1111 WM 5th ST AUSIIN HAAS /8/01 Times El Paso, Texas OCT 2 1982 Ruben Bonilla Tony Bonilla • • Bon•Ca 4141• Hi'pin back White • By RON DUSEK Times staff writer AUSTIN — Tony and Ruben Bonilla, na- tional officers of the League of United Latin American Citizens, tossed scathing remarks Friday at state Hispanic lead- ers who have not supported the Demo- cratic candidate for governor. The Bonilla brothers spoke at a press conference with Attorney General Mark White to arinnunee their support for While, the-DemOcratic candidate in the gover- nor's race. IULAC national Prc'iident Tony Bonilla said Hispanic leaders who have supported Republican Gov. Bill Clements are "afflu- ent and like social status. They enjoy being invited to the governor's mansion to sip tea ... and they-like being around some- body that's rich and arrogant." El Paso's Lucy Acosta, selected this summer as LULAC's district director of the year, has supported Clements and has done radio advertisements for him. El -Paso's Ed Bernaldez, state director of the GI Forum, has sided with the governor; and so has Oscar Moran of San Antonio, state chairman of LULAC. Ruben Bonilla, general counsel for na- tional LU'LAC. denied that the Hispanic community is severely split over the coin- ing election. "The Republicans are continually exag- gerating their Hispanic support," he said. Ruben Bonilla predicted that only about 15 percent of Hispanics would vote Repub- lican this year, compared with 19 percent in 1978. He said the Democratic Hispanic leadership wls caught sleeping in 1978. Tony Bonilla said the Democratic Party always has been the most responsive to Hispanic needs and that White has always had his door open to their problems. He said Clements has been insensitive to and not supportive of Hispanic needs. The Bonillas plan to travel across Texas encouraging Hispanics to vote for White. A maximum of 900,000 Hispanics are expect- ed to vote in Texas, Ruben Bonilla said, .iad those votes may be the deciding factor in a close race. At the press conference, White said his staff still is trying to negotiate a television debate in El Paso with Clements. The governor's campaign manager, Jim Francis, said Friday, however, there are only two more scheduled debates before the Nov. 2 election. •