By Juan Montoya
Trying to get a feel for where District 38 Texas Rep. Eddie Lucio III stands on President Donal J. Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy that results in the forcible separation of minors from their parents is like pulling teeth.
Up to now, Lucio III (or E3 as he is called), has limited himself to push for the legalization of medical cannabis and legalizing sports betting with a dose of breast-beating godliness in governance thrown in for good measure.
E3 has delayed issuing his stand on the universally-condemned policy of tearing children from their parents and housing them in cages, detention centers, and now, in a tent city in Tornillo, Texas as temperatures hover in the triple digits.
On Wednesday, an office staff person told us that that they were assessing the "conversation" swirling about the issue but that the state rep has delayed issuing a statement until he can assess which way the political winds are blowing.
The staffer did say that E3 would eventually issue a statement sometime before 5 p.m. today. With so many different viewpoints and the passions swirling around the matter, the staffer said that he thought that immigration was a federal matter.But when reminded that not only has congressman Fil Vela condemned Trump's polices, but that locally Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Mayor Tony Martinez and the City of Brownsville commission as well as other elected representatives have joined in the condemnation of the policies, he said E3 was with them and called the separation of minors from parents "horrible."
All this comes as we are reminded that E3 – until recently when the the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement cut off funding for International Educational Services – was getting a hefty salary and other compensation yearly as VP of of External Affairs/Legal Services for that outfit.
According to the IRS reports filed by IES, E3 received the following.
2014: $125,011, and $14,301 in other compensation
2015: $119,559, and $3,587 in other compensation
And what did IES do? They housed unaccompanied minors from Central America who had often been separated from their families and housed until they could be placed with other relatives or in foster homes.
IES is now in hot water with the feds trying to explain some $30 million in unaccounted funds. Will the federal government need the testimony of its VP Legal Counsel to straighten out the mess?
(Note: The IRS report indicates that E3 reported working 40 hours a week for IES for his pay. Between attending the legislative session and working for the various clients including Valley Crossing Pipeline LLC and various water districts, where did this hard-working public servant find time to put in a full 40 for his federally-funded pay?)
Just like daddy (Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.), E3 quickly distanced himself from the Valley Crossing Pipeline when environmentalists questioned his advocacy with the company.
"I don't represent LNG. There was a pipeline company completely unaffiliated with LNG that is just moving natural gas to Mexico,” Lucio said in an interview. “We have withdrawn as counsel, we heard some concerns from environmentalists,” he told News Center 23’s Marlane Rodriguez in an interview.
For the meantime, however – and since the gravy train is gone – E3 can decry the nasty Trump for separation children from their parents, especially since it doesn't pay him anything anymore.