Ben Reyes, the one-time “Godfather of East End politics,” is poised to return to the political scene in the city of Houston, and Chronicle seems to like that idea. Reyes has spent 10 years in prison, convicted along with Port Commissioner Betti Maldonodo of bribery charges — bribes that John Castillo, John Peavy, and Michael Yarborough were not convicted of having received, despite two trials. To refresh everyone’s memory:
The road to prison began with an FBI sting operation in August 1995. Reyes eventually was sentenced for bribery and conspiracy in a cash-for-votes scheme to influence a city contract for a then-unbuilt convention-center hotel project. Reyes took a $50,000 cash payment from undercover agents and was taped attempting to persuade former council cohorts to take bribes, as well. Three sitting council members also were tried, but after two hung juries prosecutors dropped the charges.
Yes, that’s the same convention center that is now a part of my pension. Fortunately, it’s doing well for now, despite Houston having the highest car rental prices in the nation (thanks to the taxes to pay for all those sports arenas) and some of the highest hotel rates in the nation (also thanks to the taxes to pay for all those sports arenas).
He’s still got some friends, and unsurprisingly, one of them is John Castillo.
“He happened to have gotten in the cross hairs of government, like we all did,” said Castillo, who was a steadfast ally. As for Reyes’ future, Castillo said, “You don’t know what happens to a man who has been out of the community for eight years. I’m glad he is going to be able to take that yoke off his back and pick up the pieces. He is a strong man with strong convictions and a good instinct.”
Reyes’ former allies said if he had been on the political scene the past eight years, he could have provided wisdom, knowledge and experience.
Another good friend is Marc Campos, the #1 political consultant in East End politics.
“There ought to be forgiveness for any sins he’s committed,” said political consultant Marc Campos. “He knows politics, he knows people. I don’t think there was anyone as good as he was in our community. I’ve thought often how our politics would be if this hadn’t happened. There’s been a certain passion that has been missing in the local Latino community and political structure. We’re behind. We have a lot of growing to do.”
Hold that thought, please…. And yet another good friend:
“He was a trailblazer,” said state Rep. Jessica Farrar, who was Reyes’ chief of staff when he served on council. “He was tenacious. He was resourceful. He had a brilliant mind. He was a mentor to everyone in Hispanic politics today. In some way they are connected to him.”
I know that Anglos and African-Americans are just as bad about corruption in government, but you’d think Hispanics would be a little more sensitive about playing to stereotypes of corrupt Latin American politicos, with nicknames like El Patron, and support for a disgraced politician. Talk about needing to grow! I suspect that perception explains some of the opposition to Orlando Sanchez, not that I like him either.
Not that everyone follows the Godfather’s lead, or did even before he went to jail:
But political power inevitably creates enemies. In the early 1990s, Reyes lost two close bids for the 29th Congressional District seat that had been carved to elect a Hispanic to the U.S. House from Houston. Helped partly by former Reyes friends who had become his political foes, state Sen. Gene Green, an Anglo, won the seat and still holds it.
One of those foes is his most recent successor in District I, Carol Alvarado, who backed Gene Green. Perhaps he gave her some advice she didn’t like, such as, “mind the store, Carol.”
“She’s good at relationships and constituent services,� [former councilmember Gabriel] Vasquez says. “But in terms of the functional responsibility of managing the budget, preparing the budget and understanding the whole function of being a mayor-in-training, she’s not so good.�
But it’s rather curious that the Chronically Biased’s opinion on the law has done an abrupt about face in the last few days. From last week, talking about convicted felon Marc Hoskins, elected to Galveston City Council:
According to information on the Internet site for the Texas secretary of state’s office, which oversees elections, the Texas Election Code “generally provides that to be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or appointed to, a public elective office, a person must have not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities.”
A person who has fulfilled a sentence and been discharged can vote again, according to the state Web site, which cautions that for felons “there is no automatic restoration of the right to be a candidate, as there is for voting purposes, after a full discharge. Absent a pardon, the candidate must have obtained a judicial release from his or her disabilities in order to run for any office to which this section applies.”
From today’s editorial:
State law is ambiguous about whether a felon can hold public office, and there is nothing in the terms of his release to prevent him from seeking one.
And yesterday’s article:
Nothing in his release conditions prohibits him from holding office again, and state law is somewhat ambiguous on the issue.
Odd, how the law has suddenly become ambiguous about this humble family man.
Judging by his first press interview since his imprisonment, the man who some credit with inventing modern Hispanic politics in Houston hardly resembles the foul-mouthed, boastful manipulator who was taped by the FBI setting up a council colleague for a bribe. Reyes told the Chronicle’s Kristen Mack he accepts the blame for his crimes. “I’m sorry for what my friends and family had to go through. … It was a flaw in my character that I’ll take to my grave.”
And it doesn’t matter, after all, since Houston is squeaky clean now!
Since Reyes was caught in a federal bribery sting, term limits have reduced the power of entrenched council members to influence the awarding of city contracts, as well as lobbyists’ ability to sway council votes. Ethics legislation and a municipal inspector general discourage official misconduct.
Let me just point out that the Chronicle’s reasoning is backwards: when you’ve got three terms to make your mark and prepare for higher office, and you have to pay for three campaigns in those six years, the influence of lobbyists is tremendously enhanced. Council members know they can’t build a political base in city politics, so they have to play ball and make as many, “friends” and “business contacts” as they can. Individual voters be damned, the city be damned, the future be damned. I’ve watched this game ever since Clayton Wright persuaded enough people to vote for his delusional solution, and the city is much the worse for “hiring short-timers” to run it.
But somehow, I don’t think that’s why the Chronicle supports bringing back a disgraced retread from the past.
If he is sincere and remorseful, the man once called “El Patrón” should be welcomed back into the civic life of the city to which he once contributed many positive achievements. However, anyone expecting him to reclaim his past clout will be disappointed. Houston and its Hispanic leaders have long since outgrown the need for a godfather.
No, no, he’s just a harmless old man, nothing to see here, move along….
