By Juan Montoya
For many years, walking into the Brownsville VFW Post 2035 meant running into commander Luis Lucio, a combat Marine. With his ubiquitous plastic bottle of whiskey and mineral water, he would hold court at the bar, or, on some weekends, at a large table dominating the hall. Many other vets would also shun beer sold at the post and opt for a Bring Your Own Booze (BYOB) policy.
However, now when you visit the VFW, Louie or the rest vets who would bring in their booze from outside and stand at the bar buying mineral water for set ups as they whiled the evenings away chatting with the patrons are now noticeable for their abscence.
Upon entering the portals of the hall now, a handwritten sign warns patrons that outside alcohol will no longer be allowed in the premises.nowhere in sight. The VFW, which had sold liquor by the drink when they first set up on Veterans Road behind the Hygeia plant off Price Road stopped selling liquor some time back after they couldn't sell enough to make the cost of the license worth it.
Then, on the VFW website and on Facebook postings, the reason the VFW stopped allowing outside alcohol to be brought in is explained.
"Patrons:A note on the liquor liability. Most mainstream insurers would not insure the VFW Post 2035 due to our high risk BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle/Liquor) policy," it stated. "The risk of liability from patrons dispensing their own... liquor is simply too high to cover and the direct contribution to sales has been small, with many hard liquor drinkers buying only one setup for $2.00 to last hours or even asking for tap water or using ice for their liquor, meanwhile using our electricity, VFW Post 2035 manpower, supplies, space and miscellaneous.
"The BYOB policy has therefore been suspended so the VFW Post 2035 can at least get a basic insurance policy and satisfy bank requirements to have adequate insurance. It would cost thousands more to insure for BYOB nor is it even recommended to allow it."
Nowadays, if you visit any establishment like the Palm Lounge or even the Boss Club (the old VFW on Paredes and Los Ebanos), you will probably run into some of the old gang that used to frequent the VFW with their plastic liquor holders and set ups holding up the bar like they used to do at the VFW.
"Things were getting out of hand," said a frequent VFW patron. "Sometimes the regulars would get real loud and a few had to be helped to the bathroom because they had gone past their cups. The membership took a vote and decided to implement the new policy."
Will the new policy at the VFW affect the post's money-raising efforts to pay off the note on the sumptuous building, or will it mean decreased income for the post that would even mean closing itor even securing refinancing?
The new VFW directors have been discreet on their plans and are hoping the new rules will encourage those veterans who prefer a more clubby atmosphere to bring their mates to the post's karaoke night and rental hall functions.
For the liquor drinkers, have bottle will travel.
20 comments:
The VFW will never be the same without Commander Lucio. His ousting was a disrespectful mutiny of a great American Hero. Someone post where we can find him nowadays. What they should worry about is creating a designated smoking area (outside) instead of worrying about liquor. It would be nice to get home not smelling like a chimney.
There was no mutiny, the membership decided the BYOB was too expensive.
Luis and his followers decided to leave (GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE CHEEPSKATES).
The blog was spot on, in my opinion. Mr. Lucio's departure was long overdue and I question whether he has even been missed. He and his cronys allegedly ran the VFW like a 14th street cantina, bringing it to the brink of financial catastrophe and allegedly bypassing almost every government legality in the name of self-interest. Bartenders were allegedly threatened with their jobs for daring to cut the commander off long after he had had enough. His supposed heroism is subject to scrutiny and is still under investigation. I agree with the no smoking idea. That too should pass into history.
RIDDLE ME THESE?
IS IT TRUE THE PREVIOUS OFFICERS WERE REPORTING THAT ONLY VOLUNTEERS WERE WORKING AT THE VFW, NOW THE NEW OFFICERS HAVE TO PAY THE BACK TWC TAXES?
IS IT TRUE THE PREVIOUS OFFICERS WERE REPORTING THAT ONLY 26K WERE THE ANNUAL EARNING, NOW THE NEW OFFICERS HAVE TO REPORT THE FACTUAL ANNUAL EARNING (BETWEEN 200K-300K), AND HAVE TO PAY BACK TAXES TO THE IRS?
IS IT TRUE THAT THE PREVIOUS OFFICERS WERE PAYING THEMSELVES AND NOT PAYING THE VFW MORTGAGE?
IS IT TRUE THAT THE PREVIOUS OFFICERS WERE USING THE VFW TO THEIR ADVANTAGE AND NOT FOR THE VFW MEMBERSHIP?
MAYBE, AND ONLY MAYBE THE MEMBERSHIP HAD ENOUGH??
VFW & Big Country Ford Donate 11 More iPads to Special Education Program
Brownwood News (blog)
Members of the local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) met with Alice Cox,
Director of Special and representatives from
Big Country Ford on Friday, May 25th to complete a donation.
