MIKE "UNITED KYLE" GONZALEZ AND WIFE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE HERE, BUT VOTED IN KYLE, TEXAS THIS MAY

By Juan Montoya

The United Brownsville bunch say they're all for civic engagement, participatory democracy and the people's right to choose their own representatives.

But as we found out with District 3 commissioner-elect Deborah Portillo, sometimes their actions speak louder than their words.

In Portillo's case, we found out before the election that she had not bothered to vote in municipal election until she ran for office even though she is 28 years old. In fact, she never even voted in the election two years ago that put her benefactor Mayor Tony Martinez in office.

We also found out that even though United Brownsville encourages political participation, one of the co-chairs of the group is none other than IBC President Fred Rusteberg who just happens to live in the Rancho Viejo Resort, outside the Brownsville City limits. Word is Fred is building himself a new crib in Browntown.

One of the anchors of United Brownsville, UTB President Juliet Garcia, is also trying to sell her $929,000 two-story beach condominium on South Padre Island and keeping the old Pan-Am president's house she was allowed to buy for a song through a special dispensation of the Texas Legislature. Her buddy Rusteberg provided the financing.

Now we find that Mike "Miguel" Gonzalez, the executive director of United Brownsville (and former Mayor of Kyle), voted in the May 2013 city council election in Kyle and maintains a residence there with his wife Linda.

Neither has ever voted in a local election in Cameron County or in Brownsville. There's every good reason for that. They're both still registered in Hayes County.

In fact, even though Gonzalez has been the executive director of United Brownsville since April 2011, he and his wife voted in the early elections in Kyle May 6, 2013. In fact, he voted in the in May 2011, a month after Rusteberg announced he had been picked as the executive director of the shadow government organization.
One of the anchor "Initiatives" of United Brownsville is listed on their website as "CIVIC AND LEADERSHIP: WHAT ARE WE DOING?," and states that: This initiative is based on a very simple premise: an engaged and civically-minded community is a prerequisite for a quality community."
So why is it that the Cameron County Elections Office does not have its executive director or his wife listed as registered voters in Cameron County? However, the Hayes County Elections Office has Miguel and  LInda Gonzalez listed as registered voters there. In addition, the Hayes Appraisal District lists them as owners of a home at 116 Fall Creek Dr., in Kyle.
Perhaps what attracted Rusteberg's eye to Gonzalez were his Tea Party credentials. He is the former  mayor of Kyle, and  resigned in December 2009 to unsuccessfully seek the Republican nomination for a seat on the Hays County commissioners court.
Initially, the United Brownsville Coordinating Board awarded him a one-year contract at $6,500 a month, or $78,000 for 12 months, to assist in the implementation of strategies identified in Imagine Brownsville, the hodge-podge comprehensive plan bandied as the blueprint for the city's future. Inquiries on his present salary to his office have gone unanswered.
United Brownsville is financed primarily though "membership" dues of $25,000 donated by he city of Brownsville, Brownsville Public Utilities Board, Brownsville Navigation District, Brownsville Independent School District (BISD), University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, Brownsville Community Improvement Corp. and Greater Brownsville Incentive Corporation.
Just recently, the BISD refused to contribute the $25,000 annual "dues." Cameron County has never been a member or donor to the group.
When he was hired, Gonzalez said his primary aim was to create jobs. So far, it's hard to see which jobs this bunch has created aside from Gonzalez's assistants and the lobbying firm of Patton Boggs LLP which was paid $75,000 for three months of work.
More and more, it seems, Brownsville is becoming a "bedroom" community with people from the outside  the city coming in like gigolos, screwing us, and taking our money.
By the way, did you know that as of March 2012 Brownsville had become a (paying?) member of something called the South Texas International Economic Development Alliance out of San Marcos, Gonzalez's stomping grounds?
And if the executive director – after more than two years of milking the cash cow called the city and people of Brownsville – doesn't care enough about its political life or leadership to cast a vote, just why are all those publicly funded entities still handing out their $25,000?
More importantly, why should anyone support these absentee overlords?