The "VeroniCUNS" in the 2012 Democratic Primary!! Know your candidates & the political faction they belong to!

The “VeroniCUNS” were so named in a previous blog post.  To refresh your memory, the endearing term is named after the political figure head of the faction, County Judge Veronica Escobar and from the word “cunning” (see old blog posts on 1/19/12 and 1/23/12 for more detail).  The "Veronicuns" emerged as a leadership group out of the political faction known as the "Shapleighites". 

The cleverly composed composite of the “Veronicun” political faction is of “CRUELLA de Escobar” and her current political “Dalmatian Pack” (lap dogs and otherwise unless they lose then they are OUT OF THE PACK).   The composite provides a literal “snap-shot” of how to connect-the-dots to this diverse group of cohorts. 

Current members of CRUELLA de Escobar’s “VeroniCUNS” are (Left to right): State Rep. Marisa Marquez (there until she can be beat, which might be May 29, 2012), City Rep Susie Byrd (1^st Commander, BFF, and future candidate or staffer for either Escobar or O’Rourke – they have plans for her even if she is pro-marijuana legalization), County Commissioner Anna Perez a legal lapdog (and Candidate for 41^st District Court), State Rep Naomi Gonzalez (their 86% PAC purchase), Michael Wyatt (former law partner with Shapleigh, former Campaign Treasurer for Escobar, before she nominated him and voted for him to be the county “Ethics Attorney” (real ethical), Marty Schladen (El Paso Times reporter who has proven to be biased), Robert Francis O’Rourke nicknamed and on the ballot as “Beto” (I have heard various stories on how he obtained the nickname) is former City Representative and Candidate for Congress and 1^st Commander with Byrd, Robert Moore aka “Bob” is “Editor” of the El Paso Times (has turned out to be the Public Relations go-to-guy for the “VeroniCUN” political faction), City Rep. Steve Ortega aka “Stevo” (like “Baytoe”) is also a 1^st Commander (and has led the awarding of more no- compete contracts and corporate welfare of any councilman, indicted or not indicted, to date), and Darren Hunt of KVIA-TV (aka “Witch” Hunt for his pro-VeroniCUN “witch hunts” that Curella de Escobar sends him on).  All of them have earned their place on the composite per it’s author “2^nd Chance”!

And so here is the list of the "VeroniCUN" Candidates in the 2012 Democratic Primary:

"VeroniCUN Candidates/Incumbents  2012"

Robert Francis O’Rourke “Beto”                US Congress

Marisa Marquez (wannabe me)                  House District 77:

Anna Perez (pension seeker)                     District Judge, 41^st 

Lisa Aceves Hayes (recruit)                        District Judge, 383^rd 

Don Williams (wannabe “Veronicun”)       District Judge, 388^th 

Lucila Flores Camarena (real Veronicun)  District Judge, 388^th 

Jose Castillo (Criminal Blogger Mgr)         District Judge, Criminal Court 1

Victor Flores (wannabe “Veronicun”)        County Tax Assessor-Collector

Liza Montelongo (Baytoe 2^nd stringer)       County Commissioner Pct. #1

Vince Perez (Benedicto Arnoldo)                   County Commissioner Pct. #3

The VeroniCUN political faction has successfully pushed the biggest erasure of Latino/Mexican American/Xicano/Indigenous cultural symbols,  buildings, public art, using a very strategized “gentrification plan”, have forced expensive “round-a-bouts” in neighborhoods,  have awarded unprecedented no-compete contracts to questionable entities including friends and political allies, have pushed an eminent domain agenda on properties of interest to rich political allies and land speculators, have successfully pushed and passed toll roads (starting with Cesar Chavez Highway), placed on the Council for a vote domestic partner benefits that confused people in support of the measure, even though City Rep. Jan Sumrall had already passed it on Council in December 2003, then reversed a voters referendum on the issue (this issue was a done deal and on the books as passed), increased taxes, increased the indebtedness of the county and city with non-taxpayer approved bonds known as CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, awarded tax breaks to what appears are political allies, supported privatization against the desires of organized labor and dissing union contracts even though all of them are proclaimed "Democrats".

Be aware of the “VeroniCUN” faction and be wise about your vote and selection of your candidates. Hold these people ACCOUNTABLE!! As for me and my household, we won’t be voting for any “Veronicun” candidates!

***The Criminal Blogger (CB) has been hired to help with campaigns and is associated with Art Fierro who is running various campaigns this cycle. Campaigns CB is associated with are Marisa Marquez, Jaime Castillo, Mary Gonzalez, Anna Perez and Vince Perez.  The Criminal Blogger IS a “VeroniCUN operative!

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Housekeeping Blog #3: "LIMPIA"

Just a quick "housekeeping thought" to those of you who are going to be included in my blog in the future or have been featured in the past.

