Paying Tribute To Paul Moreno

The El Paso Times has one of the best feature stories done in the last 20 years about a retiring state legislator: State Rep. Paul Moreno (D-El Paso).

A few excerpts we thought worth sharing from a story that is very well done:

Critics often accused Moreno of being a troublemaker, a rebel, a “do-nothing” legislator, a gadfly and sometimes even a communist and a socialist. “I’m very proud of what I’ve done,” Moreno said. “I walk with my head high and I don’t have to wear a suit to impress anybody.”

Moreno served with the Marine Corps in Korea after quitting school at 17. He was a Marine recruiter in 1953 when he dove
into the Rio Grande, broke his neck and nearly drowned during a picnic. He is a quadriplegic restricted to a wheelchair.

“Breaking my neck is the best damn thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “It made me more human.”

In his last legislative race, Moreno sent out fliers describing himself as “más terco que una mula,” more stubborn than a mule, a somewhat tacky but appropriate description for a man who once stood alone in the early 1970s and tried to impeach a Texas governor, a lieutenant governor and the House speaker who wound up in prison after a bribery and banking scandal.

The scandal inspired Moreno and a coalition of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats known as the “Dirty 30″ to fight against corruption and for ethics reform.

El Paso lawyer Enrique Moreno (no relation) describes Paul Moreno as “a true champion and a real patriot” whose political career has had a profound positive impact on El Paso.

[...]

Over the years, Paul Moreno earned a reputation as a killer of bad legislation. He cherished that role and rarely made any serious effort to pass his own bills. He never was a team player, never tried to use his seniority as leverage for political clout. Legislators on both sides of the aisle always have described Paul Moreno as a respected colleague, admired for sticking to his convictions.

State Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, once described him as a respected and effective colleague. He and Paul Moreno often locked horns after Craddick became House speaker.

“A lot of people stop and listen when he talks,” Craddick said in 2000. “He chooses his issues and topics carefully.”

Paul Moreno once pushed for a bill to protect El Paso garment workers. The late Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock credited him for helping extend that protection to 6 million Texas workers.

Paul Moreno is often applauded for always focusing on helping people, no matter the issue – education, health care or housing. He always voted for bills that benefit children and once said that he represented those who truly needed a voice in Austin: the underprivileged, the unemployed, handicapped and mentally ill people, the elderly, blind people and those who are underpaid, undernourished and less educated.

Pete Laney, a Democrat and Texas Panhandle farmer, served as House speaker from 1993 to 2003. He recalls Paul Moreno as always dedicated to his causes, always passionate and unselfish, not the type of legislator who went to Austin for his own benefit.

“Paul believed that people in need, wherever they lived, were his constituents. He was always on duty fighting for them regardless of the physical challenges that he faced,” Laney said. “And it made no difference who was in the speaker’s chair, friend or foe, Paul would challenge authority when he felt that people’s rights were being abridged.”

[...]

He’s on the walls posing as a Marine, posing with California Gov. Jerry Brown, posing with Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick and posing with a very young Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Paul Moreno had flirted with retirement for years. He kept seeking re-election, rarely attracting any serious challengers.

“I stayed in because I loved what I did,” he said. “In the Legislature, I could take on the governor, the speaker or anybody on a one-to-one basis. It’s up to you to profess and advance your own ideas.”

He once had to leave a legislative session for more than a month to undergo surgery. He said he almost went crazy just hanging out at home, alone with his arguments and influencing no one.

Now, the once outspoken maverick who tangled with governors, Texas House speakers and conservative legislators sits with his thoughts in a room full of pictures and memories.

“In El Paso, many people still don’t know I do what I feel is right and I don’t care who says I’m wrong,” he said. “I’m not the type who sends out a press release every time I fart.”

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