By Juan MontoyaOld timers used to tell of the Brownsville city commission that voted against extending the runways at the Brownsville Airport when jets came online because they were renting the land to some of their farmer buddies to plant cotton.
As a result, the story goes, the airlines decided to move somewhere else where the local yokels valued the coming of the jet age. Brownsville, alas, was left in the wake of that move and has been playing catch-up with Harlingen ever since.
However, now that we have moved into the Jet Age in Browntown, we have streamlined the way we do business and are constantly trying to coax airline companies to bring their outfits to town through a bizarre combination of subsidies, incentives and out-and-out bribery using funds from the public treasury.
As a result of the 21st Century state-of-the-art, cutting-edge administrative strategies employed out at the now Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport (wow!), we can charitably report that if anything, there is always room for improvement.
Brownsville movers and shakers are still under the illusion that the local airport can compete with the Harlingen airport for passengers, and are not content to vie for the air-freight business.
Let's take a gander at the state of our airport operations under dynamic manager Larry Brown.
The Airport Fund, for example, yields these soaring statistics.
This budget shows revenues of $3,907,732, with total expenses totalling $3,907,216 – a whooping $500 profit.
Ok. Ok. So the city under the able leadership of Messrs. Brown and Mr. Urban Studies Professor Charles Cabler did kick in a $712,000 as a cash transfer from the General Fund (take notes, this will be in the test) to thrust the fund into the black. The decrease in the cash transfer will be covered from additional revenue sourcing, they said.
Now, that's tantalizing. How so, Mr. Brown?
Parking, Benjamin, parking.
Uhh?
The additional revenue sources that the Airport Fund will generate in FY 2010, for example, will be spearheaded by the opening of the pay-parking lot at the airport. These fine gentlemen say that this will generate some $450,000 during that fiscal period.
Using this financial logic, a single parking meter in front of your house would pay your property taxes for two whole years, every year.
Yet, unbelievable as this may sound (more will be collected out at the airport than in the entire city which has a staff and parking lot guards year-round), they have not said just how much MORE the Airport is going to spend to create this paid parking system.
The art of creative bookkeeping spills over into the Golf Center Fund that covers the operations of the Municipal Golf Course.
This fund shows a $3,079 budget deficit at the end of fiscal year 2011 and includes $913,650 in revenues.
Your contribution to fund the playground for the boys in cleats and knickers? Just another cash subsidy from the General Fund of $410,000.
You see, the revenues from the Golf Center Fund course are not enough to cover the total expenses of $916,729, which include funding for 11 full-time an one part-time position. Even with almost half the revenue furnished by this act of (dare we say it? Hell, why not?) BULLSHIT, it lost over $3000!
Looking for places to trim some fat commissioners? How about starting at the airport and then moseying over to the golf course?
Go ahead guys, take some cuts.
As a result, the story goes, the airlines decided to move somewhere else where the local yokels valued the coming of the jet age. Brownsville, alas, was left in the wake of that move and has been playing catch-up with Harlingen ever since.
However, now that we have moved into the Jet Age in Browntown, we have streamlined the way we do business and are constantly trying to coax airline companies to bring their outfits to town through a bizarre combination of subsidies, incentives and out-and-out bribery using funds from the public treasury.
As a result of the 21st Century state-of-the-art, cutting-edge administrative strategies employed out at the now Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport (wow!), we can charitably report that if anything, there is always room for improvement.
Brownsville movers and shakers are still under the illusion that the local airport can compete with the Harlingen airport for passengers, and are not content to vie for the air-freight business.
Let's take a gander at the state of our airport operations under dynamic manager Larry Brown.
The Airport Fund, for example, yields these soaring statistics.
This budget shows revenues of $3,907,732, with total expenses totalling $3,907,216 – a whooping $500 profit.
Ok. Ok. So the city under the able leadership of Messrs. Brown and Mr. Urban Studies Professor Charles Cabler did kick in a $712,000 as a cash transfer from the General Fund (take notes, this will be in the test) to thrust the fund into the black. The decrease in the cash transfer will be covered from additional revenue sourcing, they said.
Now, that's tantalizing. How so, Mr. Brown?
Parking, Benjamin, parking.
Uhh?
The additional revenue sources that the Airport Fund will generate in FY 2010, for example, will be spearheaded by the opening of the pay-parking lot at the airport. These fine gentlemen say that this will generate some $450,000 during that fiscal period.
Using this financial logic, a single parking meter in front of your house would pay your property taxes for two whole years, every year.
Yet, unbelievable as this may sound (more will be collected out at the airport than in the entire city which has a staff and parking lot guards year-round), they have not said just how much MORE the Airport is going to spend to create this paid parking system.
The art of creative bookkeeping spills over into the Golf Center Fund that covers the operations of the Municipal Golf Course.
This fund shows a $3,079 budget deficit at the end of fiscal year 2011 and includes $913,650 in revenues.
Your contribution to fund the playground for the boys in cleats and knickers? Just another cash subsidy from the General Fund of $410,000.
You see, the revenues from the Golf Center Fund course are not enough to cover the total expenses of $916,729, which include funding for 11 full-time an one part-time position. Even with almost half the revenue furnished by this act of (dare we say it? Hell, why not?) BULLSHIT, it lost over $3000!
Looking for places to trim some fat commissioners? How about starting at the airport and then moseying over to the golf course?
Go ahead guys, take some cuts.
5 comments:
Go figure.
Great info, but what's new? When dumb asses are elected, they hire dumb asses too!
It seems no is watching the front door, or the back door, and no one really gives a shit!
Just spend, spend, spend!!!!
If troops cannot stop the bullets coming from Matamoros, how the hell is Sheriff Lucio working with other law enforcement going to stop the bullets? Is it possible that Sheriff Lucio has finally lost his mind?
The mere presence of troops on the border will not stop the bullets - I agree - but the cartels knowing that U.S. troops are ready to take them out the second their conduct kills U.S. citizens may just be enough to force them to take the battle outside of the city of Matamoros, and that will stop the bullets.
Everyone who thinks that these cartels can start causing death an mayhem on the U.S. side of the border and the U.S. will do nothing lives in never never land. There will be a point that we will send U.S. troops - it may be special forces under cover of night to take out the cartels, but we will send troops. The better option remains sending a message of force in hopes the cartels will move out of the border cities as an act of self preservation.
But fine do nothing - and then complain like bitches when Obama does nothing to protect Brownsville after U.S. citizens are killed. Omar Lucio has lost his mind if he thinks he or any other law enforcement in Brownsville can control the bullets, he is ready to be committed.
Dilbert
The lack of leadership in Brownsville and the "colonia" mentality keeps the city backward and gives Harlingen and McAllen....as well as the other cities up the valley....an advantage. Companies go to other cities because Brownsville lacks leadership, has a prochial mentality and locals want a handout....and are unwilling to invest in the community. The greatest excitement for most citizens of Brownsville is when something is given away FREE...that gets the people out; nada mas. Brownsville, as a community, has a terrible inferiority complex that fears anything from the "outside" and change. The current leaderless community is swirling down the toilet.
muy cierto, la gente solo sale a votar cuando se les da algo gratis.
Salgan a votar, ES TU DERECHO!
Por eso estamos como estamos.
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