By Joe Olvera ©, 2012

The race for Commissioner of El Paso County’s Pct, 3 has some interesting characteristics, twists and turns in that almost every candidate has political experience in one way or another. Take, for instance, the campaign of Dora Oaxaca. She has been largely instrumental in helping several candidates win their political campaigns, including Chente Quintanilla. The former Texas State Rep. for District 75, Quintanilla opted not to run for a sixth term but chose, instead, to become a candidate for County Commissioner and is now competing for the seat against Oaxaca.

She also helped Willie Gandara Jr. win election for County Commissioner of Pct. 3 four years ago, a seat which Gandara Jr. still maintains. However, he chose not to run for reelection, but, opted to run for State Rep. in District 75, leaving vacant and up for grabs the County Commissioner’s slot. Confused? So are we. Another candidate for Pct. 3 is Vince Perez, a former director of communications for U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-El Paso), who hopes to bring Washington D.C.-type issues to El Paso’ Mission Valley. With all three candidates very capable of winning Pct. 3, the race is proving to be most interesting and captivating.

Oaxaca, a single-mom, is a Socorro born and raised product with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She has garnered a huge role in El Paso, not only politically, but as a social activist. She has served on the board of Project Bravo, the Cesar Chavez Foundation, received the Si Se Puede Award, among other accolades and honors. She has also been largely responsible for helping get   elected a wide variety of candidates, such as Manny Najera for State Rep., and Chente Quintanilla for State Rep. In fact, she helped Quintanilla defeat Najera in their race for the House seat, even though she had once helped Najera to that same post. She also worked hard to get Gandara Jr. elected County Commissioner for Pct. 3, and, now, she finally took the plunge herself and has tossed her sombrero in the political ring.

“My main concern is to provide an equality of services to the people in the Mission Valley and East El Paso,” Oaxaca said. “There are still colonias in the Valley that need water, although that’s almost done. However, we still need sewage, gas and electric service in some areas. That’s my goal, to bring everything up to par, to help make life easier and more comfortable for the people who live in colonias.” She said she has already been endorsed by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Assn., and by C.L.E.A.T.

Quintanilla, on the other hand, has vast experience as a legislator. He said he wants to bring that experience to bear in the Mission Valley. While he acknowledges that Oaxaca helped him get elected to the Texas House, he’s glad to see her in a political campaign herself. Although he has been criticized by Perez for leaving his House seat to run for County Commissioner, Quintanilla said he has earned his stripes. “He’s a retired superintendent for the Socorro ISD,” Perez said. “He gets a hefty retirement benefit from there. Now, he’s retired from State office, so that means even more retirement benefits, and now he wants to run for an office that pays more than $60,000 a year? To me, that’s triple dipping.” But, Quintanilla says, he served the Socorro ISD for 38 years, so he deserves and earned his pension. He also served for 10 years at the State, for which he was being paid a mere $600 per month. “I feel that I’ve earned my pay in all my endeavors. It’s not a windfall. Retirement is a payback for all my years of public service. The money just wasn’t given to me, I earned it.”

But, Perez isn’t having it. To him, Quintanilla and Oaxaca are from the old school of politics and, he said, voters are looking for a new face, for a new voice. He feels that his years of experience working for Reyes have equipped him for serving the Mission Valley, an area which he said he knows best. “At the rate Quintanilla is going, he stands to earn some $140,000 a year,” Perez said. “His main concern is using his political office for personal gain. In his ten years as a legislator, he hasn’t contributed much except to make the sopaipilla the official bread of Texas.”

Perez said his experience working in Washington gave him a unique perspective on the needs of the Mission Valley. He has a Master’s Degree in International Law from Georgetown University. “We need to move beyond the same type of politics, the same type of politics that have made Quintanilla and Oaxaca have some success in El Paso County. I’m about doing something for the common good, about working hard. Working for Reyes was perfect training for my work in the future. It gave me invaluable experience in understanding the issues. That’s why I’m running for this seat. And, I expect to win the election.”

A fourth candidate, Rudy Loya, was not available for comment.

