Saturday, August 23, 2014

GOWEN, A LA ATKINSON, PEDALS BCIC PURSE STRINGS

By Jim Barton
www.Mean MisterBrownsville.blogspot
Last year $8,400,000 was diverted from Brownsville's sales tax dollars to be used for economic development. Half, $4,200,000 went to the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.
The other half, $4,200,000 went to the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation for so-called "quality of life" projects.
Commissioner Rose Gowen has been the primary manipulator of the BCIC, the board deciding how such "quality of life" funds are spent.
 (Her boss, Carlos Marin, completely controls projects vetted by the BEDC, the symbiotic syster of the GBIC. All his projects pass the GBIC without discussion. He's already wined and dined the board members, explaining what he wants, and they comply like naive school kids.)
Rose Gowen and two other BCIC board members, Jude Benavides and Blanca Perez-Moreno, are leaving at the end of the year, having completed 2 two year terms, the maximum allowed.
Three new members commencing in 2015 have the possibility of changing the thrust and focus of the BCIC. While half of their funding is still committed to former city commissioner Charlie Atkinson's pet project, the Brownsville/Olmito Sports Park, the other monies have largely been used for bike trails, bike trail maintenance, bike trail design, etc. While this leaves infrastructure that will stay with the city, the actual interest of Brownsville citizens in cycling has been greatly exaggerated. Staged, subsidized events like Cyclobia appear to show spontaneous interest, but would fade without consistent BCIC funding.
The Brownsville Museum of Fine Art has also been a favorite of the BCIC, while the Gladys Porter Zoo (the main tourist magnet to the city) has been overlooked.
The BCIC met to consider hiring another director. 
Originally, five, but now six candidates will be considered. Ramiro Gonzalez from the Planning Department is Rose Gowen's choice. Selecting Gonzalez as director would effectively continue Rose Gowen's control of the BCIC board.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

We think exercise is great and more should engage in it for health and well being. But, I do not want to finance biking programs that take money from the tax payers to give bikes to the fat. It is time to realize that people are fat because they want to be fat. They are lazy because our society promotes laziness. Time for Rose Gowen to realize that fat people are fat because they want to be; and local citizens fail to prepare for hurricanes because they think it is the responibilty of the govment to take care of them.

Anonymous said...

I fully agree with your statement. Our sales tax monies are detoured to fund con artists . Very smoothly done !

Anonymous said...

Ramiro Gonzalez is a "PUTZ".

mil mascaras said...

Juan it doesn't matter who applies for this executive job Gowen is in charged and thus she already has a person in mind or in line, you can get the best educated and experienced in this field but it will not help, im sure that Ramiro guy will get this so they can continue to do the wild stupid project spending at no account for the taxpayers but then again the taxpayers too are at fault cuz they don't pay attention to whats going on.

Anonymous said...

Rose Gowen is a great Democrat who believes that "if you give them something free, they will come". Unfortunately, using "free shit" as a gimmick to get people on a bike will not last and no weight will be lost. Why doesn't BISD have a rigorous physical education program???? Fat teachers, fat students is the rule in BISD. The old commercial saying "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" has been replaced by "Fuck you, keep your cigarette". This weekend I saw the signs about the biking event, but saw only about 5 bikers all week-end long....can't come close to Rose Gowens megamillions on bikes in Brownsville. As long as the city is giving stuff away, the commercial investment from local firms will be minimal. Take the city out of it and give the local businesses a reason to invest in good health, biking, etc.

Anonymous said...

Who said that La Gowen is a DVM ? No. She is a Podiatrist. .

Anonymous said...

Leave Gowen alone - she is a hotty...damn, I'm only 39 and I would date her in a heart beat.

rita