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News Article: Salinas is in; Underdog candidate pulls off upset win
TRUE Leadership for Laredo - With the integrity you deserve and the progress you expect - The right man at the right time!
Raul Gonzalez Salinas (born November 8, 1947) is a private security consultant and a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who was elected mayor of Laredo, Texas, on June 17, 2006. A self-styled political outsider, Salinas defeated 8-year city councilman John Clifford Galo by almost exactly 1,000 ballots in a low-turnout election: 9,665 votes (52.75 percent) to 8,657 (47.25 percent).
In his victory statement, Salinas said, "All I can say is God bless the people of Laredo. I'm ready to report for duty." Salinas added that he wished his late mother could have seen his election: "Nobody thought I could have been an FBI agent, and we broke those barriers down. . . . Now, nobody thought I could be mayor, and here we are."
Galo had the support of seven of the eight members of the Laredo City Council as well as the backing of outgoing term-limited Mayor Elizabeth Garcia "Betty" Flores (elected 1998), but Salinas prevailed, having effectively used the slogan "Right Man, Right Time!" Galo spent over $500,000 on his campaign, while Salinas tallied some $100,000 in a lower-budget campaign. Salinas said that he could work with the opposition council members because he respected their right to support a sitting colleague in the mayoral race against him. The mayoral position is officially part-time, but Mrs. Flores maintained that she had devoted full-time to the duties. The city charter, which took effect in the administration of former Mayor Aldo Tatangelo, allows the mayor to vote to break a tie.
In the May 13, 2006, mayoral primary, Galo led with 7,654 votes (40 percent) to Salinas' 6,090 (32 percent). Three other candidates, former Republican Jaime "Cuate" Mendoza, Rene "Hazel" Gonzalez, and outgoing city council member Jose A. Valdez, Jr., divided the remaining 28 percent of the ballots. In the runoff, both Mendoza and Valdez supported Salinas, but Gonzalez remained neutral. Galo, a Laredo businessman, gained only 1,003 additional votes in the runoff, whereas Salinas increased his tally by 3,575 ballots.
According to his supporters, they contend that the majority in Laredo does not vote on a regular basis because it feels that elected officials are interested more for themselves than [for] you. You feel lied [to] and misrepresented. We can stop the corruption, the Patron Party [a reference to south Texas political bosses] . . . His supporters say they have a mayor who is not interested in these types of sneaky politics or corruption, but who is interested in the people.
Salinas was born in Alice, in Jim Wells County, one of the legendary machine counties of south Texas, which helped to make Lyndon B. Johnson a U.S. senator. Salinas worked odd jobs as a boy, including the delivery of newspapers. He often went barefoot because his family could not afford to provide him with shoes. He had to work to bring food to the family table. "I come from very humble beginnings. My parents lived in poverty. . . . All of us had to work," Salinas says in his campaign website.
Salinas is a paternal nephew of the Hispanic actress Carmen Salinas (born 1933).
When he was still in high school, Salinas contacted his congressman, Eligio "Kiki" de la Garza, II, a Democrat from Mission in Hidalgo County in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and told the lawmaker that he wanted to work in de la Garza's Washington office. De la Garza told Salinas to finish school first and then to contact him again. In 1968, Salinas went to work on de la Garza's staff. He handled constituent services and developed a weekly bilingual radio program for the congressman as a means of reaching out to his constituency. He left de la Garza' staff in 1970. Throughout the years, Salinas says that he considers de la Garza to have been his principal "role model and mentor." Therefore, it was the retired de la Garza (born 1927) who came to Laredo to administer Salinas' oath as mayor.
In 1970, Salinas obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in College Park. He also obtained an FCC broadcaster's license from the Elkins Institute of Broadcasters and Engineers in Dallas.
Salinas was a Washington, D.C., policeman from 1970 until 1975, when he joined the FBI. He came to Laredo in 1988, when he was transferred as a special agent from Washington. From 1997-2002, Salinas' FBI duties took him to the Office of Legal Attache of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. He was responsible for investigations into violent crime and terrorism, kidnapping, and background checks for FBI fugitive cases in Mexico.
Salinas says that he has worked with many people in government over the years, as a capital policeman and as an FBI agent, including Presidents Gerald R. Ford, Jr., and George Herbert Walker Bush and Vice Presidents Hubert H. Humphrey and Nelson A. Rockefeller, and FBI Directors William Sessions and Louis J. Freeh, Senator Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr., and Attorneys General William French Smith and Janet Reno. He did not meet Humphrey until the former vice president returned to the U.S. Senate in 1971. Salinas' police duties at the time required that he guard the former vice president. He also claims a friendship with President George W. Bush, (although he voted for U.S. Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts for President in 2004) who gave Salinas an award on his retirement from the FBI.
Salinas has pledged to establish liaison with the four educational entities in Laredo. He favors the building of a fifth bridge across the Rio Grande in a partnership with the city of Laredo and Webb County government. Betty Flores filed the paperwork for the proposed project. Salinas says that he respects "green spaces" and supports the "natural environment."
He has pledged to stop credit card abuse by city officials, some of whom have purchased expensive liquors at taxpayer expense, and to halt nepotism. He expects to boost the city infrastructure and alleviate traffic congestion. He opposes high tax appraisals coming from the Webb County Appraisal District. The district maintains that it is merely following state law with the annual appraisals, many of which increase by 10 percent per year. The state requires that property be appraised and taxed on the basis of recent sales of similar property in the area or neighborhood.
Salinas says that he will try to improve the Laredo municipal water system and explore a possible second water source. He has pledged to promote public safety by increasing the size of the police force and by maintaining proper equipment for municipal firefighters.
