we have 2 guys battling for the chance to oust the 'Bows to all Bush Commands' Senator John Cornyn.

Mega trial lawyer Mikal Watts may just face off with Houston State Rep. Rick Noriega. A MexiCAN senator? That could bring the number up to a whopping 4 Hispanics in the U.S. Senate.

Fundraising and endorsements will be underway soon enough, however candidates have until January to officially file.

Could the Craddick support haunt our Valley reps in 2008?
*this is just buzz received by word of mouth and other political blogs, yes CHISME. Y que?*

Hats Off in La Joya! Yeehaw!

The La Joya ISD School Board voted to renew the $360,000 salary for attorney Robert Jackson this week. In doing so, Jackson remains the highest paid school attorney in the valley.

When La Joya elected a new majority in May of 2006, the newly elected members, garnering a fourth vote in traitor Arturo Gonzalez,Jr., voted to axe long-time attorney Leo Montalvo and replace him with Jackson, a man with a small office in Palmview and zero experience in dealing with school law.

Board President Rita Uresti, who last year ran on the promise of"fiscal responsibility" among others, no doubt defended Jackson's salary stating that he “has to go through all the contracts, all the grievances and frivolous lawsuits.”
Some of those grievances and "frivolous lawsuits" were the result of unwarranted reassignments, which included the promotion of Uresti's husband from a middle school principal to Asst. Superintendant.

Interesting enough, two members who voted in favor of Jackson's frivolous salary-Fito Salinas and Arturo Gonzalez, Jr.- each have a daughter working in Mr. Jackson's law office. You gotta take care of your own.

Only two of the seven board members, Joel Garcia and Joe Aguilar, had enough sense to vote against the  raise. Aguilar went as far as submitting his letter of resignation. He later retracted his resignation after realizing he owed it to his supporters to stay on board and give the contra some grief. La Joya board member resigns — then retracts — over $30k/month contract

Jackson, not knowing of Aguilar's change of mind, did not pass up an opportunity to shine through the media. He expressed his relief on the resignation and stated that Aguilar “has no genuine concern for the district. It’s politics. I am glad he’s out.”
No shit it's politics! What a Genius! Politics afforded Jackson his plush salary! One must really wonder why these people would not only hire small-time lawyer but also pay him such a salary. A few guesses come to mind: Could it be to fund campaigns for the school board and other city elections? Or, perhaps to pay salaries for board members' family members?
Jackson also hoped for Garcia's resignation since he and Aguilar are the only two members without a college degree. The genius must have forgotten that the mum, non-sour grape picker Arturo Gonzalez, Jr., whom he of course supported and campaigned heavily for in this past election, also lacks a college degree.


But what does Jackson really think of Aguilar?

“It is embarrassing. We can’t have a farmer with a hat running our school district.”
But we can have an sloppy, ignorant attorney as counsel for a multi-million dollar district?

Keep your hat on Joe and stay off the bus!

And It Is On in La Joya

Some of us had our suspicions, but the media has confirmed it. We thought the battle for a new majority on the La Joya ISD School Board had ended with a victory for USA allies Arturo Gonzalez, Jr. and Esperanza Ochoa when they were declared the victors in the 2007 election, however, that "victory" may or may not be short-lived for those results have been challenged by opposing candidates Domingo Villarreal, Jr. and Elma Garza.

As I mentioned before, a few weeks ago a judge allowed former Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia to videotape depositions of election judges and others who may have witnessed election no-no's. Well, I guess the gang found enough reason to go before the courts and challenge this election. Let us examine some of the allegations brought forth.

• More than 400 votes were improperly counted
• People registered outside LJISD were allowed to vote and their votes were allowed to be counted (confirmed by the Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro)
• LJISD election employees prevented eligible voters from voting.
• UNAUTHORIZED people were allowed to work as clerks or judges
• A voting location was moved the night before the May 12 election

Wow, these are some some accusations! Ochoa and Gonzalez won the election by a little over 400 votes. It was close.

What do the USAGO camp have to say about this?

Arturo Gonzalez, Jr. called the contestants "Sour Grapes."

Funny, there is speculation surrounding Mr. Gonzalez's knowledge on migrant scholarships that may have been given to undeserving people. I guess the thought of a sour grape makes the man think about the "torment" these particualr receipients may have endured picking them grapes.

Esperanza Ochoa says “It saddens me that this has brought so much negative attention to the district.”

