Politics

The Sheriff is mad, the DA is looking foolish again, which Scott is that, the Dems can't get respect and Susie Luna-Saldana is supporting who?

Analysis - The Republican’s nomination of Anna Jimenez was a stark contrast to the Democrats nomination of Mark Skurka. The Republican’s May 19th precinct chair meeting to select a District Attorney candidate was rife with contention, resembling, well, a typical Democratic Party meeting. Meanwhile the Democratic meeting on May 26th was an unusual kumbaya moment.

Mark Scott, the latest conflict problem?
Coliseum, gone but grudges go on forever
Caballero at large?
DA, dragging on Kostelnik,
Whataburger, whats the beef?

Jimenez fires former colleague, tries to prohibit competition by policy

Newly appointed DA Anna Jimenz notched up her latest victim by firing thirteen year prosecutor Sandra Eastwood. Eastwood who told media she had no idea what she had done, seems to be suspected by Jimenez of leaking a three year old document admittedly written by Jimenez herself. Jimenez announced she is starting an investigation, after the firing. Eastwood and Jimenez both prosecuted child abuse cases for years together and were considered close colleagues by others in the court system.

It’s not Nit Pickers but Good Ole Boys killing jobs this time, and good ones too.
Editorial by John Kelley

The good ole boys politics that has dominated South Texas and created and maintained a plantation economy in the Coastal Bend isn’t good enough anymore. Let’s just look at the fruit of that tree. First, Mike Carrell may well have driven off SwiftShips/Apex and now has secured NSI for the sole pleasure of Texas A&M and Rick Perry. Then you have the Easter/Passover (take your pick) Massacre in the DA’s office as latest outrageous decision in a string of legal bed hopping, political throat cutting, and proverbial let me pee on your leg and tell you its raining incidents that only happen during these planetary equinox convergences and of course during election season.

Does Perry has his eye on NSI as a fundraising machine?
Perry has (mis)used A&M before to reward supporters
John White who is a former Chairman of the Board of Regents at Texas A&M, Chancellor Mike McKinney and alum Governor Rick Perry have been making headlines about mixing politics, money and A&M for some time. An article by Jack Stripling at Inside Higher Ed website (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/22/texas) describes Guy Diedrich, Dennis Beal’s boss as “a running buddy” of Rick Perry and notes that John White is a fundraiser for his 2010 campaign for re-election.

Judge Joe Gonzalez accused by auditor of “fabricated adjustments and mission cash”
Donations cost taxpayers two dollars for every dollar donated. No IRS 990s filed for NfP.

Judge Joe A. Gonzalez who has been a high profile figure in Corpus Christi championing education for delinquent youth, has come under scrutiny for some of the practices in his court that are alleged to be improper and illegal, yet he refuses to release a confidential agreement with Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct that reviewed the matter. One confidential source in the legal community says that agreement may have forced the judge to resign and thus led to his current run for County Commissioner.

There are serious Statewide Democratic Candidates this year that could make the fall elections interesting, but first they have to make it out of the primaries. Meanwhile the Republicans battle serious divisions in their own party both locally and statewide.