TAXPAYERS CHAFE AT FUNDING MR AMIGO 3-DAY BASH

By Juan Montoya

The long-simmering resentment of many locals against the clubby Mr. Amigo Association has erupted in full as revelations of the group's reliance on public-funded resources while restricting access to Mr. Amigo and posh private receptions and bashes a few favorites become known.

Although ostensibly a private association which fills its ranks through nominations by
other members, the Mr. Amigo Association has long relied on public resources and private donations raised through solicitation and several major events such as the President's Ball and Banquet and the Taste de Frontera.

These two raised the group $38,460 of its $105,529 2013 Mr. Amigo budget ($21,120 in ticket sales for the banquet, $17,240 for Taste de la Frontera).. The group's income statement for this year said it spent $99,700 for its events.

Among the other income for the 2013 bash featuring Mexican Televisa soap opera star Eduardo Yanez was $39,600 in donations from sponsors.

However, if you look closely at the income statement, you will see that the city kicked in thousands in "in-kind" contributions, including free access to the Brownsville Events Center ($2,684 for banquet, $1,740 for Taste) and the Ft. Brown Civic Center by the University. 

But what is not included is the "in-kind" security detail assigned by the Brownsville Police Department to provide round-the-clock protection to Mr. Amigo. An information request from El Rrun-Rrun to the Brownsville Police Department revealed that this year, the PD's security detail cost taxpayers $19,285 in overtime pay for the 18 officers and supervisors.

In some cases, the bill came to about $50 to $54 per hour for those lucky officers who were favored by Chief Orlando Rodriguez to serve on the detail.

And even though there was some well-intentioned idle talk in the past  about the Association doing something in return for the citizens of Brownsville like establishing scholarships for needy students or establishing a cultural museum recording their efforts at international goodwill, past presidents and boards usually end up blowing the money raised on a week-long party for selected members.

Mr. Amigo first began holding their recognition of Mr. Amigo separately from Charro Days and SombreroFest but then realized in 1969 that they could take advantage of the crowds generated by these two events at no cost to themselves. Although they are not a formal nonprofit, they have been able to secure donations from local businesses and organizations to pay for the Mr. Amigo three-day stay in the city.

However, this year there was considerable grumbling about the way that President Yesenia Patiño was running the show. Patiño was said to control access to Yanez almost exclusively and did not permit that the celebrity take photographs with most people. Instead, those that did take a photo with Yanez were chosen from her favorites.

In fact, some of the private bashes were strictly restricted by her and her assistant Sylvia Perez, a former BISD administrator. In one telling instance, Patiño asked some individuals who had posted photos of the private bashes on their Facebook pages to remove them because some smaller donors would complain that they had not received a persona invitation to attend the parties.

Others said that the group had seriously violated the FAA rules on unauthorized people being nin restricted parts of the airport's tarmac when they went to receive Yanez's arrival in the Mr. Amigo Association's rented private jet (at a cost of $13,218). When it was brought to the board's attention that the violations carried a hefty fine, she ordered that the incriminating photos of some 60 members partying it up to be removed from the Association's webpage.

And when Yanez was taken to the Fiestas Patrias in Matamoros despite there being no security detail available there, Patiño did not consult with her board about the arrangements to be made, going as far as taking a 2013 Jeep provided by local car dealer Luke Fruia which did not have the proper insurance to be in Matamoros.

And the security detail provided by the BPD?   They stopped at the bridge to Matamoros and killed time while Patiño and her husband Miguel escorted the star to the Matamoros parade. At $50 to $54 per hour in overtime, wouldn't you milk the job as well?

Someone also pointed out that the 18 officers, including the four motorcycle cops, might well have cost thge city money by not earning any income for the public treasury through the issuance of traffic violation citations.

At this point in time, can you really blame the average citizen for wondering whether the organization really deserves to tap into the taxpayers to fund their private party?