IF NO ONE RUNS, IT'LL BE BUSINESS AS USUAL AT PORT

By Juan Montoya

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it appears that the Brownsville Navigation District will continue to have John Reed and Ralph Cowen on the board of directors.As of Friday, no one had filed to run out at the Golden Ditch. And unless someone – anyone – files by 5 p.m. Monday, the two will remain on the board and continue to live high off the hog off the taxpayers of the Port of Brownsville.
This blog has outlined the top-heavy salaries of administrators and supervisor out at the port. And we have also outlined the blatant conflict-of-interest relationships that exist between some board members and special interests out there.Reed, for example, is Mark Hoskins' brother-in-law. Hoskins is the CEO of Gulf Stream Marine, the largest stevedore company there. A recent made-to-order report critical of Finance Director Debbie Duke failed to mention that Duke is seen as a threat to the interests of Gulf Stream Marine which has been annoyed that the port wants to charge the company for cleaning up after their operations.
And let's not forget that a previous board , when it approved Gulf Stream Marine's union-breaking wage scale, effectively established the lowest wage-scale for local longshoremen on the entire Gulf Coast. That fine legacy is flourishing under Reed and Cowen.
And Ralph, who is the self-appointed (and card-carrying) Ambassador of Goodwill for the City of Brownsville, has taken full advantage of the port's generous travel and credit card expense policy to have a great old time flying off to all points on the globe ostensibly to garner industry for the port. On one trip to Shanghai alone, Cowen, Port CEO Eddie Campirano and board member Martin Arambula racked up a huge $1,800 tab for one dinner alone. That the fruits of the ports largess cannot be seen is of small consequence for Mr. Frequent Flier.
Not content with that sumptuous banquet, they returned the next day to the scene of the crime, this time with the Brownsville Economic Development guru Jason Hilts and racked up a more modest $1,600 tab. We will in the near future include documentation that shows that the credit card privileges enjoyed by supervisors, marketing directors and other lesser demons out there border on the criminal.
Not only do they live it up while out of town, but the widespread use of the expense accounts also include meals they treat themselves to while in Brownsville. And many of these include drinks at the Ice House, a beer join formerly owned by one of Cowen's relatives and which many Port big shots seem to patronize out of a sense of duty to Ralph. Some port employees have even reported that Ralph is not above soliciting business for one of his relative's firm which does business at the port.
While the business of the port continues to be cargoes destined for Mexican industry and petroleum products for domestic consumption, Ralph has tied up its resources pursuing the pipe dream that the port could become the next Aruba of the Gulf Coast attracting cruise liners for tourists that according to him are just dying to flock to the arid flood plain surrounding a five-mile stretch of beach out at South Padre Island.
And of course, there's that tourist mecca, Matamoros across the river for those hardy tourists who want to get a taste of a running firefight, kidnapping or strong-arm robbery.
But Ralph heedless of cruise tour industry experts continues to forge head obstinately chasing his dream.
Did he read this?: "The reality is they have as much chance to get a cruise ship to (home port) as they do in luring the Lakers from Los Angeles," says Stewart Chiron of CruiseGuy.com. "They're too far from any major airport, and there aren't enough people within a three hour drive to warrant it."
USA TODAY, on Brownsville officials efforts to get a cruise ship.Will someone – anyone – please file against these two? Only then will we have the glimmer of hope that the excesses of the port administration and the cozy relationship between board members and port leasees will be scrutinized to protect the district taxpayer and port workers.