By Juan MontoyaWhether you can stand the guy or not (and readers of this blog know there is no love lost between us and commissioner Charlie Atkinson), there is no denying that this time he was ahead of the curve in pushing for the establishment of a new regional airline in Brownsville.
The voters on May 14 will decide Atkinson's future as his opponents fall by the wayside, Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva, for having been previously convicted of a felony, Jessica Tetreau Kalifa for supposedly not having enough legitimate signatures on her petition.
City staff was reviewing her petition to get on the ballot for the District 2 election, but found that she was short by 11 signatures. "I am very disappointed that my city does not feel like I have met the guidelines.
We very carefully checked the rules, (which) they were not able to provide, and we are still very confident that I should be a write-in candidate," Tetreau Kalifa, told the local daily. "We are still looking into our legal options." Even as she struggles with the apparent disconnect between the state and the city, questions are being raised about her relationship with Cameron County Commissioner Ernie Hernandez, said to be behind her candidacy. "My heart belongs to Brownsville. I have received so much support from the citizens, it’s amazing," the candidate told the Herald.
Whether Tetreau Kalifa falls by the wayside, or if her candidacy is revived by the Secretary of State will probably be known as early as Monday.
Still, if Hernandez is, as has been rumored, trying to establish a hegemony by controlling the county government and attempting to control the city commission as well, this would be enough to submarine her candidacy in the eyes of many political observers.
Our sources indicate that Hernandez is also backing John Villarreal in the District 4 race against Tony Zavaleta and P.K. Patel. He seems to be able to live with whoever emerges in the Rick Longoria/Roman Perez race. Ernie should realize that the voters forgave him for his past peccadilloes when they gave him the nod in the county commissioner's race against Ruben Peña. But if he keeps meddling in other races, he runs the danger of getting jumped on by those he didn't back in his re-election bid for the only paid position he has ever had.
We have had our differences with Atkinson on a number of issues. We don't feel that the bulk of our development dollars should be buried underground at the Sports Park that may or may not break even in our lifetimes at the expense of other worthy endeavors. And his abrasive personality toward city residents at times rubs us raw. However, the city, port, and the alphabet soup of economic development corporations, the chambers of commerce and the leading industrialists of the region have been after establishing air service between Brownsville and the urban metropolis of northern Mexico forever, it seems.
The iron seem to be hot enough for the city to strike right now. Commissioner Melissa Zamora and other critics must understand that sometimes one has to make a pact with the devil to accomplish the greater good. Who cares who lured Fly Frontera to Brownsville? The operators, despite the predictable dark innuendo from certain quarters with an ax to grind against the messenger, are by all accounts legitimate, established and have an impeccable track record in the aviation industry.
We at El Rrun-Rrun aren't in the habit of endorsing candidates for office, but if the election were to be decided based solely on the initiative shown by the boisterous commissioner of District 2 toward establishing Brownsville as a regional air hub linking Brownsville to Northern Mexico and beyond, he wins hands down.
10 comments:
The same standard of outside meddling should be applied to the Hinojosa machine's backing of Tony Martinez DOCUMENTED IN THE SUNDAY PACHANGA AD!
It is most unfortunate for the voters in district 2 that all the other factors that make up the daily actions of present commissioner Charlie Atkinson also need to be taken into account when deciding the election. He is scrambling last minute for some shred of relevancy so that the people must be forced to suffer four more years of his shenanigans (or is it the people at Shenanigans must be forced to suffer him. A leopard cannot change his spots and it is the last thing in the world an Atkinson will do. More years of his abuse? More years of his compadrismo? More years of his vomiting tax monies down a rat hole? I don't think so!
This kind of deathbed conversion doesn't ring true. Remember the leopard. Remember his whole power hungry family. Remember the debt piled on at his insistence. Then remember how to spell "Jessica T."
The Brownsville City elections already have Ernie Hernandez's vile touch and bad breath. He and Gilberto Hinojosa are, like Muammar Ghaddafi, trying to save and expand their political control. Ernie and Gilberto hope to reinvigorate the Dumbokratic Party....nada mas.
We saw Ernie and Gilberto's touch in the upcoming campaign function for Tony Martinez this week....with the pictures of the other Dumbokrats from Cameron County supporting the campaign. Aurora de la Garza leaves a trail of slime everywhere she goes...and her son Joey is the biggest slime ball she has used to infect the area. All the Dumbokrats may hurt Tony's campaign, more than help. Voters with a brain will look elsewhere (even to Pat Ahumada)...but then the Dumbokrats seek to attract brain dead voters. Brownsville continues to be a third world city with this kind of leadership and public apathy. Ernie Hernandez is a DICK!!
Charlie Atkinson has never had an idea in his life....so what's in this deal for Charlie???
What has Jessica done except hang around with Ernie Hernandez how many sugar daddies does this girl got.
What is in it for Jessica? There goes Ernie again and again and again he is the Boss of Bosses.
Jessica doesn't know Ernie
I would not trust this clown,(Atkinson) on anything he does, look at all money spent on the Sports Park...look at all the drama during the city commission meetings, Atkinson needs to go.
I trust Ernie Hernandez less and she is in bed with her new sugar daddy, come clean Jessica, where do ya live?
ill take an ernie crony over a charlie any day. my wish is to have articulate candidates that don't come across as apes..
Post a Comment