Border Blogs: Expressing our Border Culture

Guillermo Chavez-Gonzalez, 41, has been added to Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list for aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child.

Chavez-Gonzalez, who was last seen in El Paso, has a criminal history that  includes aggravated sexual assault, indecency with a child, driving under the influence and driving while intoxicated.

Up to $1,000 is being offered as a reward for information leading to his arrest.

The Department of Public Safety said tipsters can:

Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

Text the letters DPS—followed by your tip—to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone, or,

Submit a tip through the DPS website by selecting the sex offender you have information about, and under their picture is a link to submit a web tip.

Democrat Bill White's campaign released a web video today that accuses Gov. Rick Perry of accepting money in return for appointments and favors.

The video uses various news clips that refer to a recent investigation by the Dallas Morning News that questioned whether Perry benefited from a land deal in Horseshoe Bay.

The article said it "found evidence that Perry's investment was enhanced by a series of professional courtesies and personal favors."

Perry defended the land deal to the Dallas Morning News. He told the newspaper that the deal was transparent.

From Democrat Bill White's campaign:

From Gov. Rick Perry's campaign:

Businessman Dee Margo, the Republican candidate for House District 78, has launched his new campaign website and along with it a new video.

In the video, Margo shares his family history. He points out that his grandfather was Hispanic and did not speak English until he attended college.

The video does not mention that Margo is running for state office. It also does not mention that he faces incumbent State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, for the seat.

Part 1: The Margo Family in Texas from Sir Realistic Productions on Vimeo.

About $15,000 will serve as the springboard for a new Republican group that is trying to court Hispanic candidates.

Hispanic Republicans of Texas — whose co-founders include George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush—officially launched as a political action committee Tuesday in Austin.

The group wants to recruit Hispanic candidates to run for office. Leaders of the group say they will help fund campaigns, train candidates to be more media savvy and provide additional support to help them win office.

Hispanics in Texas have traditionally leaned toward the Democratic Party at the polls. Republicans say they are working to lure the ethnic group.

About 37 percent of the state's population is Hispanic and the group makes up about 40 percent of public school students.

"We need to do a better job of reminding our Latinos that Republicans don't have horns and don't all live in country clubs," said Jacob Monty, a partner in a law firm who also serves on the board of Hispanic Republicans of Texas.

The group has raised $50,000 since September but only has about $15,000 left in the bank after helping some candidates with their primary campaigns.

Sonya Medina, another board member who served as deputy assistant for domestic policy to former president George W. Bush, said the fundraising has just begun.

"We feel this is a very good starting point," Medina said. "I have had several large Republican donors talk to us and our board about contributing after our launch today."

The nephew of George W. Bush is trying to increase the number of Hispanic Republicans who run for office in Texas.

George P. Bush, the son of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, is the co-founder of the Hispanic Republicans of Texas, which officially launches Tuesday in Austin.

The organization says it "will recruit, elect, support and defend Republican officeholders and candidates for state and local elected offices."
"As it stands today, Hispanic leaders are disproportionately under-represented as elected officeholders especially as Republicans," the group said in a statement. "Hispanic Republicans of Texas has been established to close the gap, build leadership within the Hispanic community and support those who are ready to serve as elected leaders of this state. It’s our responsibility to help other Hispanics. But most important it’s our responsibility to serve the greatest state in our nation – Texas. "

The group already has a website with several promotional videos.

    Gov. Rick Perry has a nine point lead over his Democratic opponent Bill White in a Rasmussen Poll released today.

    Perry got 50 percent support in the poll of 500 likely voters. White received about 41 percent support in the survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. 

    Perry leads White with men, women and independent voters, according to the poll.

    The margin between the candidates has not changed much since the last Rasmussen survey in mid-June. That poll had Perry at 48 percent and White at 40 percent.

    About 55 percent of those polled approved of Perry's job performance, while 44 percent disapproved.

   More than half of Texas voters surveyed said the economy was poor and the same percentage said it was getting worse. Only 12 percent said the economy was "good or excellent" and 25 percent felt it was improving.

