Voting Resources
Adela Garza Discusses Border Security and South Texas' Changing Political Scene
The South Texas Politics series continues with another interview with Adela Garza, candidate for the newly formed Congressional District 34. In a prior interview with Garza and State Rep. Jose Aliseda, we discussed the issues and constituent makeup of CD-34. Today, we will drill down a little deeper with Garza on a few specific issues: Border Security, Life along the Border, Better Representation for the Entire District and Early Voting.
I asked Garza to talk about how different life is now along the border with all of the violence that is happening just across the river. Garza said, "It’s amazing because, just to few years ago, maybe two, three years ago, we would leave our doors open, we could go swim in our swimming pool after midnight, it never closed and now we lock our doors, because we know that somebody has been through our property. I think before people who crossed to come into the United States were coming to look for jobs, that’s not the only case anymore. We are very aware of our surroundings now because of what’s happening. Often, you hear, not in the news, but through so and so, that there was a shooting and you know its all drug related. The drug cartels taking over [Brownsville's] sister city, Matamoros. It’s a scary thought, we don’t want to scare tourists, but it is happening, and we have to be very aware of our surroundings."
CD 34 Candidate, Adela Garza with TexasGOPVote's Bob Price
During one of the presidential debates, Governor Mitt Romney suggested building a fence along the entire southern border of the US. She replied, "No, I don’t think the fence will do it, I think we need to put boots on the ground, we need technology, other than fences, these are our neighbors, and many of us still have cousins and relatives still in Mexico and we want them to be able to come and go. We also want them to come and buy our things and enjoy our beaches, and our hotels, we just need to keep the bad guys out."
Congressman Ted Poe has a proposal to allow border state governors to deploy the national guard, under the direction of the state governors, but paid for by the federal government. Garza responded, "I honestly believe that we need boots on the ground. I really definitely believe that. We go to other countries and secure their borders, Why can’t we secure ours?"
We went on to discuss how many residents of the district do not feel their current Congressman represents them and that they feel neglected. I asked her how she would make sure everyone in the district would know they were properly represented. Garza replied, "I have been there, I feel their pain and when I sit down and talk to a constituent I tell them so. They tell me 'we went to Hinojosa’s office and we never got served.' Well I had an opportunity to work with, at the office, Congressman Farenthold. We were underrepresented with our past congressman, which was Mr. Ortiz and I see people coming and asking for help and well they never saw him. What will I do different? I think I would have that connection. I keep telling the people from the North, you have a great opportunity to select your congressman or women for the next election, but you have to be very careful because it will be from Cameron county. Republican or Democrat, it will be from Cameron County and if you look at the candidates, I am the one who has the broader base, and I’m the one who has an opportunity to win in November, on the Republican side."
We will continue to explore political issue facing South Texas and particularly in the newly formed CD 34 House District. Early voting has started! Stay tuned here and then get out and VOTE!
TRANSCRIPT:
TexasGOPVote blogger Bob Price: Adela Garza thank you very much for coming back and talking to us at TexasGOPVote again. We are appreciating the opportunity to learn more about District 34 and more about what you’re doing in this race.Tell us how life is different now and in McAllen and in the other border communities than say it was 20 years ago because of the issues of the violence and the drug wars that are going on right across the river.
CD-34 Candidate Adela Garza: You mean Brownsville. Okay, it’s amazing because, just to few years ago, maybe two, three years ago, we would leave our doors open, we could go swim in our swimming pool after midnight, it never closed and now we lock our doors, because we know that somebody has been through our property. I think before people who crossed to come into the United States were coming to look for jobs, that’s not the case anymore. We are very aware of our surroundings now, because of what’s happening. Often, you hear, not in the news, but through so and so, that there was a shooting and you know its all drug related and the drug cartels taking over our sister city, Matamoros. It’s a scary thought, we don’t want to scare tourists, but it is happening and we have to be very aware of our surroundings.
Bob Price: I know that when I was young, I use to go to Matamoros and Reynosa and you would just walk back and forth across the border, and commerce would go back and forth across the border and I don’t think it’s like that anymore.
