South Texas Democrats Argue over the Meaning of 2002 Republican Sweep

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Despite predictions to the contrary by Republican leaders, South Texas Democratic lawmakers said they're confident they will still have power and influence in a state House and Senate now firmly under GOP control.

Frank Yturria of Brownsville, an avid supporter of Republican candidates and causes, said his party's General Election victories have rendered the Cameron County Democratic delegation useless.

"They are all going to be insignificant Democrats," said Yturria, an appointee of Gov. Rick Perry last year to the Texas Historical Commission.

"They have no political influence, no power, no nothing," Yturria said in Sunday's editions of The Brownsville Herald.

"That is what 'la palanca' (straight party ticket) has given the Rio Grande Valley," Yturria said. "They all campaigned for Tony Sanchez and for the Democratic straight party ticket. What has it gotten them? It means now that Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley will remain a poverty stricken area with Third World conditions."

Yturria's comments mirror those of Frank Morris, chairman of the Republican Party in Cameron County, who said South Texas Democrats "will be on the outside looking in because that is what the voters determined here in the Valley."

Yturria added: "All of them are going to lose the committees they have chaired."

State Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, described the words of Yturria and other Republican hard-liners as "mean-spirited, arrogant, and terroristic rhetoric."

Oliveira and state Rep. Jim Solis, D-Harlingen, argued that their earned seniority and experience in the Texas House is not to be easily dismissed. They also point to established bipartisan efforts and long-lasting friendships forged with members across the aisle.

"I have served under four different governors and now, under four different speakers and it has always been and always will be bipartisan," Oliveira said. "I would not have carried and passed major pieces of legislation ... without Republican support. That will have to continue."

In referring to the county delegation, Yturria included state Rep. Irma Rangel, D-Kingsville, who now represents Cameron County, because of last year's redistricting of the 43rd District.

Oliveira, who ranks 14th in seniority among the 150 members of the House, is chairman of the Ways & Means Committee and also serves in the Public Education Committee and the Select Committee on Teacher Health Insurance.

Rangel, who ranks fourth in seniority in the House, chairs the Higher Education Committee and serves on the Pensions & Investments committee. Solis chairs the Economic Development Committee and serves on the Calendars and Judicial Affairs committees and also enjoys seniority.

"If Speaker-elect Tom Craddick continues with the bipartisan trend, which his colleagues say he will, then we should do well in the Valley," Solis said. "There is no room for extremists."

In the Senate, Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, serves on numerous committees including Business & Commerce, Committee of the Whole Senate, Finance, Natural Resources, and he chairs the Subcommittee on Border Affairs.

"After visiting very briefly with Lt. Gov.-elect David Dewhurst, I believe he will be very fair with me," Lucio said. "I believe that probably because of my seniority, I will keep what I have now.

"He (Dewhurst) was very cordial and said that he wanted to work with all of us bipartisanly to achieve our goal," Lucio said.

Zaffirini optimistic of party's future

BY ROBERT GARCIA
Times city editor

State Sen. Judith Zaffirini said Monday that Democrats were going to be "significant" in Austin because she strongly believes that Lt. Gov.-elect David Dewhurst will reach out and work with both parties.

Zaffirini's statements come after state Rep. Frank Yturria of Brownsville told the Brownsville Herald that his party's General Election victories have rendered the Cameron County Democratic delegation useless.

Zaffirini said it was disappointing to hear political leaders make such comments.

State Democrats have called Yturria's statement's "mean-spirited, arrogant, and terroristic rhetoric."

The Laredo senator said Yturria was probably speaking at an emotional moment, adding that statewide, Republican legislators would disagree with the statements "strongly."

"I can't speak for the House of Representatives because I never served there. However the Senate of the state of Texas is a bipartisan body. Very rarely does partisanship step in. It does in such issues as re-districting," she said Speaking of her two best friends in the senate, Zaffirini said, "one is Republican and the other a Democrat, one is a liberal, one a conservative, and we focus on the issues."

The senator added that the senate has a history of being bipartisan and focusing on the issues.

"Those statement don't reflect well on the people he (Yturria) supports. If he is a leading Republican, is that what he thinks of the people he supported?"

"Did you see any Democratic leaders go back and fight the counties that voted against them? No, that doesn't happen," she said.

"There are rare occasions that it does, and the people of Texans found out about it. But remember the people of Texas want what is right for Texas, and that includes all counties," the Senator explained.

"When the Democrats controlled the legislature, many Republicans were affected. The best example is Buster Brown who rose to be the second ranking senator and Republican, and he was very effective under a Democratic majority. It's a matter of issues," she added.

"I believe that Lt. Governor Dewhurst will reach out and work with both parties. He loves Laredo and has Laredo friends," Zaffirini said.

"There are times that I have agreed with some Republicans on issues more so than with Democrats. The best example I can give you is pro-life.

"I'm clearly and strongly pro-life, yet I'm a Senator."

Zaffirini recalled that then-Governor George W. Bush Jr. asked her to carry the pro-life bill, the Parental Notification Bill.

"I said no, and he was surprised and asked why? I told him the bill will come to my committee, and I want the gavel in my hand when that bill comes to my committee."

"I told him I trusted me with the gavel more than I trusted anyone else, and that bill has to come out from my committee. If I sponsor the bill, I can't preside during the hearing."

Zaffirini expects to be appointed to several committees by Gov. Rick Perry.

Come January, she will be the senior senator from the border and Bexar County that has four senators.

Zaffirini will be the fourth in seniority out of 31 senators, 19 Republican and 12 Democrats.

The senator said her staff is working hard, including this Veterans Day, because she is aiming to have one of the most productive legislative sessions ever.

"We'll have a successful session in terms of bipartisanship with different philosophies represented. We may not pass the bills that we intended to pass before. However, that is the result of the state elections. The philosophy in the legislature will reflect the philosophy of the people back home, and that is fair, " she said.

(City editor Robert Garcia can be reached at 728-2581 or by email at robert@lmtonline.com.)

"mean-spirited, arrogant, and terroristic rhetoric."

Notice how the first story quotes Ms. Olivera as the source of this quote but the second story quotes "State Democrats", implying that all of them share Ms. Olivera's feelings. Either the second reporter is associating one person's opinion to the many or the state Democrats are make soundbites by fax machine again.

"Terroristic"? In a time when we have actually witnessed terrorism on our shores, I find that to be ill-used hyperbole. A Republican gloats and this is "terroristic"?

As one FR poster put it on Election Night: "Democrats - the party of drama queens."

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