Salinas is married to Yolanda Salinas, who operates the International College of Cosmetology in Laredo.
Salinas presided over his first council meeting on July 3, 2006.
In a ceremony at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, Salinas became emotional: "I am so humbled by your faith, by your confidence, and the opportunity to be your mayor." He produced a "key" several feet long. "This is the key to the city. I present this key to you, the people of Laredo. This belongs to you. The mayor's office belongs to you," Salinas said.
Salinas and the council have created an ethics commission, which will establish guidelines for council members. They have also created a civil service commission to oversee hiring, firing, and promotion of municipal employees. "We have to be crystal clear we are going to abide by the law," Salinas said of the ethics commission. Both the ethics and civil service commissions will be placed on the ballot on November 7, 2006.
Salinas has also met with the families of those Laredoans missing in Nuevo Laredo but no progress has been forthcoming on the longstanding problem. He met with Nuevo Laredo Mayor Daniel Pena to work together on safety, commerce, tourism and international trade. Salinas said that international trade is the keystone of the two Laredos: "Nothing is vital to ensure that the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo crossing continues its reputation as the fastest and most professional land port between the two nations."
Salinas went to Austin in late August 2006 to the Border Coalition of Mayors, where he met with various U.S. and Mexican governors and mayors, including Democratic Governors Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Republican Governors Rick Perry of Texas and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. The governors of the four border states signed a letter urging federal lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform before the end of the year. Salinas spoke at the conference and praised the agreements that were reached, particularly the one on immigration reform.
On August 27, 2006 the Laredo Morning Times published an article describing growing tensions between Salinas and Councilman Gene Belmares, the lone Republican on the council (but elected on a nonpartisan ballot). Belmares, a former chairman of the Webb County Republican Party, objected when Salinas replaced him on the Legislative Liaison Committee with newly-elected member Mike Garza. Salinas said he desired "diversity" on the committees, with new members being given a chance to serve.
Belmares is believed to be considering a potential campaign against Salinas for mayor in 2010. Belmares was one of the six council members who supported Salinas' opponent, John Galo, in the mayoral race. On August 28, 2006, at the council meeting, Belmares accepted the changes made to the appointments. The council unanimously voted for the proposed changes. Salinas and Belmares each pointed out at the meeting that they had no hard feelings and pledged to work together for the betterment of Laredo.
In the August 29, 2006, council meeting, the members unanimously to freeze the property taxes for residents over 65 and the disabled. Salinas praised new District 3 Councilman Michael Landeck, the sponsor of the resolution. Salinas said that he favors freezing the taxes because the elderly are the ones most in need of tax relief.
The council also voted to move up the acquistion of funding for a proposed water park to 2007, instead of 2009. "I really want to move that project ahead," Salinas said. He predicted that the project, long pushed by Councilman Juan Ramirez, would bring tourists to Laredo.
On September 11, 2006, when the Minutemen came to Laredo, Salinas declared the group that seeks to halt illegal immigration "not welcome" in his city. Joining the group was U.S. Representative Steve King, an Iowa Republican who has long fought to halt illegal immigration into the United States through the Mexican border. Salinas claimed that the Minutemen's founder, Jim Gilchrist of California, was primarily promoting the sale of a book. Gilchrist, a former Constitution Party congressional candidate, described Salinas and populr Democratic state Representative Richard Raymond of Laredo, another critic of the Minutemen, as "corrupt politicians". Salinas fired back on Laredo's KGNS (NBC) television news on September 19, when he accused some of the Minutemen of having called him a "wetback" and a "dirty Mexican". Salinas said he is considering filing a lawsuit against the Minutemen for the alleged racial slurs.
In the September 18, 2006, council meeting, Salinas and Belmares clashed over what appeared a trivial matter: whether to allow United Independent School District officials to speak about the possibility of moving a traffic light in front of Alexander High School on Del Mar Boulevard between the Winfield and Alexander subdivisions. Belmares and Councilman Johnny Rendon objected to permitting school Superintendent Bobby J. Santos to speak because the pertinent agenda item merely asked for a status report on the light. Belmares said it is protocol to allow councilmen to obtain information: "My concern is the item isn't posted for discussion." Salinas replied that he was pledged to an "open and transparent government. . . There’s a new mayor in town, and I will not disallow anyone the right to speak."
On October 24, 2006, Mayor Salinas cast the tie-breaking vote on the city council to dismiss City Manager Larry Dovalina, who had held the top administrative position in the city since 2000. Previously, Dovalina had been the manager of the Laredo Civic Center. The council's action came as a surprise to many observers. No specific reason was given for the termination, but the manager serves at the will of the council. The action came after the council completed its annual evaluation of the manager. Deputy city manager Cynthia Collazo was named as Dovalina's immediate successor, pending a job search for a permanent replacement.
On Monday, November 20, 2006 Mayor Raul G. Salinas engaged in a landfill tour and garbage truck ride-along. The Mayor went and picked up trash in the southern part of Laredo, Texas.
In November of 2006 Salinas spent 98 hours on the rooftop of a local Wal-Mart to help raise toys for local needy kids in the annual Toys for Tejanitos program. This was Salinas' fourteenth year.
Throughout his term as Mayor, Salinas has been able to discuss Laredo's needs and concerns with many big name politicians, such as; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain; Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Richardson, and Janet Napolitano. Mayor Salinas continues working with many local, state, federal and international leaders to help fight crime and bring in jobs and moneys to the city of Laredo.
Salinas has been actively working together with County Judge Danny Valdez, Webb County Commissioners, State Representative Richard Raymond, Mexican governors and mayors, and Governor Rick Perry.
Raul Salinas For Mayor MySpace
