Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 20, 2003 Page: 2 of 18
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)ACU: 2A Thursday, March 20, 2003
*est available copy
Pori Aransas South Jetty
Murray and Mary Judson
Co-Publishers
Mary Judson
Editor
Phone (361) 749-5131 e-mail: southjetty@centurytel.net
Opinion
Member:
South Texas Press Association
Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
Texas Press Association
National Newspaper Association
Morales: Big
impact to bust
Dave
McNeely
In 1OOS, and again in 2002, the Demo-
crat who had the biggest impact on the Texas
elections was Dan Mo-
rales.
Now, he not only
won’t get the the four-
year term for governor
he sought last year, he
also could join his
brother, Michael, in the
federal pen.
In 1998, Dan Morales’
impact was by not run-
ning for a third term as
attorney general.
Former Texas Comp-
troller John Sharp be-
lieves that had Morales been on the ballot
lo energize Hispanics, Sharp would have
overcome the 68,731-vote deficit by which
he lost to Republican Rick Perry lor lieuten-
ant governor. There were 3.7 million cast
in that election.
Democrat Paul Hobby surely would have
won the comptroller’s race over Carole
Keeton Strayhorn, which he lost by 20,223
votes.
In 2002. Morales’ impact was that he did
run — for governor.
A month after the 1998 election, Morales
told Sharp he wanted to be the Democrats’
candidate for governor in 2002. Sharp said
fine, if and when Morales overcame charges
that he sought kickbacks from lawyers hired
to handle the state’s lawsuit against tobacco
companies.
Time passed, and Morales’cloud lingered.
Sharp recruited South Texas multimillion-
aire Tony Sanchez to be the Democrats’ self-
financing Hispanic standard-bearer.
As the 2002 election neared, Morales said
he wanted to run for the U.S. Senate. If he
had won the nomination, Morales would
have had a grudge match against his succes-
sor: Republican Attorney General John
Cornyn, who had raised questions about
Morales’ tobacco lawsuit activities.
But Morales shocked everyone at the 21X12
tiling deadline by filing for governor. Sanchez
had to put his campaign into high gear much
sooner than he’d hoped. Morales raised
questions about drug money laundered
through Sanchez’s savings and loan in the
1980s, and blasted him for supporting affir-
mative action.
Morales lost, but Morales left a bad sting.
Sanchez’s negative rating grew to 27 per-
cent by the primary election, and Perry’s
media onslaught fanned it steadily higher.
Sanchez’s vote total in November didn’t even
irack 40 percent of the ballots cast.
On June 18, Perry named Morales to an
Anti-Crime Commission. On Oct. 8, Mo-
rales endorsed Perry and campaigned for
him across the state.
Several days later, Michael Morales, a suc-
cessful record producer and studio owner,
acting under a fake name, tried to shake
down the Sanchez campaign for $280,000.
lie pleaded guilty a few weeks ago.
Dan Morales says lie’s innocent of all
charges, including lying on his income tax
about illegally using campaign money to help
buy an expensive house.
But some onlookers say the tax charges
are rather open and shut.
What a shame. The law’n’order former
Bexar County assistant district attorney had
parlayed a successful six-year career in the
Texas House of Representatives to becom-
ing in 1990 the first Hispanic elected to a
tiitt*'.1. icic non iudic!'?! offjr#*
But if any charges prove true, it’s a big
fall: a former crime fighter, whose only im-
pact on the 2004 or 2006 election might be
by not voting — because lie’s in prison.
Contact McNeely at (3/2) 4453644 <>r
(lmcneely@stiitesnuin.com.
