Staff Writer
BROWNSVILLE, TX - Most days, I end things with a hard drink at some hole-in-the-wall joint, some place without ambiance, without anything to tell me I'm someplace special, without the charm of a high-fallutin establishment, where, you think, the conversation would be smart and sail onward, as if to tell me something I don't know. Last night, I found such a place, and I won't name it 'cause I don't want the local legion of insipid Louts to ruin it. My drink was Scotch.
We were bullshitting mostly, about Tiger, about the Final Four, about President Obama, about the mining disaster in West Virginia, about the drug-fueled stupidity along the northern Mexican border, about a truckload of things on the minds of my fellow boozers. Yeah, my marriage of a year is on the rocks. Pray for me. I love this woman, but perhaps what dooms our love is this thing I can't shake; the one that says I married the world. It would take a 20,000-word story to tell that tale.
In any case, I arrive here this morning a little buzzed, a little ragged, a little like a chewed piruli that's been spit-out onto the floor. Still, my editor wants a story to do with some woman named Tara Rios Ybarra. Never heard of her, I said to Patrick Alcatraz. He said something about shaking the mental cobwebs, about doing some research on her.
Well, she used to be a state representative around here, and, apparently, she fell from grace with the voters. So, my boss asked, what is she doing now?
I have no idea. Rios Ybarra has reportedly fallen into that heartless ravine known as Political Siberia, a horribly lonely outpost known to offer no solace. I walked into town, hoping to find out a few things about this Tara.
"You got me," said a cab driver who threw a camel-face look when asked. "I think I drove her to the airport once, only it may not have been her. This woman yapped away the whole way, talking about Austin and the Legislature. Hey, tell me, what is Legislature?"
At the corner of 12th and Washington streets, a man selling tire-sole huaraches from a shopping cart said this: "She was retired, son. Voted outta office. Something about her fooling around with a married man while married. Who knows where she is? Come back and tell me when you find out, okay? I hate mysteries, man. That question will be on my mind all damned day now."
Rios Ybarra is a dentist by profession. I looked in the phone directory, but that shit bored me. Names are freakin' small. Someone will turn me on to some good dope on her. I walk into the ancient, rowdy bus station. It is a depressing place. Brownsville needs a new one. Even the buses look like crap, and the faces of every rider may as well have been the faces of pain and defeat. "Last call for McAllen," I hear from the loudspeaker. No excitement in the voice, offered matter-of-factly, like someone saying the tortillas are on Aisle 12, over by fruits and veggies.
Tara Rios Ybarra has to be somewhere right now, I tell myself as I walk toward Lucio's Cafe, where I will charm my waitress while waiting on some huevos con papas. I call my editor and tell him there will be some sort of Tara story. "You find her?" Patrick Alcatraz asks.
"No," I tell him.
"Well, that's the story," he shoots back, his words as right-on as any Marvin Gaye song...
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9 comments:
Tara Rios is back earning a living like all of us. She turned everyone of after it was discovered she was a voting for the big insurance comapanies.
And not the common lay back persons.
Her legislation was totally screwed up.
ANON (1.) Thanks for that info. We do not know Tara Rios Ybarra, but always wonder how politicians voted out of office deal with the rejection. ANON (2.) We will not post your questions as per your request, but will reply in this way: We look at the local landscape and form opinions, images, perspectives - just like everybody else, except that we write about it all. Perhaps we could offer "explanations" at the bottom of every one of our stories, but wouldn't that be demeaning our readers? We think that yes, it would. We're not here to "educate" anyone, merely to offer another reading venue... - Editor
The Lower Rio Grande Valley is all screwed up. It is the bastion of lfe similiar to 3rd wold conditions.
Once you live here long enough you kind of get use to it.
The only way to change things is get involve politcally.
I did, because the landscape of our city has been stagnant for 12 years. And I think it is time for change.
And thats not a guarrnateed either.
Well to work on my construction business.
Don Pancho, you seem to be in agreement with us. But, in your words, how exactly is the Rio Grande Valley of Texas a Third World region? We'd be interested in seeing how you would frame it all. As for politicians, well, they'll never raise the bar of public service until the people raise their own as good citizens... - Editor
I will start with this:
A. The educational system needs help from the parents, only 16% graduate from high school.
B. There is a diabetes epidemic in South Texas, people eat a meal, like if it was there last.
Everyone is overweight. Men and Women.
During Rainy days, our street become drain ditches. None of the elected officials have done a study as to how to fix the flodding system.
C. The hourly wages are an embarrasment. Anyone, making $12.00 thinks he is doing well.
D.Poeple drive cars that should be junked. Driving a buggy and horse is probably safer.
e.The housing in the all valley cities is another embarrasment some of the homes should be condemned by city inspector and torn down.
d.pampers all over the parking places specially in the big chain stores.
f. The valley people have no self steem. They get satisfied to easy.
g. The city is littered with old electrical poles and wiring that sometimes I am afraid to go for a walk.
h. The poverty level is overwhelming. Some people give up looking for work and go with food stamps, and then apply for disability and get $508.00 miserable dollars and are satisfied.
I. The irrigational system with canals all over the place is so outdated it is laughable, almost 100 years old.
J. The rich get richer from the poor and everyone thinks it's funky dory.
K. Sometime back a realtor from harlingen was marketing the city as having less Mexicans than Brownsville and McAllen as a selling point. He is still selling homes in Harligen
L.Corruption is similiar to Mexico, here they just mascarade it better.
{Again I would ask my response not be posted.} I don't want to be considered arrogant because I am not. I help a lot of people when I can. But there is a lot of people that see the LRGV for what is, a bastion of hopelessness.
Well some of us do work and try hard to make changes, but it doesn't work all the time. Belive me.
M. Politicians will say anything to get elected once they get in there, they forget about the people, most of them get into office to line their pockets. They know who they are.
n.And the dumb valley people keep voting the crooks over and over.
Don Pancho
Oh, don Patricio I forgot, we have colonias galore that resemble IRaq and palastine.
Don Pancho, we goofed in reading this and did not see low in your lengthy comment that you wished this not be posted. However, we are taken by your insight. It is pretty much what we see. The item listed as letter (k.) stunned us. Wow! Is that realtor still around? It being Harlingen doesn't surprise us, but how was this received by others in the RGV? Again, we hope you do not get stoned to death by the same commenters who routinely come after us. We shall, however, keep them at bay. (2.) Yes, the colonias are a horrendous disgrace. Some in Hidalgo County should be razed. How the citizenry can support even one colonia is beyond us. In 2010!... - Editor
All I can say for Rios is Karma baby. She's been a sleep her way to the top, lieing cheating person since dental school@!! Oh and taken into federal custody for Medicaid Fraud. Nice huh?
she was arrested and taken into federal custody June 23, 2010 for medicaid fraud. karma- she has been like this since dental school. As if the affair was not enough and loosing her seat as a state rep.
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