Expect the "Criminal Blogger" aka "Criminal DISCO Blogger" to contact you if I dare mention you by name, to set you straight that my mentioning you in my personal blog is going to cause a nuclear fission reaction that will create an imbalance in your menstrual cycle or cause you permanent brain cell damage that  will ultimately result in you dying a slow and agonizing death.  He will claim that within 24 hours, a colony of wild ants will eat through your arm pits and between your toes, until you beg for forgiveness and promise to never stand on my shadow or look my way, at which time he will claim, the plague will cease.  Seriously, he has called on every single person I have written about in my blog, to marginalize my blog, or to speak poorly of me, and to continue this dysfunctional effort to bully me.

But let me be clear, I will not allow a criminal "Dead Beat Dad" with an outstanding warrant in Maricopa County for failing to pay child support, bully me and try to marginalize my very public successful legislative and community record, nor will I allow him to minimize my participation in politics and in my community. I have a very public record, he has a very public criminal record.  My blog is about politics and and all things El Paso, the Borderlands and Latino issues and it is my perspective and my opinion.  I could care less if he interviews you, features you, praises you.  I will write about you, if you are of interest to me. But when he dares to bring me up, if I do write about you, tell him it is none of his business. Because it is not!

For the record to date, a lot of candidates for public office in El Paso (who are not members of the Veronicuns or Shapleighite factions) have contacted me for advice or just my thoughts on their races. I have these conversations in strict confidence. In addition, many people from political circles in Austin, El Paso and other areas of influence call me regularly to inquire about this or that candidate, race, or my best guess on who I think will be in a run-off or not.  I don't charge for my thoughts on these subjects. I don't charge candidates to post propaganda on my blog (that could be considered extortion "if you don't buy an ad, you get a bad blog post", someone else with a criminal background in the El Paso blogosphere does that - not me.  And by the way, the "Criminal Blogger" only started voting in 2008 yet tries to be the moral majority judge of all us heathens. Why do you let him do that? He is a petty criminal with a criminal record).

So, if you merit a mention on my blog, you do, if you merit a slam, I will slam you, all within the compounds of truth, personal opinion and utilizing the many tools awarded to someone who uses "words" as a new weapon of choice. And you don't have to be a "poli" to be mentioned in my blog either.

Nothing or no one can keep me from blogging my thoughts. Certainly not the "Criminal Blogger". I don't spread lies, I don't promote political separation or oppression, I express thought.

On another note, I will not dumbify my blog by stating the obvious: "I'm going to do an analysis of this or that". It is usually pretty clear when I am doing a political analysis, personal analysis or statistical analysis etc., or if I am speaking on the Borderlands, or providing political thought. Sometimes I may provide clarity if I think it is necessary. So this being said, I will continue to speak directly to you.....read it if you like, go elsewhere in the blogosphere if you don't!

Writing in the skies....it's a pretty big sky out there isn't it!!

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Blog Statistical Analysis and the Current Blogosphere Political Culture in El Paso

You can't argue with statistics.  This is just a "shortie" on the blog and data which provides an interesting snapshot of the blog and blog posts to date.  The Norma Chavez Blog is still in the infancy of it's existence. I started posting on January 3rd, 2012 and to date have published only 13 blog posts (this being the 14th post) with over 6,000 views to date (as of today right now). 

As I have stated in previous blogs, this blogging experience is like "writing in the open skies", and it is also like learning a new language, first choosing a blog host, blog format, template, etc., and after that is done reviewing the tools available to the blog such as a statistical analysis.  Eblogger provides a weekly, monthly and overall statistical review of page views, traffic sources such as referring URL sites and browsers, and monitors your audience including countries with people that are following your blog (to date I have followers in the US, Mexico, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Germany (a lot for some reason), Philippines, France, Argentina and other countries (I've gone global already!). 

In the very short time that this blog has been in existence, it has garnered an average of 400 views per post per day with a low of 250 per day, and the greatest number of pageviews in one 24 hour period being 900 plus.  Granted these are not overwhelming numbers for a blog in a city of 700,000 people.  But considering that 85% to 89% of the traffic is from Facebook because it is not readily available in search engines yet (not sure why, but have some "techie youngs" who have offered to help me with that), and from what I have been told it is recognized by search engines based on actual hits (still figuring that out).  Though the blog is not even one month old, it is still good traffic for a new blog. Because I have chosen to "write in the skies" you never know who is looking up at the sky from around the world!! 

What the data demonstrates is reflective of the blog culture in existence prior to my writing a blog. The top three blog posts in the order of page reviews are (1) County Judge Veronica Escobar to Constituent "Alex Guzman "U R Not my Facebook Friend", (2) Facebook Page "Unfriend Veronica Escobar 2014", and (3) "Pachangagate, Darren "WITCH" Hunt, and Racism.  In that order.  All three blogs caused the most political controversy, most comments, and most personal emails, texts, phone calls, from both people supportive of me for exposing the political faction and their agenda and from those critics that don't like the labels or names I put to the faction.  For the most part, those who don't like the labels, don't like political factions nor do they like the local blogs.

