The Association of Brownsville Educators (AOBE) has announced its endorsements for the Nov. 6 election of the Brownsville Independent School District.
True to form, they have announced that they will urge their members to vote for a slate of candidates of the leadership's choosing. These are, after all, the same bunch that have shown their support for advancing education when they endorsed GED holder Ruben Cortez over Celeste Sanchez, an assistant superintendent with the San Benito ISD with more than 45 years in education ranging from classroom teacher to administration.
Their endorsement list should come as no surprise.Take a gander at the list below.
In place 3, former trustee Herman Otis Powers got the nod from the group. You remember Otis. He's the good ol' boy whose office is a mausoleum for half of the deer population in South Texas. Ask him how many of those trophy heads came as a result of trips to hunting leases paid by vendors with the district. At about $3,500 per stuffed rack, it amounts to a hefty little amount of bennies, and Otis loves his bennies. The AOBE also chose to ignore the fact that Powers was recorded urging the former CFO of the BISD Tony Juarez to file a grievance against the then-superintendent of the district Hector Gonzales so that his buddies on the board (Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez, Joe Colunga, and Rolando Aguilar) could have a justification for firing him.
That bunch was the reason that the BISD and their insurer just shelled out $1.5 million in a settlement when Juarez and Gonzles refused to join the conspiracy and went to the FBI and state law enforcement instead.
In the tape recording Juarez took to the FBI, Powers is quoted as saying:
"So…you gotta, you gotta, I…I…"I’d file a grievance...Your grievance is against Hector Gonzales and the board is gonna love you for that."
That's not all.
Otis is a family man. He looks out for hearth and kin. This is from Gonzales' lawsuit against the BISD.
– April 2007: Gonzales transferred Mary Tolman (who commands a $103,505 salary) from her position as principal of Rivera High School to the Central Office. Trustee Otis Powers was very upset and told Gonzales that this was not right and "this was not going to end there." Powers told Gonzales he shouldn't have transferred her because she was his sister-in-law.
But enough about Otis. How about the selection of Juan (or is it Juyan?) Manuel "Butch" Barbosa, whose claim to fame was his appointment to the Bond Oversight Committee that spent $135 million in taxpayers' money to fuel the facilities-construction binge that gutted the district with cost overruns and change orders to the tune of about $100 million?
Butch, an ingrate who was basically taken under the wing of the late federal judge Filemon Vela, ended up endorsing Denise Blanchard for congress over Filemon Vela Jr., the judge's son. A notorious low achiever, he lived up to expectations in his role as chairman of the oversight committee.
Here's an analysis by Fitch Ratings of Butch's performance overseeing the Big Bucks splurge:
Declines in operating reserves in fiscal years 2009 - 2011 were largely to fund facility construction but were exacerbated by construction cost overruns, unplanned capital outlays, and over-budgeting of enrollment-driven state revenues. The net effect has been a cumulative 44% decline in general fund balance during this three-year period and a drop in the unrestricted general fund balance (the sum of committed, assigned, and unassigned per GASB 54) to $83.3 million or 19% of expenditures and transfers in fiscal 2011."
Oh, yeah. The AOBE can pick some winners alright.
Shall we continue with hapless Minerva Peña?
Peña, who still hasn't realized she is no longer a cheerleader at Porter, can't seem to get over the fact that she is no longer competing for Most Popular in her high school class. A brick shy of a full load, she drives most rational human beings batty with her antics. We used to have a healthy regard for DPS personnel, but this girl ain't the sharpest tool in the shed. If this is the level of intelligence that is rewarded with Los Zorrillos, we have to rethink our assessment of the department. Perhaps AOBE thought a bit of chronic comic relief would do the board good. Who knows?
Which brings us to Jose Hector Chirinos. Jose is a likable guy as far as that goes. But let's face it, his campaign sign photos make some of us uncomfortable. Doesn't he look like an undertaker sizing you up for a nice fit?
Considered somewhat of a galan in his previous appointments with the district, he used to have a bevy of "queens" following him around at Porter and at the BISD Transportation Department which was found to be so ineptly run that now administrators are questioning why he stocked up inventory totaling 100,000s of dollars. The bus drivers' union (Choferes Unidos) are solidly behind Chirinos. He was, after all, the man who would let them pile up millions in "overtime" at the expense of the district. Remember this from the forensic audit report on transportation?
In interview, Chirinos stated the overtime abuse was there within the Transportation Department when he took over in 2005. He indicated his efforts to curb the abuse were thwarted by the unions and the board. Chirinos blamed the lack of supervisory assistance yet he himself failed to take a hard line on the issue. Based on the interviews of the drivers and monitors, they took full advantage of the ineffectiveness and complacency displayed by then administrator Chirinos...
If conservatively only 70 percent were abusing the system by riding the clock one hour per day, the Forensic Audit Staff would put the loss at $420,000 a year, or roughly $2.5 million over the six years in which Chirinos was administrator.
It is highly recommended that strong administrative action with the possibility of termination be taken against Jose Hector Chirinos (and that BISD) hire professional business people with experience in running a transportation department...Of all the violators and abusers, the average number of years with the district was 17 years seniority.
