Charlotte’s Web: Weaving the Path for the International Bridge at Yarbrough and Political Contributions to the Congressional Candidates

I have many thoughts about this blog post because it touches so many issues (1) money - “the honey of politics“, (2) political players - the small clique that controls (for the most part) the flow of big dollars to any candidate, (3) policy - how money and the players directly impact public policy and (4) how the people have been left out of the equation on how public dollars are distributed in El Paso County. So this “web” of politics (weaved ever so slowly), is what intertwines the complicated steps of building an international bridge along the Texas/US Border.  It is what weaves elected officials to the major political players and the big financial contributors in politics and how influence is paid for.

One of the major issues in the campaign for the 16th Congressional seat in El Paso is the permitting of the proposed International Bridge at Yarbrough.  It is a crown jewel project for the Paso Del Norte Group (PDNG). The bridge project concept and development has been a long term goal led by wealthy real estate tycoon Bill Sanders, one of the primary founding partners of the PDNG. Bill Sanders is also the father-in-law of candidate for Congress Robert “Baytoe” O’Rourke. Sanders and associated businesses such as the Verde Group have extensive business interests in and around the proposed bridge location, on both sides of the Rio Grande.  

The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a public coordinating body that includes elected officials at the federal, state, and local level and was the initial organization charged with addressing the long term transportation goals and public transit needs of the greater El Paso Metroplex. This coordination includes transportation needs for Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. When I served on the MPO, community neighborhood organizations with the Ysleta Independent School District, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo voiced opposition to the construction of the International Bridge at Yarbrough.  During my tenure, a voting block was successful in tabling the efforts to move the bridge concept forward. It was always a contentious issue, however, Texas Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton clearly supported the building of the bridge at Yarbrough, and made incremental moves to “repair and expand” Yarbrough from Gateway to the Rio.  

Prior to concluding my term in office, I was appointed Chair of an International Bridge Committee that included elected representatives from New Mexico to Tornillo. The committee was neutralized after Commissioner Ted Houghton appointed ANOTHER committee, headed by his loyal servant City Representative Steve Ortega because (I was told), he was concerned with the direction I would take my committee. Rep. Ortega led the newly created committee (that was redundant and an insult to the public process) and was given the authority by Houghton to lead the charge as he saw fit.  Ortega provided the important steps necessary to commissioning a study of all international bridges and in advancing the proposed International Bridge at Yarbrough.

One of the important steps of permitting an international bridge is the federal requirement that the Congressman representing the Congressional District, where a proposed international bridge is to be constructed, approve the project.  Here is where power, politics, and policy collide.  Congressman Silvestre Reyes, has supported the school district, the neighborhood organizations, the community groups, the church groups, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo’s opposition to the  destruction of community and neighborhoods and has never signed off on the approval of an international bridge at Yarbrough.  

Beto O’Rourke along with his political allies, support the construction of the bridge.  Beto O’Rourke will sign off on the approval of an international bridge at Yarbrough if elected to Congress.  Beto O’Rourke has a conflict of interest because his wealthy father-in-law has business interests in and around the proposed bridge.  

So not surprising, the first contribution filing reports demonstrate - guess what??  A lot of big dollars, from political players to O’Rourke and not from political action committees. Wealthy friends and family of Sanders are giving to O’Rourke. PDNG co-founders and members interested in building the Bridge at Yarbrough, are giving to O‘Rourke. The powerful and rich, the ones interested in other projects that railroad community consensus because we are just the ignorant masses (that's what they say), are giving to O‘Rourke.

Congressional contributions for the first filing period show Robert “Beto” O’Rourke raising $221, 704 and Congressman Silvestre Reyes raising $177,344.  O’Rourke out raised Reyes this go around.  And what that tells me is, that this race is going to be a million dollar plus race because the political donors on both sides have the capacity to give the same amount they already have given or MORE!!  It means, that the Political Action Committees that have given to Congressman Reyes, will now give the maximum they can give, because he is the incumbent. It means we the voters, are going to be bombarded with propaganda; mail, robo calls, calls, radio, TV, and it’s not going to be nice.