Adela Garza: I miss that, and Mexico is such a beautiful country to visit, I hope that soon we can recreate that again, we would walk across to go have dinner and walk back with our vanilla and our candy and it worked both ways. It was good, and it can be good again. I hope that the federal government sees Mexico as our neighbor and they need our help and we need to secure the borders and we need to be careful with whom we bring in.
Bob Price: Now, Governor Romney says we should build a fence from Brownsville to San Diego, basically. Do you support building a fence all along there or do you think there’s a more appropriate way of securing the border?
Adela Garza: No, I don’t think the fence will do it, I think we need to put boots on the ground, we need technology, other than fences, this is our neighbors, and many of us still have cousins and relatives still in Mexico and we want them to come, we want them to go back, but we want them to come and buy our things and enjoy our beaches, and our hotels, and we want them to come, they just need to keep the bad guys out.
Bob Price: Congressmen Poe has suggested that the National Guard be deployed along the border and that the state governor, the border state governor, is allowed to maintain control of those National Guard troops, but the federal government would pay for that. Would you support a proposal like that?
Adela Garza: I think so; I honestly believe that we need boots on the ground. I really definitely believe that, we go to other countries and secure their borders, Why can’t we secure ours?
Bob Price: That would be a reasonable expectation I would think. This part of the district has historically felt that it is underrepresented. Congressmen Hinojosa pretty much stays down on the other end of the district and doesn’t come up here very often. How would you communicate with people differently with people on this side of the district?
Adela Garza: I have been there, I feel their pain and when I sit down and talk to a constituent I tell them so. They tell me “we went to Hinojosa’s office and we never got served.” Well I had an opportunity to work with, at the office, congressman Farenthold. We were under represented with our past congressman, which was Mr. Ortiz and I see people coming and asking for help and well they never saw him, and as I hear the story here and what will I do different? I think I would have that connection. I keep telling the people from the North, you have a great opportunity to select your congressman or women for the next election, but you have to be very careful because it will be from Cameron county. Republican or Democrat, it will be from Cameron county and if you look at the candidates, I am the one who has the broader base, and I’m the one who has an opportunity to win in November, on the Republican side.
Bob Price: You have started proving yourself to be of service to the people of Texas and working in the areas that you’ve discussed earlier and then working for your congressman as well. So this is going to be very interesting, early voting starts May the 14th, so we definitely want to encourage as many people as possible to get out and vote early. With the election coming the day after Memorial Day, it’s going to be very hard to get people to vote on voting day. So we certainly want to encourage everyone to come out and vote early and don’t be like the democrats and vote early and often, just come out and vote.
Adela Garza: Well talk about voter ID, we need voter ID. But what’s interesting too, is that, and a lot of people identify with me, because in our county we hardly ever have Republican candidates. I told you we worked for Tony Garza, we had one candidate, that year he was the only Republican we had on the ticket. So if you want to affect your local government you go Democrat and you vote because sometimes he’s running as a Democrat, but he’s actually a Republican, so we vote Democrat. This year is a different story, because this year we have many Republican candidates, and it is exciting, it is exciting to see the committee's other choices and that if you are a true conservative you don’t have to run as a Democrat, you can run as a conservative and there’s others that are running as conservatives in Cameron County. We have conservatives, we have Republicans running for the JP races, for the sheriff, for the district attorney, for congress, so the ticket looks good and I’m excited about that.
Bob Price: Well in the contrast to that, the Democratic primary is pretty weak with candidates at this point, the presidential election has already been decided for them. The senate race is really not an issue, so there's really not a huge reason for people to vote in the Democratic primaries, so they might as well come over and vote Adela Garza.
Adela Garza: That’s what I keep telling them, cross over, they’re welcome and really because as Hispanics, we are conservative, we like to earn our money, we like to work hard, I know that my mother taught us work ethic, and we never went to ask for anything. We don’t want things given to us, we’re conservative, we’re Catholic, we’re very pro-life and we’re very pro-business, and we’re very tight with our money.
Bob Price: This would be a good chance for the Catholic voters to send a message to the Obama administration that they’re not going to put up with what he’s been trying to hold. Thank you very much for your time, I know you have some other places you have got to go today, and it’s a hectic schedule for a congressional candidate. We appreciate the time and look forward to speaking to you again as we get closer to the election.
Adela Garza: Thank you so much!
