Database Software

I have a map request that consists of three themes in this order:

1) wms_getmap_request grayscale evelation map
2) jdbc_query datalayer
3) wms_getmap_request state borders map

I assume that each of these layers would render in the order it is defined, so grayscale would be the base, followed by the datalayer, topped by the borders.

this is not the case. the wms_getmap_request layers are rendered first and the datalayer is placed over the top of them.

here is an example request:

<map_request
datasource="vuln_public"
srid="8265"
width="740"
height="405"
bgcolor="#ffffff"
transparent="true"
antialiase="true"
format="PNG8_STREAM">
<box>
<coordinates>-126.0,20.381081081081078 -66.0,53.21891891891892</coordinates>
</box>
<themes>
<theme name="GRAYSCALE_WMS">
<wms_getmap_request>
<service_url>http://ims.cr.usgs.gov/servlet/com.esri.wms.Esrimap/USGS_EDC_Elev_GTOPO</service_url>
<version>1.1.1</version>
<layers>GTOPO60+Grayscale+Shaded+Relief</layers>
<styles></styles>
<srs>EPSG:4326</srs>
<format>image/png</format>
<transparent>true</transparent>
<vendor_specific_parameters>
<vsp>
<name>srs</name>
<value>EPSG:4326</value>
</vsp>
<vsp>
<name>transparent</name>
<value>true</value>
</vsp>
<vsp>
<name>format</name>
<value>image/png</value>
</vsp>
</vendor_specific_parameters>
</wms_getmap_request>
</theme>
<theme name="DATALAYER" user_clickable="false">
<jdbc_query ...>
SQL QUERY........
</jdbc_query>
</theme>
<theme name="STATE_BORDERS_WMS">
<wms_getmap_request>
<service_url>http://catalog4.usgs.umr.edu/cgi-bin/basevector</service_url>
<version>1.1.1</version>
<layers>stateprovince</layers>
<styles></styles>
<srs>EPSG:4326</srs>
<format>image/png</format>
<bgcolor>0x666666</bgcolor>
<transparent>true</transparent>
<vendor_specific_parameters>
<vsp>
<name>srs</name>
<value>EPSG:4326</value>
</vsp>
<vsp>
<name>transparent</name>
<value>true</value>
</vsp>
<vsp>
<name>format</name>
<value>image/png</value>
</vsp>
</vendor_specific_parameters>
</wms_getmap_request>
</theme>
</themes>
</map_request>


(the wms layers should work unless you're behind a firewall that's blocking them. you will have to add your own query.)

any way around this?
any help is appreciated