Wasn't the Membership that voted to get rid of the BYOB? THEN SOME PREVIOUS OFFICERS SUGESTED TO LIE TO THE INSURANCE ABOUT BYOB, but the membership voiced the fact that it was unethical to lie to the Insurance companies JUST TO GET A LOWER AFORDABLE PRICE?
WASN'T AT THIS POINT WHERE SOME previous officers got mad and left the meeting with all their chichincles?
Question: If I was a Capt of the ship wouldn't I be the last ONE to leave? Instead deciding to abandon ship like a spoil child when things didn't go my way?
PURO PEDO Y TODAVIA LOS LEECHES SE HACEN LAS VICTIMAS?
What they should worry about is creating a designated smoking area (outside) instead of worrying about liquor. It would be nice to get home not smelling like a chimney.
THE MEMBERSHIP IS WORKING ON IT,,,,
southwinds is where he is @ now!
Commander Lucio was nothing more than a drunk. You can find him at southwinds, by the time you get to him, hope that he is sober enough to talk to you.
(Commander Lucio was nothing more than a drunk. You can)
LOL!!! Remember when he used to run that one bar on 14th street? Musta been late 80s early 90s. The Ho's would walk in at 2pm and they'd get free beers until they would pass out, or they attracted a customer.
VFW Nation Wide is having a membership drive. If you know of a Veteran that needs services please refer them to the nearest VA.
Say Dags, that's where Panchita's restaurant used to be. Back many moons ago. My parents would make me walk to school (Our Lady of Guadalupe school) and I'd stop at Panchitas for a big assed refried beans taco and a coke. Sister John the Baptist would sometimes make me go and bring her and the other sisters some tacos too.
Jake.
This fuss seems to make the VFW look like a bunch of incontenent drunks. That image is not consistent with the service the VFW members have given to this nation. BUT....this is Cameron County and Brownsville and everything is political and power. The power struggle goes on at the VFW.....to bad for the community to read about this petty fight.
incontenent drunks?
YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT, that is why the new membership is trying to make it as positive as it can for the rest of the Membership.
YOU ARE ALSO RIGHT about the petty fights, but aren't there petty fights everywhere?
Why even have a post if no one cares? One look at the botched parking lot, which is apparently completely unafforadable to repair, highlights the embarrassment of this post. There are around 250 members on paper at Post 2035 in Brownsville, one of the biggest in the district, yet where are they? Running the post has been left to a tiny handful of dedicated members who are even now trying to salvage the post after the self-serving defectors saw that their game was up and left. The Post has had an extremely small and even shameful footprint in the local community and, with an occasional exception here and there, has failed to make much of a difference to anyone. Let's hope paper members see this golden opportunity to take another look at getting involved and restoring honor at Post 2035 and in the community.
The Courage of Intergrity:
The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Chossing right over wrong, ethics over convenience and truth over popularity...
These are the choices that measure your life. travel the path of intergrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.
An officer, and a gentleman.
Truth is, no one likes changes, but it is the necessary ugly that needs to happen. There are still plenty of VFW members who care to do the right thing for our post. Support the organization, not the drunk. Thank you all for your support and positive comments.
Good change is coming.
An officer and a gentleman.
The BYOB ban was a Trojan horse used by the incompetents to get where they are now. Truth is no one is perfect even the new commander has a history. Ask him why he was let go from his last job and you know he might lose the one he has now. I won’t be surprise if they turn him sooner or later. Truth is these incompetents have no personality or experience in running a business. If everyone who wrote a commit on the blog would go to the VFW maybe business would be pretty good. Or maybe they do. Maybe it’s only one person writing all the commits? There is no support for this bunch of losers. They have to do something different on they will lose the post.
Let Lucio prove he was a "combat marine," whatever that means. Stories often get mixed up, like the whiskey and water they used to bring to the VFW, and after decades of recycling.
And, like the blogger below suggests, the image keeps sinking. Who would want to be part of something like this?
Anonymous said...
This fuss seems to make the VFW look like a bunch of incontinent drunks. That image is not consistent with the service the VFW members have given to this nation. BUT....this is Cameron County and Brownsville and everything is political and power. The power struggle goes on at the VFW.....too bad for the community to read about this petty fight.
The VFW nationwide has a bad reputation, in my opinion. When I find someone who has been in the VFW and talk to them, no matter from what part of the country, they usually don't have much good to say about the organization's internal workings. The VFW is like a cult who do as they please and gang up on those who disagree. Not only that, but a large number are not even legitimate members. Take Judy Silguero, for example. Let Judy prove how she is eligible for membership. There are dozens more like Judy at local post 2035. In fact, up to half of the post do not have the documents on file to back up their membership. Many of the false members support whoever cuts them the best deal (in alcohol) for their vote. Honor is a hypocrisy at the VFW. Let L. Sucio prove otherwise and show where he got a purple heart and a combat action ribbon. When the VFW starts operating as a legitimate business instead of a private club above the law, they might be worth another look. Until then, it's understandable why so many stay away.
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