Posted on 08/24/2003 7:39:34 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Bonilla selection angers Hispanics
BY TRICIA CORTEZ Times staff writer
"Shame on the Mr. South Texas selection committee," were the angry words of District Judge Manuel "Meme" Flores. "Bonilla accepts the nomination and then slaps every Hispanic in South Texas. The committee should consider retracting that recognition and giving it to someone else. If they don't, what will be the next step? A boycott of the Mr. South Texas luncheon."
Flores made these comments the day after Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-San Antonio) accepted the honor of Mr. South Texas for Laredo's 2004 George Washington's Birthday Celebration.
Flores' critical remarks were echoed by County Court at Law Judge Ben Morales, Justice of the Peace Oscar Martinez and a host of local, state and national officials of the League for United Latin American Citizens.
Bonilla has come under fire for his comments on congressional redistricting, and more importantly, for stating that Hispanic civic organizations, like the League for United Latin American Citizens, do not represent the interests of most Hispanics in Texas.
"We demand an apology for his ill-timed, disrespectful and uninformed comments," national LULAC President Hector Flores said angrily from Dallas.
"I can't believe he would make those comments. If anybody should know better, he should. LULAC has been at the vanguard of civil rights for 74 years. The very fact that he occupies such an important position in Congress is due to LULAC's efforts and demands that Hispanics have a seat at the table," he added.
In Laredo, Justice of the Peace Martinez, a 35-year LULAC member, and past president of LULAC #12, agreed.
"It's so shameful that he and the Republican Party are putting down our organization. Why would he make those remarks? I guess he thinks he's Anglo or that he's above and beyond everybody else. Eventually, we all pay for our mistakes," Martinez said.
Bonilla's remarks and selection as Mr. South Texas, which is awarded annually to a person who has worked to better the lives of South Texans, has come under heavy criticism from other locals.
"Saying LULAC does not represent the majority of Hispanics is totally wrong," Judge Morales said, before commenting on the local buzz to "boycott or picket the WBCA parade."
"I understand if LULAC decides to boycott the WBCA. Bonilla has said publicly, and on the record that he does not need Laredo, and now we honor him as Mr. South Texas? The WBCA should revisit that issue, and that's all I've got to say about that," Morales said.
When reached for comment Friday, Bonilla stuck to his guns.
"I'm not going to apologize for telling the truth. I suppose the truth hurts sometimes. In terms of those judges, they obviously don't have a heavy enough docket. I hope when their budgets come up for review, the county and state looks at how much free time they have on their hands," Bonilla retorted.
He added that he is not concerned about being picketed during the February WBCA parade.
"I have had to face, on occasion, pickets and protests over the year and that's just the price I pay for being an Hispanic Republican," said Bonilla.
Melissa C. Cigarroa, chairperson of the Mr. South Texas selection committee, gave a brief response to the recent controversy.
"Congressman Bonilla is an excellent choice. Henry has always worked very diligently for Laredo and the South Texas region, and I am certain he will continue to do so in the future," Cigarroa said Friday, declining to comment further.
Gary G. Jacobs, President & CEO of Laredo National Bank and previous recipient of the Mr. South Texas award, gave his opinion on the matter.
"I don't think anybody in Laredo is more passionate or a bigger defender of Laredo's interests than I am," Jacobs said. "I have very strong feelings, and Congressman Bonilla knows my feelings about redistricting and the mistake that I believe Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst are making in trying to cram this redistricting bill down the voters throats right now."
The day before Bonilla accepted the award of Mr. South Texas in Laredo, he held a press conference in Austin with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and said the 11 AWOL Democratic state Senators were doing Hispanics and the minorities of Texas a great disservice by continuing with their self-imposed exile in New Mexico.
Nine of the 11 senators are minorities, and one of them is Judith Zaffirini of Laredo. Despite this, Jacobs said, "He's a worthy Mr. South Texas, especially because of the extent of his influence in Congress."
Others disagree.
"The fact that Bonilla was named Mr. South Texas, I leave that up to the selection committee. They have the right to do as they please, but Laredo being so Hispanic, and with all of our battles going on with redistricting, I don't think he should become part of the celebration. Not now, not today," J.P. Martinez said.
Robert Gamboa, president of LULAC #273 in Waco, also called with a heated reply.
"I find it very frustrating that he has been selected as Mr. South Texas, but perhaps the folks in Laredo know more with regard to Bonilla's background," Gamboa said.
"Many of us believe that Mr. Bonilla could and should do more for the state of Texas, in particular for Hispanic Americans. I'm well aware of his voting record on Hispanic issues, and it's dismal at best. If he believes that he is one of many voices in Congress for Hispanic Americans, then perhaps he needs to review his voting record," Gamboa said.
According to the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Congressional Scorecard, Bonilla has a 16 percent voting record on issues of importance to the Hispanic community.
Bonilla however dismissed the validity of the scorecard.
"That rating comes out every year is an arm of the Democratic Party agenda. They're correct. I don't vote for their left-wing agenda. They developed that scorecard to attack opponents, and have been doing it for 10 years," Bonilla said.
"Every poll that has been done in the last year shows overwhelming Hispanic support for President (George W.) Bush and the agenda we are pushing. For LULAC to indicate that they are mainstream is absolutely wrong," he said.
Bonilla added, "I don't want to be part of some professional minority movement. Other Hispanics and I want to be Texans, and we're not interested in ethnically divisive debates. Unfortunately, these groups keep trying to create ethnic divisiveness."
From Washington, Gabriela Lemus, national director of policy and legislation for LULAC, explained how the congressional scorecard ratings are determined.
The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda group is a non-partisan entity that has about 30 national Hispanic leadership organizations, Lemus said.
Members include representatives from LULAC, the American GI Forum, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (which Lemus described as conservative and Republican-heavy), the National Puerto Rico Coalition, the National Hispanic Medical Association and others.
"It's total consensus when we meet to review and rate voting records on pieces of legislation. The fact that his voting record on Hispanic issues is rated at 16-18 percent does not bode well for him."
Some Laredo observers said that local protests and disagreements over recipients of the Mr. South Texas award are not new.
A similar ruckus was created when then-U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-Texas), then-U.S. Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher (Reagan Administration), former Texas Governor John Connally and even state Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo were chosen.
(Staff writer Tricia Cortez can be reached at 728-2568 or tricia@lmtonline.com.)
08/24/03
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Flores is a typical judge in the border region, which is why it is impossible to get a fair trial in his court. When my company gets sued and it's assigned to his court, we know we will lose at the trial court level. His cronies win every time. Imagine that.
I'm in TX but never heard of these folks nor Mr. South Texas so guess you do need to be in Laredo. However, I do wonder if Martinez wil pay for him Anglo comment mistake.
I was born "Anglo"...I still am one...I don't hate or dislike anyone because of their race or color, except maybe muzlims...
Racism however, is alive and well in many of these professional minority organizations...They feed their propoganda to the masses of the minorities to justify their own exhistance...In my view, if you are a Mexican, an African, an Irishman, an Asian or a Slovokian, you're not an American...Only Americans are American...
If the liberals are angry this means too things:
(1) They are worried.
(2) We are doing something right.
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