By Joe Olvera ©, 2012

State Representatives from El Paso’s District 75, an area that covers most of the Mission Valley and parts of the East Side, have always been enigmatic or mysterious in that they have been, sometimes, leaders with dubious reputations and/or distinctions. Not to cast aspersions or to throw stones upon the waters, but, some of those elected to this post have brought some embarrassment to those who elected them.

Take the case of Nick Perez, who was often investigated by Austin, Texas police on charges of domestic violence; or the case of so-called “one-term” Tony Parra, who brought attention to his campaign by carrying a wooden cross through this heavily Catholic district. Considered mere furniture in the Texas House, he lost re-election in the 1994 Democratic primary. To that effect, he dropped the Democratic Party and became a Republican. Tragically, he lost as a Republican too, and suffered an even worse situation when he died from AIDS complications.

But, perhaps the most nefarious malefactor in District 75 was the infamous Gilbert Serna – a most colorful character who:

*Was accused of sexually harassing a male employee with requests for oral sex;

*Offered pay raises to some of his employees on the condition that they share the extra money with him;

*Encouraged his employees to work on political and campaign matters in state offices and on state time.

Lest we think that such matters only occur in El Paso’s District 75, we must consider that other Texas communities have also had a troubled history. For example, in the 1970s, the City of Amarillo had a district that elected one felon to another felon and to another felon. According to the late columnist Molly Ivins, the first Rep from this district murdered his wife; the second bought a truck with state food stamps, and the third took to writing bad checks. This leads us to wonder if the current slate of candidates for District 75, a seat vacated by the scandal-free Chente Quintanilla – who opted to run for County Commissioner of Pct. 3 – contains some problematic candidates who, of course, have not been charged or accused of any wrong doing. Yet, one must wonder if it’s in the offing and if any of them are carrying extra baggage.

Nobody’s making accusations, of course, but consider one of those running for this post. His name is Peter Arthur Fierro, aka Art Fierrro. In his application for a place on the Democratic Party Primary Election Ballot, he lists his address as 12709 Tierra Mona Court, but he actually lives at 11612 Tony Tejada. Fierro says that his address on Tierra Mona Court is a home which his current wife, El Paso County Commissioner Anna Perez, and he were thinking of renting, but that the problem of re-districting has put that plan on hold. Republicans in the State of Texas are fighting for a re-districting plan which would favor them with more elective positions.  “No matter, though,” Fierro says, “both addresses are in District 75. We don’t know where the lines will be drawn, that’s still to be decided. So, for the moment, we do live at the Tony Tejada address.”

Fierro says that he is the best candidate among the people running – which also includes Hector Enriquez, Willie Gandara Jr., and newcomer Mary Edna Gonzalez. As a former president of the EPCC Board of Trustees, Fierrro has made some dubious moves. For example, there have been two judgments against him by such diverse groups as the Union Fashion Company for $725, and another in the amount of $1,241 from the Week Day Education Center in Travis County, Texas. Fierro said that the Union Fashion judgment was written off, and he doesn’t recall the other. But, perhaps the most problematic is that voters will wonder why it took him two years to pay a traffic ticket for speeding. Fierro gave as an excuse that he didn’t realize that there was a warrant out for his arrest. “I did not realize it was outstanding and that there was a warrant out for my arrest,” Fierro said. “Once it was brought to my attention, I paid it.”

Hector Enriquez., the son of former El Paso County Clerk Hector Enriquez, said there are no such skeletons in his closet. “I will never compromise my good name for a few paltry dollars,” Enriquez said. “The people elect us, we don’t place ourselves in those positions. Thus, we can’t compromise the public who vote for us. We need to do the right thing and not think of personal gain because what will the people remember? They will remember that you made promises and you broke them.”

One of the candidates who did break a promise is Willie Gandara Jr. In his campaign for County Commissioner of Pct. 3, Gandara promised publicly that he would donate 90 percent of his salary to the Mission Valley. However, as far as anyone knows, he did not fulfill that promise. There are also rumors, however, that Gandara Jr. plans to drop out of this race. Gandara was not available for comment on either matter.

