By now it has become plainly clear that Butch Barbosa, Jose Chirinos, Otis Powers and Minerva Peña are running as a ticket for the board of the Brownsville Independent School District
How do we know?
Fliers passed out in some neighborhoods in Brownsville under the auspices of SAVEBISD PAC list them as the candidates to vote for.
You remember tat PAC. It is the one that is blaming Caty Presas Garcia in quarter-page ads making it seem as if she had been the only one on the board to vote to cut the district's losses and settle the lawsuits filed by former Superintendent Hector Gonzales and CFO Tony Juarez. In fact, she was one of four trustees who decided that after having spent $2.3 million in defending the district and the former majority whose actions spawned the lawsuits in the first place (Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez, Joe Colunga and Rolando Aguilar), it was time to cut its losses.
BISD's lawyers counseled the board that if they district lost – and it most certainly looked that way – BISD's taxpayers would have to pay three or four times as much from its fund balance because the insurance company would not pay for the trustee-defendants' illegal conduct.But this doesn't seem to matter to the people behind the PAC. In fact, we have noted that the person listed as the treasurer (front man) is none other than Joey Garza, a known politiquero in the employ of Erin Hernandez Garcia, daughter of Pct. 2 commissioner Ernie Hernandez and Norma Hernandez, liked with the massive voter fraud during the JP 2-2 runoff election July 31.
Citizens Against Voter Abuse have documented countless mail-in and early walk-in votes attributable to him that indicate that he was one of the Hernandez cogs in the concerted effort to harvest the votes of the elderly and mentally-impaired voters hauled in vans to the polls under the nose of county elections officials.
Powers' brother Darrell Otis Powers, is the notary who certified the PAC in the first place. The PAC was formed back in March and has targeted Presas-Garcia – not because of the Gonzales-Juarez settlement – but because she was seen in the company of her opponent Yolanda Begum at some campaign events.
That's why the Hernandezes took umbrage with the incumbent. The reason that former trustee Otis Powers has joined the cabal stems from his defeat at her hands in 2008. In fact, he had made it known that he wanted to run against her and would have had his chance of revenge had Presas-Garcia not switched to Place 5 at the last minute and avoided an unpleasant blood fest that Powers wanted.
Chirinos – whose dismal management of the BISD transportation department resulted in almost $3 million in overtime charges during his tenure there – is still smarting from his removal from that gravy train and his easing out of the district after an audit was performed by the district. The report found that he had allowed extravagant purchases of inventory and a run on the district' budget through his overly-generous overtime guidelines.
Barbosa is using the Hernandez machine to try to get elected. All of the ads published under SAVEBISD PAC target Presas-Garcia as the boogie man who gave away the store and blame her for approving the settlement and for teachers not getting raises.
The ads make no mention that the previous majority (Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez, Joe Colunga and Rolando Aguilar) raided the district's fund balance to "fix" budget deficits and to cover the huge construction cost overruns and change orders recommended by the Bond Oversight Committee under...you guessed it..Butch Barbosa, its chairman.
As far as Minerva Pena, what can we say? That she has aligned herself with the likes of Otis, Butch and Chirinos only goes to show that the woman is more interested in popularity contests that indicate an adolescent fixation that allows her to relive her days as the captain of the Porter Belles pom-pom squad.
As head of the technology committee on the board she did not call one meeting of that group as far back as we can remember. She, however, would have us let bygones be bygones and forget about her ineptness and shallowness of intellect.
This year's elections place us in a dangerous position of having a board majority composed of Chirinos, Powers, Pena and perhaps Escobedo. It does not bode well.
21 comments:
Here's what Butch Barbosa, Jose Chirinos, Otis Powers and Minerva Peña DON'T WANT TEACHERS TO KNOW about their crooked PAC!
The same Jose Garza they appointed for their "Save BISD" Treasurer, got a lot of coverage in the Brownsville Herald over the missing money and lies uncovered in his last little sham:
Garza aligned with defeated mayoral candidate Ernie Hernandez Jr's camp to further the effort, a group Garza founded raising money to recall Mayor Pat Ahumada, "Committee to Restore Order to City Hall."
Mailings encouraging petition signatures were sent from Hernandez' son's office, including one to Ahumada's home.
Garza hosted a fundraiser for the recall effort at Mi Cocinita.
Shortly after the fundraiser, he told The Herald they raised $1,700 from the sale of 470 chicken plates. However, the number of chicken plates sold multiplied by $5, the amount each plate cost, equals $2,350.
Garza could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. He did not return multiple messages left on his personal cell phone.
Last week, Garza told the newspaper that he collected $1,800 and not $1,700 from the chicken plate sale.
Of the $1,800, only $863 is in the possession of Perez. Garza provided invoices and receipts in an effort to account for some of the missing money.
Garza provided a Feb. 5 letter from FedEx Kinko's here, in which he is billed $400 for 2,500 copies at 16 cents each.
He also provided the newspaper with a receipt from Wal-Mart Super Center on Boca Chica Boulevard for $176.84 for the purchase of four boxes of paper at $27.64 per box. The receipt is undated.
He said the paper he bought at Wal-Mart was used to make copies of recall petitions at Kinko's at 16 cents per page.
However, staff at Kinko's told The Herald Friday they do not charge 16 cents per page when a customer takes their own paper. Those that opt to take their own paper are charged about 15 cents per page.
Garza said he paid the remaining $26.30 to Copy Graphics for copies of recall petitions. He failed to provide any invoice
Reported to the Brownsville Herald that 500 signatures had been collected for the recall.
