Damn!

As I watched the local news last night regarding the arrest of Dolores Briones, file footage of her while she was the county judge shows her seated between Larry Medina, who has been indicted, and Betti Flores who plead guilty early on during the FBI investigation that continues to roll. Next to Flores is Dan Haggerty who is accused of accepting benefits, and next to Medina is Miguel Teran who has not been implicated to my knowledge, but I suspect that he will fall as well. This was the county commissioners court at that time, 4 out of 5 have been targets of the FBI investigation. How sad is that?




I am saddened by the state of affairs in my community, saddened and angry; and I feel powerless to do anything about it. It’s even worse when I consider that the state of affairs in my community is a reflection not simply of the state of affairs in my country and throughout the globe, but throughout the history of mankind. When I put it into that historical context I feel a little better. That’s just the way that man is wired. Consider this, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver, a simple quid pro quo, a bribe, extortion, greed.


Last week two fellas were arrested for bribery, the information released is that they bribed a former county judge whom I thought was one of the good guys.  Two other fellas were arrested and the information in that arrest said that a sitting county commission accepted "benefits" for his support.  I thought he was one of the good guys too.  I can't tell you how disappointed I was to hear that two people whom I knew, trusted, and respected were now being accused of accepting bribes.  I have always been something of a cynic, but this news only hardened my already jaded view of elected officials.  This is the latest in an FBI investigation that began several years ago. 


One of the seven deadly sins, greed, drives man to do many stupid things. In my community, a man whom I like and trust and respected is accused of accepting $10,000 worth of benefits, like sporting event tickets, in exchange for his support of a business transaction. He has served for many years and from my estimation he served honorably, he is a well known and successful realtor, he earns a good salary with a generous retirement plan and health care benefits; but for a chance to see a basketball game his reputation is ruined and the possibility of indictment is biting him in the ass. All that he worked for could be forfeit. How stupid is that?



In 2004 the FBI began an investigation into charges of fraud in a huge local non profit agency that had federal contracts worth tens of millions of dollars, employing thousands of people. The agency’s mission was to employ people with disabilities; the contracts were set aside for that purpose; the agency did not employ the intended population. Last week two more people were arrested for defrauding another federal contract of $550,000, that contract was dedicated to helping children with severe emotional problems. In the interim, dozens of prominent people have been convicted, indicted, arrested, implicated and accused of being greedy.



The FBI investigation of the National Center for Employment of the Disabled, NCED into allegations of fraud in federal set aside contracts set off a chain of events that continues to unfold. The head of this organization was a large, wealthy, flamboyant man known for his philanthropy and generosity. He had several business interests, to my knowledge all of them were stained with corruption. That is how he became wealthy and generous. His business interests included a health insurance business that catered to government entities. He bribed elected leaders to vote in favor of his health insurance company and he made a lot of money. The investigation pulled on that loose string on a wool sweater that unraveled all manner of greed. Business people wanting business deals bribed government officials for lucrative contracts. It’s very well documented in the local newspaper.



Last week’s arrests included a former county judge. The indictment implicated another former county judge of accepting $24,000 in bribes. Yet another former county judge is in prison for fraud. That’s three former county judges, in Texas the county judge is the highest ranking elected official in county government. There have been former county commissioners, former city representatives, former judges, former school district trustees, former school district superintendent and associate superintendents and all manner of once trusted and respected elected officials and highly placed public servants that have fallen to greed.

It’s election season. Many candidates are announcing there bids for other offices. Many political party loyalists, insiders in the political game now want my vote. This elected person is running for that other political office. Political offices are now like musical chairs. He wasn’t happy being a state representative, now he wants to be a county commissioner; and he wasn’t happy being a county commissioner, now he wants to be a state representative. Hey, let’s trade offices. One has been known as a do-nothing and the other is the son of one of those indicted politicians.



In 1925 Mahatma Gandhi wrote about seven social sins that destroy societies, two of them apply here: Politics without Principles, and Wealth without Work. We all know that thievery is wrong and that it’s bad for business. Gandhi knew it and he told us so. In today’s newspaper appears an article about local efforts at economic development. How can we work on economic development when so many powerful people are stealing from the public trough?



They’re stealing from me and I take that personally, it’s a personal insult, it’s disrespectful of all of my labor for the last 40 years. They are taking my wealth without working for it. They are politicians without principles, disregarding my strong work ethic and the idea that I will reap my just rewards. No, they want their salaries and they want some of MY just rewards, rewards that they have not earned and to which they are not entitled.



Today we continue to hear how it’s in everyone’s interest to offer incentives to businesses to do business in El Paso. It’s how we do business in this country. Government gives money, in the form of tax incentives, to businesses. Business people give government people money in the form of bribes AND campaign contributions. It’s business as usual, just like Judas. But it gets worse, we have this neat little thing called campaign contributions that are legal, a legal form of laundering money. Some folks are squeamish about giving bribes so they give campaign contributions instead. When business people have business deals before an elected body, are members of that body swayed by campaign contributions? No, of course not!



Do ever wonder what happens to the money left in campaign accounts when the campaign is over? She ran for office, raised a lot of money during the campaign. She lost the race and has money left over in that account. What happens to that money? What happens to any surplus money in Rick Perry’s campaign account when he loses that race? David Dewhurst is worth more than $200 million, he will raise a fortune in his bid for a senate seat. What will he do with surplus contributions? Look around. This elected person gives money to that political candidate all the time. I give money to John for his campaign, he give money to Mary for her campaign. I don’t like Mary.



