SISD Trustee Paul Garcia, Gary Gandara & Fake Names

I can't believe I now have to turn around and defend Gary Gandara. I feel like I need to shower just writing this post - but what is right is right. 

And what is wrong, is wrong. 

And there appears to be a lot of wrong floating around SISD Trustee Paul Garcia since his election to the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees. 

A couple of days ago I had to write a rumor-killer blog about someone running around telling people in the valley that I was running Gary Gandara's campaign. I was being cool and didn't say who it was that was spreading that rumor - even though I confronted the person that was spreading it. 

The person that was spreading that rumor was none other than Trustee Paul Garcia. Turns out - Trustee Paul Garcia is behind a pretty elaborate effort to dislodge his colleague from the Board. 

Let me stop and explain that in almost every single district in El Paso County - incumbents stay away from the races of their colleagues. Even if they support their colleagues in spirit, they do so quietly. They almost never overtly oppose their colleagues or asset the effort to kick them off the board. 

 If you watch starting around the 10:11 minute mark of the last SISD school board meeting, you will see someone come up to the mic during public comment. He is identified as Rodrigo Martinez. He had to have done that himself as individuals wishing to speak during public comment have to identify themselves. He also made no effort to correct anyone when he was introduced during public comment. 

Martinez begins by saying that he is there on behalf of Socorro teachers, staff, parents and weirdly his aunt and uncle.

Martinez doesn't represent teachers, staff, or parents. Hell I can't even verify he was actually representing his aunt and uncle. 

Martinez then proceeds to use public comment as an opportunity to launch a series of personal attacks against Trustee Gary Gandara. And when I say personal - its a dirty as you can possibly get. He says that the public would like an answer as to what Trustee Gandara's relationship is with another elected official in El Paso County, other than professional. Essentially implying some sort of impropriety. This guy appears to be extorting Gandara in public by saying that text messages that he acquired will be not be released "until a couple weeks later, right before the election"...

That is an overt threat made in public. What is really awful about that is that Gandara has a family. This clown goes before the school board and implies there is some sort of other-than-professional relationship between Gandara and another elected official - who is not the person Gandara is in a relationship with. 

Now you're not just being an asshole - you're messing with the stability of a family - and no elected official signs up for that. Not even a Gandara.

Jesus - I'm defending a Gandara. Ugh.  

Using public comment to imply something like says more about the accuser than the accused. I made it clear why I don't support Gandara, and yes it was personal I admit. But it revolved around a policy and a vote as an elected official. 

Who someone does, or does not have a relationship is no one's business unless they are helping a relative in an official capacity. 

And quite frankly - its sexist. I hope they take legal action against the guy for that. 

Martinez then quotes a government code that prohibits school districts from electioneering for any candidate, measure or political party... Then he goes on to complain that Socorro AFT President Veronica Hernandez posted a video supporting Gandara on Facebook, implying that violated the statute he cited. 

The statue is real. But Martinez is such a dumb ass that he doesn't understand that the union isn't part of the school district. He doesn't understand that Hernandez is 100% within her rights to endorse Gandara or anyone else for that matter. 

But it is now pretty awkward because the Socorro AFT supported Paul Garcia in his race and is now supporting Gary Gandara. 

So this is the part where we have to pull over real quick because you know anything with the name "Socorro" is inherently a fucking shit show. 

And this is where shit is going to get really interesting. 

The guy launching the personal attacks against Gary Gandara is not named Rodrigo Martinez. The guy's real name is Daniel De La Cruz. He's a well-known ankle-biter in YISD.

Don't believe me? I thought not. Come on y'all - you know how this story ends. With screenshots. I always have screenshots. 

Turns out the REAL Rodrigo Martinez found out that De La Cruz used his name and isn't too happy about it. 

So why the fake name? Why go in front of a political subdivision you don't live in or pay taxes in and make unfounded allegations of a personal nature against a school board members and lack the testicular fortitude necessary to use your own name like a man?

De La Cruz is very well known in YISD. You know what I remember him most for? He's the guy that worse a customized T Shirt during What-a-gate when YISD Superintendent and Socorro ISD Superintendent were involved in a physical altercation. The media cast YISD Superintendent De La Torre exclusively as the bad guy in the story despite the fact that the Socorro ISD Super appears to have spent a large portion of the day imbibing (allegedly) with a majority of the school board trustees for the district.

YISD trustees punished De La Torre. SISD trustees - led by Paul Garcia - gave their superintendent a raise. 

Thats not opinion - that is 100% accurate about how that went down. SISD Trustees LITERALLY stood behind their super. 

Paul Garcia is a member of law enforcement and has told multiple people - elected officials - that he spoke to the officer that responded and the trustees he was drinking with that night to make sure they were all on the same page and turned it on De La Torre. 

Then De La Cruz starts going to YISD Board meetings harassing the superintendent and board members about the event - going so far as to wear customized t-shits. 

Funny how Paul Garcia is tied to the guy that went after De La Torre (De La Cruz) on command and then De La Cruz later goes after Garcia's rival on the SISD Board on command as well, isn't it. 

What a coincidence, amirite?

These are important questions - why did De La Cruz use a fake name? Why is Paul Garcia tied to him? What is their personal relationship? Why is Paul Garcia putting the Socorro ISD teachers' association in the position he is putting them in? Why is Garcia tied so closely to De La Cruz?

Why is there always so much drama surrounding Paul Garcia? Lol, go search his account on twitter...

De La Cruz is a big Trump supporter. Paul Garcia is a prominent member of the Border Patrol union that endorsed Trump. Maybe that is their connection?

Or maybe its personal?

If their connection is personal, I would have to be consistent and state clearly that it is none of our business and we should not speculate. 

Either way, people are growing tired of the fact that Paul Garcia is always connected to some sort of drama and are naturally questioning his motives.