By Juan Montoya
Well, Ruben Cortez, since you asked the question in your Sunday ad we'll let figures speak louder than words.
"What term do you use when a person deliberately alters the truth?"
I believe the word you are looking for is "liar." We're surprised you ask since it usually takes one to know one.
You asked the question in relation to the travel expenses being higher in the last two years than your opponent Enrique Escobedo.
Your bill for these trips was an astronomical $35,874.
Lest we forget, this is the itinerary you took on the taxpayers' dime.
Well, Ruben Cortez, since you asked the question in your Sunday ad we'll let figures speak louder than words.
"What term do you use when a person deliberately alters the truth?"
I believe the word you are looking for is "liar." We're surprised you ask since it usually takes one to know one.
You asked the question in relation to the travel expenses being higher in the last two years than your opponent Enrique Escobedo.
Your bill for these trips was an astronomical $35,874.
Lest we forget, this is the itinerary you took on the taxpayers' dime.
Edinburg, Texas for a Region I Grassroots meeting= $48.894
Washington DC, NSBA 35th Annual Conference= $2,245.80
Austin, Texas, LAC Meeting= $1,058.84
Austin, LAC Meeting= $791.12
Miami, Fla., NSBA CUBE= $2,403.02
New York, BROAD= $2,495.16
Austin, LAC meeting= 335.50
Austin, BROAD delegation= $481.71
Austin, B'ville Day at the Capitol= $750.32
Austin, House of Reps.= $548.39
San Diego, Calif., NSBA 69th Annual Conf.= $2,674.34
South Padre Island, Region 1 School Boards= $244.40
Fort Worth, Summer Leadership Inst.= $1,809.10
San Antonio, Legislative Adv. Council= $1,021.92
Chicago, Ill., 2009 CUBE Seminar= $2,974.89
Austin, 42nd Annual CUBE= $1,411.70
Denver, Colo., NSBA+L Conf.= $1,916.56
Washington, D.C., FRN Conf.= $2,444.64
San Antonio, TMEA= $1,070.54
Edinburg, Grassroots Meeting= $60
Austin, Legislative Advisory= $573.81
Austin, Commissioner of Education= $377,60
Ft. Worth, Summer Leadership= $2,023.12
Austin, TASB School Finance= $686.25
Houston, TASA/TASB Convention= $1,233.38
During the same period, your opponent Enrique Escobedo racked up $15,785 in travel costs.
Then you state that "On the surface this is true. But he conveniently left out that the National School Boards Association's Council of Urban Boards Education and the Texas Association of School Boards reimburse BISD for my travel expenses."
What you, Ruben, conveniently left out is that out of the $35,874 in total travel expenses, these organizations only reimbursed the BISD on the partial bills for three trips of the 27 you took for a grand total of $2,540.36.
That still leaves the BISD footing the bill for the remaining $33,334.01.
Now, you asked the question: "What term is used when a person deliberately alters the truth?"
Usually, it's a liar. In your case, it's a pathetic liar.
Your business partner and fellow trustee Rick Zayas is no better. His Sunday ad in the Brownsville Herald states, “The District has approximately $148 million in the fund balance and that demonstrates solid financial accountability.”
Now, we all know that the fund balance was at $88 million when the majority of the board (including you and Rick) approved the budget in June. It’s at $78 million now.
And if it's deficits we're talking about, the fib gets even more creative. Your gopher CFO Tony Fuller ran to Herald to decry the irresponsible and "incorrect" representation of the BISD budget saying no such thing as a deficit existed there.
The PAC countered by saying: "If you have revenues of $305,333,822 and you spend $373,518,977, you have a budget deficit of $68,185,155. It’s that simple."
Still want to ask the question, Ruben?
Washington DC, NSBA 35th Annual Conference= $2,245.80
Austin, Texas, LAC Meeting= $1,058.84
Austin, LAC Meeting= $791.12
Miami, Fla., NSBA CUBE= $2,403.02
New York, BROAD= $2,495.16
Austin, LAC meeting= 335.50
Austin, BROAD delegation= $481.71
Austin, B'ville Day at the Capitol= $750.32
Austin, House of Reps.= $548.39
San Diego, Calif., NSBA 69th Annual Conf.= $2,674.34
South Padre Island, Region 1 School Boards= $244.40
Fort Worth, Summer Leadership Inst.= $1,809.10
San Antonio, Legislative Adv. Council= $1,021.92
Chicago, Ill., 2009 CUBE Seminar= $2,974.89
Austin, 42nd Annual CUBE= $1,411.70
Denver, Colo., NSBA+L Conf.= $1,916.56
Washington, D.C., FRN Conf.= $2,444.64
San Antonio, TMEA= $1,070.54
Edinburg, Grassroots Meeting= $60
Austin, Legislative Advisory= $573.81
Austin, Commissioner of Education= $377,60
Ft. Worth, Summer Leadership= $2,023.12
Austin, TASB School Finance= $686.25
Houston, TASA/TASB Convention= $1,233.38
During the same period, your opponent Enrique Escobedo racked up $15,785 in travel costs.