    About 28 percent of Texas voters supported the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the Arizona immigration law, while 64 percent disapproved.

     

   

Gov. Rick Perry has channeled Seinfeld in a new online advertisement to accuse his Democratic opponent of being unoriginal. The video is titled "Bill White's campaign about nothing."

White released his own web ad today that charges Perry with dodging responsibility for a projected budget deficit of up to $18 billion. Instead, the "Rick Perry's Deficit Distractions" ad says Perry is spending his time criticizing the federal government.

Check out both ads below:

    Gov. Rick Perry is proposing a tax break for employers who give high school dropouts time off to finish school.

   Perry, who shared his plan in El Paso today, said it would cost the state $15 million in sales tax credits over a two-year period if 5,000 dropouts participate each year.

    His proposal would have to be approved by the legislature before it can be implemented.

    "A single dropout is one dropout too many, so we must continue pursuing sensible education options that give every Texan a shot at a better life,” Perry said in a statement.

    Under the proposal, employers would grant adult college dropouts two hours a week of paid time off to return to school or attend GED preparation classes.

    Employers would receive a $1,500 sales tax credit once the employee gets a diploma or a GED.

    Perry's opponent Bill White has released his own plan to improve education that looks at expanding prekindergarten, improving career and technical education and making college tuition more affordable.

    Katy Bacon, a spokeswoman for the White campaign, said Perry had decade to improve education but failed. 

   "After ten years of doing nothing, career politician Rick Perry is trotting out election year sound bites," Bacon said. "Students are slipping through the cracks every day, and Perry still refuses to answer or provide a real solution for the 3 in 10 Texas students who don’t graduate on time."    

    Perry's campaign said White's proposals do not offer new policy initiatives to improve education.

    Read more in Wednesday's El Paso Times.   

   

 

    U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez lost his temper during a meeting with constituents this weekend when a woman accused him of lying about the cost of health care reform.

    "Ma'am, don't accuse me of not saying the truth," the Democrat said. He then slapped a newspaper against a table.

    Rodriguez's flare up became fodder for conservatives who quickly circulated a video clip.

    Right-wing media magnate Andrew Breitbart's "Big Government" website first posted the video.

     Rodriguez's Republican opponent Francisco "Quico" Canseco pounced on the incident.

    Canseco issued a statement saying that Rodriguez "has a history of cursing and yelling at people who disagree with him. It shows how much contempt he has for the people of this district and their concerns about the economy, exploding federal deficits, and reckless government growth.” 

    Rodriguez, whose district includes a part of El Paso County, shot back and accused his opponent of trying to sabotage his event.

    "Unfortunately political operatives associated with my opponent's campaign tried to turn it into something else -- attempting to hijack a 'congress on your corner' event merely to engage in uncivil, cynical videotape baiting tactics," Rodriguez said in a statement. "The people of Southwest Texas deserve better than that."

    Still, Rodriguez said he was sorry for his behavior.

    "That said, I apologize for losing my temper at an event that should always be a civil and respectful exchange of ideas," he said in the statement. "I look  forward to continuing to listen to folks all across southwest Texas, as we work together to create jobs and get this economy back on track."

   

   

Gov. Rick Perry sounded some familiar themes in a speech today at the National Council of La Raza conference in San Antonio.

Some of the governor's remarks were aimed at appealing to nearly 2,000 audience members who sat waiting to hear about his positions on immigration reform, Arizona's controversial law and raising the quality of life for Latinos.

After hitting his typical points by touting job creation and the state's economic standing, Perry briefly touched on the new Arizona law that has been criticized by some who say it encourages racial profiling and discrimination.

He said the law "may be right for Arizona but it ain't exactly right for Texas."

The comment drew applause from attendees though Perry did not specifically say what part of the law was not "exactly right" for the state. He also did not make any promises to veto similar legislation in the state.

