Craddick Ds and pockets of poverty

by: Al Stanley

Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 20:54:20 PM CST

www.city-data.com...

It is a list of the hundred "least-educated" "cities" in the country. The level of education is measured by the percentage of people with high school diplomas or college degrees, and "city" is defined as a place with a population of 5,000 or more. Many are merely "census-designated places" rather than actual cities. The "least-educated city" list, of course, signifies much more than educational attainment level. The cities and places tend to be low-income, low-opportunity and isolated--they are pockets of poverty--the poorest of the poor. Fifty-four are in California, 24 are in Texas. All those in Texas are heavily Hispanic.

Of the 24, half are represented by Craddick Ds:

(I am not including Soccoro in the above list, because only 1% is represented by Craddick DNorma Chavez.)

Looked at by representative:

Flores: 9% La Homa, Plainview South, Hidalgo, Abram-Perezville
Guillen: Rio Bravo, Roma
King, T: Eidson Road, Crystal City
Lucio: Cameron Park
Peña: 11% Alton North, Nurillo, Elsa

In other words, five Craddick Ds represent half of the least-educated places in Texas. Flores and Peña represent three or more.

Let's take a look at the remaining 14 places and who represents these (remember Alton North and La Homa are only partly represented by Craddick Ds):

Alton North (Gonzales 89%)
La Homa (Gonzales 90.8%)
San Elizario (Quintanilla)
Homestead Meadows South (Quintanilla)
Canutillo (Haggerty-an "anybody-but-Craddick R)
Fabens (Quintanilla)
Socorro (Quintanilla 99%)
South Houston (Noriega)
Falfurrias (Escobar)
Jacinto City (Hernandez)
Raymondville (Escobar)
Robstown (Herrero)
San Juan (Martinez, A.)
Galena Park (Hernandez)

by representative:

Escobar: Falfurrias, Raymondville
Gonzales: 89% Alton North, 90.8% La Homa
Hernandez: Jacinto City, Galena Park
Herrero: Robstown
Martinez, A: San Juan
Noriega: South Houston
Quintanilla: San Elizario, Homestead Meadows South, Fabens, Socorro

Haggerty (R): Canutillo

Of these seven "loyal Ds" (and one ABC R); Quintanilla represents four of the places; Escobar, Gonzales and Hernandez represent two each.

I find the association between the Craddick Ds and this list striking. Perhaps it merely indicates that the division between Democrats is greatest along the border. I find it hard to put out of my mind, though, and I'm interested in what others think.