Mary Edna Gonzalez, although a virtual unknown to electoral politics, is a highly educated 28 year old who was born and raised in Clint, Texas and is one of the few women to ever have run for District 75. “I  think it’s important for young Latinas to become involved politically. If they see a woman like me, it’s a strong symbol for them to become active,” Gonzalez said. “After all the corruption that has been uncovered, a strong legislator can develop trust. I feel that I can be that strong person who can create an awareness of such issues as education and public service.”

Thus far, Gonzalez’ claim to fame is that she has received more contributions for her campaign than any of the other candidates. The graduate student at U.T. Austin has amassed a total of more than $20,000 for her war chest; Enriquez has a total of $490, while Fierro counts $470 towards his run. Gandara has said that he has no money in the bank, but that’s hardly a problem for him because in his race for County Commissioner, he financed his campaign out of his own pocket. At that time he accepted no contributions. Chances are, he might do the very same thing this time around – that is, if he decides to stay in the race.

Lara Jackson will be in El Paso this Saturday to Speak. The event will be at Noon at the Tigua Wellness Center

El Paso, Texas -Lara Jackson, Chapin High School Graduate, Texas State Swimming Champion and most recently an NCAA Swimming All-American for the University of Arizona and a 2012 Olympic Team hopeful will be in El Paso this Saturday, January 21st for a speaking engagement.

Jackson one of the youngest members ever inducted into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame has her mind set on representing the United State in the upcoming Summer Olympics in August. Jackson will be at the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Recreation and Wellness Center, 11200 Santos Sanchez Way at 12:00 p.m. to discuss her illustrious career to the participants at the Del Norte Swim Meet. The event however is open to the public and she will also be available for autographs and photos.

Information – Stacy Wright

(915) 240-3318

By Joe Olvera ©, 2011

Removing concrete barriers from busy city streets, tearing down fences that had provided protection in tough neighborhoods, undertakers upset because the murders in Juarez have dissipated somewhat, Mexican President Felipe Calderon prancing about proclaiming that his war on the drug cartels is taking fruit because the violence is slowly ebbing and coming to a halt. But, is it true? Has the violence in Mexico been moderated to the extent that Juarenses feel safer? While Calderon was claiming credit for the drop in killings, however, one woman held up a sign indicating not that he had won his so-called War on Drugs, but, that there were no more people worth killing in Mexico.

The theories on what’s happening in Mexico are long and confusing. Some people do believe that the violence has been curtailed, but, not totally stopped. Although there seems to be a drop in the violence that has permeated the city and has resulted in more than 9,000 deaths, the murders continue, albeit, in smaller numbers. With Juarez city officials tearing down protective barriers – barriers that gave the people a false sense of security – it now seems as if it’s a new day in Juarez. Or not!

“Just wait until after the presidential elections,” says one doubting Tomas. “The Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) is currently in power and it wants to maintain that power,” the man who did not want to be identified, said. “The party is worried that it might not win the next election, thus, perhaps some sort of deal has been made with the cartels to stop the killings so that the population will think that it’s their doing. The fact is that the Mexican military is no longer being used in the war, thus, the murders have gone down. Just to give you an example, eight people were murdered just yesterday. So, have the killings stopped? I would say no. Also, the media has been asked to not report on any new violence that might occur. I don’t think anything has changed at all. It’s just a lull.”

To put things in perspective, the murders in Juarez have dropped to150 last month. This figure is down from a year earlier. In October 2010, 350 people were killed in that one month. Since then, however, the violence has slowly declined to 183 murders in March and 168 in April. This contrasts to the 150 killed only recently. The fact is the killings have dropped and one cannot discount the fact that some people do feel safer, but, perhaps not because of Calderon’s claims that it’s his strategy that has worked.

Analyst Patrick Corcoran attributes the drop in murders to other factors. “One likely factor is attrition among the gangs in Juarez,” he writes in an Internet article. “In what might be a sign of the shifting dynamics in the regional underworld, two larger gangs that operate in Chihuahua – the Zetas and La Linea – recently announced an alliance in the city of Hidalgo del Parral, a few miles south of Juarez.”

