Drainage District case
Unbelievable! It appears that visiting Judge Martin Chiuminatt has exonerated Godfrey Garza, Hidalgo County Drainage District’s former general manager, from responsibility for the financial debacle. My suggestion is that the judge find new batteries for his smoke detector. Let’s look at the facts. (Also read the recent Texas Tribune article for more information):
>> Garza is not an engineer. He was hired in the late 1990s to manage the district by the Hidalgo County Drainage District Board (which are the same as the Hidalgo County Commissioners).
>> He requested his company, Integ Corp., be paid, in addition to salary as the district manager, 1.5 percent of actual project costs for the border wall/levies plus all county drainage projects.
>> This was approved by past County Commissioner’s Court under former Judge J.D. Salinas.
>> Integ gave lucrative subcontracts to his family’s business, Valley Data Specialists.
>> A whistle blower was ignored by authorities going back to 2008.
>> Current Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia has confronted Garza wanting to know where the money went.
>> Everybody shuts up until recently.
So folks not only does it appear that a cloud of smoke bigger than any cane field or tire fire is not enough; but it also appears that there may be more than enough evidence to cast a much larger net possibly encompassing all of the construction companies involved. Couldn’t a charge like “conspiracy to defraud” be brought against all of the construction companies, county commissioners and past commissioners and judge who supported or ignored these financial misdeeds?
There should be no question why National Public Radio did a multi part expose on political corruption in the RGV. Unfortunately, we are the poster child for nepotism, favoritism, cronyism, graft and corruption. Let’s hope that the county’s counsel, Steve Crain’s advice that Commissioner Eddie Fuentes’ appointment of his uncle to the HCRMA Board is not nepotism was better informed than telling the commissoners court it was unnecessary to disclose what contractor the levy and drainage contracts were awarded. Detailed comments from all former and current officials with the county involved in this also should be requested.
Ned Sheats, Mission
Clinton’s 1995 SOTU speech
“All Americans, not only in the states most heavily affected, but in every place in this country are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country.
The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public services they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That’s why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more, by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens.
In the budget I will present to you, we will try to do more to speed deportation of illegal aliens who are arrested for crimes, to better identify illegal aliens in the workplace as recommended by the commission headed by former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit this kind of abuse of our immigration laws as we have seen in recent years and we must do more to stop it.”
The above text was from President Bill Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union Address, and not President Donald Trump. This was the official Democratic Party’s policy on illegal immigration during the mid-1990s.
Silvestre Moreno Jr., Mercedes
Pro-life peaceful assembly
Several grandparents, like myself, their children and grandchildren participated in a “Pro Life Procession” of prayers, peace and awareness recently in McAllen. As the abortion opponents passed by the abortion clinic, a small group of those who support abortions began to shout and chant slogans that promote their abortion-minded agenda.
Tensions, feelings and stress levels became elevated near this clinic. In spite of the high anxiety, however, the pro-life group remained calm by singing and praying for everyone, including the abortionist and their assistants. The procession ended with reflection and prayer at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
I noticed that the abortion supporters appeared to not have any older people like grandparents, small children nor babies in their arms as they chanted their slogans.
We continue to pray that: People will understand that to be pro-life means to be pro-woman, and to be pro-woman demands that we oppose abortions.
Ruben E. Lopez, Mission
