Friday, March 28, 2008

Corpus Christi Watchdog Authority: A total of $507,500! Lawsuits against DMC by two former College employees and a student were settled out of court

Corpus Christi Watchdog Authority: Friday, March 28, 2008
A total of $507,500! Lawsuits against DMC by two former College employees and a student were settled out of court

Lawsuits against DMC by two former College employees and a student were settled out of court, for a total of $507,500.

Theresa Cox, former dean of Equal Opportunity/Affirmitive Action, Equity, Access and Compliance was awarded $450,000 after suing the college for wrongful termination, demotion, retaliation, and change in work assignments, according to the suit.

In another settlement stemming from a joint lawsuit against the college, citing civil rights violations, former student Melody Lopez received $7,500 and Alberto Benitez, former criminal justice instructor, received $50,000.

"Upon the advice and recommendation of the College's outside litigation counsel and its risk pool carrier, the lawsuits filed by former student Melody Lopez and former employee Theresa Cox were settled out of court to avoid additional expense and disruption of College business," Auggie Rivera, Counsel to the BOR, said.:

3 comments

Monday, March 10, 2008

This isn't corruption......Oh Yeah~ Define corruption; Be specific and your opine is just that , your opinion.

Caller.com Corpus Christi News and Information

Garcia fined for campaign finance violations

By Dan Kelley
Originally published 04:45 p.m., January 14, 2008
Updated 04:45 p.m., January 14, 2008

State Representative Juan Garcia has been fined $1,800 by the Texas Ethics Commission for campaign finance violations, including a failure to disclose $12,500 in campaign contributions.

The commission also found that Garcia failed to disclose information about out-of-state donors and violated rules that require candidates to list the occupation and employer for donors who give more than $500.

Garcia said the violations were technical difficulties that happened in the final days of a tough campaign.

“In the heat of an intense campaign, I know mistakes were made,” Garcia said. “My campaign from the beginning has been about transparency.”

The fine stems from a complaint filed nine months ago by former Nueces County Republican Party chairman Joel Yowell. It is the fourth complaint local Republicans have filed against Garcia and the only one to result in a fine.

“I’ve been confident all along they would make some sort of finding,” Yowell said. “I felt like he really violated some rules.”

Nueces County Republicans uncovered the unreported campaign contributions when examining the campaign finance reports from the Good Government Political Action Committee, a group run by trial lawyer Mikal Watts.

Mike Bertuzzi, current chairman of the county GOP, said the amounts reported by Garcia and those reported by the PAC didn’t add up.

“Mr. Garcia and his cronies apparently felt they were above the law and didn’t want Texans to know that his election was bought and paid for by liberal trial lawyers,” Bertuzzi said.

Garcia said there was no attempt to hide anything.

ArticleComments

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 4:53 p.m.

Wow.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 5 p.m.

Just when I thought he was doing a good job - Now this. Reminds me of the Gene Seamans ethics problem - Oh, but that was Gene's wife. Just goes to show you can't trust a politician.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 5:24 p.m.

WOW IS RIGHT. He didn't want us to know that he was bought and payed for by the biggest phony of them all:

MAURICIO CELIS!. Who will probably become our next convicted drug runner for the Mexican Cartel.

Juan Garcia, just give the money back. It sure would make you look more like an honest man.....which by the way was how you tore down your opponent Gene Seaman.

The letters on the front page of the Caller Times couldn't have been any bigger. GENE SEAMAN HAS TWO HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS!!! You would have thought the guy had committed murder or something.

I hope the Caller Times has big bold Black Letters in tomorrow's paper! Oh wait, they only do that to Republicans.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 5:52 p.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6 p.m.

The Garcia website says, “Let's pass strong campaign finance laws to limit the ability of special corporate interests to subvert our democratic process,” yet he is willing to subvert the process by not reporting Mikhail Gorbachev Watts, Inc.’s contributions. By the way Juan, the Texas Bill of Rights states, “The faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government.” We do not live in a democracy, it is a representative democracy. Also there you will find that, “All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit.” This means it was not established for a bunch of ambulance chasing plaintiff lawyers.

“Garcia said the violations were technical difficulties that happened in the final days of a tough campaign.” Yet, the order he signed says that, “This order and agreed resolution describes violations that the commission has determined are neither technical nor de minimis.” So he says they are technical problems but has signed a consent agreement with the Ethics Commission that admits that they were not technical. By the way, for all you victims of a government education de minimis is a Latin expression meaning about minimal things, that is to say that the law is not interested in trivial matters. This ain’t trivial.

Quick, call the surgeon; he is talking out of both sides of his mouth again! A little cheeky, wouldn’t you agree?

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:01 p.m.

Seaman claimed two homestead exemptions (illegally) while being a realtor and then blamed it on his wife.

Seaman illegally funneled campaign money through his wife so they could buy a lakeside condo in Austin.

Seaman is allegedly banned from certain areas in the Athletic club for improper behavior.

Seaman shilled for the insurance lobby helping keep home insurance rates high.

Republicans now pick someone who actually lobbied for increases in windstorm coverage after they have made cash hand over fist. Todd Hunter is Gene Seaman in a different suit.

I am happy with Rep. Juan Garcia's performance in Austin and the Coastal Bend and unlike Seaman, owned up to mistakes made unintentionally.

After three failed attempts denied by the state, it is time to move on Yowell.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:05 p.m.

The Republicans are no better, vote independent .

