Posted on 03/04/2004 4:04:41 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
McALLEN — The new 25th Congressional District has been described as the "bacon-strip" district.
But some who live at the southernmost tip tend to see it as a "fajita strip."
And that pretty much sums up the district’s cultural diversity.
In the northern part, which stretches to Austin, the demographics show a predominantly Anglo population with a higher income average and higher education levels. But travel south in the district about 350 miles and you’ll find a mainly Mexican-American population still struggling to overcome language barriers, low employment rates and one of the lowest per capita income rates in the nation.
And in the middle?
Largely ignored or forgotten, the scattered ranchers, waitresses and gas station attendants who make up the mid-section of District 25 contend that nobody pays them any mind at all. They’ve been off the radar for years and they say they’re likely to remain so, no matter who represents them in Congress.
The district — 350 miles long and just 10 miles wide in some spots — connects Austin to the international bridges that link McAllen and Pharr to Mexico. Whoever is elected to serve the district will need to know and understand its wide range of needs and interests.
Four candidates have stepped forward. Two Republicans, Becky Armendariz Klein of Austin and Regner Capener of Mission, will face off in next Tuesday’s primary. The winner of that race will face a Democrat in the November general election: either U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin or former state District Judge Leticia Hinojosa of McAllen, depending on which of them wins the March 9 Democratic primary.
For two days, a reporter and photographer from The Monitor traveled District 25 by car, stopping in tiny towns and the bigger cities to gauge just how much impact the remapping that created the district will in fact have.
While the district’s residents might not know or understand the political games that produced it, it took only a few minutes studying a state map for them to realize the size and shape of their new sandbox might not work in their favor.
The School Administrator
On a recent drizzly, cold morning in the Rio Grande Valley, deep in the southern portion of District 25, San Isidro School Superintendent Miguel Garcia was up to his eyebrows in construction projects.
Garcia’s school district is making progress. Construction projects under way include a new high school and junior high. But a Republican congressman could mean Garcia would have to fine-tune his budget in 2005, he said.
"I oppose Gov. (Rick) Perry’s position on the amount of dollars he thinks we need for public education," Garcia said. "The Republicans just don’t believe in charity or helping those less fortunate through social programs — and there are so many people in South Texas in need."
While Garcia monitored redistricting events as they occurred in Austin last year, he was not aware of how the final lines of District 25 were laid.
"Personally, how they went about moving the lines to make this all favorable to one party was uncalled for," Garcia said.
Because of the platform of the Republican Party, Garcia thinks it could be damaging to his school district and its low-income family programs if a Republican is elected to represent District 25.
"If there’s an ‘R’ in there it would definitely have a negative impact on our schools," Garcia said. "It would probably affect our federal school lunch programs, which provide free meals for students, as well as funding for some of our after-school programs."
Garcia, a lifelong Democrat, is responsible for cultivating and educating 260 children in the San Isidro school district.
He was very familiar with the name of one congressional candidate: former state District Judge Leticia Hinojosa of McAllen.
"I plan to throw my support to the Democratic side, as usual," Garcia said. "And right now, I’m with Judge Hinojosa."
Just Down the Road
About eight miles northwest of San Isidro, at the Santa Elena post office, Postmaster Petra Alvarez said it could be possible for a congressman to properly manage the 350-mile long district.
Santa Elena is extremely rural, spotted with less than a dozen houses, a convenience store — and that tiny post office with a cow asleep in a pen right behind the building.
Manning the counter at the post office is a one-woman job.
"It’s going to be tough," Alvarez said of District 25. "But it’s possible. With the technology we have today like e-mail, it can be done. The person will just have to work hard."
Alvarez said none of the district’s four candidates had stopped in Santa Elena seeking her vote.
"I vote in the Democratic primary here because that’s where most of the elections are," Alvarez said, noting South Texas’ high number of Democratic voters. "But I’m a Republican and I always vote Republican in the presidential elections."
Coffee, Chicken and Congress
Head north from Santa Elena to Pepper’s Family Restaurant in Hebbronville, and you’ll find Roy Yaeger.
Now that the final district lines are in place, Yaeger realizes it would be impossible to please everyone and he has no idea how one congressman is going to cater to everyone’s needs.
