DYNASTY POLITICS IS THE SCOURGE OF SOUTH TEXAS

By Juan Montoya
For 28 years, U.S, Congressman Solomon Ortiz cloaked himself with the mantle of the District 27 Congressional office (now District 34).
It seemed almost a given that his son, Solomon Jr., a member of the Texas House of Representatives, would follow in his father's footsteps and inherit the scepter of power.
But alas, it was not to be.
Now, it is apparent that there is another dynasty in the making. We speak , of course, of the Eddie Lucio Dynasty headed by patriarch State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. Lucio who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1986 and stayed there four years before being elected to the Texas Senate in 1991, where he has maintained a stranglehold on the reins of power.
As a result of scandals associated with the $21 million boondoggle at the Port of Brownsville where he turned out to be a lobbyist for Dannenbaum Engineering at a hefty salary after he "introduced" the firm to the district commissioners, we found out he had pocketed respectable amounts of cash for consulting work with the company.
Ditto for the companies building correctional facilities in Willacy County where several county commissioners were convicted of accepting bribes from the builders in return for their voting them juicy contracts. We found out that Eddie Sr. was also receiving thousands from the prison contractors and was listed as a "consultant." Most of us took it with a grain of salt when he lists his profession as an "advertising executive."
Now he has installed his son Eddie Lucio III (derisively called The Turd by his detractors), in the Texas House of Representatives District 38 seat in 2006, the year following his graduation from UT law school.
He has since been re-elected twice in 2008 and 2010. District 38 is composed of the southwest region of Cameron County.
Now he is in his making his fourth run at the District 38 seat.
Here is South Texas politicians have a way of holding on to power until they pry their dead cold fingers from the throttle. County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre, for example, has been in the same position for 24 years and wants four more, presumably to take case of unfinished business he didn't have the time to get to in the two dozen years he's been there.
Likewise, State Rep. Rene Oliveira has been there for 28 years as well and shows no sign of stepping down and let someone else represent the district.
Ask them what their accomplishments and they will basically point to the same things : bringing UT to TSC, the Regional Allied Health Center, the improvement of the lives of the people in South Texas, protecting insurance companies by passing tort reform, and taking care of the Political Action Committees (PACS) that contribute thousands to their re-election campaigns.
From July 1 through Dec. 31, 2011, Democrat Eddie Lucio III of Brownsville raised $70,060, according to the statement of campaign contributions and expenditures that he filed with the Texas Ethics Commission this month.In 2010, Lucio III raised $188,154. All in all since he first campaigned for state representative in late 2005, Lucio III has raised $943,292.
And in the period from January 1 through June 30 of this year, Lucio III reported receiving contributions of $63,900 and spent $59,000.
His Republican challenger, Alejandro “Alex” Torres of Harlingen, reported no contributions for the period covering Sept. 6, 2011, through Jan. 14 this year. In his latest report covering January through June, Torres did only slightly better, reporting receiving $943 in contributions and spending $2,910

Houston magnate and Republican booster Bob J. Perry, was the top donor to Lucio III’s campaign in 2011 giving him $35,000 from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2011. He also gave III $21,500 to Lucio III in 2010. This year – from January to June – Perry kicked in an extra $10,000 in two contributions.
Other Republican contributors to Lucio III’s campaign include Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which donated $5,000 the last part of 2011. They also kicked in an extra $5,000 in the first part of 2012.
The list of Political Action Committees goes on and on, some listing addresses as far away as Georgia, Illinois and other Texas towns outside District 38.
This year, aside from the Republican candidate, Lucio III also faces Libertarian candidate Nancy Mishou . If anything, perhaps the candidates will question Little Eddie III on just what these Big-Money Boys get back in return for their largess besides just his "open door" policy.
On the other hand, he may pull a Marie Antoinette and suggest they let him eat his cake.