What many experts agree on, however, is that there does seem to be some sort of dynamic happening that has seen a drop in the Juarez murders. However, one element on which most experts don’t agree, is whether the lull will last, or whether the violence will pick up once again after the Mexican elections in July. Much remains to be seen.

By Joe Olvera ©, 2011

Mexicans are lucky, especially the children. They get to celebrate Christmas twice. Not only do they wait with anticipation to see the fat man – Santa Claus – climb down that ole chimney, but, on January 6 they get to celebrate again. Only this time, it’s not ole Saint Nick that delivers presents. This time it’s Los Tres Reyes (The Three Kings). Of course, not every Mexican child experiences this phenomenon, but, those who do are the lucky ones.

January 6 culminates the Twelve Days of Christmas, and it honors the three wise men who traveled, ostensibly, from the Orient to deliver gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold to the newly born Christ child in Bethlehem. Either they were skilled astronomers, or just plain lucky. But, of a sudden, a star appeared in the heavens that signaled to them that a new king had been born. They followed the traveling star until it stopped, pointing out the manger where the Christ child lay with his mother Mary and his father, Joseph – well, adoptive father, should we say.

In El Paso, and in other Hispanic communities, the three kings or three wise men have almost replaced December 25^th as Christmas Day. Some Mexican kids are lucky, however, because their parents don’t want them to be without on Christmas Day, and, at the same time, they don’t want their kids to forget or to forego January 6 – El Dia de los Tres Reyes. Thus, these children get to open gifts wrapped in colorful paper twice in one year. In addition to the Christmas ham on the 25^th, these youngsters also get to eat a   favorite treat known as the Rosca de Reyes. Shaped in the round to represent a king’s crown, the Rosca de Reyes also contains a secret surprise – a plastic effigy of the baby Jesus. Whoever finds the baby Jesus must commit to having a party for all those present  on Feb. 2, known as the Day of the Candlemas.

But, you see, there is a rhyme and a reason for hiding the baby Jesus in the pan de

Rosca. It is symbolic of the time when the Three Kings arrived at the land of King Herod – Jerusalem. The omens had warned Herod that a baby was born who would become the

King of the Jews. Jealous of the Christ child’s birth, Herod asked the Three Kings to let him know when and where they found Jesus. Herod told them that he wanted to honor the Christ child. This was a ruse, however. Herod wanted to murder Jesus to eliminate this new king. When the three Kings did not relay this information to Herod, he took a terrible revenge. He ordered his thugs to murder every newborn child, hoping that by so doing, the baby Jesus would be among them. As we all know, however, it didn’t happen that way and Jesus went on to found a powerful religion that lives to this day. Thus, for Mexicans and other Hispanics around the world, January 6 is as important a day as is Christmas. Therefore, allow us to wish everyone a Happy January 6^th. El Dia de los Tres Reyes.

By Joe Olvera ©, 2011

Did you draw up your “bucket list” yet? If you haven’t, you’d better hurry it up, because the Mayans have said that the Earth will meet its end-date on December 21, 2012. Hey, that’s only twelve months or so from today. A bucket list, of course, is an item that lays down all the things you’d like to accomplish before your demise. And, if the Mayan Calendar is correct, then, my friends, you don’t have that much time. What is not understood, however, is that if the Mayans were considered to be ignorant and primitive savages – why is so much credibility being given to their prediction? Of course everyone knows they weren’t ignorant, the Mayans created the Concept of Zero – without which man wouldn’t have landed on the moon. But, there you have it.

But, are the Mayans correct in their prediction of the coming “Doomsday?” This reminds us of the 1950s and the fear of nuclear annihilation when, it was believed, the United States was doomed to destruction because of the “Cold War,” and the Soviet’s accumulation of nuclear weapons. Americans grew very fearful of a Nuclear fallout. So what did the government recommend? That the people build fallout shelters made of  concrete and steel that would withstand a nuclear holocaust. Americans were only too familiar with the destruction caused by the Atom Bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II with the Japanese. In that tragedy at least two hundred thousand Japanese met their maker.