"The constituents in Austin and in McAllen just don’t have the same problems," said Yaeger, an area supervisor for Medina Electric Cooperative in nearby Bruni. "I mean, just look at all the different facets of people you got in here on this map.
"The farmers in San Isidro and the Valley and George West all have different problems," he said. "The rain falls differently in George West, you know, and it falls differently here. The people are different."
At a nearby table, rancher Robert Fulbright said he didn’t expect any of the congressional candidates to come through and seeking his vote.
Homemade fried chicken, coffee and other comfort foods covered the table he shared with a fellow rancher.
"The problem is, you’ve got a few farmers and ranchers and a large rural area," Fulbright said. "And what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Fulbright said he works to education himself on the issues before he enters a voting booth.
"They (politicians) just pay attention to the metro areas, to the Valley and Austin," Fulbright said, thumping his index finger on the map. "I think they just fly right over us and go back and forth — McAllen and Austin, Austin and McAllen — and ignore us.
"Nobody drives through here and that’s the way it’s always been."
Many of the storefronts in Hebbronville are boarded up and abandoned, signs of a once prosperous business community that is now made up of just a few gas stations, a couple of restaurants and a Dairy Queen.
"I’m a Democrat and we want Leticia, not Lloyd Doggett," Fulbright said. "This area had been neglected for years and come hell or high water, something has to be done. What are they going to do with us? Ignore us forever?"
Rural Ranchers
The downtown area of Benavides, about 35 miles to the northeast, looked much like Hebbronville.
Shuttered buildings take up most of the town’s main drag. A weathered billboard boasts that Benavides is the hometown of Bonnie Palacios, a six-time world champion baton twirler from 1980 to 1987.
Aside from Bonnie, Benavides doesn’t have much claim to fame.
On a recent afternoon, the town’s only financial institution, First Community Bank, stood empty.
Bank teller Rosabel Gonzalez had never heard of congressional redistricting, and she had never heard of her state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who spent six weeks in another state trying to keep redistricting legislation from coming to the floor of the Texas Senate.
Gonzalez eyed a Texas map with congressional District 25 highlighted in yellow.
"We’re in the middle," Gonzalez said, handing the map back. "We’re always in the middle and we’re always ignored. Nobody ever comes here."
Gonzalez said she had no idea who is running for Congress and no one had stopped in Benavides to campaign.
With a population of just 1,686 people, Benavides residents largely are ranchers.
"If you don’t ranch, then you work for the school, the city or the county — that’s it," said rancher Joseph "Tex" Tilton. "And those jobs are just full of politics. If you don’t vote the right way, you’re out. It’s always been that way."
Tilton was very aware that congressional lines had been moved. He studied a state map as he stood outside of Cavazos Feed, Seed & Hardware, his big diesel truck idling nearby.
He was skeptical that a congressman could do anything for him and his son, Scott Tilton, also a rancher.
"There’s nothing here but ranchland," Tilton said. "And Congress doesn’t do anything for ranchers. They give subsidies to farmers, but not to us. But like farmers don’t have a guarantee on their crop, we don’t have a guarantee on our cattle, and we’re subjected to the same droughts and cost of labor as they are. They just don’t do anything for us."
Tilton has one part-time ranch employee, Rodolfo Chapa. In the past he has relied on immigrants making their way from the border into the interior of the state and beyond.
"We used to be able to offer them $12 to $15 a day, along with a place to sleep and meals," Tilton said. "But they’re not stopping here in South Texas anymore, with all the beefed-up patrols and stuff.
"And now they want minimum wage and all that. They just head north," Tilton said.
That means the inexpensive labor pool has all but dried up for the rancher.
"How am I supposed to get all this done when the cheap labor is gone?" he said. "You’d think we could get some help. After all, we ranchers contribute a lot to the food supply. Beef is on the top of the pyramid when it comes to food groups, but it’s sometimes seen as a luxury item."
To compensate for their losses, some ranchers have turned to leasing their land to hunters willing to pay $5,000 to bag a trophy. High fence lines keep deer and other prizes on the ranch and guarantee the hunter a kill.