In neighboring Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, in a country known for public corruption, bribes are common. (As if they are not common in our country.) But it’s a more honest form of corruption in Juarez. Consider this, you get stopped by a Juarez police officer for running a red light. You offer to pay your fine on the spot and you’re free to go on your merry way for $20. It’s an “honest” bribe. In this country you get a ticket for running a red light, you hire an attorney for $200 who gets your ticket dismissed. Said attorney attends all of the judges political fund raisers and makes campaign contributions. Then he takes your ticket to a judge who dismisses your ticket. What’s the difference? It’s the same offense with the same outcome. In Juarez its illegal, in El Paso it’s legal; over there its corruption, over here its politics. Both scenarios have the same basic element, money is the short cut.



I have lost faith and confidence in elected officials at all levels. No, not all of them are dirty. I just don’t which ones are dirty, and which are not, and which ones haven’t been caught yet. I liked, trusted and respected two of the people accused last week in federal documents of accepting bribes. I thought I knew them to be good people with good hearts. So far, none of the people arrested in connection with the public corruption investigation have been exonerated, the FBI has an excellent conviction record in this case. Many have pleaded guilty, some have been convicted in court, some sentences have been sealed, some have not been sentenced, and some are sitting in prison. How do I go to the polls feeling so doubtful about the integrity of the candidates? It’s sickening.



Americans want to spread democracy around the globe. We spent a lot of money and sacrificed many lives in Iraq, in part to spread democracy. Folks, right now democracy doesn’t look very pretty. Theoretically, democracy is just peachy, but operationally, democracy is stained with corruption. I am infuriated by reports that nationally recognized leaders are caught cheating on their taxes, it’s thievery and it’s wrong. Is this democracy? Is selling arms for hostages democracy? In our great democratic society we prosecute the bank teller who dips into the drawer, but not the bank president who takes the bank to bankruptcy while taking with him millions of dollar. Who committed the greater wrong, the teller or the bank president?



Back to my beloved El Paso, I have known many of the thieves involved in this culture of corruption. I see some of them in public, walking around almost without shame. Ironically, in recent national headlines many high profile athletic coaches are smeared for impropriety, and one of the local thieves was my grade school coach and he seems to be highly regarded by those around him, even if he is a known thief. Some of them belong to community organizations and they are treated with back slapping by their friends and followers. Am I the only one that sees them coming and reaches to protect the wallet? Am I the only one that thinks “that person stole from me?” My brother once told me, “I’m not afraid of the thug on the corner, I can beat him or out run him. But that thief in a coat and tie I’m afraid of because he will take me to the cleaners and get away with it.”



You see, every time someone engages in corruption, or what I am calling thievery, they are robbing me of something. Public dollars that are channeled to thieves rob me of best value, they cost me directly through higher taxes. Tax incentives, my favorite soap box theme, deprive public coffers of revenue and lost revenue results in higher taxes for me. The superintendent who purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bullshit educational aides from his lover used my money to do so, he stole it from ME. The ongoing investigation is costing ME a ton of money. Those thieves in jail are still costing me a ton of money, and they eat better than I do. How can I mitigate this state of affairs?



I have been a maverick much of my life. In early adulthood I voted republican. One day I surmised that in my staunchly democratic community I might be better served by voting in the democratic primaries so that I could vote against ALL incumbents. In 1976 I voted for Jimmy Carter. Between that presidential election and the last one, I voted AGAINST every democratic AND every republican candidate.



I read the newspaper daily, for years I read US News & World Report cover to cover, I watched the news casts and the political debates on television. Armed with my maverick world view of the information presented to me, I voted AGAINST donkeys and elephants. So here I am facing another election. Why should I NOT vote against ALL incumbents? This FBI investigation tells me that if all incumbents are voted out of office, some of them will be thieves that don’t need to be in office. If all incumbents are evicted… Shit, how many of the candidates can resist greed?



Herein is my dilemma, your dilemma. Some of the incumbents, at all levels, are thieves who are all too willing to give away public dollars for personal gain. Some of the candidates are long standing political wannabees who have been hanging around office holders and political campaigns for years awaiting their turn, and they want a piece of the pie. How do I separate the good from the bad when dozens of local folks have been convicted, indicted, arrested, and implicated in thievery? Who do I trust? How can I have a serious conversation with a political candidate when in the back of my mind I see snake oil vendor?



I feel powerless. I have but one consolation. God, give the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Come to me, give me the insight that eludes me, free me of this cynicism that jades my world view, give me guidance. Lord, touch our elected office holders, cleanse their hearts, souls and minds. Father, give these people the vision to see temptation, and the fortitude to resist it. Guide my hand when I go to the polls to cast my ballot. Hurry!



Folks, you decide if the current state of affairs is acceptable to YOU. Polls suggest a gross disapproval of government and big business. If things are acceptable to you then keep your favorite politician in office for another term. If things are not acceptable, then vote for new blood. Do not vote for party stalwarts, they are part of the problem. Do not vote for political staffers, they are part of the problem. Do not vote for big business types, they are part of the problem. That narrows your choices to the inexperienced candidates.


Beyond prayer and being cautious in our voting practice what do we do?  I hereby challenge every sitting elected official to declare their innocence of any wrong doing.  I challenge all candidates to do the same.  I submit that any elected official that has not declared their innocence be voted out of office.  I want to hear from my politicians, including political party leaders, that they have not accepted bribes nor acted unethically.  I want candidates to tell me that they are honest people and have not and will not accept bribes.  Without that assurance, how can I vote for them?  Damn!