A small group of citizens from Laredo, Jourdanton, Adkins, Pleasanton, Pearsall, and the San Antonio area asked this Examiner to hear their concerns about South Texas politics. This article captures some of their thoughts as we met in a local Mexican restaurant.
South Texas voters have not forgotten the lessons learned the past few years, but some think their political leaders may have short memories.
“I am old enough to remember when John F. Kennedy said ‘ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’,” said Tina Martinez, a lifelong Democrat living in south San Antonio.
“Those days of what’s in it for me are all over," Martinez continued. "I am no longer or Democrat. I am not saying I am a Republican either. But what I am saying is what is best for America is best for me. I am tired of these same politicians lying to us and thinking we are going to vote for them because they give out so much money. ”
FOUR STAR GENERAL PRESSURED TO CHANGE TESTIMONY
“When I found out that the four-star general (William) Shelton was pressured by Obama’s people to change his testimony to Congress so the LightSquared would get a government contract, I told my family, that is enough, I am not voting Democrat any more,” Higinio Gomez, from Laredo gritted.
“Now we find out, it could hurt our entire military’s ability to communicate properly,” Gomez continued. “What is he (Obama) trying to do to us?”
“Just like that Solyndra thing,” Gomez’s son, 22-year-old Arturo added. “The emails are now out that before they receive that $535 million the White House knew they had already planned to fire the workers.”
ELECTED LEADERS FORGOT THE NOV. 2010 LESSON?
In March of 2009, Democrats had a 79-seat majority in the House of Representatives, and a 20-seat majority in the Senate. President Obama’s approval rate was over 60 percent.
When Democratic representatives jumped on the bandwagon to force the 2,700 page Obamacare package down the throats of Americans, many voters said NO!
Even after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told them “we have to pass this bill to find out what’s in it,” they blindly obeyed.
“Obamacare, don’t get me started,” Mildred Slater, a widow of an Air Force sergeant, who retired in San Antonio, joined in the conversation at a south side Alamo City Mexican restaurant this weekend. “He throws marcels out to the poor and puts the rest of the United States in jeopardy with this spending.”
BLUE DOG DEMOCRATS LEASHED BY PELOSI
“We are desperate and what they are doing is hurting us,” Slater continued. “That is why we called you (Examiner), because we need to be heard. We are changing our minds about politics, but no one wants to hear it.”
Apparently the voters are changing their minds. By September of 2011, the Republicans had a 49-seat majority in the house and the Democrats 20 seat majority has dwindled to six in the Senate.
“Henry Cuellar (Congressman from the 28th District of Texas) sends a letter out and says Obamacare is good and tells us how many senior citizens got how many prescribed drugs for so much money and he thinks he is doing us a favor,” the senior Gomez pulls out a paper.
“Look at this,” Gomez points. “This man (Cuellar) is supposed to be a Blue Dog Democrat, and he votes with (Nancy) Pelosi on all economic issues, the PAYGO rules, yes on Obamacare, no on Obamacare repeal of individual mandate, yes on Cap and Trade, yes on that stimulus package that does nothing but help the unions and pay off solar energy companies that go out of business.”
Gomez’s faces turns red.
“These politicians are voting yes on TARP, yes on the Obama budget, yes on Cash for Clunkers, yes on car company bailouts, yes on Fannie Mae bailouts,” Gomez reads his list. “When does the spending the Blue Dogs promised us they were going to stop, really stop?”
“I asked my father, if a Blue Dog Democrat means Nancy Pelosi has a leash around their necks,” the younger Gomez quipped.
$1 TRILLION MORE IN NEW SPENDING
“These congressmen are not listening to us and they better,” said Guerra. “They are listening to Obama and the unions and their paying backers, but that is why Obama’s rating is at an all-time low.”
After the November 2010 elections, the only Republican who favored Obamacare lost his job. Of the 34 Democrats who voted against the bill, 11 of them saved their jobs.
Laredo Democratic representative Henry Cuellar sent another letter out to his friends and constituents this weekend touting the benefits of Obamacare.
CUELLAR'S FAILURE: IGNORING VOTERS
What Cuellar is failing to comprehend is that many south Texas voters are now realizing that the U.S. had to come up with an additional $1 trillion in new spending to pay for Obamacare.
Cuellar failed to mention in his letter that Obamacare cut $500 million directly from Medicare to help pay for tens of millions of younger people to be added to the healthcare system.
Recently the voters became aware that the bill also adds another bureaucratic payments board that will oversee future Medicare cuts without any real oversight from Congress or the administration.
Younger and senior voters have also learned that Obamacare is already causing personal and business health insurance costs to skyrocket.
"Just look at Cullar's list of cash supporters," young Gomez said. "It's full of people in the healthcare industry that want our money. It's either them or the beer distributors or Crystal Sugar company. God knows we have enough diabetes in south Texas."
HOLDER CONTINUES TO LIE TO CONGRESS AND CORNYN
Marion, also from Laredo, did not want to give her last name for this interview. She said her biggest concern is with the drug cartels and border security.
“The Department of Justice, under Eric Holder, deliberately ran tons of guns to the Mexican cartels which have come back many times to bite us in the ass with crimes back here in the states,” Marion stated. “It even killed at least one (Brian Terry), maybe even two (Jaime Zapata) of our Border officers.”
“Holder continues to lie to Congress and John Cornyn, when we all know all he was doing was supplying these guns to these gangs so cause enough chaos so they could force stricter gun controls on the United States citizens,” Marion continued.
“I don’t get it with Cuellar,” said Marion. “He tells us the border is safe and rejects studies showing it is not and then brags about all the money, resources and drones he is getting for us down there.”
“Well, if it is so safe why does he have to get all that money and those drones?” Marion asks. “You can tell it to the papers, but my neighbors don’t believe a word of it. We don’t feel that safe.”
OVER 1000 DAYS AND STILL NO FEDERAL BUDGET PASSED
Norma Linda Perales, who said she lives “between San Antonio and Laredo” laughed when she was called on to speak her concerns. Perales, appearing to be shy, was anything but timid once she began.
“The Democratic Senators still have not been able to approve a federal budget and it’s already been over a thousand days,” Perales, looked me straight in the eye. “Listen to me. Obama is going to announce his new budget in the next few weeks and I can already tell you what Obama is going to say: More taxes. More taxes. More taxes.”
“I don’t believe Henry Cuellar or these other politicians who keep telling us they are going to cut costs and stop the federal spending on one side of their mouth, and then kiss Pelosi’s butt with the other side. We can’t have it both ways. Are you going to cut costs or are you going to lie to us?”
The young Gomez agreed and spoke again.
SEN. RUBIO REPRESENTS REAL TEX-MEX ATTITUDES
“I have this quote from Marco Rubio (Senator from Florida) who says this new Obama mandate against Catholics and religious rights isn’t even a social issue — this is a constitutional issue.’”
Gomez continued to read the Rubio quote:
“I know what the U.S. Constitution says about it, and what it says is the federal government does not have the power to force religious organizations to pay for things that that organization thinks is wrong.”
"Politicians like Rubio are who the younger Mexican-Americans are listening to now," he said. "We have had it with the same old politicians who promise they will cut federal spending and protect our rights, but want to sell us their entitlements like a drug dealer would to an addict."
“This is the last straw,” the senior Gomez said. “They say they value diversity but Obama tells us they will do us a favor by giving us a year to violate our religious believes. I don’t think so.”
“Just like they told Texas and Wyoming we could have three years to comply with those unconstitutional EPA laws,” he continued. “Ask Greg Abbott (Texas Attorney General) how long that Obama promise lasted--what, maybe two or three months, not years!”
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