Plaque change draws sharp criticism

By JOE BOCANEGRA
Special to the NEWS

A proposal to change information on a plaque located at San Benito’s new Veteran’s War Memorial drew sharp criticism Tuesday.

Members of the Veteran’s Advisory Board first attempted to meet on Friday to discuss changing the date etched on the plaque from “2011” to “July 4, 2011”; however, the meeting was postponed until Tuesday as a result of an agenda not being posted for said meeting.

It was at Tuesday’s rescheduled meeting that the proposal to make the date change irked board member Sandra Tumberlinson, who asked if by making such a change would Jack Garcia’s name be left off the plaque as mayor – this since Joe H. Hernandez was serving as mayor at the time of the memorial’s official dedication on July 4. Fellow board members Charlie Wilson and Victor Garza, chair, did not respond.

Also attending the board meeting was Mayor Joe H. Hernandez, who adamantly advocated making the change to the date, primarily because it presented “the wrong information” and because it was not officially approved.

Still, the proceeding continued and the discussion became heated when Tumberlinson and Garza argued with the former contending that there was “no need to change history.” Tumberlinson suggested instead that an additional plaque should be added with whatever information Hernandez, Garza and Wilson chooses to add.

Wilson declined the suggestion of the additional plaque and set forth the motion to “correct the information” on the plaque in question. The motion was seconded by Garza then approved by Wilson and Hernandez.

When asked if Garcia believed the purpose of the date change was to remove his name from the plaque as mayor, he said, “I think that my take on this is not an issue about the name, but instead respecting the protocol of the elected officials. I just think there are more important things to do with the city than to decide whose name is on a plaque.”

On the board meeting, Tumberlinson said, “It was painfully obvious that the chairman and vice chairman, Victor Garza and Charlie Wilson, had already discussed the issue and come to an agreement without any input from the full Veterans’ board. The mayor’s presence at the meeting served to only scold anyone who was not in agreement with Victor and Charlie, and unfortunately, that was me. I, a volunteer, was bitterly berated at the beginning of the meeting by the mayor for referring to him in the familiar, and in retrospect I realize he continued his openly hostile attack towards me because I was the only one not in agreement with the conspiracy to obliterate Mayor Jack Garcia’s name from the Veterans War Memorial plaque.”

Tumberlinson continued, “Charlie Wilson was unwilling to even entertain a compromise which would either add another plaque with both administrations or create a new plaque with both administrations: The one when it was being built and the one when it was dedicated. It saddens me that we, as a board, can’t put aside our vindictiveness, and reach a compromise that represents all the people of this community.”

The issue then went before the San Benito City Commission later Tuesday night, in which the mayor voted in favor of the measure, but without a second from fellow commissioners the item died.

To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the Sept. 7 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.