Colonias - politics explained

http://www.crg.org/images/photos/successnuestrabirth.pdf

In the 1980s and 1990s, more than 1,500 families bought close to 2,000 small lots in 16 colonias
in Starr County, Texas. These colonias, marketed to poor Hispanic families, were essentially lowend subdivisions in unincorporated areas. These areas lacked basic services including water, sewer, 
drainage, and paved streets. Former Starr County Judge Blas Chapa and his partner, Elias Lopez, 
developed these colonias. 
Fortunately, Chapa and Lopez’s property development was brought to an end when the Texas Attorney General’s office initiated legal action against them. The state’s lawsuit began in September 1993 
and concluded in January 1995 with Chapa and Lopez agreeing to divest themselves of any interest 
in the colonias they had created. Due to the gross violations committed, the state won a $21.6 million judgment against them—a hollow victory, as there was no money to collect