"But I’m not in favor of high fencelines," Tilton said. "I just don’t think it’s fair."
Rural Lifestyle
North from Benavides on Highway 339 is Freer — population 3,241.
Holly Bridwell was grabbing a few items at a grocery store, son Caleb and daughter Morgan in tow.
It was a quick stop for Bridwell, who had two frozen pizzas and a loaf of bread in her sack. She travels 13 miles on state Highway 16 and another six miles on a dirt road to get from her ranch house to this small grocery store in town.
"It’s not Sam’s (Club)," Bridwell said. "I usually go to Sam’s to do real grocery shopping."
Bridwell is new to the area. She moved a few months ago from Douglass, a small town in East Texas, to be with her husband, who helps manage a ranch.
"My husband was born to hunt," Bridwell said. "So if he can hunt and get paid for it, all the better. But we like it here. There’s definitely a better curriculum offered in the schools and more after-school activities and a good sports program.
"If we’re going to my daughter’s volleyball game, well, it’s a 40-mile drive," Bridwell said. "We just live so far out."
Bridwell, a voting Republican, wasn’t focused in on congressional redistricting until she looked at the map.
"Oh, those Democrats who went to New Mexico," Bridwell said. "Yeah, I heard something about that."
Bridwell said she wasn’t sure one representative could cover an area as large as District 25.
"This would have to be all he or she does — go back and forth," Bridwell said, eyeing the map. "It’s a big area, so maybe someone who really hustles and works at it could do it."
Bridwell said no congressional candidates had campaigned in Freer.
"I don’t even know who’s running," she said.
Might Be Workable
The Ranch House restaurant was busy in Three Rivers on a recent Wednesday night as a few of the town’s 1,878 residents came in for everything from pancakes topped with bacon to hamburgers topped with cheese.
For the most part, tractor-trailers roll through town right in front of the diner, along with businessmen and families in Chevy Suburbans traveling from one metro area to another. Three Rivers represents a place to refuel the body and the vehicle on the way to San Antonio and points north.
Geographically, it is in the middle of District 25.
Two law enforcement officers finishing up their dinner said they didn’t know a thing about congressional redistricting.
Officer Clayton Myers of the Three Rivers Police Department quietly studied the map for several minutes as he thought about a congressman trying to travel back and forth to tend to the needs of all the residents.
"Nope," Myers said, handing the map back. "It’s a long ways. It can’t be done."
Deputy Joey Rodriguez, of the Live Oak Sheriff’s Department, said he had thought little about how much a congressman would matter to the Live Oak Sheriff’s Department.
When Rodriguez was reminded that Congress hands out federal money, including Homeland Security funds used for law enforcement communication equipment, he agreed to look at the map.
"I think it’s workable," Rodriguez said. "As long as the person tries."
Don’t Vote, Not Interested
Kenedy was quiet as darkness fell. Most of the town’s activity was centered at the McDonald’s restaurant and the Wal-Mart.
Luis Solis and Luis Solis Jr. traveled about eight miles from their home in Karnes City to Kenedy to rent movies at The Movie Gallery on Kenedy’s main drag. The street was otherwise deserted.
Neither Solis is registered to vote, neither knew the congressional lines were moved and neither seemed to mind.
"What does it matter?" Solis Jr. said. "What are we going to vote for? They ain’t gonna do a thing for us here. Look at this place — there’s nothing to do here.
"I’ve been in trouble my whole life," the 24-year-old Solis Jr. said. "And I blame it on those people — the government. They don’t care what happens to us here. We don’t have a Boys & Girls Club, nothin’ like that."
Solis Jr. said the lack of after-school programs in Karnes City and Kenedy, located in Kenedy County, leaves students with nothing to do but ride skateboards and get into trouble.
Solis Jr., who likes to talk with his hands, is a confident young man with strong opinions.
"Nobody cares about this place," he said. "Once in a while, you hear that somebody came through making promises and stuff like that, but nothin’ ever happens and nothin’ ever changes."
His father kept his eyes on the shelf in front of him, studying the DVDs available for rent. Those eyes drifted to the map for a few seconds, then he looked at another movie.
"I don’t know anything about that," Solis said with a shrug. "Don’t vote. Just not interested."
