Despite the hand-wringing and self-flagellation by the likes of Brownsville Independent School District trustees like Minerva Peña and Otis Powers, a 5-2 majority of the board opted to give $25,000 of the taxpayers' money to a board which is accountable to no one and which is led by a millionaire banker even as the administration says it must be frugal in its finances.
Board member Enrique Escobedo, Peña, Powers, Jose H. Chirinos, and newly-appointed Cesar Lopez voted Tuesday night to become "partners" with United Brownsville for a slight fee of $25,000 from the district's general fund.Trustees Catalina Presas-Garcia and Lucy Longoria voted against the measure.
This was the third time that United Brownsville had come before the board with its hand outstretched asking for money. It subsists by accepting "membership donations" from public funded entities that include the City of Brownsville, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, the Brownsville Navigation District, The University of Texas at Brownsville, Texas Southmost College, and the Brownsville Public Utilities Board.
So far, only Cameron County has opted not to give away the public's money and BISD had turned them down twice. We also hear that the new TSC administration and board are rethinking the 25,000 "partnership" payment.Tuesday night was different.
Instead of just sending United Brownsville's executive director Mike Gonzales as the sole supplicant before the board, Lord of the Manor Fred Rusteberg came before the members to make the pitch. Undoubtedly, Rusteberg's bank probably holds some of the notes of some of the board members, their relatives, businesses or friends, making it night improbable that the majority would cast a negative vote.
Powers voted "yes" justifying it in the name of "unity" with United Brownsville, but there was scant, if any, evidence presented by Rusteberg or his acolyte Gonzales that the $25,000 would benefit the district's students.
Gonzalez will be the main beneficiary of the district's largess for his $80,000 salary, even though we know he hasn't bothered to register to vote in Brownsville in the two years he has lived here. If he doesn't vote, what does that say about him caring what happens here. Rsusteberg, last time we checked, lived in Rancho Viejo, far from the maddening masses of Brownsville which he taps to fund his pet organization.
We have often used this blog to rail against public funds being donated to this shadow government which is held accountable by no one. No one elects Rusteberg or Gonzalez. Neither do they elect Juliet Garcia or Carlos Marin, two of the organization's main movers and shakers. And the "comprehensive" plan Imagine Brownsville upon which United Brownsville pegs its usefulness is neither codifiable nor set in city ordinance.
In other words, when a new city commission comes into office, they don't have to abide by any of its grandiose tenets.
Then again, the new emerging majority on the BISD board – as the other seven entities that donate public money to this shadow government – have proved that they have no compunction about giving away the public's money.
13 comments:
This is all politics plain and simple. Minerva Pena is rumored to be a candidate for the new JP spot that will open up at the County. Soon to be indicted Enrique Escobedo is rumored to again be seeking to run against Ernie Hernandez for County Commissioner. Otis, well he is just being Otis speaking at both ends of his mouth. Why the unity now? Where was the concern for unity the first two times Otis? If it was their own money they would not have given them a penny....simple as that. The board members are campaigning with tax dollars and should be ashamed of themselves. Mrs. Pena plays the holier than thou card and then pulls this..Ha! All of law enforcement is watching and proud I am sure. Total disappointment in throwing more money to an organization that is just supporting a director, that believes so much in Brownsville that he lives in Austin!
I believe this vote is illegal because the laws are very straight forward, since a taxing entity is no allowed to give anyway anything of value, money, equipment etc away. Folks check the law books but last time i saw it thats what it said. dc
We have Teachers that are more deserving of this money. The question to all broad members who do you all think will benefit FRED RUSTEBERG, Mike Gonzalez and the rest of United Brownsville or THE SCHOOL TEACHERS THAT HAVE TO PUT MONEY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR TO MEET EXPENSES!!!!!!!!!!! TELL THE MILLIONAIRE IF NOT THE BILLIONAIRE RUSTEBERG AND ALL OTHER PANHANDLES AT UNITED BROWSVILLE TO PONY UP THEIR OWN MONEY FROM THEIR OWN ASSES, AND THE BISD BOARD MEMBERS WHO ALSO VOTED. THE IDIOTS AT BISD GET THE FUCK OUT WHERE YOU DON'T BELONG. CERTAIN NOT AS A BOARD MEMBER WITH A CARTE BLANCHE FUCKING MORON'S YOU SHOULD ALL BE FIRED!!!!!! YOU SHOULD ALL BE RECALL. We The Citizens of Brownsville should seriously consider a RECALL FOR THIS BROAD MEMBERS, GIVE YOUR OWN FUCKING MONEY TO UNITED BROWNSVILLE. I applaud the only two females that had enough HUEVOS to say "NO” Minerva Presas Pena, and Lucy Longoria and FUCK THE REST. RECALL THEM ALL……..”LETS START A PETITION FOR A RECALL TO FIRE THIS IDIOTS.”
Juanito are you sayin our unelected SHADOW GOVERNMENT is the same as obamie's 44 CZARS SHADOW GOVERNMENT?
(. Otis, well he is just being Otis speaking)
Obviously named for the drunk on The Andy Griffith show.
IG.
Until the voters demand to know where their money is going and what they're getting out of this partnership, the BISD Board will continue to use taxpayer money like their personal piggy-bank. Watching their meetings online is like witnessing a festival of stupidity.
BISD Board continues to "kiss up" to the city powers that be....the "Juliet Garcia Klan". The BISD Trustees are "wieners" who want to play with the big boys, so the "suck up", so they can play in the game that maligns us here....local politics.
RECALL total RECALL is what we need at BISD and get rid of this idiotic board, looks like mr Rustyburger got his 25k no matter what, now we as citizens need to DEMAND a MONTHLY REOPORT from these CLOWNS as to what the United lets screw Brownsville team is doing with the BISD FUNDING. dc
The post below makes no sense! What about all the other membership fees the District pays?
Don Cleto said...
I believe this vote is illegal because the laws are very straight forward, since a taxing entity is no allowed to give anyway anything of value, money, equipment etc away. Folks check the law books but last time i saw it thats what it said. dc
August 21, 2013 at 5:09 PM
dear mr anonymous, my point exactly the state laws do not allow taxing entities to give away surplus items like land, buildings, equipment etc, then why is BSID Board being allowed to give away money ( taxpayers funds), that is my question and point, and yes last time i inquired at the city of brownsville, they are required to bid off any unsed things be it whatever it is that is bought with taxpayers funds. So why would BISD be an excuse to give AWYAY the BISD tax monies to mr rustyburger? doesnt he have enough money from all the banks he has worked at and reitred? Thats my question ans why does the school atty mr BS-baltasar salazar does not point this out to the board before they vote on this rediculous organization-shadow government- do nothing, non proift entity???? Inquiring minds want to know. Have a good day cool arrow. dc
Correction to one commentor. Minerva Pena voted for this crap. Lucy and Caty voted against it. They weren't intimidated by Fred Rusterburg nor Eddie Campirano, what an idiot Mike Gonzalez he was a chicken shit to show up alone. Fugging morons.
a la vieja de la foto por favor diganle que no le quedan las blusas de rayas
BISD Board members please stop wasting taxpayers money, use it for running the schools and not your little PET PROJECTS like this little cia operation shadow government project that like United brownsville is and we dont get anything from it. DC
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