Charlie Garza & Eliot Shapleigh

Generally you don't see elected officials other than governors and presidents use their investiture as an opportunity to make a long drawn out speech about policy or tone of their administration.

Charlie Garza has visions of grandeur and treated the event like he was just elected to congress. I guess I can understand why. He's tried to run and usually loses, but he chose a Republican district to run in this time and he was finally able to win this time. So of course, he treated it like it was being enshrined somewhere.

As far as speeches go, it was one of the most boring I've ever heard, and that's saying a lot because I have heard some really bad speakers in my day. He spent a great deal of time patting himself on the back, but if you know Charlie Garza, that doesn't surprise you.

But there was a certain level of genius in Charlie's speech. He did something that I personally think isn't advisable, but it will still have an impact. He basically decided to step in front of the bullet for the EPISD Board and Dr. Garcia.

Ultimately its Dr. Garcia that will be on the hook for what's going on over there, but Garza decided he was going to put himself between Eliot Shapleigh and the the district. Garza produced a report from the Texas Education Agency that says that Shapleigh's allegations are unfounded.

So the State of Texas is basically saying that Sentator Shapleigh is full of it.

But, there is a federal investigation going on in to the allegations and it remains to be seen what, if any findings come from the feds.

Frankly I don't know why Garza jumped out in front of this one because if Shapleigh turns out to be right, Garza is going to have some big time egg on his face.

Nonetheless, it signals that Garza plans on being a hands-on kind of guy. It also shows a little bit of character on his part. I mean, I don't think anyone would blame the guy if he decided to focus his time on the rest of the very large district he represents. After all, El Pasoans didn't support his bid. He lost in El Paso county by a pretty wide margin. So kuddos to him for putting that aside.

Interestingly, sources on the EPISD school board indicated that Senator Shapleigh wants Dr. Garcia fired as the Superintendent of EPISD. Garza is now stepping in and taking a bit of the pressure off of Garcia.

Just about everyone I've talked to at EPISD say this is largely just a personal beef that Shapleigh has with Garcia, but with Garza jumping in the fray, it gives Shapleigh something else to shoot at for a while.

Once the dust settles and the feds come out with findings, we'll see who ends up being the last man standing. This was always on the gamble of part of Eliot Shapleigh. If he's right, he can milk it for all its worth and use it to position himself for whatever he wants to run for. If he's wrong, he risks looking like a bitter ex-politician out to settle some scores and pursue personal vendettas.