I have to agree with Ochoa. If a judge orders a new election because of the evidence brought forth than the powers that be at LJISD should be ashamed of themselves and will hopefully think of showing some competency in the next election- assuming the district handles the next election.

And the Hits Keep Coming. Vroom, Vroom!

News channel 5 reported last night that election officials have found more, si, mas evidence that people outside the La Joya I.S.D. voted in the 2007 school board election. dum, dum, dum, dum.....

Could it be that this election was rigged? Unfortunately, we will have to wait until officials wrap up this investigation, which may be a few more weeks.

Meanwhile, as I mentioned in a previous post, a judge has allowed Ramon Garcia, a lawyer for opposing candidates Domingo Villarreal, Jr. and Elma Garza, to videotape depositions from 15 people who may have misbehaved during this fracked-up election. It remains to be seen whether the candidates will file a lawsuit for a new election. Guess it depends on the outcome of the depositions.

It's summertime and the sun is a shining throughout. However, in the small town of La Joya, there seem to be a few dark clouds forming above the La Joya I.S.D. central office. Will these folks jump into the bus for cover?

VroomVroom! Next Bus Stop: Palmview I.S.D.

I was at friend's place this evening and got into watching Days of Our Lives on the Soap channel. It has been many years since I watched this whacky show so I had to get my friend to explain to me who the characters were and what their relation was to everything and everyone. Two main families, the Bradys and the Hortons, dominate the show. In one family we have a cop named Bo Brady married to woman named Hope, a member of la familia Horton. Bo, although adopted by Sean Brady, is actually biological son of Victor Kiriakis (in typical soap fashion, Bo's mom had an affair). Bo and Hope have a son Sean, who had a child with Belle Black. Belle was once married to Phillip, Bo's younger half bro and Sean's uncle. Belle's half sister, Sami Brady, is married to Lucas, el half brother de Phillip, and the step-son to Victor. Lucas is  biological son of one of the Hortons, making him a cousin to Sean and Hope. Follow? Sounds pretty incestuous don't it? - almost like the City of Palmview and La Joya I.S.D.

Per the LJISD website: The La Joya Independent School District, located in the western portion of Hidalgo County consist of more than 226 square miles stretching west of Mission to Sullivan City, including the smaller communities of La Joya, Palmview and Peñitas. Boundaries extend from the United States border formed by the Rio Grande River to the 13 mile line near McCook. La Joya ISD is one of the fastest growing school districts in Texas with an estimated increase of 1,400 students per year.
A lot of growth means a lot of construction (contracts, contracts!) and naturally, the need for a newer, larger Central Office. A main office that may just be moved and built in Palmview, Tx. Ok, La Joya I.S.D. main quarters in Palmview. Make sense? I will tell you who this makes sense to.

Of the seven members, six reside in greater Palmview. Board VP Fito "I hate liars" Salinas and his wife Mary, an alderwoman in La Joya, reside in La Joya, Tx. I'm sure La Joya is proud to have them.

As I mentioned in a previous post, current Board President Rita Uresti's husband Antonio Uresti- the principal who went uncertified for years, was later given a second chance to redeem himself when he renewed his certificate and did so by producing a TEA academically unacceptable school- Remember how Tony U was conveniently promoted to Asst. Sup. of Human Resources? Antonio Uresti, husband to la Rita U., is an alderman in Palmview.
Johnn (emphasis on the second "n") Alaniz, LJISD School Board Secretary, is the city manager in Palmview.
Jerry Perez, recently promoted to Director of Transportation, is also an alderman in Palmview.
Jorge Garcia, mayor of Palmview, is married to Irene Garcia, a politiquera currently being questioned for questionable acts performed during the 2007 LJISD School Board election.
Aida Rivas, the city secretary in Palmview, was appointed as a judge during this same election.
Aleida Saldana, another Palmview city employee joins Secretary Rivas and Politiquera Irene Garcia on the list of the deposed.

Mayor Garcia is also the proud father in-law of State Representative Ismael "Kino" Flores. Kino sabe was the political operative behind the infamous Uresti, Salinas, and Alaniz campaign in 2006, and he also put lots of money and effort into backing the 2007 Arturo Gonzalez and Esperanza Ochoa campaign. Whew!

"The wheels on the bus go round and round."

Word is that 2 weeks ago, paychecks made out to Palmview city employees-this includes custodians and police officers- were bounced around like a ping-pong ball. Whoa! What? Bounced?

** Earth to The Monitor , Univision, South Texas Paper, where are you? Great news here.**

This city needs some saving. I guess building the LJISD main office in this city would help the cash-flow in Palmview, eh?