Under this present-day doomsday, however, the stakes and the threats are different. The destruction of the world is nigh simply because the Mayans said so, or, at least, they said as much in their much-misunderstood Calendar. According to some astronomers, who happen to believe the end-days are coming, the destruction of the Earth will be through a Planet X flyby, a killer solar flare, or a reversal of the Earth’s orbit. Any of these catastrophes, of course, would insure a very bad hair day for millions of Earth’s inhabitants. But, never fear, because one Astronomer at the UC Santa Barbara has moved the fortuitous day 60 days forward, to on or about Feb. 21, 2012, So, whew, what a relief. We get an extra 60 days to make our peace with our fellow man.

The ridiculous notion that a group of MesoAmericans, namely, the Mayans, Aztecs, and other native tribes in Mexico and other parts south could be able to predict the end of the world, despite their primitive means, boggles the mind. For one thing, the Calendar – Mayan, Aztec, or otherwise – does not predict the end of the world, but, merely, the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new era. The Aztecs, for example, grew afraid every 52 years – what they called a “sheaf” of years, as opposed to our “century.” At the end of every 52^nd year, the fear was that the Sun would not reappear, and the dark days would last forever. On that fateful day, everybody, from the Uey Tlatoani (Revered Speaker) to the most common person would lay in fear because the belief was that the sun would not reappear. Every single flare, fire, or candle was doused so that the cities became enfolded in darkness. The people wailed, wept, and prayed for the sun to rise once again. They would pray to the Sun God, Tonatiuh, to not allow them to be engulfed in darkness. When the first rays of Tonatiuh were spotted, the lamenting stopped, and celebrations began. Thus, they were insured of surviving for another 52 years.

To somewhat explain the new phenomenon, some archeologists believe that the Mayan Calendar is based on a Calendar known as a “long count.” This Calendar would accomplish what the shorter – 52 year Calendar could not. The long-count Calendar would run out after 5,126 years. If, as it is believed, the Mayans began their Calendar in the Year 3114 BC, and if the long-count is calculated to continue for 5,126 years, the end date of the long-count would be – you guessed it, 2012 AD.  Confused? So are we, but, here are some reasons why the world will not end on Dec. 21, 2012. According to expert Ray Villard;

*Changes in the sun’s magnetic field will lead to powerful flares that could obliterate the earth – says Villard – “the phenomenon occurs every 11 years, and we’re still here;”

*.The Earth’s magnetic field will reverse – unless it’s hit by a Mars-sized planet, the moon will hold our gravitational influence;

*    An asteroid will smash into Earth – says Villard: “how could the Mayans have known 1,200 years ago, what modern astronomers don’t know today? The most dangerous such mass is called Apophis. However, the chances that this asteroid will hit Earth are 1 in 250,000.”

There are other scenarios explained by Villard, albeit, too complicated and confusing for ordinary lay people to comprehend. But, there’s no stopping the doomsayers who are convinced that the Earth will meet its demise on Dec. 21, 2012. If they so believe, they will try to convince all of Earth’s inhabitants that we are nearing the end-days. But, to predict the world’s end? Perish the thought!

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By Joe Olvera, ©, 2011

The popular Christmas song, “I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me. Please have snow, and mistletoe, and presents on the tree…so, I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams,” will have double meaning for thousands of troops returning home from the war in Iraq. Only it won’t be a dream. Thanks to President Barack Obama, who promised when he ran for President that he would bring all the troops home from Iraq, families applauded their loved ones and welcomed them in a profusion of pride and relief to the United States where peace and tranquility prevail.

After nine years of a brutal war that saw more than 4,500 brave and courageous men and women dying to preserve freedom in Iraq – at a cost of almost $1 trillion – the survivors will return to parades, honors, and hoopla. But, not all is a bed of roses, as many survivors will have to undergo a tremulous return, many of them wounded in ways that can’t be seen. But, the war is over for all intents and purposes. While a few soldiers still remain in Iraq, the president has promised that all the troops will be home by Dec, 31, New Years Eve. A promise made – a promise kept.

