Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Nick Jimenez - Beach-to-Bay is over, but port race is going strong

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Nick Jimenez

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Beach-to-Bay is over, but port race is going strong

This is a big weekend for folks who run for other reasons than because somebody is chasing them. Participants in yesterday's Beach to Bay Marathon are probably nursing sore muscles, tending to blisters, and applying balm to sunburned skin. In other words, they probably had a lot of fun.
   I love the event because it captures the essence of Corpus Christi. It makes teammates out of the most unlikely partners so that for one day they focus on beating "those other guys" over the 24-mile run.
   Political marathon
   The run is reflective of the politics that goes on around here. Take the Port of Corpus Christi marathon. Picture this Beach-to-Bay team photo: Attorney and port commissioner Ruben Bonilla, state Sen. Carlos Truan, and Nueces County Commissioner David Noyola.
   Who could have imagined a few years ago that a plaintiffs' attorney who was considered a rabble-rouser in some circles, a politician who seemed to draw strength from thumbing his nose at the downtown crowd, and a county politician whose child-support problems drew snickers, would be cheered on by the Town Club crowd? Bonilla, Truan and Noyola have formed the bulwark against the port commission takeover by "those other guys."
   The team photo of "Those other guys" would include County Judge Richard Borchard, Port Comm-issioners Ken Berry and Robert Gonzalez, and state Rep. Jaime Capelo.
   The marathon got underway when Borchard and the county commissioners appointed Yolanda Olivarez and Gonzalez. Quick as a wink, she, Gonzalez, and Berry instituted a coup and installed themselves in leadership roles. The downtown crowd and refinery row found themselves allied with Bonilla, someone they very likely associated with the other side.
   An even more unlikely teammate is Noyola. Until the vote on re-appointing former port commissioner Bill Dodge, Borchard was considered lord of the 3-2 votes at the commissioners' court. But Noyola broke that hold, getting Dodge reappointed over Borchard's vote. Noyola became a statesman as far as the downtown crowd was concerned.
   Consider those matchups, however, just the first legs of the marathon. What may be the final leg comes up this week, and it runs through Austin.
   Truan is trying to carry a measure that would expand the port district to include San Patricio County. The legislation is good policy. We need more of a regional approach to get things done for South Texas, and widening support for the port is a good place to start. The port is a self-supporting, pay-as-you-go operation, but if we ever do need to pass a tax-supported bond issue, better to have the biggest tax base we can get.
   Of course, in political terms, expanding the port has this additional benefit for the Truan-Bonilla-Noyola team: expanding the number of commissioners cuts the legs right out from under "those other guys" by reducing their influence.
   Bill bottled up
   Capelo, however, has bottled up the measure in the House Calendars Committee. If Truan's bill doesn't get out by Tuesday, it's dead.
   So we have the sprint to the finish. Truan, the dean of the Senate and lion of the Corpus Christi delegation, matched up against Capelo, whose seniority is the slightest among the local politicos in Austin.
   Capelo wants to amend Truan's bill to have the commissioners elected if the port is expanded, a sure killer for the bill.
   And who says there is no unity among our Austin delegation? This past week all but Capelo signed a letter urging the Calendars Committee chairman to move the bill out. The two teams are headed for the finish line. Their fans are cheering them on. The garland goes to the champion. But because this is Corpus Christi, the race is never quite finished and the teammates could all exchange colors and go around again, and again, and again.
   Nick Jimenez can be reached by phone at 886-3787 or by e-mail at jimenezn@caller.com.

Nick Jimenez can be reached by phone at 886-3787 or by e-mail at jimenezn@caller.com

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