Paris in the Valley

Big news, big news! News I am sure you have not heard.

Paris Hilton, a distinguished hotel heiress made famous for her sex tapes and endless partying, has been ordered to STAY in jail. You know the deal.

"Mommy, NO," cried the poor Paris.

Paris, Paris, I'm sure this is a frightening situation for you, but it's a reality you must face.

Some may argue that the media and others alike are being too hard on this poor girl, after all, she made an honest mistake, was "unaware" she broke the law, and has since promised to abide by all rules from now on. While a part of me does feel some pity for the brat, I believe the sentence was fair enough. The girl was caught not once, but twice, driving with a suspended license. The second stupid mistake is what landed her in jail.

Paris almost got away with a slap on her ankle and the luxury of finishing her sentence in her Hollywood mansion. She claimed to have some serious medical ailment that could seriously worsen in jail. Wow! Hollywood mansion a jail? How many truly ill people have been offered this option?

In the valley, we got our own Paris Hilton: We call 'em ELECTED officials and they range in rank from state representatives and city council members, to school board members.

We also have our share of lenient judges. They come in the form of registered voters who continuously ignore all warnings and either return to re-elect the same candidates and their counterparts, or worse, don't vote at all.

These are people who walk around with a grand, sickening sense of entitlement and use their positions to fill their pockets and egos. They do this because people allow them to do so. What gives? An individual only holds as much power as he/she is allowed by us. WE, the voters, are what make these people and WE, the voters can easily break them. How? By Voting! Duh....

One judge in Hollywood finally got tired of celebrities' blatant disrespect of the law and our courts, what will it take for Valley judges to do the same?

Sex, Lies, and Cher?

As I mentioned in my previous post, PSJA Board member Vangie De Leon was picked up by the boys in blue on Monday night....Well come one come more.. The latest in a list of lineups include:

• Rogelio “Little Roy” Rodriguez, 43, Alamo PSJA School board trustee, 1995-Present

• Raul “Big Roy” Navarro, 58, San Juan PJSA school board trustee, 1995-Present

• Evangelina “Vangie” Garcia De Leon, 46, Alamo PSJA School board trustee, 2002-Present

• Richard De Leon, 44, Alamo Husband of Vangie De Leon

• Arturo Guajardo, born 1947, 59, San Juan PSJA former superintendent, 2001-Present

• Arnie Olivarez, 57, Rancho Viejo Insurance contractor Insurance Associates of the Valley

• George Hernandez, 50, Donna Donna ISD School board president

These poor souls face a 22 count federal indictment for accepting $600,000 in gifts and cash, including: multiple trips to Las Vegas, South Padre Island, private family parties, tickets to the Final 4 NCAA Basketball tourney (a package worth $14,000), tickets to an Oscar de la Hoya fight, and tickets to a Cher concert. Could these officials now be singing "If I could Turn Back time?"

Wow! Must be nice to be a member of the School Board! Why, who could resist tickets to Cher? That is the ultimate dream come true!

Did I mention the prostitutes? Seems that the luxurious vacations, cash, and event tickets didn't satisfy enough, so "what the Heck," said the contractors, "let us win them over with sex." One word for these PUBLIC OFFICIALS: Ewwwwwwww

It is my hope that this saddening incident serves as a wake-up a call for other corrupt officials. Could this be the beginning of a valley meltdown? I have a few guesses as to who may be next.

*View the pdf indictment at:
http://multimedia.themonitor.com/multimedia/media/060607indictment.pdf

In Other Schools

Two weeks after the arrests of PSJA School Board member Roy Rodriguez, architect Joe Lopez and contractor Pedro Gutierrez , PSJA School Board member Vangie Garcia-De Leon has now been arrested.

The details of the arrests have yet to be revealed, but it will only be a matter of time before more arrests are to be made in the PSJA district.

According to The Monitor, "In January 2005, the FBI raided school district offices and the homes and/or personal offices of school board members Rodriguez, Jaime Santa Maria, Vangie Garcia-De Leon and Roy Navarro, as well as Superintendent Arturo Guajardo. Santa Maria was arrested six months after the raids and later pleaded guilty to corruption charges. "

Rodriguez is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for votes on construction jobs.

Oh the temptations elected officials are faced with. Do people not remember what happened when Eve lured Adam into biting the apple?

La Joya, What the Whack?

