Birnbaum and Ruhe say that Hale told them, in Austin, "You guys are in big trouble. You committed the fatal mistake; you created a huge coalition against you. The mayor has called the governor of this state and the President of the United States."
There was another possible factor in the pair's release. In accord with their supervisors' instructions to remain in the background, the VISTAs did not help picket the downtown afeteria that VIDA had chosen as the first objective in its restaurant organization project. However Birnbaum and Ruhe did solicit funds for VIDA, and in their solicitation called several persons connected with the poverty program who not only emphatically refused to donate to VIDA but openly objected to the VISTAs aiding that group.
The local power structure may also have made itself felt through Philip Kazan, brother of the congressman and mentor of the Kazen faction in Webb County's political machine.
While he was in Laredo last month. Hale called on Kazen in his downtown law offices. What they discussed is unknown, but many suspect that Kazen has long felt the whole Laredo VISTA program to be a potential threas to the smooth functioning of the machine, and was taking this opportunity to help get rid of two of the biggest "troublemakers."
Immediately after their dismissal. Birnbaum and Ruhe announced they were going to appeal their case to VISTA chief Bill Crook in Washington, and were going to demand that they be given a full and fair hearing. Furthermore, they say they will insist that the charges against them be made more specific than "immaturity and irresponsibility."
Hale came to Laredo in order to talk with some of the poverty program officials and participants with whom the pair had worked. Most apparently had nothing but praise for the two. Central neighborhood council chairman Delapass said that they were two of the most effective VISTAs in Laredo and should not be dismissed without a hearing. "I challenge anybody in Laredo to show that the VISTAs were not working for the poor people in Laredo, and with the poor people of Laredo," Delapass said.
Andres Sandoval, a member of one of the local neighborhood councils,