Ellie Endsley and James Carlos Cates are huddled together around a small table. Just down the hall from the kitchen in which they sit is the City of Edinburg’s Council Chamber and public hearing room.   There’s another couple in the kitchen – a man and a woman. They are huddled close, toying with empty… Read More

“I’m gonna help you guys out,” Gonzo Garza types. He is responding to a message requesting the Speaker’s financial assistance for a long-shot political project in West Texas. “Go see Trent Thompson in Midland, and follow up with me after you talk to him.”   After he sends his response, Gonzo continues reviewing messages that… Read More

“I don’t care if you’re black, white, brown, or yellow. I don’t care if you’re homosexual, heterosexual, or asexual. I don’t care if your family has been in the United States for generations, or if you just got off a boat from the far-east yesterday. If you wanna work hard, and you wanna make some… Read More

Gonzo waits patiently as the others finish reading Ellie Endsley’s proposal.   “The Speaker would like to stop by while you’re here, El, to thank you for all your hard work on behalf of the state’s independents. But his calendar is very full today, so we’ll just have to see.”   Endsley’s hands are folded… Read More

James Carlos Cates bends down and flips through the mid-20th century steel and iron signs leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs.   “Fresh brewed coffee”’ “Yes, we’re OPEN!” “SHELL” “Route 66”   Some of the signs are decaying so badly that the floor underneath them is dusted with rust.   He… Read More