The Gentleman From San Juan: Harsh Words On Sunday...He's Fightin' Bob Garza...

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
Editor-In-Chief

SAN JUAN, Texas - The bastion of regional religion is located here, a cathedral to Catholicism that speaks of the area's eternal faith and hope. It is known far and wide simply as "La Basilica," a tranquil, palm-lined oasis in a part of the country often described as corrupt and bloody and stricken by the worst of historical poverty.

Bob Garza, the nattily-attired gentleman shown in the photo atop this story, lives here.

In fact, he is a city commissioner and is said to be a rising star in local politics. The part about him being a commissioner is fact; the other is beginning to be seen as suspect. Garza is in the middle of a hard-fought race for re-election. He does not want to lose. He cannot see himself losing to his opponent, a political novice whose other problem in the Macho culture here is that she is a woman. Garza is fighting for his post, and fighting hard - perhaps too hard.

Last Sunday, one of those quintessential Spring Sundays when the winds blow nicely around here and allows for a little barrio politicking in the tropical scorch of a 90-some-degree day, Garza lost it. Rousted into action upon seeing one of his colorful campaign signs removed by the opposition from its perch on a neighborhood fence, young Garza tore into two men at the scene, both supporters of a recent recall movement that sought the ouster of the entire city commission. They happened to be there performing one of those peculiarly Valley campaign sign exchanges; that is, they were taking down Garza's sign and installing one of their own. All of this, they later said was done with the permisison of the property owner.

Garza was altogether livid, fit to be tied - at least according to graphic video posted on The McAllen Monitor's website and in a story published by the same newspaper the next day. He denied instigating the incident the day after it happened, but the video's audio clearly has him using the "F" word and looking like he's in the middle of a meltdown rage.

We forwarded Mr. Garza a list of questions related to the incident and the campaign for re-election. He has not replied.

Hot heads and harsh lingo are not rare in often-scalding Rio Grande Valley politics. From time to time, those arguments have delivered a punch-out or two, and there are those who say nocturnal shenanigans are now a big part of campaign "dirty tricks" seen in races from Brownsville to the east and Rio Grande City on the western fringe of the valley. Often, these scraps involve the overnight destruction of political signs and posters. Where once supporters would simply take black crayons to a sign and effect comical changes to a candidate's face, these same tireless backers now brazenly rip signs off their public places.

San Juan is no different.

The at-times-fevered political landscape here goes against the local religion grain, and candidates fight for turf in the same manner as did the Crusaders centuries ago, taking no prisoners. Local City Commissioner Garza's perceived tirade came in the company of his father, who reportedly calmed his son down during the afternoon altercation. From those he strong-armed came this telling comment as the elder Garza led his son away from the spontaneous dust-up: "We got it on video!"

What the election may bring for young Garza is a toss-up. San Juan, like most Valley cities and towns, has its manner of politics. He may win on name alone. Or his neophyte opponent, who is relatively new to the city, may surprise everybody.

Still, for a town made famous by an airplane that crashed into the Shrine of La Virgen de San Juan del Valle in October of 1970, Mr. Garza's flirtation with burning, Chicago-style politics may just be a sign of the times, or it may be a sign of things to come...

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