IS PORTILLO BOLTING FROM THE MARTINEZ-MARIN CAMP?

By Juan Montoya
In prior posts we have pointed out that City of Brownsville District 3 commissioner candidate Deborah Portillo is symbiotically attached to the cabal that is attempting to control the destinies of the city through the manipulation of its offices behind the shadows of the publicly-funded nonprofit called United Brownsville.
We have pointed out in the past that Portillo's only other occupational listing on her resume besides owning a jewelry store has been as the Special Projects Director for United Brownsville and had the high-falutin responsibility of building "collaborative partnerships between various governmental entities and community groups," according to the slick mail-out distributed to a list of voters from District 3.
What she doesn't say is that her salary – and that of all United Brownsville employees from its director to its clerical staff – was paid from $25,000 "goodwill contributions" made to United Brownsville by  the City of Brownsville, Greater Brownsville Incentive Corporation, Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, Brownsville Independent School District, Brownsville Public Utilities Board, University of Texas at Brownsville, Texas Southmost College, and the Port of Brownsville. In other words, subsidized by the city's taxpayers.
And who were Portillos' mentors at United Brownsville?
Its officers are IBC Bank president Fred Rusteberg, co-chair with former banker and now UTB administrator Irv Downing, and the third co-chair John Villarreal. That's right, commissioner John Villarreal.
Among its voting directors are Tony Martinez, (Mayor Tony Martinez), Commissioner Estela Chavez-Vasquez, Port Commissioner and wannabe Cameron County Judge Martin Arambula, UTB president Juliet Garcia, Port Director Eddie Campirano, et al.
Among its at-large directors are Carlos Marin, Commissioner Rose Gowen, and former mayor (and now PUB counsel) Eddie Treviño.
Now, who elected Marin, Rusteberg, Campirano, Garcia? No one. Can you fire them? No.
In fact, the board appoints its own members and does with public money whatever it wants. And they don't have to answer to anybody. In fact, their "comprehensive master plan" for the city's development doesn't have to be followed by future city commissions, or anyone else for that matter. It is a vehicle for the bankers and economic manipulators to control the destiny of the city and enrich themselves in the process using our money.
Here the plot thickens as the political and economic incest becomes clear:
Gowen is hired by Su Clinica Familiar as a physician which is managed by Dr. Elena Marin, wife of United Brownsville's mastermind Carlos Marin. It's director of Operations in none other than Oscar Garcia Jr., the son of UTB president Juliet Garcia. Gowen has supported the ban on plastic bags, the smoking ban in bars, the sale of hot dogs and burgers at Sams Stadium, and the gag rule against broadcasting public comments during city commission meetings.
Villarreal, a co-chair of United Brownsville, is now the in-law of Cameron County Pct. 2 Commissioner Ernie Hernandez, and is now supporting Gowen against Letty Perez-Garzoria.  He railed against the inclusion of a stand of Citizens Against Voter Abuse because he saw it as a protest against now in-law Ernie Hernandez and his wife Norma's use of paid vote harvesters (politiqueras) during a previous Earthfest on public property.
 He also went along with the bans of plastic bangs, smoking, and the silencing of public comments. In fact, the gavel at the meetings makes more noise than he does at city commission meetings. Portillo is a relative newcomer, but is no stranger from feeding off the public trough as an executive secretary for United Brownsville.

to a United Brownsville response for public information , Portillo was employed with United Brownsville as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director from January 25, 2012 to October 5, 2012 and her grossed salary earnings were $28,103.33 during that time, about $3,000 a month. She is openly supported by Martinez and the same crew that erects Gowen's signs are putting up hers.
If we are to take her at her word, Portillo will "make sure the city lives within its means, that we protect our bond rating, and plan for long-term growth."
Translation: If the city has to live within its means, does that mean that she will fight the issuance of millions of Certificates of Obligations that Martinez has convinced the city to do to speculate in real estate in the downtown area and make his friends rich? And if she wants to protect our bond rating, will she persuade the city commission to go against Martinez in the issuance of $425 million to buy one quarter of the 800 MW electric generating plant with Tenaska? That "deal" resulted in the PUB's bonds (the city's utility) to have its bonds downgraded to "negative" from stable by Fitch Ratings.
Let's examine the rest of her platform: She wants to "make better use of our airport and support our port while making the city more business friendly to support local job creators and attract new business."
The city and the BEDC are already chipping in funds to keep the aiorport open in light of the sequestration of federal funds, the port lists among its "assets" the remnants of the $21 million Bridge to Nowhere boondoggle, and the BEDC is pouring out huge amounts to companies from the outside and the smallest amount to local businesses and industry. IS she saying that she will confront the hand that fed her to overturn their approach to economic development?
She also wants to "leverage" the resources of our city libraries (two, count them, two) to promote early literacy, and amplify the "All In" campaign to help increase graduation rates critical to attracting higher-paying jobs."
What, in God's good earth, is ther eto leverage from the (puclicly-funded) libraries, pray tell? Early literacy is promoted in the home and in our schools. And how does the "All In" campaign promote graduation rates is all it does in encourage students to do their homework and the parents to "pay your taxes on time?"
Yet, the Portillo campaign of high-sounding phrases and smoke and mirrors isn't relying on the mere warm, fuzzy feelings created by an ad agency flack. It is also going to local cyberpolitiqueros and phone bank operators to convince the citizenry to put their eggs (even more) into the United Brownsville basket carried by Little Red Portillo.
The gang is getting together to bamboozle the rubes in Brownsville and Breeden-McCumber is pumping out the hype. And a phone bank operator is already on board and networking with Cheezmeh (pictue at right). The battle for the hearts and minds of the citizens between United Brownsville and the rest of us has been joined.