Crowd halts redistricting hearing in Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A House redistricting hearing was halted Thursday after a noisy crowd shouted, "Shut it down! Shut it down!"

The session in Brownsville had no quorum, prompting the chants from the largely Democratic crowd of 200. Police were called, but no arrests were made.

The panel was to resume later in what was described in an unofficial session in which members of the audience would to be given the opportunity to speak.

With a special session just four days away, the House committee began taking public input on a bill to redesign the state's congressional districts in favor of Republicans.

In an effort to comply with federal regulations, committee members spread across the state to listen to Texans' opinions on how their vote will be counted in the next congressional election. Hearings were also being conducted Thursday in San Antonio and Lubbock.

During the regular session, embattled Democrats effectively killed congressional redistricting legislation by fleeing the state line and hiding out in Ardmore, Okla. until after a House deadline had passed.

The redistricting legislation that would likely increase the number of Republican districts from 15 to 19, while decreasing the Democratic districts from 17 to 13.

Two San Antonio Democrats who helped stymie the redistricting measure during the regular session were assigned to hearings in other parts of the state in what they believe was retribution.

Rep. Mike Villarreal and Ruth Jones McClendon ignored the assignment, sitting in on the San Antonio panel anyway.

"Three members of the committee who went to Ardmore are the three members displaced and not allowed to participate in the hearing in our district," McClendon said.

The third member, Rep. Richard Raymond of Laredo, was assigned to San Antonio but did not appear at that hearing.

An auditorium was packed for the San Antonio meeting by a raucous crowd whom Subcommittee Chairwoman Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, repeatedly asked to be quiet. Most seemed to favor the Democrats, but the Republican side was also represented.

U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, has implored the Texas Legislature to redraw congressional lines with 20 Republicans to reflect the state's GOP majority.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry earlier this month called a special legislative session on redistricting, scheduled to begin June 30.

"When the state of Texas is forced by budget constraints to cut essential health care and education funding for our children, it is outrageous for the governor to call a special session on redistricting," said U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio. "He's going to waste millions of dollars to feed Washington Republicans' lust for power at the expense of our state and our children."

A federal court drew Texas' congressional districts after state lawmakers failed to do so in 2001, leaving open the possibility that the districts could be redrawn by the Texas Legislature.

Democrats argue that they are not required by the Constitution to redraw district lines, particularly in a non-redistricting year.

The original map proposal, by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, drew criticism for breaking up Harris, Travis, Hidalgo and Bell counties. Opponents said dividing those counties would dilute the strength of communities like Houston's Fifth Ward and the Hispanic influence of the Rio Grande Valley.

Republicans have touted a redistricting plan as a gain to Texas minorities because it would add up to two Hispanic districts and one black district.

But Democrats contend that the loss of four Democrats, who historically vote in favor of minority interests, would counteract the addition of minority members.

Texas currently has six Hispanics in Congress and seven Hispanic districts. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, who is white, represents one of those districts.

King has said his plan would likely lead to the election of eight Hispanics and seven Hispanic districts.

But some Democrats have argued that Hispanics would not make gains in representation because Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio, also has a majority Hispanic district, but does not win a majority of that group's vote.

For that reason, Democrats say Bonilla, although Hispanic, is not the preferred candidate among Hispanics.

Texas currently has two black members, but King has said his map provides for another predominantly black district in Harris County.

So what is this, a warm up for obstruction next week ??

Two San Antonio Democrats who helped stymie the redistricting measure during the regular session were assigned to hearings in other parts of the state in what they believe was retribution.
Rep. Mike Villarreal and Ruth Jones McClendon ignored the assignment, sitting in on the San Antonio panel anyway.
"Three members of the committee who went to Ardmore are the three members displaced and not allowed to participate in the hearing in our district," McClendon said.
The third member, Rep. Richard Raymond of Laredo, was assigned to San Antonio but did not appear at that hearing.

I'm going to include excepts from an article printed in a north Texas newspaper and e-mailed to me by a friend. I will clearly illustrate why I don't live in America. Please take the time to read........

Mexican Wealth Gives Texas City a New Vitality

June 14, 2003
By SIMON ROMERO

McALLEN, Tex. - Unemployment in this small city on the
southern tip of Texas hovers around 15 percent. Incomes are
half the national average, and many people sell grapefruit
and melons from the back of battered pickup trucks to make
ends meet.

