Patron Democracy

190, [2] pages. Illustrations. Tabular data. The dust jacked is taped to the inside of the boards. Small portion of front flap has torn away but is present. Gift inscription, NOT FROM THE AUTHOR, on the fep. Foreword by Mike Herrera, Publisher, The Laredo Times. Fernando Piñón authored a new book during COVID-19 quarantine called A Man Named Fernando, a memoir about his life. Fernando taught at San Antonio College and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and published many academic articles and books in his academic career that covered Mexican American politics. He edited the Laredo Morning Times from 1970 to 1974, making him the first Mexican-American to edit a Texas daily newspaper. He also wrote for the San Antonio Express-News. Laredo is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and seat of Webb County, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Founded in 1755, Laredo grew from a village to the capital of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande to the largest inland port on the Mexican border. Laredo's economy is primarily based on international trade with Mexico, and as a major hub for three areas of transportation: land, rail, and air cargo. The city is on the southern end of I-35, which connects manufacturers in northern Mexico through Interstate 35 as a major route for trade throughout the U.S. It has four international bridges and one railway bridge. At the time this item was catalogued, the Laredo city government was a strong city council - weak mayor system. The mayor presides over the eight-member city council, but only votes to break a tie. City Council elections are based on single-member districts and campaigns have no party affiliations. Municipal elections are now held in November (formerly in May) of even-numbered years. The municipal government is administered by the city manager hired by the city council. All city elected offices have a four-year term and are nonpartisan though most officials have a Democratic party preference or affiliation. First Edition, One of a first printing of only 5000 copies.…