Thanks, but no thanks AOBE. Let's hope our educators have more sense than the leadership.
19 comments:
I have no respect for the teachers union in BISD. They seem to support "retreads"; those who have proven they can't do the job and yet get another chance. This slate of candidates proves that the teachers union is political and not focused on education...just themselves. Otis Powers is a loser and Chirinos has proven he can't manage. Shouldn't the tax payers and students get a slate who might be able to manage BISD and improve education.
Juan, these descriptions are entirely accurate. This is great reporting. Keep at it.
After reading your post, it can be assume that you are endorsing all the candidates that the AOBE is not endorsing with perhaps the exception of Clupper. Perhaps you can enlighten your readers of the great things that those individuals will provide to the community if they are elected. What do they represent or may I say who do they represent?
The AOBE has never been truthfully represented by its members. Teachers don't vote when it comes to election time, so what Hammes, Alegria, Borrego and the rest of the AOBE hierarchy clowns need to ask themselves is, "what's the reason we haven't had a pay raise in last four (4) years?”.....the answer is, THE LACK OF GOOD, HONEST and STRAIGHTFORWARD REPRESENTATION by the AOBE!!!
There is some truth in all the previous posts. The reason we don't have a better selection of candidates is overshadowing but yet everyone fails to see it. Half of the people running today are brave souls and we won't get more candidates because of one big reason! A crazy "Physco Bitch" named Cata Presas Garcia. Who on earth would want to put up with an idiot of her caliber? No one! So we get a retread, a handsome woman, a burnt out pot head, a ranting wildman one orgasm away from a coronary, and cata la rata's running buddy!
Is this Minerva Pena attacking Caty?
Just let it go Minerva, just let it go!
Does Otis misses those free hunting trips?
Does Otis misses those La Pampa free meals?
Does Otis misses those Bribes under the table?
Does Otis misses all those freebies?
There are more reasons for BISD employees to not be AOBE members than the candidates that they have endorsed, which by the way are the best and most honest of the bunch.
It is just that Hammes is such an arrogant ass that thinks he is some Union Shop Boss who can just say anything and expect everyone to just fall in line.
Who does this guy think he is Foghorn Leghorn.
To the Oct 4, 2012 @ 5:28PM.
Wow! The description of the candidates is hilarious!
"handsome woman, burnt out pot head, ranting wild man, and running buddy" lol
Who is the handsome women? And by the way, Minerva was not a cheerleader at Porter. She was the captain for the Porter Belles. Yes, she does talk too much and repeats and repeats but she has her heart in the right place. There are many people who would make great board members but do not bother because of the cost of the elections, the dirty politics and mud-slinging, and because they will not take part in an organization that is second to the peanut gallery bunch of crazy iditos. Maybe someone who needs a new Cadillac or Mercedes should give it a try.
AOBE, all bark no bite. Same thing with the police and fire unions, do the members get out and vote, no. Politicians simply want to make them feel important, stand up and take a picture with them for community support. They all turn around and screw you in the end by voting againstthe important issues for your group. When will these organizations grow a pair and stand up for the, little guys, the workers and get them the wages they deserve and the health coverages they need.
Dont let these same old retreads back in.
This slate of officers seems to say to me that the Teachers Union doesn't believe teachers can think for themselves, so they issue a "company store" slate. Wow...and we trust our kids to be educated by these fools.
If I was a candidate for board member, I would ask Patrick. "Can you deliever the four thousand votes?" Real "Unions" get people elected into offices. Patrick remember that next time that you address the board and state that the AOBE is four thousand strong. There is no power if you are not united in a common cause.
The AOBE doesn't stand for teachers, just bad politics.
The real teachers voted for a fellow teacher, Don Clupper, to receive their endorsement. Clupper has been in their shoes, has faced the same experiences and frustrations as everyone else working at BISD.
No, this AOBE vote was determined by a group that doesn't give 2 shits about the REAL TEACHERS. Just pandering to an Ernie Hernandez puppet. What a JOKE!
Teachers dont vote. They are they are the most educated people but the most lazy, non caring, stuck in a rut mental state of mind . . .
teachers dont vote . . .
look over the voter list . . .
on election day, they are the first out of the school yard . . . .
all the politicians already know this just can't repeat . .
Juan.
keep looking for clues from Deep Throat. Important revelation coming.
Question today: Is a revolt brewing on the 'ivory coast'?
-DT ;0
This is only the second post I read here and while I found the first one...imbecilic...this was anything but. Your assesment of the candidates was spot on. I find it fascinating Chirinos has the nerve to run after the clear evidence of his incompetence. If he wins, you can bet the inmates will be back to running the asylum.
And 10/11 12:02 do you think you have running it now????? 3 stupid women (CPG, LL and CS)and their pimp, the fake doctor. Give me a break....
@Anonymous...Huh!? Can you write in complete and coherent sentences so we can understand what you're saying? Are you suggesting that right now the inmates run the asylum? Perhaps. I meant, however, that with Chirinos on the board, the transportation department Art Rendon as been trying to fix will go back to being out of control. And who is the "pimp" and "fake doctor" you are referring to?
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