Can't get enough of chubby 60-something men making painfully off-color anecdotes at legislative events? Been awhile since you've watched the iconic footage of Gene Seaman's now-legendary floor speech on Viagra?
This week House challenger Todd Hunter managed to forge the bonds of creepiness with Seaman in an appearance at a candidate’s forum in Corpus Christi.
Asked about the relative value of seniority in the Texas Lege, Hunter thought the appropriate response would be "size matters." As the footage from the event shows, the audience of Leadership Corpus Christi alumni react with a stunned and deafening silence.
It gets even better.
After the Corpus Christi Caller-Times wrote a Sunday piece describing the bizarre awkwardness of the moment, the Hunter campaign's nimble response was to release an 843-word press advisory desperately trying to spin the concept that this had nothing to do with sexual innuendo. They pathetically try to point out the term "size matters" could have meant all kinds of things, and as examples, they refer to the use of the term "in title of a Playstation 2 video game; it’s the name of a clothing store for big and tall men in Philadelphia; it is a album title by the band Helmet"
Well here's album cover from Helmut (it has no sexual innuendo at all, right?):
As local political scientist Bob Bezdek told the Caller-Times in yet another story on this bizarre incident, "My God, why would you put that much effort into it? If I had said something I didn't mean to say, I'd apologize."
What's with these creepy old guys and their obsession with their junk? Shouldn't Hunter, who endorsed Seaman last cycle, raised money for him, hosted events for him, and took part in his TV ads, shift his focus to thinking about how he's going to defend taking nearly $4 million dollars as a windstorm lobbyist when the Coastal Bend is paying the highest windstorm rates in the nation?
We aren't trying to write about HD-32 every day, but man Todd Hunter is bad guy and horrid candidate. In three days, he has made at least three major errors-- lying to voters, attacking a decorated veteran, and concealing important documents from voters.
In the same week that Nueces County GOP Chair Mike Bertuzzi questioned the "worthiness" of State Rep. Juan Garcia's donation to the Center for the Intrepid (the nation's premiere rehabilitation facility for our most seriously injured, burned and maimed service personnel) because, get this, the facility is not in Rep. Garcia's District (not joking, see the Caller Times), challenger Todd Hunter showed how little regard he holds for military service.
During their first head-to-head debate, the two were asked by an audience member whether they would make their tax records available to the media. Garcia immediately committed to unconditionally releasing the tax records. In a bizarre answer captured on video, an indignant Hunter snarled "you won't get my wife's" (reminiscent of Garcia’s last opponent and Hunter’s supporter Gene Seaman and his hiding of a luxury Town Lake condo kept in his wife's name but paid for with campaign contributions), and then made the release of his own tax returns conditional on Rep. Garcia releasing his military records.
Hunter never served in the military, but has no shame in apparently searching for ways to turn someone else's service against them. Ironically, Garcia, a decorated naval aviator who spent 13 years on active duty and continues to serve as a naval instructor pilot in the reserves at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, will be promoted to the rank of Commander in June, and was just selected to take command of the VT-28 Squadron Augment Unit in October.
District 32 contains NAS Corpus Christi, Naval Station Ingleside, the Corpus Christi Army Depot, and many residents who commute to nearby Naval Air Station Kingsville. They honor military service. A big part of Garcia's 2006 victory was due to the reality that the bonds of sacrifice and service run deeper than partisan affiliation. Chickenhawks like Bertuzzi and Hunter are further proof that this GOP has lost touch with voters and that Garcia is going to win again.
Sour grapes are funny things. After the amazing victory by Juan Garcia over Republican Gene Seaman in the Coastal Bend in 2006, local republican officials just cannot come to grips with reality. Repeatedly, the Nueces County GOP apparatus continues to swing wildly into the air, hitting nothing and looking like fools.
First, since his win, four frivolous ethics complaints againt Rep. Garcia filed by local GOP officials have been dismissed by the Ethics Commission.
Second, former Nueces County Republican Chair Joel Yowell filed a massive public information request of Rep. Garcia’s State Representative office, including every email, phone call and employee document ever generated by the office. After Garcia's staff was forced to burn dozens of taxpayer-paid man-hours complying with his request, Yowell sent the records back unopened, simply changing his mind. Yowell gave no reason for his sudden change of heart. I suspect he is afraid of what happens if we peer into his house.
Third, in an even more bizarre episode, Republican staffer and campaign consultant, Todd Gallaher, got caught using state computers for campaign work, created an email account designed to look like it was from Rep. Garcia and tried to blackmail a sitting Coastal Bend Sheriff. Later, he lied to an ethics watchdog group who filed a complaint against his boss by claiming to be Dallas Morning New reporter.
This week, Mike Bertuzzi, current Nueces County Republican Chair, sent out 20,000 mailers attacking Rep. Juan Garcia for not returning campaign contributions given by Corpus Christi businessman Mauricio Celis. Not surprisingly, Bertuzzi, the ring leader of this bumbling "gang that couldn't shoot straight", didn't bother to check his facts.
Last January, Garcia donated the Celis money to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which serves severly injured American service personnel from South Texas.
