Published: 10-31-08
Momentum Builds for Hunter as Garcia Attempts To Deflect The Heat
CORPUS CHRISTI – State Rep. Juan Garcia has missed 100 percent of his interim committee meetings in 2008 even though the hearings involved critical issues ranging from rural economic development to veterans health issues.
Agendas and committee minutes from the Texas House of Representatives confirm Garcia’s attendance record. They can be found at www.house.state.tx.us.
Garcia who serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Defense Affairs and State-Federal Relations Committee has yet to explain his awful attendance record.
“He can not hide from his record” said Hunter. “He has not shown up at any of the 2008 committee hearings and his spotty attendance during the session left District 32 without a voice on important issues.”
Voters in District 32 have been known to call the state representative “No Show” Garcia because of his failure to show up for meetings with constituents and because he is often late for events where he usually leaves early.
In 2007 Garcia missed 41 percent of the House Agriculture Committee meetings and was late for or missed about 33 percent of the meetings of the House Defense Affairs and State-Federal Relations Committee.
The 2008 absences came as the two committees discussed important interim charges dealing with a variety of issues important to farmers and ranchers as well as defense issues critical to the region.
“As a member of the Texas House for 22 years I cannot stress enough the importance of attending committee hearings” said former State Rep. Hugo Berlanga of Corpus Christi. “People expect the person they elect to be there and vote their values. Mr. Garcia not only doesn’t vote the values of his district he doesn’t share them.”