Roman Perez also dismisses talk about thousands of signatures from voters to recall the Mayor, which Jose Garza claimed he had.
"Through small trial block walks, we obtained 20 signatures." Perez explains.
Garza said he used $252.68 in gas money for blockwalks to collect signatures.
Roman Perez, a self-proclaimed political consultant, is now leading the charge to recall the mayor. Garza provided Roman Perez with $213 on April 18. It is unknown why he did not provide that money along with the $400 he gave to Perez on April 16.
The group named Rey Castillo its Treasurer. Garza did not provide Castillo's occupation or any contact information. Garza now says Castillo was never involved with the group.
Brownsville Herald
The same Jose Garza is now the Treasurer for "Save BISD" PAC...
someone needs to Save BISD from this Pack of tontos!
More rats from the same hole...seeking to serve themselves and to win election by any means. Sure glad my kids aren't subject to this BISD corruption of our education system. Very little said about academics or education....just about them. How sad for the kids and parents.
Juanio, You know well that Catita La Ratita has dug her own grave when it come to Political Office. She shamelessly trashed employees at BISD by having them terminated or transferred. She trashed the fund balance when she gave it to Gonzalez, Juarez and Rendon. And now is going around town inviting herself to events and making promises she has no business making. She stated at a recent event that if elected she promised to give all employees a raise. What is she talking about. Is she for real? She has the power to give all BISD employees a raise if elected??? Where does she plan to get the money? Is she going to ask Gonzalez, Juarez and Rendon for some money back so she can give it to the employees? What a nut!!!
Anonymous 4:47pm
It is obvious you are clueless about how a Board Works. If you have the votes you can give a raise. I guess you'd rather see the SAVE BISD Pac candidates win so they can give $ to their friends, instead of the teachers, the way Zayas and Cortez and company did. Zayas & Cortez & company were kicked out on their ass by the voters. Doesn't that say anything to you? Colunga and Aguilar know they'd be kicked out on their ass, too, but are saving themselves the embarrassment. Otis Powers is a corrupt asshole, who is trying to get back into office so he can get back to ripping off the district. Barbosa folded on the oversight committee. Pena is a joke and an embarrassment and Chirinios folded to the max in the Transportation Dept. Yea, let's give them a chance to REALLY screw things up. Get a life, moron!
You're right, Anonymous. How dare "Catita" fire or transfer employees who were clearly doing a poor job or taking the advice of insurers & lawyers telling the board they should settle these lawsuits. You're absolutely right. She should have followed the same stupid road BISD had been following for years that got them exactly where they are now.
Is it Minerva la Porter Belle aka La Hurraca that posted the two previous ones as Anonymous?
are pendejo, babosa, cabron y la porter want more bribes.
Juan, I know you're earning your keep. Cata cannot run on her record. Get on youtube and watch her behavior in the meetings. She is uneducated, illiterate, no decency and respect for others y es de la Southmost! Hard working parents and siblings! What de fuck happened to her? What happened to the pride in family and family name? You have no shame Cata and the day is coming when you will be left all by yourself! Your day will come!
BISD is a joke and always has been!
Juan, everyone admits that during Cata's tenure as a board member the district has experienced its lowest level of competence from academics to fiscal accountability. Moral is at its absolute lowest. Now, Cata can continue to blame others, and make allegations of others lining their pockets for themselves and friends, but has yet to provide any creditable evidence. On the other hand she and the current majority have performed and committed atrocities on the staff and students that far outweigh any previous board's decisions. She goes about her business and portarys herself as a mother Teresa, but with the mouth of a sailor. If this PAC is for the 4 you write about, I definately support them.
Where does La Bowman come in? Is she actually running for anything? I don't even see a sign with her name around town. You could have a ticket with Argelia, Caty, Bowman, and Gill. What difference would it make? Who is willing to speak up and squeal when they see all the dirty politics that goes on?
Anyone running for public office in Brownsville is presumed to be corrupt and not worthy of a vote by an honorable person.
LMAO, just got the sign. Hey Erasmo posted some stupid shit about not being responsible for content on his cheez website yesterday. Sounds like he made it up himself or he hired an out of work attorney.....Oh never mind it probably came from Erin Hernandez isn't she out of work?
We haven't gotten a raise at BISD in four years! How many years has cata been there? Who is telling the truth? I ain't CATA!
the 1:02 is from paddy hames?
Paddy supported ZayCor!
I honestly cannot see how anyone in their right mind can vote for “Butch” Barbosa. He is extremely condescending and confrontational when one does not agree with his philosophy or whatever he happens to be peddling at the time. This is particularly noticeable if you are a male since “Butch” feels that fists speaks louder than words when he finds himself at the end of a losing argument/discussion. His aggressiveness has no place in public service moreover, as a board member of a public school district. His nickname appropriately defines his canine demeanor.
It never ceases to amaze me how you can take every day dealings, configure some dots and weave some conspiracy theory. Your doing it here and I, like you, can conclude that you were employed to develop the conspiracies for Rendon, Gonzales, Juarez, and now for Cata in her quest for reelection. Such "fabrications" have allowed the current board majority, and lets face it, they acquiesce to the whims of Cata, to run havoc over the district. She is the head of the serpent. Anyboby but Cata will bring balance to the District. Then you can continue to write about imortant things, be an investigative reporter and not a paid hack.
If his shit is so stupid, why do you read it? It was a joke , stops hating.
Tell us how you really feel.
school districts are all about the Benjamins, nothing to do for the kids, puro pedo its all about the elected school board memeber pocket y es todo nada mas or menos.
Post a Comment