Then you state that "On the surface this is true. But he conveniently left out that the National School Boards Association's Council of Urban Boards Education and the Texas Association of School Boards reimburse BISD for my travel expenses."
What you, Ruben, conveniently left out is that out of the $35,874 in total travel expenses, these organizations only reimbursed the BISD on the partial bills for three trips of the 27 you took for a grand total of $2,540.36.
That still leaves the BISD footing the bill for the remaining $33,334.01.
Now, you asked the question: "What term is used when a person deliberately alters the truth?"
Usually, it's a liar. In your case, it's a pathetic liar.
Your business partner and fellow trustee Rick Zayas is no better. His Sunday ad in the Brownsville Herald states, “The District has approximately $148 million in the fund balance and that demonstrates solid financial accountability.”
Now, we all know that the fund balance was at $88 million when the majority of the board (including you and Rick) approved the budget in June. It’s at $78 million now.
And if it's deficits we're talking about, the fib gets even more creative. Your gopher CFO Tony Fuller ran to Herald to decry the irresponsible and "incorrect" representation of the BISD budget saying no such thing as a deficit existed there.
The PAC countered by saying: "If you have revenues of $305,333,822 and you spend $373,518,977, you have a budget deficit of $68,185,155. It’s that simple."
Still want to ask the question, Ruben?
25 comments:
So Escobedo pathologically lying about his academic credentials is acceptable in your mind, Montoya? Or are you just selectively applying your standards like every blogger in town does?
Juan I like the article and unfortunately actual revenues and actual spending has little to do with budget results.
The budget is really just a guess as to how much the revenue will be collected and based on that they plan to spend some money which may be more or less than the projected revenues. Then a budget shortfall exists when reality is less in some respect than they planned. So obviously you are correct but because the planning was wrong not the spending.
First they need to plan to collect less taxes and then plan to spend less. Then most important actually spend according to the budget. None of which is being done. I am told stuff is purchased at inflated prices from select vendors who it is said rebate amounts to certain Board members who may somehow forget to return it to the treasury. HMMMM Perhaps we will remember the great questions and inquiries Eleceo Munoz advanced during his time on the board. I wish there were more like him around. I am told that he used to work for the experts in that realm, Brown and Root - formerly a subsidiary of Haliburton Amazing!
When you say "every bloger in town" does that inludes you Mr. Cortez? or is it Mr. Zayas?
Ha ha ha, par de estupidos!
Cortez doesn't understand. Nobody is picking on your wife. You said it yourself Ruben your wife was an assistant principal for 4 years while I have been an assistant for 12 but I was not awarded Sharp. Mr. Escobedo just wants the public to know that nepotism may have been involved in this hire. At least Escobedo received a college degree.
okay then, just choose the one who lies the least. Okay.
Go and Vote Today!
And during those times that she was principal she was out quite a bit joining her husband on these trips. Plus the days she was out on maternity leave.....many absences and yet she was given a school?
If we are to look at education, the bottom line is that Escobedo has a college education and doesn't offend teachers when speaking to them. Cortez on the other hand, a high-school dropout, called teachers "YOU GUYS" at last year's back to school rally.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Cortez is being attacked.
BISD Trustees seem to be compteting for the "Marco Polo" of Education award. Like Solomon Ortiz is the "Marco Polo" of the U.S. House because he avoids Washington politics by travelling the world at taxpayer expense....now we have our BISD Board members who continue to spend tax dollars on their own travel.....spent more on Ruben than if he had been hired for the job....doesn't he have a life or a profession that he should be managing. NO...he wants to spend tax dollars. You can tell; he has packed on some pounds during his travels.
There are many changes in the fund balance through the year. They get money from TEA and until it is spent it would counted as fund balance. They need the fund balance as money from TEA and feds don't always come as expected. Also many district have unexpected happenings like the recent OCT tornado in Rice. This will not all be covered by insurance. Any changes in the budget must be approved by the board unless you are Rendon. The board does not choose the vendors they just approve or not approve the choices of the purchasing department. The board has very little power actually many uninformed community members think they have great powers. They are there to high and fire the superintendent and to approve the budget. Otherwise it is just approving what the administration recommends.
Sorry to the assistant who has many years of experience and didn't get the Sharp job. There are many of you out there as BISD has many more assistants than Princpals. Maybe you need to ask the hiring committee what you need to do to have a better interview next time. I often can't understand why a school chooses the one they do but they each have different needs and wants. A good person for one school can be a disaster at another. Even when an administrator is moved to another school the board is not involved.
Ask the SBDM committee what you have to do to improve the recommendation? Ha, don't make me laugh. I had such an administrator ask me that when I served on the sBDM and I told him point blank that I felt he was 150% over the other one that was selected, but since she was a good friend of the SBDM chairperson, her name was turned in. I protested but to no avail and I was embarrassed to tell Dr. L.G why he was not selected. It is who you know, not what you know. A very sorry state of affairs.
To the moron that wrote about "academic credentials", I believe Dr. Escobedo did present proof of his academic credentials by publishing such in the Herald. The question is, when will Cortez answer and prove to us that he holds any "credentials". Dr. Escobedo has taught at UTB/TSC and has work at the University Texas Health Science Center, which require proof of Official Academic Documentation not just a made-up resume.