To that end, the last contingent of 500 soldiers climbed aboard 110 trucks to make the trip on the highway to Camp Virginia in Kuwait, to finally return home. Thus, from the beginning of the war on March 3, 2003, when then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell promised a display of “shock and awe,” meaning that a bombardment unlike anything seen before would befall Baghdad, the capital of Iraq; the hope was that a display of U.S. power would send the Iraqis scurrying and might even kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. It didn’t happen quite exactly as had been planned, so that hundreds of thousands, some estimate it at 1.5 million U.S. and allied troops, were involved in the deadly fray. Even after Saddam’s statue was toppled on April 9, the situation did not change as Iraqi soldiers continued the battle. But, now, finally, it is over. Now, finally, Saddam Hussein is dead.

To the troops now leaving Iraq, and to the families and loved ones waiting for them in U.S. bases across the United States, the end of the war has only brought joy, especially during this Christmas tide. Returning soldiers were met with tears, hugs and kisses from overjoyed wives and delirious children. This time, however, it will not be a dream, but, a reality that could not have come at a better time. From Fort Bragg, N.C. to Fort Bliss, TX, to Fort Hood, TX and other military bases, the killing and the dying is over. All across America, celebrations for the toppling of a dictator and revenge for 9/11 has been accomplished. Only the bittersweet taste of revenge remains.

So, welcome home, brave and courageous men and women. Your work has been done in one part of the world. Unfortunately, however, other trouble spots remain. One can only hope that the Christmas wish of peace on earth can be fulfilled and that all wars will cease to exist; that the need for armies, for bombs, missiles, and other weapons of mass destruction will be no more. Would that the present-day war in Afghanistan, end quickly and successfully. Let no more American troops die in battle. Alas, one can only hope and pray that it be so.

By Joe Olvera ©, 2011

Is the Grand Ole Party (GOP) turning into the Grand Ole Playboy’s Party (GOPP)? The question begs to be answered because of the shenanigans two of the candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination have been accused of perpetrating – and justly so – of playing with other women and having scandalous affairs while married and, allegedly, being devoted husbands and upright citizens who want to lead this country. Of course, everyone knows who they are, don’t they? ANALYSIS
While not all the candidates have been accused of having extra-marital affairs – at this point, anyway – the GOP still stands in disarray. The GOP race for the nomination has been called by pundits a reality show and a circus. First, and foremost at this time, is Herman Cain – who came in from left field to claim a strong backing for the nomination. Cain immediately superseded the favored Texas Governor Rick Perry, tying with perennial leader Mitt Romney – a flip-flop man if there ever was one.
While Cain enjoyed immense support at the outset of his candidacy, that support ran for cover when several women accused him of sexually assaulting them when he was president of the National Restaurant Association. Cain denied all the allegations, saying that his rivals for the nomination were responsible for the women having come forward with their accusations. As CEO of the Godfather’s Pizza chain, Cain brought what seemed to be a fresh outlook on the presidency that seen through the eyes of a businessman who touted his 9-9-9 plan was exactly what the nation needed.
The fact that he was black also added to his mystique because, for the first time in history, the Republican was considering a black man as its nominee. While Cain’s alleged mistresses stepped forward, his denials of inappropriate behavior almost had a doubting public convinced of his innocence, until another woman stepped forward and said she had been Cain’s mistress for 13 years. That was the death knell for the Cain Train, as his campaign was called. Soon after that accusation materialized, Cain “suspended” his race for the nomination. Apparently he is waiting to see how those accusations stand the test of time and whether he will be forgiven by the voting public.
Because, you see, Cain isn’t the only nominee with a checkered past. Former Speaker of the House Newt  Gingrich, also has had to overcome scandalous affairs to  become one of the top contenders. Gingrich also had extra-marital affairs while he was married two different times. Both times, Gingrich had affairs while his wife at the time suffered from serious illness. One of them suffered from cancer.
A resurgent Gingrich blamed his infidelities on his “patriotism.” He dismissed his indiscretions as coming at a time when he was driven by how “passionately” he loved his country. “I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate,” Gingrich said at the time. Meaning, of course, that his love of country led to his having affairs while still married. Pundits and comedians then labeled Gingrich as the “horny patriot.” Amazingly, Gingrich seems to have been forgiven by the public because he is at the top rung of contenders and battling with Romney, the staid and boring favorite, albeit, a clean one. One wonders if Cain will be forgiven as well.
Another candidate for the nomination, one who almost had it sewed up but lost it, is Texas Governor Rick Perry. While no accusations have been made against him about extra-marital affairs, he has bungled badly in other ways. Perry became an instant favorite as soon as he announced because of his government-bashing and his flirting with secession – at one time Perry advocated Texas seceding from the union. He was considered a perfect fit for the extreme right-wing segment of the Republican Party. He thought that, like George W. Bush, the waters would part for him and his nomination would become a cinch. It almost happened that way, but, not quite. Today he is touting the support of Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, a hard-line anti-immigrant zealot. If Perry thinks he will garner the Latino vote by this endorsement, some think he is sadly mistaken. Other gaffes in Perry’s plummet to the bottom of the pile include:
*He allowed certain undocumented immigrants to attend Texas state colleges by paying in-state tuition; a plus for immigrants, but, a no-no for the anti-immigration gang. In addition, he labeled as heartless those Republicans who disagreed with him;
*He also harbors and supports such racist views as supporting, then removing his support, of license-plates with the image of the confederate flag; to boot, his family had once owned or leased a hunting lodge that contained huge boulders with different slogans painted on them. On one huge rock were painted the words “Nigger-head,” ridiculing, of course, African Americans. While Perry said his family immediately painted over the offensive words, some people believe that they didn’t act fast enough and might have, indeed, guffawed over what they deemed funny;
*Perry’s flubs at debates, his short memory regarding important historical dates, and other mishaps have plagued him and his campaign, dropping him to the lowest point in his lengthy career as a politician and Texas Governor.
While the other candidates have not been accused of wrong-doing or other shenanigans, the fact remains that the GOP is losing public support, even from the most hard-nosed Republican voters. The GOP in disarray? You betcha

