Jerry Patterson is vowing to 'remember the Alamo' as he seeks his old job back, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The former Texas Land Commissioner is seeking that post again in the March Republican primary, and the main focus of his campaign is his opposition to the 'Reimagine the Alamo' effort spearheaded by existing Commissioner George P. Bush.
Patterson mocked the frequently evolving 'master plan' for the renovation of Alamo Plaza, which once contained a bizarre plexiglas wall around Alamo Plaza, and moving the 1936 Cenotaph to a location along the San Antonio River, two proposals which Patterson pointed out have now been walked back by Bush.
"All of that happened after they had the you-know-what beaten out of them for about six months," Patterson said. "So my concern is that if you have to bang on somebody for that long, you really can't trust them to do the right thing after the election."
Patterson says rather than 'reimagine' the Alamo and Alamo PLaza, his focus would be on 'respecting and protecting' the Plaza and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
"Preservation and restoration, and the Land Office is also talking about restoring the 1836 footprint. That is a good thing, but we do it with a recreation with the walls, not using glass."
Patterson also blasted an original claim by the Land Office that the 'reimagining' would consider the 1836 battle as just one 'point in time' in the long history of the area, and would focus on 10,000 years of civilization at what is now Alamo Plaza. He said the 1836 battle is what makes the Alamo one of the great symbols of freedom and liberty across the world, not the fact that Native Americans lived in the area 8,000 years ago.
Patterson also promised more 'transparency' in the renovations of the Alamo Plaza, claiming under Bush, many public and private donations are being routed into foundations which have been less than forthcoming about their assets and how that money is being used.
But he supports the idea of adding a sense of history and respect to Alamo Plaza, through the redevelopment effort, which includes closing Alamo Street and using the buildings on the west side of Alamo Street as a 'world class museum' and other amenities.
Patterson says he realizes that in taking on George P. Bush in a Republican primary in Texas, he is going against one of the most respected families in the state. The current Land Commissioner is the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, the nephew of former President and former Gov. George W. Bush, and the son of Texas native and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
"At this point, there's some fatigue with the Bush name," he said. "As you go across Texas, the Bush name has become as much a liability as it has an asset."
WOAI PHOTO