Effort to rename canal questioned

4 Jul 2008 // For the second time in 10 days, U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, is catching heat from a national citizen government watchdog group, this time for wanting to honor a campaign contributor.

The Council for Citizens Against Waste this week criticized Reyes' proposed bill to rename the Rio Grande American Canal after former El Paso County Judge Travis Johnson, who has contributed $13,500 to Reyes' election campaigns since 1996.

Last week, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mi chael Chertoff to investigate the Immigration and Custom Enforcement's efforts to secure the release of a kidnapped victim in Juárez who is related to Reyes' wife.

Reyes on Thursday denied any wrongdoing.

A spokeswoman for the CCAGW said Reyes' bill, the third effort on his part to name the canal after Johnson, is an inappropriate use of congressional power.

"This is nothing against Mr. Johnson," spokeswoman Leslie Paige said. "He could be a phenomenal person, but we strongly disagree with naming a federally funded project after a living person, particularly one who has contributed to Reyes."

In a statement, Reyes said "Travis Johnson's service to the El Paso community is well-known; as a county judge in the 1960s, he worked with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations to lay the groundwork for the Chamizal Treaty, and was instrumental in the creation of this very important canal."

Johnson, who was caught in the middle of the controversy, said he didn't ask for this. "I was flattered but it was Johnny Stubbs' idea."

Stubbs, board chairman of the El Paso County Water Improvement District, said he, too, has contributed to Reyes' campaign.

"It's just partisan politics," Stubbs said.

Jesus Reyes, the congressman's brother who manages the irrigation district and Reyes' campaign, agreed with Stubbs: "We have many citizens from El Paso that support this issue and are proud of what (Travis Johnson) has accomplished for this community."

Last month, Reyes' office contacted ICE after learning about the kidnapping of the businesswoman who is a Mexican citizen. She was released unharmed after a $32,000 ransom was paid.

"The questions raised by CREW reflect a fundamental lack of understanding of the border and the way U.S. federal law enforcement agencies frequently work with their counterparts in Mexico.

"ICE has already confirmed that such binational cooperation is standard prac tice," said Reyes' spokes man, Vincent Perez.