From Brownsville Herald story dated Feb. 10th, 2010...
But Escobedo said he is indeed a doctor and holds a medical degree, or "titulo." However, he REFUSED TO SHOW The Herald HIS DIPLOMA OR PROVIDE A COPY OF IT.
Escobedo on Monday admitted that he did not obtain a "Doctor of Medicine Degree," as his Web site, voteescobedo.com, states.
The resume UTB-TSC has on file for Escobedo notes that he is a "Physician Surgeon (MD)."
In a Herald interview in 2003, in which he announced his candidacy for the school board, Escobedo said... he then earned a doctorate of medicine from the Universidad del Noreste in Tampico, Mexico.
And in 2006, during his re-election bid to the BISD board, Escobedo told The Herald he earned a doctorate in medicine from the Universidad del Noreste, archives reflect.
However, the Universidad del Noreste’s medical school does not offer, and in fact has never offered, a doctoral program and does not award the degrees "Doctor in Medicine" or "Doctor of Medicine," university staff confirmed.
Confronted with the information that the university does not offer doctoral programs, Escobedo explained that he is a "médico cirujano.
The Tampico university does offer a six-year curriculum for médico cirujano, which according to university staff is similar to a general practitioner in the United States.
However, to obtain a title as a médico cirujano from the Tampico university, one must complete four years (or eight semesters) of study; an additional year of internships; an added year providing medical services in community hospitals; and an exam — for a total of six years, according to Verónica Olvera, assistant to Dr. Jesus Ramirez Martinez, director of the Health Sciences Department at the Universidad del Noreste.
Escobedo completed only the four years of academic coursework.
Olvera confirmed that Escobedo did receive a diploma from Noreste, but it says only that he completed and passed eight semesters, or four years, in the médico cirujano course of study. That diploma merely allows him to continue, as a student, to the internship phase.
"That’s the only thing," Olvera said of his four-year academic requirement. She confirmed that Escobedo did not fulfill the added requirements to obtain the degree, or título, of médico cirujano."
"No, no, no. No está titulado (He is not degreed)," Olvera said, noting that Escobedo had not received the medical Título de Médico Cirujano because he did not complete medical school.
"As far as we are concerned, and if he were to return (to the university) he would continue to be a student," Olvera said Wednesday.
Olvera said it is not unusual for foreign students to call themselves doctors and MDs even though they have not completed medical school. "But they really are not," she said.
"In Mexico, we are very clear about this: We are not licenciados (professionals with bachelor’s degrees) or doctores if we don’t have the título," she added.
A spokesman for the American Medical Association said that a doctor with a medical degree from Mexico or another country can call himself, or herself, a doctor or MD in the United States because the degree is an academic degree. But it would have to be a valid degree, WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS COMPLETED.
Call me all the petty names you want. But surely you don't expect the public to believe officials from the Universidad del Noreste and the AMA are the ones lying.
Two simple questions.
What date DID he "publish such in the Herald" ?
If he does have the "credentials", why has he subsequently dropped the use of the Dr. title ?
Can Mr. Cortez prove he has a GED, there is no evidence to show that he received one, but his collaegues around the country would laugh at this GED if they knew.
There is nothing wrong with a GED and there are no schooling requirements to be a board meeting. Many of the BISD teachers got GED's then went on later to get a college degree.
Cortez is a High School Dropout, GED Cortez, what kind of leadership can we get from him,
There is nothing wrong with getting a Bachelors Degree either, and Escobedo has one. If Cortez wants to use the issue of Escobedo's degree, let call a spade a spade Cortez, produce your high school diploma, if you got one. Show me the money.
Anon
How about Cortez defending Joe Rod, giving him $90,000, the excessive travel as Mr Mo so convincingly points out, or those lawsuits that the judge said "You Are Personally Liable" Conspiracy, retaliation, hiring of his wife, his DUI, no HS Diploma? This is a no brainer, ESCOBEDO.
Simply cannot respond to a direct set of questions based on unbiased, third party sources. Instead,you resort to the kindergarden finger pointing.
Anony @7:53 pm
No one made Escobedo's Bachelor Degree an issue. The poster made an issue of his LYING about his education beyond the Bachelor level. EVEN when confronted with conclusive evidence to the contrary, he continued to lie.
Gary Long toocozy with Zayas and Cortez, what is up with these three Mouseketeers. two stories, there is a pattern here.
First he flubs it with the budget defict, then he regurgitates the old Escobedo Doctor story, how about all those lapse in judgement by Cortez, too many to list. You think Gary we are all going to o running to Cortez, not for a minute.
Man, I live in Harlingen and I am outraged. The citizens of Brownsville need to get out and vote these thiefs out of office.
Clean city hall, clean the school board, clean the port of Brownsville, and whatever, other places exist, and elect new younger people. These bastards have it way to easy.
Montoya says "takes one to know one". Hmmm?
Hey does anyone know if Dr. Jimenez that donated money to Rick Zayas is Kathleen Jimenez husband. If it is isn't this a conflict of interest and why is the herald not writing about this.
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