I sometimes wonder what life be like if world peace were to actually erupt. I'm sure we'd all be be pleasantly peachy. People would sing along to peppy songs, turn an orange into an apple, drink lemonade and sail into the sunset. A nice and ideal concept this would be, a nice and ideal reality it isn't, especially at La Joya Independent School District.

As many of you may have heard, the valley has a string of election investigations happening here and there,and the most intriguing one is that of the election drama in the 2007 La Joya ISD School Board election.

According to local news, The Monitor, upon investigating ballots from the 2007 election, County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro and her staff discovered a number of people who voted in the LJISD election were actually registered outside the district. Which means...... people may have voted illegally!!! Whoa.

”Although administrators have already discovered a few ballots from people not registered in the La Joya school district boundaries, some of these voters may simply have forgotten to register their new addresses after moving within the district’s borders, Navarro said. In such cases, poll workers should provide these voters with provisional ballots, which can be checked and counted in the event of a tight election. Both Gonzalez and Ochoa won their races by a margin of more than 300 votes. Navarro’s staff has already found a few cases where this procedure was not followed but has not finished checking all of the dubious votes against the provisional voter lists."

This came after all election materials were impounded just days after the May 12, 2007 election. Check out the News Channel 4 Story.

A judge has allowed Ramon Garcia, a lawyer for opposing candidates Domingo Villarreal, Jr. and Elma Garza, to videotape depositions from 15 people who may have had knowledge of or witnessed election misconduct. Some of those deposed include:
LJISD School Board member Rita Uresti;candidate Arturo Gonzalez, Jr.; Aida Rivas, an election judge at the Palmview site and Palmview city secretary,Aleida Saldana, Gloria Amador and Linda Tijerina, election clerks at the Palmview site; Irene Garcia a politiquera who actively supported Gonzalez and Esperanza Ochoa, and many others. Robert Jackson, the $360,000 LJISD attorney, is representing the deposed.

State impoundments? Procedures not followed? Out-of- town ballots? Videotaped depositions? What the H? Shocked and dismayed I am for sure.

Are you really surprised? After all, this is the same Board who took office one year ago to wreak havoc on La Joya I.S.D.

They began with the suspension of Superintendent Filomena Leo in July 2006, not two months after the "U.S.A" majority was sworn in, and continued with various reassignments of those believed to be “allied” with Leo. The reassigned were later replaced with close friends and family of the U.S.A. click, one of whom includes Antonio Uresti, an alderman in Palmview and husband of current Board President Rita Uresti. In Aug. 2006 Mr. Uresti was moved from Principal of one of two TEA academically unacceptable schools int he 27-campus LJISD to Asst. Superintendent of Human Resources. That's right folks, screw up your school and you get a damn good promotion!

Also from the city of Palmview, we have Alderman Jerry Perez who was given the position of Transportation Director. Incidentally folks, La Joya School Board member Johnn Alaniz (The A of U.S.A) is the city manager in Palmview. Palmview's in the house! Palmview's actually crowding the house.

I have not been able to retrieve the Monitor article which reported on these reassignments but a Greek Coyote can provide more in-depth info about this fiasco. See Alethia in La Joya Politics.

Ok, my bus driver took a small detour there for a bit. Back to bus stop: 2007 election chaos in La Joya...

The LJISD School Board had the option of possibly avoiding this whole mess at their meeting on April 25, 2007, by voting to allow Hidalgo County to run the election as many other cities and schools had opted to do. Story: La Joya school district to run its own elections. Considering the fact that 2 members were up for re-election, (each on separate tickets) and the chaos from the year before, one would think this to be the logical decision, right? Nope, nope, nope.. Shut down 4-3, because as board member Fito Salinas so eloquently stated “Do you think the county’s really honest, too? I don’t.” For those of you who don't know, about a year ago Fito Salinas also told The Monitor "I hate liars."

It’s been a rough and busy year for LJISD. Reassignments, extravagant pay raises, talks of hostile work environment, Rita Uresti's (the U of U.S.A.) shady behavior at the April 25, 2007 LJISD Board meeting, mail-in ballots not being mailed on time, etc, etc.... I certainly would not be surprised if the “criminal, fraudulent conduct, and tortuous conduct,” allegations were proven to be true.

The bus is still going folks. Stay tuned, there's gotta be a lot more to come. Hopefully, soon.


*The Monitor has theposted a copy of the petition online. To view a copy of the petition in pdf format visit: http://multimedia.themonitor.com/multimedia/media/051707lajoya.pdf