Thursday, January 26, 2017

RODRIGUEZ'S PRINTS LINKED TO $25,000 RING "DONATION"

By Juan Montoya
Remeber we were telling you about the proposed "donation" by ring-maker Herff Jones, a subsidiary of Varsity Brands, of 28 rings to coaches and athletes of  Porter Early College High School's 5A state championship team?

Someone – nobody is saying who – had ordered the rings without going through the purchasing process with the school or the district. In short, "they" ordered the rings without authorization and without a purchase order.

The rings were given to the student athletes in September 2016, and after people started asking questions, an investigation was launched at the request of board members, specifically, trustee Minerva Peña. During the January 17 meeting, Peña said a coach had contacted her and asked her if there would be any problem if he could keep the ring since so many people were asking about how they were acquired.

About two months after the district launched the investigation headed by lead auditor Arvin Tucker, Herff Jones, the ring maker, chose instead to make them a "donation" and forego the $25,060 cost of the 28 rings.

We thought this merited some scrutiny, as did the trustees other than Joe Rodriguez who said that it wasn't often that a BISD high school sports team won a state title and told the board that he had been there at the presentation and remembered how happy all the "kids" were on receiving the rings.

What no one said – not even the auditor's report – was that Rodriguez has long been a vendor for BNS Sports, a subsiduary of Varsity Brands, just as Herff Jones is. Since Rodriguez is the ambassador representative for
BSN Sports, he is personally linked to the ring maker as well.
A commenter at the time we published the original article said:

"It's called double dipping for Joe Ratriguez, he is an ambassador associate for BSN Sports, (he makes a commission on everything that is bought from his (company). Also, Herff Jones is owned by BSN Sports, HELLO, more commission for Ratriguez. Joe is not only pushing a prefferred vendor. That vendor Herff Jones again is owned by BSN Sports."

In fact, it was one of BSN sales to the BISD for athletic equipment that was pointed out in a forensic audit that resulted in litigation between the auditor and Rodriguez and then-AD Tom Chavez, now at Rivera High School.

During a recent Level 3 grievance hearing for Mary Solis, the principal at Veterans Memorial High School who was demoted to a middle school, one of the issues was that she had felt pressured by Rodriguez to purchase graduation products from Herrf Jones.

"Forcing VMHS principal Solis to contract with Joe Rodriguez's preferred vendors for graduation products (rings)."

Sources say that Solis felt Rodriguez was pushing for the school to purchase graduation products (rings) from Herff Jones (the same vendor on the agenda who wants to donate 28 rings to Porter High School.) The same sources say that Rodriguez told Solis that "You need to give business to these people. They take care of us."

We are in the process of acquiring Tucker's audit report. He recommended that the BISD board approve the donation, a move that was not advised by BISD legal counsel Baltazar Salazar, who said that the district's local policies clearly stated that the acceptance (or non-acceptance) of donations had to take place before the donations were made.

Now, by not accepting the rings "donation." the BISD will probably have to shell, out the $25,000 the district never wanted or ordered. Does Joe get a commission on this, too?

We'll keep you posted.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe Rodriguez is a foul-smelling old Mexican who should resign from the BISD board of trustees! You think he has the students' interest at heart? Forget it!!!! Joe is for Joe and no one else. Vato podrido!

Anonymous said...

City attorney is a puss filled blemish for the city of Brownsville. Cabler needs to pop it and let the puss spew back to New York. New York contols us at PUB and COB with bonds. Basically New York finances our community. To have a unethical spinner exagerrator as attorney is a disgrace to our dignity and brains of Cabler and the commission. However , the mayor who is a attorney will probably protect his peer as rest of commission is quiet so not to disturb the spinning rhetorick these two will vomit on them. Wake up you stupid jack asses

Tax payer said...

The auditor is going against what the legal department recommended, are you kidding me, who stupid or blatant can this auditor be? Sorry but the days of tax payers being silent or naive ate OVER, get rid of this auditor it seems that he does not know 3 rules, BISD own guidelines on procurement, UIL rules and TEA procurement processes, in other WORDS all 3 were BROKEN as in not followed, please Mr auditor get your facts, rules and regulations in order.