Letters to the editor
Letters to the editor must meet
the following criteria:
• Letters should be of interest to
the readership of the South Jetty •
should be limited to about 300 words
• must contain a valid signature •
must contain a valid mailing address
• must contain day and evening tele-
phone numbers where the writer may
be reached • names of persons writ-
ing letters will not be withheld from
publication • unsigned letters will
not be published -only one letter per
person per 30 days period will be
published • letters endorsing or op-
posing political candidates are con-
sidered political advertising and
should be taken to the advertising de-
partment • all letters are subject to
editing • letters of complaint about pri-
vate businesses will be forwarded to
the business in question and will not
be published • “thank you” letters are
considered classified advertising and
should go to the classified ad depart-
ment • deadline for letters is 10 a.m.
Monday for inclusion in the following
Thursday’s edition.
-Jfki---
Just try talking to a real person
l wanted to get the balance, if any, of my
checking account. So what is the procedure?
You turn to the yellow pages and look at
the pages titled “banks.’’ Then wading
through numerous ads telling you why you
should bank with that bank you realize that
your bank is not listed. It’s a little scary to
look for your bank in the telephone book
and discover its not there.
So where’s my money? So I checked my
checkbook, and, yeah, there was such a bank,
but is not in the yellow' pages. Then a flash
of genius. Maybe this bank had changed
names. Now-1 knew it wasn’t the ABC Bank.
I do their commercials and do business with
them, and I actually talk
to human beings who
work there - even play
golf with some of then. So
I examined the yellow
pages again - w hich were
quickly becoming red
pages, and, yeah, now I
remember, the old bank
had changed names. So 1
was given a choice of num-
bers to call. Guess w hat ?
I got a recorded message. PRYOR
And guess what the re- "
corded message said? Punch this number,
and I was greeted with another recorded
message, which gave me another recorded
message, which gave me- you get it.
I was dying for a live person. So 1 knew
where to find one, my brother Wally. He
works for a charitable organization with of-
fices above the bank I was trying to reach. 1
asked him if he would charitably go down
stairs to the bank and have a live person
call me. Five minutes later a real, live, nice
person called me and gave me the informa-
tion I was seeking. Yes, I was overdraw n.
I was also over stressed from 45 minutes
talking to a machine. It was worse than try-
ing to get someone at the telephone company.
Cactus
Letters to the editor
Parking pickle
The Department of Transportation
should be supported in its plans for the
park and ride idea and encouraging the
ease of movement of traffic on the is-
land.
Wouldn’t it also be a great idea for
people coming here to be greeted by a
sign saying “Welcome to Port A - park
wherever you like and enjoy all that our
restaurants, bars, beach and shops have
to offer!” as opposed to signs everywhere
saying don’t park here or there or out-
side this place unless you’re spending
money right here and now?
Instead of having to find a different
park at every stop - they could wander
round at their own pace and leave with
a smile on their face.
Hey! Maybe even some good Samari-
tan would give them a Popsicle to enjoy
on the ferry home - now wouldn’t that
be nice?
Tessa Gates
Port Aransas
Loves Port A
We want to send big thank you’s to all
the PACT people. We had three wonder-
ful plays again and feel so lucky to have
that kind of talent here.
Then, the police department for the su-
per job they do all the time and then to
the staff at the swimming pool. I hey do a
great job and you all make Port Aransas
what it is for all of us.
We look forward to next year.
Don and Alva Bigley
Port Aransas and Sauk Rapids, Minn.
Meals on wheels
Thank you to Meals on Wheels. I have
healed and am getting well. Thank you
to Pat Garrett and all the volunteers for
being so kind to me after open-heart sur-
gery.
We stay a month every year. We are go-
ing home to Arkansas from the valley. Port
Aransas is a great city, great hospitality.
Betty Everson
Port Aransas and Arkansas
Kudos to first responders
We want our law enforcement and fire
protection professionals to know that we
are proud of the way they conduct them-
selves, especially during Spring Break.
They responded promptly and expertly
to the many situations that arose during that
busy time. They were there quickly when
emergencies occurred; and their presence
surely kept many other activities from be-
coming emergencies.
So we say “thank you” and “well done” to
these wonderful men and women. Port
Aransas is a better place because of them!
