La La Land

By: Nacho Libre

We have come to realize that the real trouble in our city is Privilege. Big boggus bolillos and their coconuts led by Alverez, in its ruthless pursuit of results, has the ultimate responsibility for the ills that confront us in our political, social, and commercial life. The scandals, the mordidas, etc., are simply symptoms of internal disorders. They are the eruptions of the disease called greed. 

Harlingen might be called the typical get-rich-quick community. 

Its great wealth is based on those that have the money can, and those that can’t teach. They work feverishly; they work in a frenzied scramble for success and sensation. To get rich quicker, they exact protection from Mayor Boswell. If the city government undertakes to deny their demands, they bluster first, then intrigue, then intimidate others by telling those how, and when to go ahead and approve millions of dollars for an Airport deal. 

Businesses are getting closed down; the “prosperity” of the city is threatened with the failure of the EDC led by Eddie Medrano, people so it seems are organized, funds are subscribed to a Centennial Celebration and a book that under represents 80% of the Mexican-American population of the city of Harlingen. What gives? When City Hall succumbs and a new major and new commissioners are elected into office come next May 2010. Does the process repeat itself? Only time will tell. 

In the meantime a city is up-reared. But this city is run for the benefit of its power hungry parasites, not for the comfort of its inhabitants. City boards are organized, ostensibly to serve the community with some people serving more than four boards like Jesse Robles. The big question is just what is in there for those poor wretches? Is it actually enabling a greedy group or person to make more money. Again, what cannot be gained by request is won by force and guile.

Over and over again the various processes are repeated. What wonder that weaker men, confronted by the colossal rewards of mordidas, are frenzied with the gold fever. Graft and greed are the minor watchwords of success. Get money, anyway–but get it. Is it surprising that cashiers graft, that commissioners graft, that city officials graft, that there’s a very pandemonium of graft? Isn’t it the way the other fellows get rich? If I’m wrong please pinch Pancho Pistolas’ butt and say three Hail Mary’s with him. 

All of a sudden the poison clogs the pores, and the infection blotches the surface–and every one is horrified. 

More startling still to the conquerors were the pitiless revelations of the survey by Bill Martin, exhibiting in mathematical terms the cost to the human factor of this monstrous material success. 

The old question–what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?–has been burned into the Harlingen humanity once again by Bill Martin’s survey. 

For several years the newspapers have carried stories about these successive scandals in Harlingen, until people have in a measure become confused as to how they connect, whether all are really parts of the same story or is it just a dream in la, la, land?.