The “Center for the Intrepid” serves military personnel who have been catastrophically disabled in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and veterans severely injured in other operations and in the normal performance of their duties.
Here is clip of Rep. Garcia addressing the local media on the false mailers:
In the infinite wisdom that is the Texas Department of Transportation, the department is set to propose to the US Congress that limits on setting tolls on highways be removed, according to TollRoadsNews.
Under the guise of such a flowerly reporting entitled "Forward Momentum: Recommendations to reduce congestion, enhance safety, expand economic opportunity, improve air quality, and enhance the value of Texas' transportation assets. A report to the 110th Congress, 1st Session" dated January 25 2007", TxDOT proposes that private equity become the primary resource for funding of highways. Note this is not only designated for new highways. The plan calls for "states to be able to buy back interstate segments by reimbursing the federal government its past contributions." Essentially, the state will be able to toll existing highways.
This is one of the bolder statements by the pro-toll road contingent lately. First, tolls were needed to "build roads faster". Now tolls are needed to pay for them in their entirety. The "builds roads faster" fib of course can be countered by the example of Austin's own TX45SE, which is a bypass that will begin north of Georgetown and resume on I-35 south of Austin. The road was originally slated to be opening this month when the contract with Zachary that was signed in 2004. However, the construction has just begun and is now slated to open in 2008. (Oh by the way-- wasn't the TTC supposed to relieve the I-35 corridor of the heavy traffic? So why does Austin need a toll road bypass?)
All the while TxDOT is wanting to toll the heck out of Texas, it is even going so far as to toll people who do not even travel on these roads. Tolling is supposed to be a "usage fee". However, Ms. Granny O'Neill has been getting her bill in the mail for traveling the new Loop 49 in Tyler. Unfortunately, Granny lives in Corpus Christi and doesn't even know where Tyler is. The new video toll collection idea (which uses video capture of license plates, and then either debiting your toll tag account, or mailing you a bill) doesn't seem to be panning out for roads such as TX 121 and Loop 49.
By all appearances the beginning of transponder/video tolling has gone smoothly. At least there is no flurry of public complaints. The dark secret of video tolling is that in the early days at least quite a lot of motorists simply don't get billed because their license plate wasn't properly photographed or the motor registry database lookups didn't work, and who is going to complain about not getting a toll bill?
Of course screwups are almost inevitable and the complaints and bad media will come from Granny O'Neill in Corpus Christi who gets a Tyler toll in the mail though never having been within a hundred miles of the place her whole life, "Never even heard of the darned place, where is it?" but whose license plate happens to have one character different from some Tyler resident.
Give it time for the Granny O'Neill stories to surface.
So as you can see, TxDOT is looking to get its money any way it can, even if it means robbing old ladies blind and sticking them with a $1 surcharge to boot. How long will it be before they steal candy from babies in the name of progress and clean air?
Hot September day, free ice cream advertised for weeks in local papers, large convention center rented, and an opportunity to meet CondoGate superstar Gene Seaman.
Any guess on how many people show up?
If you answer is around 15 people then you are right!
Seaman had a 'ice cream social (if you don't know what that is ask your grandparents) at the Paws and Taw Convention Center in Fulton, TX yesterday and almost no one showed up. My God, I could flag down more people off the street than that.
After being on the front cover of the Caller Times threedifferentdays for illegally claiming two homestead exemptions and laundering campaign contributions through your wife, who can blame people for not showing up. Seaman will want to blame everyone (including his wife) for this scandal. However, let's be clear, the only person to blame for this is Gene Seaman himself.
He claims to be a land developer so he cannot plead ignorance to homestead laws. He's been in the Lege for almost ten years so he cannot plead ignorance to knowing that you CANNOT use campaign contributions for personal enrichment.
Incompetent or Corrupt or Both. You decide.
Let's see what people in the Coastal Bend are saying today:
Bad sign I remember the time when Clayton Williams refused to shake Ann Richards' hand and made the statement that women "should lay back and enjoy" a rape. My first thought was: "He just lost the election," which he did.
Rep. Gene Seaman's contention that his payment of $44,000 to his wife and the "misunderstanding" about the double-dipping on the homestead exception was his wife's fault gave me the same feeling. He just lost his re-election bid.
He is probably not too concerned, since he stated a few days ago that "for the $600 a month he gets as a state representative he might as well go back to selling insurance." If that's what he wants to do, I am sure Juan Garcia can accommodate him.
Just a suggestion to future male politicians, if you doing something illegal or crooked, own up to it and don't throw your wife under the bus. It makes you look like a coward and crappy husband.
CondoGate superstar, Gene Seaman, attended the Dedication Ceremony for the Global War of Terrorism Monument in Corpus Christi yesterday. The Keynote speaker was Gov. Rick Perry (yes, he did use this speech to slip in campaign language, pathetic - bleh).
Seaman slinked around the event like he was the unpopular kid who came to prom without a date. While everyone was chatting with their neighbor, no one came by to even say boo.
