In response to the submission, Sunday, Jan. 10.
I concur with Santiago Perez, San Benito, for his excellent letter. I agree that “it is the in-between, with a high moral conscience that make the best elected officials.”
It is the other letter submitted by my friend, Elias Torres, that I disagree with.
He states “this valley of corruption, sewage which keeps flowing from the political party controlling the Rio Grande Valley.”
It is a fact that corruption occurs in both political parties. For a long time now, all state elected offices have been occupied by Republicans.
Here are the facts.
Former Governor, Rick Perry, is currently under indictment for abuse of official capacity; a felony charge.
Current Attorney General, Ken Payton, the state’s top lawman, has been indicted on three felony charges, alleging securities law violations, where if convicted, could face up to ninety-nine years in prison. There are others too numerous to mention, i.e., Tom DeLay, etc., but I know better that to blame the entire Republican Party for the actions of greedy and corrupt individuals.
Elias, you also state “the corruption of our tax office is serious in that it bleeds our county of precious funds.” Yzaguirre has been charged with four counts of bribery, as second- degree felony, for soliciting $100 per vehicle from individuals ineligible to register the vehicle, engaging in organized criminal activity, a 1st degree felony. The vehicles were junked and no longer in service.
The last count was for official oppression. According to the VMS report, Saturday, Jan. 9, the bribes collected were for facilitating the illegal registration of the vehicles and not for the actual registration fee required by the state; therefore, the state coffers were not diminished of any funds as you state. If Mr. Yzaguirre is guilty, he should most certainly go to jail.
Finally, with regard to your Disabled Veteran friend, who cannot get any help with his delinquent property taxes; here is the process.
First, the Appraisal District assesses the value on the property. Then it goes to the different tax entities, i.e., the school districts, county, city, etc., where they place a tax rate on the assessed value of the property. Delinquent taxes are forwarded to a collection firm, for Cameron County, go to Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP., in Brownsville.
All delinquent tax transactions must be conducted with this firm and not with the county tax office. If he needs an exemption on his property tax, he needs to go to the Appraisal District.
Chuey Ramos Harlingen