Photos and Story by: Ricky J. Carrasco

In these images, you can see what the El Paso biker is really about: their bikes, camaraderie, riding,  pulling together for what is important, something bigger than themselves. What does the general public see? Leather, loud pipes, tattoos, “Sons of Anarchy”, bad attitude. For the most part, the EP biker does not care about their perceived image. They will continue to do their work in the community  despite a general prejudice and fear against them.

On November 6^th, the annual Coalition Toy Run ran this year from its usual Sunland Park beginning to this year’s destination at Cohen Stadium in the northeast. The numbers are impressive, more so because they are produced by the same leather clad, tattooed, big rough bikers people shy away from.  Almost 900 people registered, close to 2000 bikes participating. More than a thousand toys were collected at the time of the run and almost six thousand toys will eventually be distributed because of this run. “We get requests for these toys throughout the year from various community and non-profit agencies that serve needy children all over the county. Such agencies like the YWCA, Aliviane, the Socorro migrant program, programs that serve the various colonias in the area all request, receive and distribute these toys for us,” says Ryan LaBarbera, Coalition Chairman.  “Even from about 8 years ago, when Margarita’s on the east side hosted this event, the event has grown immensely. “

The Coalition has worked hard to have its clubs and EP bikers participate in the community. “We heavily suggest that our clubs participate in the community, host runs and give to charity. We try to keep our members informed about what’s going on, not just in the biker community, but in El Paso in general.  I think that the community knows that we are involved because we have many members of the community, agency representatives and area politicians, come to our meetings. They know we participate, they know we vote. I think they know we care.”

Gracie Martinez, President of the Road Queens MC and Coalition Secretary, also stated that the Coalition is a very inclusive organization, “We always encourage independent riders to participate in the coalition. Every rider, whether they belong to a member club or not, whether they ride a little or a lot, can come participate in meetings.” Gracie says that many parade participants only come to be part of the parade, register, drop off toys, ride in the parade, then leave, never attending the party afterwards.