Seaman was not even allowed to sit on the stage with Gov. Hairball. Perry barely looked in his direction. He sat the entire event with no one within a seat of him. It was like he was carrying Ebola or leprosy. Actually, I think it was the Perry staffers who kept him away from the Gov. It looked like they were ready to tackle him if he came near Perry. Instructions: Keep him out of my hair. To add insult to injury, while local dignitaries and special guests were being recognized by name (city council, active military, police chief, deputy police chief, cub scout leaders), Seaman was not acknowledged even though he was sitting in the front row. Literally in the front row. Dead center.
Burn.
I don't blame Ricky for distancing himself. His poll numbers are looking worse and worse. Last thing the Gov. needs is to be involved in a TAX EVASION SCANDAL. He's got a plenty of scandals. Go CHRIS GO! Pssst, hey Eugene... take the hint... there is no value in being anywhere near you...you are now officially a liability.
At the unveiling, Gene Seaman stood around the monument waiting for someone to invite him into the pictures. No takers. Guess you can always go home to your wife.
Being caught cheating on your taxes & funneling campaigin contributions back to yourself: 10,000 votes
Having to repay back taxes you owe to the county for restitution: thousands of dollars
Blaming the entire scandal on your wife: Priceless.
Two simple rules: 1) Texas law forbids using campaign contribution for personal enrichment like buying yourself a condo. 2) You can only claim one (1) homestead tax exemption. To claim more than one is illegal.
Real World Rule #1: Unless you like sleeping on the couch, don’t throw you wife under the bus for something you did.
In an ever expanding scandal where Legislators are being caught funneling campaign contribution back into their accounts through their spouses, current representative for HD 32, Gene Seaman (R-Corpus Christi) is finding himself at the center of the storm.
FACT PATTERN 1: The "Rent to Own" Scheme
Gene Seaman’s wife, Ellen Seaman, bought a condo with cash on Town Lake in Austin in 1999. She has a front company called Austin Land Co. This front company is not registered with the Secretary of State thereby hiding the true owner(s) of this property. Gene Seaman has paid over $126,000 from campaign contributions to pay his wife rent and condo dues through Austin Land Co. Austin Land Co. mailing address is the condo’s address (guess that make dropping off “rent” easy).
If you weren’t doing anything wrong, why would Seaman go through all the trouble to hide that his wife was receiving a monthly check from the campaign fund? So who gets the blame for this? The wife, of course. From an early report from Texas Weekly “he puts the blame squarely on the candidates wife: ‘Ellen owns the property, she made an honest mistake and was totally unaware of it until you raised the question. This is not a Gene Seaman mistake’” Nice. I can see it now, “Honey, while you are out can you pick up some more Ensure and…. take the fall for my total lack of moral center and integrity.”
I am sure that the Insurance PACs that have given him almost $300,000 do not have a problem giving for his mortgage and ultimately to his personal checking account. However, I have real trouble believing that Joe-Donor likes to think of his contribution should go to paying for the mortgage on Seaman’s luxury condo on the lake.
I have a question for the taxman. If Seaman sells the condo, will he report the sale as income since he’s pouring campaign contributions into the equity of the condo or he will play dumb, not pay taxes by saying it non-taxable event. Does Seaman depreciate the value the condo since they claim its a rental property? I thought it was a homestead?
(I'm doubting this will be the last of possible candidates to express interest in HD-33. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Update: She is not running. I just got off the phone with Gloria and she said, "I am totally flattered and overwhelmed but this is not the right time for me to run. I am very grateful and thankful to all who considered me as a possible candidate."
Much ado has been raised about prospective candidates for the soon to be vacated seat (HD-33). On everyone’s short list is the son of the local congressman and a high school principle who was just reassigned for still unknown reasons.
A new name has risen up from all the speculation. The possible candidate’s name is Gloria Perez. I met Gloria around the campaign trial in Corpus Christi and I instantly liked her. It may be because she was volunteering but as I discovered more about her, the more I was impressed.
A quick evaluation of her life shows that she is testament the American dream that hard work can overcome obstacles and lead to a successful life professionally and personally. Gloria, now in her early 50s, was a young mother when she had her first child.
“Perez became a single parent at age 18. As my friends were going off to school, I didn’t have that option,” she says. “I wasn’t going to have my parents help me because I felt I needed to accept my responsibility. I was going to take care of my daughter myself so I needed to go to work.” Southwestern Bell gave Perez the portal she needed to begin a successful 29-year career with the company.”
Perez also relocated several times across Texas to climb the corporate ladder, including moves to San Antonio, McAllen, Harlingen, Laredo and Corpus Christi. “I had to move every time I was asked because it was the only way I could advance. But, there were sacrifice”
Since retiring from the telecommunications industry two years ago, Perez has put her energy full-time into her own three businesses, which fall under Asiel Enterprises, Inc. She’s also looking at a fourth business–a partnership that would offer small business owners discounted corporate services under one umbrella, including payroll, insurance, safety, job training, tax preparation and other services that many small businesses can’t handle or sometimes can’t afford.
She has led a life of example. She is a Latina woman done well for herself and her family. I want a representative that understands the value of hard work and knows the difficulties of trying to raise a family and be a professional.
