Friday, March 6, 2015

AVITIA'S 2014 MR. AMIGO: LEAN, MEAN AND FRUGAL

By Juan Montoya
Those of our three readers who have perused our posts in the past know that we have not spared the rod in our judgments of past Mr. Amigo Association presidents and their extravagant tastes while in control of the organization's purse strings.
It seems that each new president would look upon the funds donated by the local businesses and the public as their personal ATM machine to buy their family expensive Charro duds or charter private jets to ferry the organization's Mexican guests (the $13,000 spent by Yesenia Patiño for Eduardo Yanez comes to mind.)
Likewise, the opulent President's Banquet open only to exclusive guests and invitees of the president's cadre.
That was followed the next year by President Luigi Cristiano who – while vowing not to engage in the Patiños ' excesses during his turn at the plate. Cristiano for the most part resisted the temptation to splurge except for this final swan song, a private party at his home where some $6,000 was spent on the booze alone not counting the sumptuous repast provided the board members.
This year, President Robert Avitia changed all that.
While the past two president spent a fortune to bring one guest from Mexico, this year Avitia not only brought Mexico's leading television producer Juan Osorio, but in the entourage were included three other top artistic performers including singer/actor Pablo Montero, knockout actress Mayrin Villanueva, and Osorio's son Emillio, an actor in his own right, for the same
package price.
Media cover age of the group's stay in Brownsville resulted in the city gaining mass media coverage all over Mexico since Osorio brought along two Televisa directors and a producer who made sure that snippets of their visit in Brownsville appeared in Hoy, the wildly popular day show in Mexico.
Even Univision's Primer Impacto Inez Moreno gave the visit publicity in that rival network.
Avitia also cut costs in the Brownsville Police Department's security detail which used five instead of 10 overtime officers for the detail.
In all, it is estimated that Mr. Amigo Association used about one-third the funds to pull off the organization's events in comparison to past administrations.
Even the exclusive nature of the organization's past events were tempered with Mr. Amigo appearing at numerous Charro Days and SombreroFest events so that the public would get a chance to meet and greet the Mexican guests.
Some board members and local businessmen stepped up to the plate to help Avitia make this year's Mr. Amigo Association's performance a success. Notable among those was local construction company owner and former mayoral candidate Mike Garza, Mi Pueblito owner Pedro Cardenas, and trucking company owner and former Mr. Amigo member Zeke Silva. Silva paid out of his own pocket to travel to Mexico City and attend the group's events and served as a chauffeur to Montero and the Univision reporter.
The next president-elect will be Cynthia Garza, the marketing director for the Gladys Porter Zoo.
Avitia started the ball rolling toward reforming Mr. Amigo Association and lead it back to its original mission of fostering good relations between the United States and Mexico. It is yet to be seen whether Garza will continue the reforms he put in place. One good place to start would be to break away from the group's fixation with Televisa's novela personalities and invite a statesman or stateswoman to give the organization a much-needed boost.
Someone suggested that perhaps even Brownsville native Tony Garza, the former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico would fit the bill. We will see what direction Ms. Garza intends to give the Mr. Amigo Association with her selection.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's be honest Avitia didn't expended as much because most of his sponsor backed off at the last minute.
Pedro Cardenas charged for his service at mi pueblito restaurant just ask Richard Garza
Avitia reported 3,500.00 for expenses in Mexico for entertainment of 6 persons?
And every year each person that goes tHas to pay his or her way to Mexico
No nothing has change heavy make up only Montoya.
No dejes que te piquen los ojos!

Anonymous said...

Jaja Is that the cowboys stars in Avitia's charro suit?
Common please! Have some respect for the mighty cowboys!

Anonymous said...

Mike Garza used the money that he embezzled from charro days with Mr. Amigo shame on you Mike.

Anonymous said...

Hey JMon
Ya aburrieron estos pendejos de mr amigo que chingen a Su madre todos todos son ratas
Move on JMon

Anonymous said...

Avitia had to settle with Osorio because NO ONE ELSE wanted to be this year's Mr. Amigo.
Salma Hayek no
Bianca Marroquin no (She wanted 50,000)
Jorge salinas no
Leticia Salazar mayor Of mata no (her excuse her name was associated with the 3 brothers killed in mata)
Consul Quilantan no

Anonymous said...

imagine mata mayor de Mr.Amigo si asi no se la acaba el bato de avitia

Anonymous said...

I guess this is like a weeding no?
No matter what you do or give someone is not happy always.

Anonymous said...

charro days es para el pueblo asi era antes en los 60s. MONTOYA como es posible que cobren 3 dolares la silla para ver un desfile con RICK LONGORIA arriba de un carro. que de bueno ha hecho este pendejo sino que robar.SOMBRERO FESTIVAL que cagadero 7dlls la entrada.a beneficio de unos cuantos,los banos portatiles rebasandose de mierda,todo bien caro.

Anonymous said...

Como decimos nosotros los Nacos : "Esto es pura raqueta de los políticos corruptos" .

Anonymous said...

Why would I want to see Leticia Salazar as Mr Amigo?? I want someone like CARMEN ARISTEGUI, or even better, get rid of Mr Amigo & their dumb ideas of incorporating soap opera 'stars' into our festivities.

Anonymous said...

Tienes toda la razon, amigo/a.

Anonymous said...

Shhh q no t oigan Los de Mr. Amigo no les gustan los nacos by the way did you all see Avitias Traje de charro that's been naco to the max jajajajajajajaj

Anonymous said...

Sombrero feast is a piece of shit too expensive,dirty, it's all about the money💰💵 what a shame.

Anonymous said...

Avitia should fix his security personnel first before fucking up Charro Days.

Anonymous said...

Math is very easy Mr.Montoya Avitia started saying that he would not spend money like his predecessors, ok the answer is that he did not fundraise enough money to spend! forget the previous presidents he just simple kick back and spended not that much money like the previous years but sadly the money he spended this year came from the association emergency fund.
reason why he did not collected enough money? people doesn't like him karma from when he was a cop payback is a bitch.
Poor Mr.Amigo Association

Anonymous said...

jajajaj Pedro Cardenas from mi pueblito es mas culo que nalga ese vato
he charges for everything even if you breath hard inside of the place.

Anonymous said...

Why is Zeke taking extravagant trips when he's approaching bankruptcy?

Anonymous said...

Avitia didn't bring Pablo and Mayrin they were forced by Osorio because they were under his paycheck remenber Osorio was the executive producer of the novela they were in, they have to obey him if not he will not call them to work any more is that simple.
And he is not discovering the black thread
Way before David Morales/Jose Sulaiman Mr.Amigo 2008 brought 4 boxers with him
my hats off to Sulaiman HE PAYED FROM HIS OWN POCKET TO BRING THE BOXERS WITH HIM

Anonymous said...

One of the surviving members of El Chavo Del Ocho show would be great.

Anonymous said...

Have respect for the true-up Charro tradition, these wannabes should be wearing and apron instead to support the local taco culture

Anonymous said...

Hey Juan, did you hear Erin got arrested? Her husband Doroteo and the rest of the Beard Posse borrachos pendejos threw her in the tank because she has RATA whiskers! Vieja bigotona como su mama.

Anonymous said...

Good lord! Please stop posting such gibberish ! What the hell are you trying to say ?

Anonymous said...

These two suspects catted out in "foreingn" " costumes are ready for deportation. A Tea Party pundit.

rita