WILL RICK LONGORIA DEFEND S-MOST FROM $535,000 HEIST?

By Juan Montoya
Every once in a while City Commissioner Ricardo Longoria likes to get on what he thinks is his bilingual soapbox and stammer his way through Spanish in a dismal effort to show he can communicate with his Southmost constituency.
He will wax eloquently through a few phrases, stumble, correct himself in English, and then trudge through and pick up the Spanish thread again, in his vain effort to demonstrate that a kid from the barrio can handle the language like an arcane Real Academia Española de Madrid scholar.
It convinces no one, but in the high-ceilinged old federal courthouse, it probably resonates like music in a cathedral to his ears.
Tonight he has a chance to take to the soapbox again during the mandatory public hearing to be held at City Hall – 1001 E. Elizabeth, Second Floor – to use and mangle the language to his liking in defense of his community.
The item reads: 8. FIRST Public Hearing for the proposed 2012/2013 HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Funding allocation. (Stephanie Reyes – Grants)
The "substantial" part of the amendment is the proposal to shift $535,000 from a construction of the planned Southmost Community Center (Dome) to provide hurricane protection to that community and add $300,000 to the Oliveira Skate Park's $150,000 and another $235,000 to meet the needs of additional amenities to the Portway Acres Park which was originally programmed for $107,692.
According to the notation included in the proposed amendment submitted for consideration to the city commission by Stephanie Reyes, Director of Grants Management and Community Development Department, the money originally allotted for the Southmost project will be scavenged to benefit other part of the city "due to the delay in procuring architectural services for the Southmost Community Center..."
Reyes doesn't explain who's to fault for the delay, or whether the administration knew that such domes are quite common now along the Texas coast and could have easily been acquired by local firms.
Of the $750,000 proposed for the hurricane protection dome/community center, only $215,000 will be left, not enough apparently, to even begin to think about building it as hurricane season approaches.
According to municipal sources, there will be three domes built in the city. One will go to the Sports Park. Another will go somewhere on Central Boulevard, and another in Southmost.
Adding to the confusion is the agenda action item included by Asst. City Manager Jeff Johnson.
29.  Consideration  and  ACTION to  award  a  contract for  Architectural  and Engineering  Services
for the  construction of two (2)  Safety Shelter Domes at the Brownsville Public Library Main Branch  and  Southmost  Branch  Library  (Dr-1791-361  &  DR-1791-362).  (Jeff Johnston -Assistant City Manager).
Community Development's Reyes has proposed that the Southmost project will be delayed for another year and be included in the 2013-2014 year when funding becomes available in October.
Are we to assume that the remaining $215,000 in the Southmost project will now be awarded and the construction delayed until after October because of the delay in acquiring these services?
The amendment document justifies the increase in the other projects with the money meant for Southmost with letters written by City of Brownsville Comprehensive Planning Manager who says that after the public hearing held at Portway Acres, he wants the money to go there.
The Oliveira Skate Park amendment is requested by City of Brownsville Director of Parks and Recreation Department who also cites a public hearing held where "young and veteran skate board enthusiasts" and skate park contractors (American Ramp) convinced him that the city should fleece the Southmost barrio of $300,000 to build a state-of-the art skate facility to allay their desires to have a nice place to play.
Nowhere in the document is there any mention of any public hearing held in the Southmost area to determine whether the residents there were OK with having the money go for hurricane protection for their neighborhoods be siphoned off for such crucial necessities as a $450,000 place for skaters to hang out.
"The contractors were on hand at the Public Input Meeting to incorporate the comments and suggestions from the public...," Patterson wrote.
This is the same Patterson who was rooked by the rap group from Houston who got paid up front and then reneged on the concert they were supposed to perform. Remember? If a street-wise black rapper from Houston could beguile Chris, what can we expect from slick contractors who said the paltry sum of $150,000 wouldn't cut the mustard to give the "young and veteran skate board enthusiasts" the quality recreational needs they deserve?
Both Patterson and Gonzalez buttressed their arguments in the guise of preventing crime and giving neighborhood youth an alternative to criminal activity. In other words, "If we don't make this substantial amendment and take this $535,000 from the Southmost area and give them what they want, why we might be inducing these impressionable youth to a life of crime."
If ever there was a time for an elected official and community leader to make a stand for the people of Southmost and clear this up, this would seem the appropriate time, ne c'est pas? 
Oops, wrong language.