Dennis and Barbara Richburg
Port Aransas
Go ONLINE AND PREVIEW WHAT’S COMING OUT IN THE NEXT EDITION OF THE
www.portasouthjetty.co m
Political
peeps
i m
A Texas
Voice
Steve
There has been much discussion of late
about the value of political comments from
entertainers, mostly in regard to the United
Slates’ position concerning a Saddam
Hussein-led Iraq.
I have not had a prob-
lem with these celebrities
having and sharing their
opinions, the vast major-
ity of which run con-
trary to our president.
That’s their right as
much as it is mine. But
it has been disturbing
that the media are giv-
ing them so much expo-
sure. Why do they think
it matters any more to
readers and viewers MARTAINDALE
what George Clooney thinks than
w hat Bob Smith of Toledo, Ohio, thinks?
Then, along came the Dixie Chicks. ;
Admittedly, I had no idea the DixiL*
Chicks, a popular country trio, are froth
Texas. That is, not until their lead singer,
Natalie Maines, made the comment last
week in London that, “Just so you know;,
we’re ashamed the president of the United
States is from Texas.”
That’s all right, more power to her. If she
really feels that strongly about if, to inter
rupt the group’s concert to make a political
statement, fine. As she
later said in defending herself, “One of
the privileges of being an American is you
are free to voice your own point of view.”
Of course, that blade cuts two ways. The
people who buy the group’s tapes and CDs
also are free to state their views, with voice
and with pocketbook.
We’re not talking about a 1950s blacklist
here. This is nothing from the government,
enforcing its opinion. This is good old!
American free enterprise at work. People;
who cannot get on CNN to state their;
thoughts are doing so commercially.
And the performer has already started
backing down. '<
What 1 meant. . .
After Maines made the comment, she is-
sued a weak statement about being pver-’.
seas for several weeks, hearing a lot of anti-;
American sentiment and being frightened;
about the prospect of the innocent lives that
will be lost in a war.
People didn’t buy that and fans contin-
ued contacting radio stations, demanding
that the Chicks music not be played. They
called out for a boycott of the group’s re-
cordings and merchandise.
Then Maines backed up another step,
offering an apology to President Bush while
twice stating that she is an American.
OK, there it is, that’s where I have a prob-
lem with many celebrities getting a mass
media platform for their political views.
II she meant it, if she really wanted to
make a strong statement against her fellow !
Texan, then she would stick to her guns the
way President Bush has in the face of pro-
test marches and blustering, barely signifi- ;
cant European leaders. Bush knows Hussein
must be removed from Iraq and he intends
to accomplish that, even if Alec Baldwin ;
does finally live up to his promise to move ;
out of the country.
Bush has stated that he will not govern !
by opinion polls. That is exactly w hat Maines J
is doing; the polls went south and she started :
singing a different song. J
Neither should we expect this to be the I
end of the Dixie Chicks’ search for redemp- »
tion with their dwindling fan base because J
they are scheduled to kick off an American J
tour May 1 in Greenville, S.C. The tour in
eludes four stops in Texas, including one in
ultra-conservative Dallas just two days after
Independence Day.
I he trio will undoubtedly go overboard
in begging forgiveness and in showing sup
port for our troops should shooting actu- \
ally begin. And, hopefully, once Hussein is ;i
removed from power and the people of Iraq
celebrate finally getting him off their
backs, the singers will give the president a
little respect.
Or. they might stick to their guns, stand
behind their words and return to singing
on street corners for tips. Better yet, maybe
they will move to I lolly wood and join a com-
mune of entertainment has-beens.
We can only hope.
Steve Martaindale is a self syndicated
columnist. Write him at
steve @ATexi i s V< tice. c o m.
South Jetty
(946-020)
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Judson, Mary. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 20, 2003, newspaper, March 20, 2003; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth662832/m1/2/: accessed April 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.