By JUAN MO-TIME
Herald-Tribune Political Writer
BROWNSVILLE, TX - An opinionated group of residents gathered at a cafe here last night, looking for answers to explain the current gloom hanging over this falling southern Cameron County community. Elsewhere, Tiger Woods ruled the airwaves, the world awaiting his return to the golf course. In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, it was a torrent of questions to do with the weekend assassinations of three Americans. Here, the palm fronds soft-swayed to the ennui that is the race between hopscotching politician Ernie Hernandez and ho-humming Harlingen attorney Ruben Pena for the County Commission Precinct 2 seat.
"It could be we're suffering from election lag," said 42-year-old Hortencia "La Que Se Fue" Lara, a Southmost housewife munching on a plate of mole enchiladas inside Lucio's Cafe in the city's downtown district. Next to her was her younger boyfriend, who said he was blaming it all on the "totally boring campaign" waged recently by local Tad Hasse against incumbent County treasurer David A. Betancourt. "I still have Hasse's poster (shown above) in my room, there next to one of Tony Romo and one of Jennifer Lopez. But I'll be taking it down soon."
The Hasse poster, Baltazar "El Colchon" Uribe went on, is being sold at area flea markets as collector's items.
"They're selling for like ten bucks, man," he said as a wafer-thin waitress swooped in with a pitcher of coffee. "I saw one on Ebay selling for $25. They're saying Hasse's campaign stood out by how he campaigned, which was not to campaign. That is rare around here. I don't know one person in Brownsville who met the guy. He never went to Southmost or Las Prietas, is what my friends who live there have told me."
Hasse has not surfaced much publicly, at least not in a way to make news.
It's hard to say whether Hasse is to blame for the boredom hanging around town. "Nope, it's not his fault," said Gogi "La Boca" Fuentes, another of the group sipping on super-sized bowls of menudo at a nearby table. "I blame everybody, not just any one guy. The mayor is to blame. The county judge is to blame. The city manager is to blame. The college is to blame. The 14th Street bars are to blame. The chupacabras are to blame. El Rocinante is to blame. Commissioner Atkinson is to blame. My frickin' postman is to blame. My fat, fat obnoxious neighbor is to blame. We're all to blame..."
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8 comments:
You got it bro, everyone is to blame. Ted Hassee might have run a boring campaign, but he was right, that position can, and should be deleted from the County payroll.
Framed differently, and with another candidate offering to do that and much more, well, maybe. Hasse never got the needed traction. Perhaps it was a learning experience for him, something he will use on his next go-around. Once a candidate, always a candidate, right? If he comes back interested in slapping do-nothing Pols about the head, we may side with him... - Editor
agreed, there are too many elected positions in the court that could be done away with. And too many damn old people that don't know what a real job is. All they do is milk the county system.
The Mexican culture holds on dearly to its ways & means. Sadly, that is both good and bad... - Editor
Thank you, Patrick for displaying the middle age ladies, hey they look just as good as there counter parts. This event is growing by the day, you and dp-m must have this event in a nice place, so that we can judge the beauties accordingly.
You and Dp-m must be congratulated for the gorgeous women in your blog.
Women hold a special place in the universe. About that we all agree...- Editor
El Roci is to blame for Hasse's loss, he still received almost 4,000 votes. For someone that ran a campaign from the porch of his house, that my lad, is not too bad.
No, except that his opponent, County Treasurer David Betancourt, got some 12,000 votes. That, in anyone's book, is a landslide. Didn't know Hasse campaigned from his house's porch. Thanks for the factoid...- Editor
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