Perry repeated his criticism of the federal government's approach to border security. He said Texas has invested in keeping its residents safe from spillover violence because the federal government failed in its duty. 

And, he said, the federal government's failure to secure the border is the reason states like Arizona have taken on immigration policy.

"Until America secures the border, a rational debate on immigration policy is not going to happen," Perry said

The governor talked about the state's business climate and economic achievements in recent years, and he seemed to take a jab at his Democratic opponent Bill White.

"This isn't rocket science," Perry said. "When it comes to keeping this state going and keeping the economy of Texas happening, you don't have to have a degree in economics or a degree in public policy from, what is it, Harvard."

White, who will speak to the group Monday, graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics before earning his law degree at the University of Texas at Austin.

El Pasoan Robert Sanchez was named Assistant Attorney General of the Year for his work with children.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recognized Sanchez as the top attorney for the 21-county region that includes El Paso.

Sanchez, an assistant attorney general for the Child Support Division’s El Paso Cent ra l office, works to establish legally recognized relationships between  children and their unmarried parents. He also establishes, enforces and modifies court orders for child support and medical support. 

“Robert Sanchez’s hard work and dedication helped ensure thousands of young Texans have the child support they need to grow healthy and strong,” Abbott said in a statement. “A committed and selfless public servant, Robert stands out as one of the state’s most dedicated and impressive lawyers. We are grateful to Robert Sanchez for his commitment to Texas children.”

Two environmental groups plan to sue Exxon Mobil Corp., arguing that the company illegally released 7.2 million pounds of toxic chemicals at a Texas plant, according the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity.

A report by the nonprofit investigative journalism group says Environment Texas and the Sierra Club plan to file a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil this summer. The groups said the company released pollutants linked with cancer and risked the health of thousands of nearby residents.

According to the report, the company released 5.9 million pounds of "dangerous air pollutants" and 1.3 million pounds of toxic substances over a five-year period at its Baytown complex.

The Center also reported that about 85 percent of the incidents at the complex in Baytown during the past decade were categorized as “avoidable” or “preventable” by the TCEQ. The complex had to pay about $1.2 million in fines, said the report.

Exxon Mobil told the Center in a written statement that since 2001 the company invested $700 million on environmental improvement projects. The company declined to provide the Center a comment on the lawsuit.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry and his Democratic opponent Bill White will both speak to the same group next week but don't expect fireworks between the candidates.

Perry and White will address the Texas Farm Bureau County Presidents’ Conference at different times July 8 in San Marcos. White will talk to the group at 11 a.m. and Perry will speak at 1 p.m.

“We are very pleased that both candidates will appear at our meeting,” Kenneth Dierschke, president of TFB, said in a statement. “We are anxious to hear of their plans for agriculture and for the future of Texas, particularly on eminent domain.”

The farm bureau's political action arm endorsed U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison during the primary. Back then the group said they did so because of concerns over property rights.

Dierschke said reforming eminent domain continues to be a key priority.

“We anticipate the opportunity to work with the leadership of the legislature and with the governor’s office to achieve that,” he said.

The group has not selected a candidate to endorse in the general election.

Attorney General  Greg Abbott today sent a letter to President Barack Obama demanding that he provide more troops and resources to the Texas-Mexico border.

Abbott and Gov. Rick Perry have often said that the federal government is not doing enough to secure the border.

Today, he said news that bullets may have traveled from Juarez to El Paso's City Hall shows the need for immediate action from the federal government.

Below is the complete letter:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Deadly violence from drug cartels and transnational gangs in Mexico is knocking on the United States’ door with ever increasing frequency. Yesterday, gunfire from the cartels pierced that threshold and struck City Hall in El Paso. Fortunately no one was injured or killed. But that good fortune was not the result of effective border control – it was mere luck that the bullets struck buildings rather than bodies.

Luck and good fortune are not effective border enforcement policies. The shocking reality of cross border gunfire proves the cold reality: American lives are at risk. As the attached news article notes: “More than 1,300 people have been murdered in Juárez this year as a war continues relentlessly between the Juárez and Sinaloa drug cartels.” Americans must be protected as this deadly war bulges at our border.