This brings me to the subject of blog culture in El Paso, specifically political blogs.  I have only been blogging less than a month.  The political blog culture was already in existence when I started it and I too am disappointed that the number 1, 2, and 3 blogs are of the "chisme" nature.  It is annoying to read the other two political bloggers, the Criminal Blogger and the WASM (White Anglo Saxon Male) Blogger, and their perpetual reference to me with accusations, exaggerations, personal attacks and plain lies.  They will cross a libel line and their files are getting fuller every time they mention me.  I have no need to create false names because I have a blog and a personal Facebook account with my very own name, and obviously I don't have a problem writing what I think on either of those two social media mediums.  A subpoena of internet names and URL's from the proper authorities will clear those lies up.  But it is amusing how my blogging has created such heartache for these two men.

So, this blog will move into the next phase.  This blog will not be an exclusive political blog (we have that already, I have no interest in doing that because this is bigger than that), but I do intend to include blogging about politics and voice my political opinion using my experience and knowledge serving 14 years honorably in the Texas Legislature and organizing in the community over the last 20 plus years. This blog will continue to be peppered with everything El Paso in hopes to tease you, amuse you, anger you, get you to think, and to expose you to soooo, soooo much that is happening in and around El Paso with people OTHER THAN POLITICOS!!  I hope that my blogging will encourage others to blog locally because a healthy blog community is good for El Paso, "writing in the skies" exposes all the local details by the locals to an internet world!!  :-)

(For the record, I am not sending traffic to those mean spirited, self serving, egotistical bloggers, so any mention in your comments to them by name or blog, will not be posted - fyi).

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Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2004 Edition: CUNNING, \k-a-nin\ adj. 1: SKILLFUL., DEXTEROUS 2: marked by wiliness and trickery ( schemes )

FROM THE Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2004 Edition:
CUNNING \k-a-nin\ adj. 1: SKILLFUL., DEXTEROUS 2: marked by wiliness and trickery (schemes ) 3: CUTE <like a kitten> cunningly adv.
CUNNING noun. 1: SKILL 2: SLYNESS

It appears the CRIMINAL BLOGGER has been directed by the political faction he takes his marching order orders from the "Veronicuns" (don't bite the hand that feeds you) to spin the issue. 

I realize that he is self taught, including his cunning criminal actions of his very public multi-state CRIMINAL RECORD, and he is charged with serving as the criminal spinmaster for the Veronicun political faction. Throwing mud is what that he and that faction do well. They are using a model they perfected last election cycle against the Congressman this cycle, and according to Deep Throat sources in their camp, they intend on going on press conference tirades and staging issues (like General Stevo Ortega with his camcorder clocking his wait time on the bridge instead of doing his job on Council) against the Congressman, sling mud, and distort facts, from their bully pulpit and not let their candidate for Congress Baytoe O'Rourke do their dirty work (sound familiar).

So, cunning is a perfect description of the political plays by this faction. Skillful - you betcha; dexterous - done with skillfulness; marked by wiliness and trickery - without a doubt; cute like a kitten - I have heard many people say her shrilly voice is cute. VeroniCUN the noun - skillful and slyness - fits like a glove!!

If the shoe fits, darling, you are "Sinderella!"

More on the deceptive campaign tactics of this faction in a later post!

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BLOG HOUSEKEEPING!

As I have stated on Facebook, after launching my blog earlier this year, it is like having a magic pen that God gave me to "write in the skies".  The outreach is unlimited, the medium exciting and quite a journey.  I have been learning the blogosphere lingo, have screwed up my template by trying another one and not knowing how to go back to the one I like better (ugh), and have been advised by various people I trust and admire on how to carry forward.

A respected blogger in Texas shared some thoughts on blogging, as has a local mujer I respect, and Latino powerhouses in the US also shared some thoughts for la Norma y "La Norma Blog" or as one of my friends said "ya eres Blogera" (RMR - reir muy recio or Spanish for lol - correct me here, I just made that up). I wish my old friend, San Antonio guerrilla, political agitator, columnist Carlos Guerra were alive today. I know that together we could have conspired an underground internet based Xicano word war. Just the thought of it brings a smile to my face. Luckily, as I go through some of my personal boxes, I have found numerous columns he wrote that I have placed in my office for purity and inspiration! The internet though, has proved quite an internet sky for political activism and underground internet wars.

So it is with these thoughts, that I hope to provide occasional housekeeping tips for the blog. A sort of order. So here are a few thoughts on what this blog will and will not be. Please email me your thoughts at blognormachavez@gmail.com or comment what you think I could do better. I am trying to make this an open forum, commenting is still in the tweak phase.

