WESLACO — Mission Mayor Beto Salinas partly financed the commercials that began airing last week on Channel 5, KRGV-TV, opposing a Hidalgo County ballot proposition that would create a hospital district, according to the Weslaco-based station’s filings with the Federal Communications Commission.
“Attention Hidalgo County taxpayers: Stop the hospitals and the politicians from getting richer. Vote no on Proposition 1,” a male voice narrates to begin the 15-second spot, as a stop sign pops onto the screen. “Would you rather leave your money to your family or give it to the rich hospitals and politicians? Vote no and stop them in their tracks.”
Salinas’ name and that of Maria Marin, a friend of Salinas’ family, appear on a form listing the payment providers for the advertisements — but it does not appear on the ad itself, a potential Texas Ethics Commission violation.
“Political advertising that contains express advocacy is required to include a disclosure statement,” according to the Ethics Commission website. No such disclosure appears on the ad.
A group calling itself Stop Paying Increasing Taxes (SPIT) is named on another form as the advertiser, with local anti-tax activist Fern McClaugherty listed as the purchaser. The group bought 27 15-second ads set to run from Oct. 28 to tomorrow, Election Day, for a total of $5,655.
KRGV produced the ad, McClaugherty said.
Salinas said he was unaware of the actual content of the ad.
“I don’t have anything to do with the ad, or anything else,” he said. “They asked for help, and that’s what I did.”
Proposition 1 would create a hospital district in Hidalgo County and set an initial property tax rate at 8 cents per $100 of property value. Under the language on the ballot, the appointed hospital district board could eventually raise the rate to 75 cents per $100, but supporters have promised to cap the rate at 25 cents.
The money raised through the levy would reimburse hospitals for providing health care to indigent patients and fund the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley medical school.
Healthy Hidalgo County PAC, a registered political action committee promoting Proposition 1, spent more than $55,000 on KRGV advertising for ads that scheduled to run from Oct. 12 through Election Day. The group spent $30,000 more on Channel 4, KGBT-TV, and $21,000 on Channel 40, KTLM-TV.
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