After fooling a few local notables with my previous post, I must announce that DosCentavos.net is actually celebrating FIVE YEARS of existence this month!
Yes, right-wingers (and a few “Democrats” who don’t like me), I am NOT leaving the blogosphere. Far from it. DosCentavos will be around for a long time–I’ve actually left instructions in my will about who gets it next–that’s how long it will be around.
A little over five years ago, I wrote an op-ed piece that appeared in the Chron where I lambasted the Bush appointment of Al Gonzalez as AG. The skewering was even featured on a Sunday dueling with a V & E partner that defended Al Gonzalez. Well, DosCentavos is still here, and I doubt the V & E partner even wants Betito around. It was then when the thought of “DosCentavos” even existing began.
A few months later, I was invited to a “communications” meeting at Harris County Democratic Party HQ which had two of my good friends, Charles Kuffner and Greg Wythe, talking about “blogs.” I didn’t really know what the heck a “blog” was, other than thinking that it happens to people when they feel “irregular.” Nope, I was wrong. After reading their stuff, I looked around and found that locally there were no Latin@ bloggers, or bloggers who wrote from that perspective, whether it be in politics or culture. Then I figured, if these guys can do it…
Soon after, DosCentavos.net was born wreaking havoc throughout the liberal – progressive blogosphere and I am proud to have readers all over Texas, the U.S., and around the world–even some of our Men and Women in the Armed Forces.
It has been an amazing five years. I have made a lot of friends, a few enemies, and even some frenemies from various political campaigns and issues battles. Blogging has given me the chance to meet some pretty cool VIPs–some that I can call good friends, too. And I cannot forget my bloggin’ compadres and comadres, whether it be folks in the Texas Progressive Alliance, the Latino blogosphere, or others who are just entering “the field.”
And, believe it or not, it has also been good for business. I mean, c’mon, when a current judicial candidate who paid $1000 to an endorsing organization’s “push card program” states that my endorsement of the better candidate was bought (for a $40 ad on DosCentavos), well, I must be doing something right.
Actually, the blogging did cause a few candidates to come my way to boost the consulting side of things. Some of you have touched, received in the mail, or answered a call a push card, a direct mail piece, or a robocall I put together this year. And this includes working on the campaign of what could well be the only experienced, qualified Latina judicial candidate left to support–Julia Maldonado. I don’t think endorsing organizations and the self-proclaimed Democratic powers have thought of the historic nature of this campaign–and that’s shameful! Still, our job is to make that 44% of the vote 50%+ 1 because Julia is not only Latina, she’s the Wise…candidate in the race.
Well beyond the 2010 Democratic Run-Off, DosCentavos.net has a few bones to pick with so-called liberals. President Obama’s call for drilling up the coast for a few drops of oil has left this Chicano blogger quite disappointed. Comprehensive Immigration Reform should have been the next issue considering that NO OTHER ISSUE has attracted over 300,000 to Washington, DC. Latinos are watching and if Democrats want to win handily in November, they better start working on the issues that matter, rather than appeasing the right.
DosCentavos was not created to be an immigration blog, but it will be one if it needs to be because we have a human rights and economic stake in this as Americans.
On the cultural side, it seems the Tejano Music scene refuses to die, to the chagrin of Cowboy Leroy at the HoustonRodeo. With Tejano notables like Chente Barrera opening up his own indie record company (QVo Records) and even utilizing online portals to release the music to the market (MP3s), Tejano will continue coming back and DosCentavos will continue following it and reporting on it. Because just like health care reform, La Cultura is also a big f*****g deal!
So, thank you to my readers and friends who have supported DosCentavos.net from the beginning. To those I “fooled” today with my abrupt blog-ending-post, my apologies–but I got you good, Y’Honor! (See Facebook).
I do have plans for a little happy hour with friends to celebrate DCs Cinco. Stay tuned!
I’ve got lots for which to be thankful in 2010.
Meet Toni Medellin, the Diversity Chair for the Democratic Party in Denton County. According to Medellin her main responsibility is to appeal to people who are not well represented within the party. “The Democratic Party is a very diverse group, but, if you look at the leadership, it may not look so diverse. My job is to find voters and candidates, especially people of color; women, minorities, under-represented groups and invite them to become more active,” she said, “We know they (the under-represented groups) are our constituencies, but they’re not necessarily in leadership positions.” Medellin is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and Rutgers University School of Law, in Camden, New Jersey. She is married to Ben Briseño and they have a 23 year-old son, Benny. The family moved around the country while her husband was in the oil business. Her law career began in Oklahoma where she worked at a non-profit organization that advocated for people with disabilities and then eventually for a large law firm in Houston, before moving to South Denton County.
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