I will not prostitute the blog with political advertizing.  I won't be asking you for $300 a month per ad, to have your name roll across the screen. NO REAL POLITICAL BLOGGERS IN TEXAS DO THIS!  I will write on subjects and people, poli's and non-poli's alike. So you won't be treated "special" because you bought an ad on my blog. Don't get me wrong. In learning all the new terminology and gadgets available on blogs, I foresee advertising as a possibility, especially since my traffic is extremely high for a first time blog that isn't even being recognized by servers or search engines quite yet. In fact, most hits, as in 80% of my blog traffic, is from Facebook (eblogger has a pretty cool statistical analysis available and Google is already contacting me about ads). So now I understand why the Criminal Blogger and the El Paso WASM Blogger (White Anglo Saxon Male - don't know if he is protestant or Catholic but know he is male) include me in their blog posts, because I increase their traffic.

I expect nothing in return. If I write about you, good, bad or ugly, I expect nothing in return. No debt is owed. You don't have to be nice to me, I don't expect that.  It is a blog. It is an opinion.  It is what I have chosen to do as a medium, because I choose to use my political experience and knowledge, personal, professional, and political contacts, and networks, to write what I think.  That is it.  Read it if you like. Don't read if you don't like it.

I will look at your suggestions on subjects or people to write about.  I already have a bag full of ideas, people, events, things to write about, but sure if you have a suggestion, I'll look at it, so forward this on the blog, or email me.

My political social commentary is just that, personal commentary and opinion on my blog. Using humor, facts, current events, research, political thought, etc,. to provoke. I don't own the internet space nor does anyone else. Austin, Texas has numerous political bloggers and just bloggers who post on lots of different subjects. What you don't see in the other big cities in Texas in the blogosphere is one political faction dominating the media and blogs.

You don't have bloggers with criminal records, using an ink bat as a threat, to gain favor and sell ads and pimp a political agenda for their own personal power. Nor do you have a male WASM, initiating racially charged blog posts that criticizes the "masses" for rising against unfair policies by the power elites, as he does. He promotes the "masta" mentality, I will not.

This blog is for the "MASSES" to provoke political thought, action, revolution!!

And so, the blog journey continues....join me...  

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"PACHANGAGATE, Darren "WITCH" Hunt, and RACISM!!

I am shocked at the continued attacks by KVIA news reporter Darren “WITCH” Hunt of political activities by the Latino community in El Paso, in particular those South of the Freeway.  He started his tabloid style reporting of “pachangas” last year by jumping over bushes to stick a microphone in elderly people’s faces, and ask them if their vote was being bought and paid for with a taco.

Seriously, a “gordita”, rice, beans, and bread......or brisket, rice, "frijolitos" and jalapenos.....or “taquitos”, rice, beans, bread, jalapenos, and "chile con queso"......IS FRIGGING buying votes?  How is that?  

Political “pachangas” are organized all over the state in Texas and in the United States but are called different names.  State Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), the Dean of ALL WOMEN in the ENTIRE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, has her ANNUAL “fish fry” where thousands of her constituents come to her event.  And why didn’t KVIA and Darren “WITCH” Hunt blow the whistle on former Congressman Ron Coleman (D-El Paso) when he would throw his famous Ron Coleman's Labor Day Bar-BQ at the Cattleman Steakhouse where 1500 plus voters would attend? Why, is there such an interest to focus attention on events in the LOWER VALLEY or any other part of town that has a political event called a “PACHANGA”? 

Is it because candidates recognize that cultural relevance is important?  Political research consultants call “knowing your audience” very important to outreach and “pachangas” or “menudos” or “café y pan dulce” events are culturally relevant to engage Latino voters with candidates in informal settings.  Is Darren “WITCH” Hunt going to go after the “ROCK THE VOTE” events, because they have loud bands, and serve beer, and have rock stars to influence their vote?  I doubt it.

It is offensive to me that Darren “WITCH” Hunt is focusing on political rallies in Latino neighborhoods of El Paso SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY to intimidate voters into thinking that their participation and hearing of candidates, dancing to a band, eating a meal, and getting raffle tickets for door prizes, is wrong.  Other than cash prizes, political events like the “pachangas” we have in the Lower Valley or SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY are common place in everywhere America, but they are called by a different name.

And “DEADBEAT DAD CRIMINAL BLOGGER” SHAME ON YOU!! A self proclaimed “Chicano” participating in this conspiracy to target voters South of the Freeway and intimidate candidates and the Democratic Party to stop political rallies called “pachangas”, is RACIST! 

KVIA, DARREN “WITCH” HUNT you owe the SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY voters in El Paso an apology for your racist tactics to steer voters away from having an opportunity to listen to candidates.  CHICANO CRIMINAL BLOGGER, I am embarrassed for you for not calling this what it is RACIST!!

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