‘Congressman West’
The four candidates for the 25th Congressional District might want to visit with Ferd Westof Gonzales because he’s running a little congressional district of his own.
West owns two car dealerships one in Gonzales County the in Lockhart, in neighboring Caldwell County.
With a manager at each dealership, West spends most of his time running back and forth between the two locations to check on business.
On a recent morning in Gonzales, West found a few minutes to stop for a breakfast taco at Reyna’s Mexican Restaurant.
"My son is the manager of the one in Luling," West said. "So that helps me a little. If you staff it right, you’ll be all right."
Same thing with congressional District 25, West said. Staff for a congressman in District 25 will be critical.
"The way they drew this up, it’s a mess," West said. "They didn’t take the needs of the residents into account, and the needs of Austin and McAllen are different.
"It’s hard to say if this is going to work," West said. "I mean, how often is this person going to be home?"
West said a large number of people have moved into the area from Austin.
"The Austin people move here just to get out of Austin, to get out of the traffic and all that," West said. "And most of them have moved to Caldwell, but a lot of them came here to Gonzales."
The population boom in his small town has created a need for more jobs.
"There are not many jobs here. It’s pretty much saturated here and jobs are scarce," West said.
And then he threw down a gauntlet.
"What now?" he said.
Doggett held a town hall meeting in Gonzales to introduce himself to voters and to ask about their needs, West said, and he expects Doggett to return before the election.
West doesn’t know who else is in the running and he’ll probably vote for Doggett.
"Whoever wins will have to staff their offices right," West said. "They just might be able to get something done that way."
Go to the Source
Ashley’s Donuts in historic downtown Luling — about 60 miles due east of San Antonio — is the place to go in the mornings. Most of the time, regular customers don’t have to say a word.
"The usual?" a young female clerk asked over and over as the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air.
A glass case filled with tempting donuts and kolaches beckons the town’s sleepyheads out of bed and into the donut shop. Among them on a recent day was Jane Matthews.
Matthews knew all about congressional redistricting. She’s even met a candidate for District 25: Lloyd Doggett.
"I used to belong to the Texas Commission on the Arts," Matthews said. "So I know how this works. If you want to be heard, you have to go to the source.
"It’s going to be difficult. But you can write letters and get your issues heard if you want it bad enough," she said.
Of concern to Matthews is the diversity of the district.
"There are vast differences in the land and the people of District 25," Matthews said. "It’s going to be challenging, but this is what we have to work with and it can probably be done.
"The residents are going to have to work hard to get their messages heard by this congressman, that’s for sure," she said.
Just across the street, at the corner of Magnolia and Davis streets, is the Farmer’s Market. Beautiful red tomatoes and ripe purple eggplants covered the tables, along with pecans and citrus products.
Several men, who declined to give their names, studied the District 25 map while staying warm next to an old-fashioned wood-burning stove.
"The right person can pull this off," one man said, as he enjoyed his chewing tobacco. "And the Luling area is in need of everything, so we could use the help."
All of the men said that to their knowledge, no candidates had been through town to introduce themselves or to ask for their vote.
Perry AWOL
Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin, has a population of 11,000, which adds up to a lot of laundry.
The Town Laundromat on the main drag is where some residents gather to clean dirty duds and swap stories.
One 67-year old-woman who declined to give her name was working hard at the Laundromat, helping customers with broken machines, changing quarters for dollars and spending most of the day on her feet, making sure everyone is happy.
"I can’t make ends meet, so this is what I do," she said." And Social Security doesn’t care about me."
Injured in a forklift accident in 1983, she was paralyzed for 16 days. During her recovery, there was a clerical snafu with her paycheck, she said.
"Now I’ve been told I owe $12,600 in back taxes," she said. "So my Social Security has been denied. I’ve asked several politicians for help, but no one ever does.
"They only want you to put them in office. But once you do, they don’t do anything for you. I have no time for politicians," she said, waving away the congressional map.
She remembers Gov. Rick Perry appearing in a parade in Lockhart, shaking hands with everyone and promising to deliver what the town needed.
"That was three years ago," she said. "I haven’t seen him since. His people didn’t even hear me out. He’s not my governor."