The secret to the Coalition’s success has been this inclusion, camaraderie, and communication between the clubs. LaBarbera remembered a story from that day, “The mayor invited an acquaintance from out of town to come ride with us in the parade. The gentleman was amazed by what he saw before the parade: a thousand bikers from many different clubs, cruisers, choppers, sport bikes, all just hanging out peacefully. We’re used to it and we expect it, but it’s certainly not the norm outside of El Paso. The public gets stuck in the leather, in the image of the ‘biker’. But the truth is that here in El Paso, it simply hasn’t been the biker getting arrested for drunkenness, for fighting in public, for generally getting into trouble.”

I told LaBarbera that last year, I attended the bikers Christmas visit to University Medical Hospital where they visited sick children and gave out toys. About 40 “typical” bikers attended, all wearing black leather, most wearing patches, and mine was the only news camera there.

“We really haven’t seen a change in the biker image. We can only keep doing what we’re doing. We know that as a whole, bikers represent one of the biggest charity organizations in the country. We in El Paso have 42 clubs, more than half are always active. We have charitable runs most weekends going on somewhere, most of which have at least 200 people participating.  We support one another in .“

LaBarbera, Martinez, and Larry “Dimple” Galvan, Coalition Co-Chair and Survivors MC president, would like to thank everybody who came out and participated in the parade and in the many functions throughout the year and everybody who helped in making this toy run a success from the owners of Cohen Stadium to the EP Police Department for escorting the route. They look forward to the distribution of the toys this year and another successful efforts through the El Paso biker community in the years to come.

Coalition Chairman Ryan LaBarbera and friend between some of the many sorted boxes of toys that will be distributed to needy children around the El Paso area.

by Joe Olvera ©, 2011

Could it be? Is it true? Mexican human rights activists are pointing the finger of blame on Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon. They claim that Calderon is responsible for atrocities committed by the Mexican Army – atrocities consisting of rape, torture, kidnappings, and murders perpetrated against innocent civilians, people who are not involved in the so-called War on drug traffickers.
Netzai Sandoval, a Mexican human rights lawyer, filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, requesting an investigation of the thousands of deaths of civilians at the hands of traffickers and Army personnel. More than 45,000 have died as a result of the drug war in Mexico – a war that has been raging from the time that Calderon assumed the presidency and he vowed to eliminate the drug traffickers who were creating such havoc in Mexico. “The violence in Mexico is bigger than the violence in Afghanistan, the violence in Mexico is bigger than in Colombia,” Sandoval said in his report to the ICC.
Sandoval claims that the atrocities committed by the Mexican Army, which operates with impunity, are the direct result of Calderon’s actions in trying to stem the tide of violence. But, don’t hold your breath because an investigation by the ICC could take months, or even years; this, despite the fact that 23,000 Mexican citizens signed the complaint that was sent to the ICC. According to Sandoval, Calderon, if he is tried before the international court may be out of office since his tenure in office will be up next year.
Calderon, speaking in his own defense, has said that his government is not at war with the murderous cartels and that the use of the Army is at the behest of state governments. The accusers say, however, that Calderon has systematically allowed Mexican troops to commit abuses against civilians since 2006, with more tan 50,000 soldiers fighting cartels across Mexico, while the numbers of federal police, who are also accused of committing atrocities have increased from six thousand to 35 thousand since Calderon grabbed the presidency.
A human rights report says that evidence points to 170 cases of torture, 24 murders, and 39 forced disappearances in five Mexican states. “We have known for five years that the Mexican Army is committing sexual abuse, executing people, torturing people and kidnapping, and there have been no sanctions,” Sandoval said.
In one such case, Susana Seijas, a CBS News producer based in Mexico City, said that Gustavo Acosta Jr., 29, was shot in the head by armed Navy officers. After hearing a banging on his door, Acosta Jr. went to see who was doing the banging. The Navy officers accused Acosta Jr. of shooting at them. He denied the accusation, but, it did him no good. He was immediately killed.
Nik Steinberg, the author of the Human Rights Watch report regarding Acosta, said: “The scale of violence that we’re seeing in Mexico is unprecedented, innocent people are being caught in the middle, they’re being tortured, they’re being killed, they’re being disappeared and they’re being branded as criminals.” While Mexican authorities contend that 90 percent of the people killed in drug-related violence are members of criminal groups, this not borne out, because most deaths in Mexico are not investigated.