Special to El Rrun Rrun
For the second time in his career longtime Brownsville firefighter Marco Longoria has received his job back after the case was submitted to an arbitrator. The firing was a serious blunder by Fire Chief Lenny Perez, a small-minded man known for his leadership deficiencies. One firefighter put it this way: "Lenny is a total pendejo with a Napoleonic complex. He has total distrust of staff that have skills and abilities exceeding his own." Fire Chief Perez and City Manager Charlie Cabler are known for stonewalling grievances that could be easily settled by skilled administrators.
"Perez and Cabler waste hundreds of thousands of dollars of city funds with their machismo" remarked another longtime firefighter at a recent barbecue. "Marco, not only gets all of his backpay, but we had to use overtime to cover his shift. And the whole thing was total bullshit. The only ones benefiting are the lawyers Navarro and Ozuna who get paid to work the cases."
We wrote this back on September 16: "The website for Navarro, which includes Ozuna, lists labor and employment law, collective bargaining and civil service as among their areas of expertise. They also represent the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool or TML-IRP, a self-insurance group charging an administrative fee to the city of Brownsville. A wooden TML plaque is prominently mounted in the 4th floor hearing room of the city commission building. A self-insurance group tends to resist claims, putting them into the appeal process. The two labor law specialists could find themselves in a no-lose situation if they can work for TML, but still be hired guns for the city when appeals are pursued."So Navarro and Ozuna have no incentive to be effective in court. They win when Brownsville loses. They win when employment cases go to arbitration. They win when appeals are made regardless of the outcome. They still make their money. Navarro and Ozuna make an obscene amount of money from the city of Brownsville that already has three lawyers on retainer or salary. This is reckless asset management by Mayor Tony Martinez and City Manager Charlie Cabler.
Navarro and Ozuna are skilled at getting litigation but inept in court. At the Marco Longoria employment hearing several months back, former firefighter and non-lawyer Louis Hebert totally kicked their asses legally at the hearing. He showed himself more versed in labor law, rules of argumentation, handling of witnesses, etc. Several times he had to remind Navarro that as a lawyer he could not give testimony.
Despite all of the political and administrative ineptitude, the City of Brownsville is fortunate to have Marco Longoria back as a first responder.
8 comments:
Sorry Jim, I disagree, Longoria should do his damn job, and let the Chief run the fire dept. business. Many of the fire dept. personnel in brownsville or high school graduates, typical low expectation town, puros flonkes.
I wonder what rank does Marco Longoria has?? Probably a firefighter or driver, pobre hombre.
Fire depts. require discipline and you can't allow a bomb thowers like this man go around disrupting operations. The Fire Dept. loses. If this guys are so unhappy at work, why don't they quit and find a real job, seriously, (they won't make it) nothing but noise makers.
Again, the city officials are willing to spend enormous amounts of tax dollars to defend themselves and their compadres. The ralationship takes precedence over ability with most officials. While we respect those first responders that serve us; the nepotism, compadrismo and lack of exercise should make us question their abilities and their fairness. Most police are too fat to chase bad guys and the fat firemen can't climb ladders. They, like their unions expect a lot, but they are not willing to stay in shape to serve effectively.
Lenny Perez is a MORON. FIRE HIM!
Agree, nothing but fat people, unhappy as hell, they ought to work in the private industry. Working for the city is nothing but gravy train.
Marco Longoria is fit, not a fat guy. The problem Lenny Perez had with Marco is that he was president of the firefighter's union and much more popular than Lenny, who is disliked intensely.
Marco does coke and everyone knows it! Its only a matter of time before he gets in trouble again. He was fired because he wouldn't piss in a cup after he wrecked. He is fucking Linda Castro, the convicted felon who frauds medicaid and WIC! Brownsville will never have quality service. Hang in there Lenny, we know it's hard when your own supervisors are in the union and won't demand idiots like Marco to be professional. The Mayor could help Lenny by having 1st line supervisors and up non union members. There has to be a buffer for the chief. He is the only non-union member in the whole force so no wonder they keep screwing shit up over there. Cabler needs balls to get this done for Lenny or we can expect the same for many years to come.
(Marco does coke and everyone knows it.) I smeel a rat. AHA. I got you. Its a fat rat.
Is that you Charlie Fatkinson? HA HA. You couldn't hide if you tried to you dumb ass. Specifically the time you post you idiot. Everyone knows its the time you are drunk and pissed all over yourself. That's when you remember the grudges you hold against those who would not and will not kiss your ass. Leave Marco alone. Marco is a hardworking firefighter who is respected by his peers and has earned the admiration of the working class because he has fought (and won) against the tiranic dictatorship of an idiot (wana-be firefighter) whom you call Chief.
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