Law enforcement officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety and your own U.S. Customs and Border Protection will reveal the hard truth. Our state is under constant assault from illegal activity threatening a porous border.

The time for talk has passed. The time for action is now. The need is urgent. Each day that passes increases the likelihood that an American life will be lost because of the federal government’s failure to secure the border.

This threat demands immediate and effective action by your Administration to secure our border. As the Attorney General of Texas, I urge you to make border security your top priority so that no more innocent lives are lost to border violence.

    U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said in a statement Tuesday that El Paso's recent selection as an ‘All-America City’ is well-deserved.

        Hutchison, whose daughter lives in El Paso, said the award honors the work of residents and leaders who make the city a welcoming place for families and businesses.

   “El Paso is a wonderful city with a rich history and a vibrant culture,” Hutchison said in the statement. “The city has so much to offer – a strong military presence, a bilingual workforce, and a pro-business environment that welcomes entrepreneurs and the jobs they bring to the area."
 

 

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered the following opening statement during the first day of Solicitor General Elena Kagan's Supreme Court confirmation hearing:

Gov. Rick Perry's campaign released a web video today calling Bill White "shady" and accusing him of "Whitewashing" his record.

The ad attacks White for his ties to a company that provided generators to Houston after Hurricane Rita.

Perry spokesman Mark Miner also tried to attend the Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi to continue the criticism but was asked to leave, according to the Dallas Morning News.

     

A political action committee that calls itself Back to Basics released its own video this week attacking Perry.

     U.S. Sen. John Cornyn today issued a statement commending Gen. Stanley McChrystal for his service, while lauding the man who will replace him as the top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan.

    President Barack Obama named Gen. David Petraeus to the post after accepting McChrystal's resignation.

    McChrystal came under fire after his scathing comments about the president and his aides were published in a Rolling Stone article. 

 “Gen. McChrystal has served with great distinction in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world, and I wish him the very best,” Cornyn said. “Gen. Petraeus is a tried and true field commander and the architect of modern counterinsurgency strategy. Under his proven leadership during the surge in Iraq, our men and women in uniform turned the tide there.  I am confident Gen. Petraeus will lead our troops to victory against those who seek to turn Afghanistan back into a terrorist breeding ground. He deserves our nation’s thanks for accepting this assignment, and my prayers and best wishes go with him to Afghanistan.”

    Update:

    U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes just released this statement:

    "I understand and support the President's decision to accept General McChrystal's resignation, and applaud his swift action to assign General Petraeus to continue the strategy in Afghanistan that he was integral in developing.  I have just heard from General Petraeus that there will be no loss of continuity in our mission there.  From his experience commanding our forces in Iraq, to his assignment as the head of U.S. Central Command, General Petraeus has served our nation with distinction. I commend him for once again answering the call to serve in this capacity."

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White will be in El Paso Wednesday to discuss education.

    White, who is challenging Gov. Rick Perry in the general election this November, also plans to stop in Fort Stockton and Pecos.

    Campaign spokeswoman Katy Bacon said White will visit El Paso at 3 p.m. to listen to educators and administrators discuss accountability, college readiness and financial needs.

    "Bill believes we need fewer mandates out of Austin and more local control," Bacon said.

    The campaign said teachers, school board trustees and community members from the county's nine school districts were invited to the event at El Paso Community College's Administrative Services Center, 9050 Viscount.

    White will stay in El Paso for a fundraiser.

    The list of supporters for the fundraiser includes Mike Dipp, Carmen Perez, Jim Scherr, Shari and Stuart Schwartz, Sam Legate, Dale and Libby Linebarger, Jay and Rene Reyes, Danny Anchondo, Susan and David Austin, Linda Kirby and Carl Green, Annabelle and Travis Johnson, Enrique Moreno, Chuy and Marty Reyes and Joe Spencer.