Wednesday, May 15, 2013

MARTINEZ-CONTROLLED COMMISSION SLOGS ON

By Juan Montoya
The results of Saturday's city commission election has assured Mayor Tony Martinez that he will continue running roughshod over the citizens of Brownsville for the foreseeable future.
With the election of Rose Gowen and John Villarreal, Martinez will have a virtual carte blanche to do and undo as he pleases.
If we thought that his splurging money was a passing anomaly  (all under $35,000, of course) get ready, cause he was just getting warmed up. The best, it would appear, is yet to come. Whether its high-priced consultants, All-In, BetterBlock, healthy communities, etc. Tony will have his way at the public's expense.
Did anybody ask the citizens of Brownsville if they wanted to invest millions through higher utility rates on an electric-power plant before committing them to pay for it for years to come?
Did anyone ask you whether you wanted your public comments censored from the city's airwaves because some public official might get offended while the mayor, commissioners and city attorneys use the bully pulpit as a soap box when they please?
It is doubtful that anyone of us was asked if we wanted to have the city issue certificates of obligations in the millions to speculate in pricey properties for downtown real estate. If anyone had, it is doubtful that they would have agreed to fork over millions for la Casa del Nylon or the Fernandez building.
If the post two years are any indication of what awaits us, many commissioners will have deals and contracts pushed in front of their faces without any hint of what they are signing.
Lett Perez-Garcia and Robert Uresti showed us that they are not politicians in the classic sense of the word. They were just average citizens without any further ambition but to have a voice – any voice – independent of the powers lined up behind Martinez. We speak of United Brownsville, of course. If that bunch is allowed unfettered access to the public power and purse strings, we'll all pay. But with a city commission full of cheerleaders, there is nary a voice that counsels caution and protects the city residents. All these fine people have an agenda, and they are brazen about carrying ti out. We noticed in former Mayor Eddie Treviño who even after he was smeared in the Limas debacle, still emerged unscathed and was named PUB counsel. Of course, it helped that his buddy Emmanuel Vasquez – whom he appointed to the board – was there to give him a hand.
Treviño is the same politician who as mayor rammed through the $1 million contract for the preparation of the Imagine Brownsville, cum United Brownsville and who gave Carlos Marin, Fred Rusteberg, and Julieta Garcia the opportunity to manipulate the destiny of the city from their banks and ivory tower.
Mayor Martinez won these elections. Hopefully the city's residents won't find out later that they have loste as a result.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems that our mayor and the herald must believe that having a $4million fund balance is a good thing. Brownsville should have at least 3 months of operating expenses in the fund balance in the event of some catastrophe, such as a hurricane. Three months is probably around $18 million. But he made the $4million sound really good at the presentation yesterday. He also praised the housing authority for being able to build the Citrus Garden project for ONLY $125.00 per square foot. What a joke, if it had cost $65.00 per square foot that would have made it better than 90 percent of the housing in Brownsville, at $125.00 per square foot is should be of the same quality as the homes that line the resaca on Calle Esplendida which is behind a secure gate off Coffee Port road. Calle Esplendida is probably the wealthiest street in town. What is up with this? Is he the mayor just out to lunch?

Anonymous said...

shallow stuff, Juan. lazy today? LOL!!!

Anonymous said...

The city of Brownsville is soon to have bigger issues:

Concern:
to benefit charities without stating which ones is the reason a group is organizing the memorial day barbaque bash this year. Shouldn't you or your fellow bloggers be investigating who is putting this event and what are the charities that will be benefiting from this? Probably their own pockets. check it, bros.
Answer ( lie)

"Border Town BBQ Bash was born with a vision of attracting tourism and providing family entertainment to our local city and surrounding communities. The event benefits charitable organizations including Monica’s House..."

There is no no- profits.  This is not a legitimate organization and on their web page, they claim the city of Brownsville as a sponsor, and you can not find any names of organizers, not even ONE NAME! Does that make the city liable?  Before we participate, we would like to see all the nonprofit documentation and  find out why the tickets to the event went from $20 to 2 for $30.  You have been warned! 

Anonymous said...

"Did anybody ask the citizens of Brownsville if they wanted to invest millions through higher utility rates ..."

No.

"Did anyone ask you whether you wanted your public comments censored from the city's airwaves..."

No.

Did anyone ask you to vote this election?

Yes, they did. So did you?

No, you didn't.

So you FORFEIT your right to be asked the first 2 questions above. Way it works. Deal with it, Juanito.

Anonymous said...

Tony Martinez has surely adopted the autocratic management style practiced by Juliet Garcia for so many years....he wants to manipulate and control every facit of city government and purge those who oppose him or criticize him. Tony, like Juliet, do not want and will not accept compromise and its their way or the highway. Tony, like Juliet, is out of touch with the majority of citizens in Brownsville and both tend to disregard citizen's views, interests or ideas. Both feel they are superior (as most elitist think) to the majority of the citizens and therefore don't need their opinions. They don't practice democratic government.

Anonymous said...

Vaya Juan, hasta que quitaste la foto de La Bruja de 71, mas bien conocida como Letty Perez-Garzorra. Que bueno que perdio la vieja cotorrona.

Anonymous said...

"Did anyone ask you to vote this election?

Yes, they did. So did you?

No, you didn't.

So you FORFEIT your right to be asked the first 2 questions above. Way it works. Deal with it, Juanito"

WRONG! Every time I pay a city sales tax, a city property tax or any other city tax I pay for the right to ask any question I want of the city government.
I mean, do you really think it is the people who vote that run the city. Money talks. The votes just determine to whom the money goes. You can be sure that one person with $10,000 to contribute or otherwise spread around has more influence over decisions made by city (or state or national) government then do a thousand people with $10.00.
You deal with it.

Anonymous said...

"... I pay for the right to ask any question I want of the city government."

But YOU DON'T EXERCISE THAT RIGHT, DO YOU? Because YOU DON'T VOTE.

4.86% registered voter turnout. Let that sink in a bit. That's 1 person telling 19 others how it's gonna be (actually worse than that when counting the unregistered). The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can actually do something about it.

Anonymous said...

Juan! Por favor vuelve a poner la foto de Letty Garzorra. Ya se me esta volviendo a llenar la casa de cucarachas! Le tienen mas miedo a ella que al Baygon.

rita