Anonymous said...

Joe has been involved in this type of bullshit for over thirty years! The old thief needs some jail time.

Anonymous said...

,All this corruption in BISD and no one speaks out....not the BISD Board of Trustees, not the BISD Administrators, not the faculty and not the parents. Then, we deserve the corruption that we, as a community, continue to support. We don't just accept corruption, we, as a community, demand corruption. No moral courage, yet local teachers are willing to criticize Trumps choice to be Secy of Education. No huevos in B'ville.

Anonymous said...

ROTTEN TO THE CORE!!!!! LET SEE IF HIS COMPADRE LUIS SAENZ DOES ANYTHING...ANYTHING A ALL?????

Anonymous said...

Too much baggage with Joe
Remember his charity beer drinking tournament I mean golf tournament

Anonymous said...

Joe needs to go!!!!

Anonymous said...

Joe Rodriguez needs to go quietly towards the light or straight to jail.

Anonymous said...

What is Ms. Solis waiting for, is she going to be reinstated? great principal unlike the protegees of "Coach Joe" that are lazy and have no presence in their campuses, they are just people pleasers, oh! but they rub his saggy balls.

I'm not a robot! said...

EL RRUN RRUN has done its civic duty and presented the alleged ethics violations within the School Board and the City Commission. It is now up to a local resident to come forward and file a "Formal Ethics Complaint" with the Brownsville Police Department or the Cameron County DA's office. They have the legal authority and responsibility to respond to a citizens complaint.

Some may say "Why bother, nothing happens anyway?" That's what politicians who are "ethically challenged" are counting on. Take your city back!!!

The BISD Legal Counsel is correct. Per Policy Code: CDC, Title: OTHER REVENUES, Subtitle: GRANTS FROM PRIVATE SOURCES, CDC(LOCAL): All donations of materials must be approved by the Superintendent or designee prior to acceptance. Also, Gifts valued at $10,000 or more shall be accepted only by Board action.

Anonymous said...

I can remember the mayors race in 2015. Van and vans of voters pulling up to library to vote for Tony Martinez. I approached a driver of van and he told me he was getting paid to drive the van loads of old people to vote for Tony. He also was filling out voting cards for the old humans that coukd not get out of van

Anonymous said...

Ethical attorneys in our area. Rick Zayas. James Hunter. Erin Gamez. Noe Garza. Victor Ramirez. Dennis Sanchez.Michael Gonzalez. Ed Cyganiewcz. Pro Se Robert Sanchez. Patricia Hernandez.John Davidson. Chester Gonzalez .

CC Taxpayer! said...

Just because Rodriguez' family has roots and a family member an attorney, he does what he does!

Anonymous said...

There is no such animal...
Ethical Attourney....
LOL

Anonymous said...

Ethical attorneys in our area. Rick Zayas. James Hunter. Erin Gamez. Noe Garza. Victor Ramirez. Dennis Sanchez.Michael Gonzalez. Ed Cyganiewcz. Pro Se Robert Sanchez. Patricia Hernandez.John Davidson. Chester Gonzalez, Erin Hdz????

Ja, Ja, Ja, no me hagas reir con lo de Ethical?

Anonymous said...

pretty sure the donation of these 'gifts' would affect athletes eligibility and potentially wash out the championship, assuming the UIL was aware

Anonymous said...

That's funny, Joe Rodriguez telling the Principal that Herff Jones take care of US, really what Joe was saying is that "US" meant HIM. Joe Rodriguez has been and will be in it for himself, remember his golf tournament, the foursome included the big wheels for the company that sold BISD the turf for the fields. Come on people start asking questions, Joe Rodriguez got a brand new car after that, think, he is a snake in the grass and in this instance a snake in the turf

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter no one will do anything about it
You are just jeopardizing tye kids' hard work

rita