Interestingly, the political donors list is somewhat divided amongst the power elites of the community. Both O’Rourke and Congressman Reyes have political power players, both have Republican support, both have elected officials contributing to their campaigns.  Congressman Reyes has more Democratic contributors by far, more political action committees.  The $44,000 difference in funds raised, Reyes can raise in a day. Money in the bank, Reyes has more.

O’Rourke’s list of contributors includes people connected to Bill Sanders and the PDNG and core Shapleigh supporters such as: Jim Cardwell, Bob Hoy, Jon Rogers, Richard Pearson, Bill Sanders, Christina Sanders, Louann Sanders, Marianna Sanders, Pablo Sanders, Joshua Hunt, Martha Hunt, Stacey Hunt, Ike Monty, Larry Francis, Carlos Gallinar, Melissa O’Rourke, Amy O’Rourke, Cynthia Karam, Ruben Guerra, Jack Chapman, Judy and Mike Wendt, Joel Guzman, Steve Fox, Thomas Niland, Mike Ainsa, Myrna Decker, Tracy Yellen, Risher Gilbert, Sam Legate (gave to both sides), Lina Ortega, Rosario Holguin (don’t know if it is Hector’s daughter or wife, Hector gave to Reyes), Sandra Almanzan, James Degroat, Ed Rodriguez, John Geske, Dusty Henson, and Robert Niland among others.  

Elected officials contributing to O’Rourke are former Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Thomas Niland (related to Rep. Niland), State Representative Marisa Marquez, and City Representative Steve Ortega.

Congressman Reyes contributors are mostly from the corral of the Democratic Party including Democratic organizations, political action committees, political players and some well known Republicans.  They include: Mike Dipp, Paul Dipp, Maria Teran, Dr. Luis Urrea II, Leonard Goodman, Hector Gutierrez, George Salom, Xavier Banales, Patricia Holland Branch, Tigua-Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, Travis Johnson, Paul Foster, Woody Hunt, Rick Francis, Robert Brown, Enrique Moreno, Jon Abrams, Randy Kuykendall, Joe Lamantia III, Gerardo Licon, Dr. Joe Mendoza, Bobby Bowling, Randy Bowling, David Austin, Jack Cardwell, Richard Castro, Russ Vandenburg, Joe Wardy, George Yapor, Bob Wingo, Fred Loya, Fred Loya Jr., Richard Porras, Cesar Viramontes, Hector Delgado, Harold Hahn, Hector Holguin, Joe Spencer, Robert Skov, Dolph Quijano, Belen Robles, Emma Schwartz, Stuart Schwartz, El Paso Young Democrats, Black El Paso Democrats, El Paso Democratic Party, and the Texas Democratic Party.  

Elected officials contributing to Congressman Reyes include District Attorney Jaime Esparza, Commissioner Willie Gandara Jr., and Judge Gonzalo Garcia.

The Democratic contributor base of El Paso is overwhelmingly with Congressman Silvestre Reyes. Many Republican power players in the community stayed with the incumbent but have close relationships with O’Rourke (ex., Woody Hunt is with Reyes but his son is with O'Rourke"). But the majority of individual contributions are from Democratic contributors.

O’Rourke’s contributor base is overwhelmingly from the Bill Sanders/PDNG big pockets and Republicans. His Democratic base is from the Shapleigh/Escobar contributor base.  

It’s just the first report, but “money is the honey of politics”.  The will of the people will be decided by the election that is funded by the rich and power based contributors, whom control how much money someone gets, to deliver a political message.  The public policy decisions are dependent on who is successful. The International Bridge at Yarbrough is a big issue in this congressional race, and the media isn’t even talking about it.  And so Charlotte’s web continues to weave it’s way…..

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