The almost-clean clothes of Lockhart resident Diana Gonzalez contributed to the soapy scent in the air as she held her little niece Courtney.
And while she was not familiar with redistricting, Gonzalez was aware of the some of the services provided by congressmen and recognized Lloyd Doggett’s name.
"Lockhart has one park and it’s not fenced," Gonzalez said. "A kid could run out in the street and get hit by a car. Things here locally are messed up and I could use help from a congressman with that."
Gonzalez said her top priority is more money for schools.
"I want money for the schools here, for my children," Gonzalez said. "I want my kids to go to good schools so they can get good jobs."
Capital City
As U.S. Highway 183 continues into Travis County, traffic gets heavy.
Vast fields spotted with cattle and windmills fade into the background, replaced by businesses. Vehicles jockey for position along Interstate 35 as traffic thickens along the northern end of District 25.
The exact corner where District 25 meets districts 10 and 21 is at Ronson and 38th streets, just behind the Marimont Cafeteria.
Jared Smith is a 23-year-old student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He recently moved to Austin and is taking a six-month break from his studies in modern literature and psychology.
As he rode his bicycle past the cafeteria, Smith stopped to chat. He was well-versed on congressional redistricting in Texas.
"Wasn’t that like a classic case of gerrymandering?" Smith said. "The voting rights of a bunch of minorities got violated and stuff like that, right?"
As he looked over the District 25 map, he was told he soon would share a congressman with people living in deep South Texas.
"Sweet," he said, with a smile.
But he didn’t much like the methods used to get the new lines passed.
"There’s only one reason to move the lines at an unscheduled time — to benefit one party," Smith said. "And that’s just wrong.
"It’s wrong to further the means of the Republican party at the cost of all the regular people here," he said. "That’s just crazy."
Smith said he followed the redistricting saga by reading newspapers while he was still in Dallas.
Student Sensitivity
On Guadalupe Street, just across from the University of Texas at Austin campus, 22-year-old Camille Kliewer is studying public relations.
Like Smith, she was very aware that congressional lines were moved last fall.
"I don’t know how this could have happened against the wishes of a majority of Texans," Kliewer said. "My friends and I talked about it all last year and we just don’t get it. Weren’t they (the Republican leadership) listening?"
Kliewer doesn’t think one congressman adequately can represent everyone in District 25.
"Life in Austin is definitely different than McAllen life," she said. "What we have in common is that people live in both locations. I’ve really thought about this and I don’t know how it can be done.
"Those people who live in the rural area in between have rights and needs, too," Kliewer said. "And they deserve to have their own congressman specifically addressing their ranching, farming and business needs."
Ron Brooks is a 22-year-old meat cutter who lives and works in Austin. While he didn’t know too much about redistricting, he did feel educated enough about the people living in District 25 to comment.
"I was watching the History Channel just last night," Brooks said. "And there was a documentary on about the Valley and the issues people living on the border face — the water problems, the drug trafficking and the illegal aliens. We just don’t have that stuff here.
"You know, this (redistricting) is more than just about border issues," Brooks said. "Those of you along the border have a whole different set of needs and your area should probably have its own congressman. All of the Valley should be put into one or two big districts."
Just below the landmark UT clock tower, a water fountain overflowed with bubbles, the result of mischievous students who poured in laundry detergent, just for fun.
The bell tolled and junior UT student Joseph Deanda, oblivious to the bubbles, approached the fountain.
Deanda, 21, said the events surrounding redistricting and how the legislation was forced to come to floor of the Texas Senate was ridiculous.
"This is a prime example of gerrymandering, but just look at who is in office," Deanda said, gesturing with his thumb in a southward direction.
About one mile south, the dome of the State Capitol was visible.
"The people in the rural area probably feel ignored," Deanda said. "Well, guess what. So do we. We protested strongly against redistricting and it happened anyway. But who do you complain to?
"Unless the voters get it together and get these clowns out of office, they’ll continue to ignore us," Deanda said.
——— Alma Walzer covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4422.
Yep.
T.S.!!!
This is America, We speak English here...
LEARN IT.
If I go to Mexico I try to speak the language of their country even if that means I have to carry a translation book.
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