Much of the thirst for luxury here - whether for Jaguar
sedans, imported marble from Turkey or rambling Tudor-style
homes in the gated communities on McAllen's north side -
reflects the economic might of another nearby city:
Monterrey, the prosperous industrial powerhouse of more
than three million people in northern Mexico.

The same vitality holds true for a variety of other
businesses in McAllen, a city about nine miles from the
Mexican border that is 90 percent Hispanic.

"You get the ease of a manageable American city where
almost everyone speaks Spanish," said Rubén de León, a
Monterrey native who moved to McAllen several years ago as
an owner of Regio Tile, a company that supplies Mexican
tile and Turkish marble to customers here and to chains
like Home Depot. "Essentially you're in Mexico and the
United States at the same time."

McAllen's Chamber of Commerce estimates that as many as 80
percent of new businesses are owned by Mexican citizens, a
reversal of the proportions from about five years ago. This
influx of Mexican money has transformed McAllen into a city
that often confounds economists.

For example, per capita income in McAllen declined to 45.3
percent of the national average in 2001 from 47.6 percent
in 1990. That would suggest the city became poorer even as
investment flowed into McAllen and Reynosa, on the Mexican
side of the border, after the the North American Free Trade
Agreement took effect in 1994.

Almost half of the Sharyland homebuyers are Mexican
citizens, many from Monterrey and some who pay entirely in
cash, said Patrick D. Brewer, a McAllen-based executive who
oversees the project for the Hunt Realty Corporation, based
in Dallas. "There's no shortage of cash in Mexico," Mr.
Brewer said.

McAllen city officials do not keep statistics on the number
of homes owned by people from Monterrey, but the evidence
of Mexican real estate investment here is widespread. Mike
R. Perez, McAllen's city manager, said in an interview that
one family on his cul-de-sac owned homes in Monterrey and
McAllen and an apartment in Paris.

Not everyone in McAllen is thrilled with the influx of
wealthy regios. Some residents, for example, resent the
tales of private jets from Monterrey landing at McCreery
Aviation's airstrip, within walking distance of a Tony
Roma's restaurant, a Sheraton Hotel and La Plaza Mall.

"People say, `Those Mexicans,' when they get behind a
really terrible driver from down there," said Rosie Uresti,
a junior high teacher. "They're a little aggressive for
some of us."

The best indicator of whether McAllen will continue to
absorb Mexican investment is probably the value of the
peso, which remains at a historically strong level despite
weakening somewhat in recent months. A weaker peso would
make it more expensive for the regios to spend their money
here.

If you read the above excerped article, you will have noted that wealthy Mexicans weild significan political power here. It is in there benefite to keep Mexican-Americans and Democrats in power rather than facing the tighter restrictions and greater control of the border which could arise under Republican representation.

Gracious me where to start? I have been involved in this scrap since 2001 when the legislature punted the ball to the court, which essentially worked off the 90 redistricting done by the Dems, adding the required two Republican districts.

Something the press and most others have not caught yet: things like this Brownsville bruhaha have NOTHING to do with redistricting. The Ardmore Camporee had NOTHING to do with redistricting. The hearing today was a House Committee hearing. All the action will be in the Senate. While the House would have passed some version of the DeLay plan in regular session, and almost certainly will in special session, the Senate has a rule requireing a two thirds vote for anything to get to the floor, and Dewhurst has flatly stated he will not change that rule for special session.

The Dems have 12 Senators, one more than needed to make redistricting DOA. In fact, if they can present a formal letter with 11 signatures swearing to vote against any new redistricting, everybody stays home and the special session is dead. They cannot do this because there is some incredible horse-trading going on backstage. Interestingly, D-Sen Lucio of Brownsville is one wavering Dem. Also Armbrister, D-Victoria and Madla, D-San Antonio (the latter is holding out for a bill to allow wine to be shipped to people's houses, now illegal).

Prior to Ardmore, at least two Republican Senators opposed redistricting, (Wentworth and former Lt.Gov Ratliff) but were so PO'd at the tactic they will support now. Still two short. If Lucio either holds fast or has his bypass surgery during special session, it will probably come down to can Perry buy off Armbrister, and if so, what will it cost.

Watch the Senate, they are already trying to reverse the normal order of things and have this considered in the Senate first, House second in special session. May you live in interesting times.

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