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:09 p.m.

To post #4. You use the word "nazi" in your comments. First capitalize the word and then look at the definition. You will find that Hillary and Obama both have a political philosophy that is called fascist. Now your homework assignment is to tell the teacher what the last great fascist political party called themselves. You learned that in school, I’m sure.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:11 p.m.

In the overall scheme of things - $12,500 seems like a pretty insignificant amount.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:12 p.m.

By the way - I believe Juan Garcia was one of the first to re-gift Celis' donation to a local charity. Might want to look that one up folks.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.

To post #7. We are on a roll here. What are "mistakes made unintentionally?" Are there intentional mistakes?

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 6:24 p.m.

Post 9, the answer to your question is "Republicans".
Hugs and kisses, Post 4.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 8:36 p.m.

post 11, the only thing Juan Garcia re-gifted was the 2000.00 givin to him for this years re-election campaign.

He hasn't given a red cent back of the thousands he received from Mauricio Celis and from Mikal Watt's Pac fund,....(which is another word for illegal campaign donations) from Celis again. Money made from the drug market. Money made on the backs of the drug cartels.

Smelly Smelly. Trial Lawyers and fake Trial Lawyers/fake cops. Juan should be so proud that he party'd with these boys on the campaign trail.

I can even see the image of Juan and Mauricio's photo op. You know there's a pic of them hugging out there somewhere. Maybe just maybe it will end up on the front page of the CC Caller Times this year.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 8:36 p.m.

someone call the waaaaaambulance...how long has it been since Garcia beat Seaman? Quit crying like little babies. Get over it. Get a life. Get a real candidate.

Republicans....you lost. Try again.

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 9:41 p.m.

Democrats......you cheated, try again. Everything you accuse the Repubs of doing, Demos turn around and do it even worse.

Since when do 2 wrongs make a right? Oh that's right, when your a DEMOCRAT! yeeee hAW!

Posted on January 14, 2008 at 9:59 p.m.

Congratulations Joel. Keep up the good fight my friend.

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 12:47 a.m.

Rules are rules, and if you can't play by them you ought not participate in the process. The problem is, the rules only apply to the honest man and woman, and the crooks are getting away with murder

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 12:51 a.m.

Post 19, wake up. Your hero confessed to violating the most basic rule of campaign finance. Failure to report a $12,500 contribution is flagrant and you are blind.

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 7:27 a.m.

He did not give back the Celis donation and that was widely reported. What does that say for him? I don't trust the lot of them!

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 8:09 a.m.

Post 7 - "Seaman claimed/Seaman illegally/Seaman is/Seaman shilled..."

Seaman also lost, remember? He no longer holds public office, remember? This is about Juan Garcia, remember? Are you trying to change the subject?

The problem here is that Garcia has been found GUILTY of the same things Seaman was ACCUSED of!

Politicians and political operatives are ACCUSED all the time by their opposition but GARCIA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY THE STATE OF TEXAS AND FINED!

Sorry but it's no longer just POLITICS once he's CONVICTED of doing the same things he ACCUSED his republican opponent of doing!

I wonder what other boogers are hiding in the woodpile out back???

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 8:38 a.m.

DIRTY POLITICS!take advantage & abuse our freedom of speech.
Can we hear something meaningful, good for our community, our country, our people? C'mon, ADULTS! Act your age, what's happening to INTEGRITY & RESPECT! This bickering, greed, jealousy, selfishness, narcisstic people thinking they're better than others! Nobody's better than others! It's what YOU make of YOURSELF-that's who & what you are. Give us SOMEBODY that can be trusted, that has created HIS image of WORTHY...is there someone out there.....hm,hm..Ltmethnk.....stilstnking....

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 10:47 a.m.

Dont politicians have some kind of "treasure-secretary" that's suppose to keep up with (financial things, paperwork, donations and who's who donating and expecting favors in return)?

Maybe the "treasure-secretary" of both the Seaman and Garcia camps need to be tarred and feathered?

Vote Independent for a non-criminal America.

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 2:15 p.m.

Juan Garcia's CAMPAIGN made a mistake. He is fined. He will pay. And he admitted the mistake.

He is a decent, upright, patriotic American. He has already performed magnificently for this state, and he will continue to have my confidence.

Posted on January 15, 2008 at 8:22 p.m.

He has come forward and hasn't denied any of this.
This shouldn't be turned into a scandal.

I'm sure that the contributors were private individuals supporting Garcia's cause and not bussinessmen/women that were lobbying for his vote.

He has done an excellent job in the House and we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

Bertuzzi didn't do this research for the sake of Corpus Christians and Rockportians, he did it for the sake of his party.

This isn't corruption.

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The Secretary of State cleared her to run.

I think these guys are going to learn a lesson or two....

from the attorney general down. The Secretary of State cleared Ms Garcia to run. If you read the AG opinion you will know what a crook this guy is when it comes to the little people. Carlos Valdez, I cant see how he would obtain Jurisdiction given there is no criminal act. This matter should be processed through existing administrative law.




A Voter Registration in Kleberg While Residing in Nueces?

The question is, which home was her domicile. I have been to her Apartment here in Corpus Christi, it sure looks like it is her primary residence.

I cannot imagine Carlos Valdez even having anything to do with this case, given his history with Mike Westergren and I am told with Joe Alaniz as well.

If Carlos Valdez prosecutes this lady, he is a fool.

I stand behind her.