It had been in the offing since midsummer, but the plan to hijack the funds from the Texas Southmost College Foundation to give the money to University of Texas at Brownsville has met with stiff resistance from the Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees who voted late Thursday to file a lawsuit in district court to keep the foundation from changing its name and bylaws.
Reminiscent of UTB's Juliet Garcia's plan to turn over all the assets of the community college to the UT System (except for the bond debt, of course). the latest scheme would entail the elimination of four board positions that are filled by representatives of the Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees.
Will this continued assault on the community college by the likes of Garcia, City Commissioner Rose Gowen, Mayor Tony Martinez and his ilk ever stop?
It's bad enough that over the course of the 22-year "partnership" TSC has transferred an estimated $1 billion to subsidize the UT System and generated bond indebtedness on behalf of supporting UTB through construction bonds. Now they want to take the scholarship money away from TSC to again give it away to UTB students.
Just recently, Martinez and city contract attorney Mark Sossi played a bait-and-switch with a land parcel of 10.2 acres that the city had given the college to establish a botanical garden and associated course work at the university level. When Garcia and her administration allowed the plan to go fallow, Martinez told the college that they could have it back, with a few strings attached, of course.
Those strings would turn out to be a swap of three historical properties in return for the land that the city had
donated to the college. He had staff counsel (the affable and devious contract lawyer Sossi) draft up the documentation to hand over city-owned 70 acres gratis to the UT System. And then Martinez told the TSC trustees the city wanted would take back the George Kraigher House on 525 Paredes Line Road, the Neale House and the Young House in return for the 10.2-acre tract minus the botanical restriction.
"Here he is giving away some 70 acres to the UT System and demanding that we give him the Neale and Young Houses and that we relinquish control of the Kraigher House," said the source. "Under Garcia, the college spent more than $200,000 refurbishing the Kraigher House, and then he wants TSC to transfer control of it back to the city, which owns it, and to transfer the other two houses in return for the 10.2-acre property."
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Our source said that all told, the value of the two historical properties and the investment on the Kraigher House is near $1 million.
'The bottom line is that the mayor gave 70 acres away to the UT System for nothing, and then he didn't tell the TSC board anything about transferring control of the three properties to the city in return for the 10.2- acre tract," said a source. "He pulled the rug from under the community. While he's giving away the farm to the UT System, he is taking about $1 million away from the local taxpayers."
Now, with Gowen running interference for UTB, this gang wants to steal the foundation monies that were meant to go to needy TSC students.
The lawsuit filed in state district court charges that the foundation is trying to change its bylaws and name to benefit students of the University of Texas at Browns ville instead of TSC students.
donated to the college. He had staff counsel (the affable and devious contract lawyer Sossi) draft up the documentation to hand over city-owned 70 acres gratis to the UT System. And then Martinez told the TSC trustees the city wanted would take back the George Kraigher House on 525 Paredes Line Road, the Neale House and the Young House in return for the 10.2-acre tract minus the botanical restriction.
"Here he is giving away some 70 acres to the UT System and demanding that we give him the Neale and Young Houses and that we relinquish control of the Kraigher House," said the source. "Under Garcia, the college spent more than $200,000 refurbishing the Kraigher House, and then he wants TSC to transfer control of it back to the city, which owns it, and to transfer the other two houses in return for the 10.2-acre property."
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'The bottom line is that the mayor gave 70 acres away to the UT System for nothing, and then he didn't tell the TSC board anything about transferring control of the three properties to the city in return for the 10.2- acre tract," said a source. "He pulled the rug from under the community. While he's giving away the farm to the UT System, he is taking about $1 million away from the local taxpayers."
Now, with Gowen running interference for UTB, this gang wants to steal the foundation monies that were meant to go to needy TSC students.
The lawsuit filed in state district court charges that the foundation is trying to change its bylaws and name to benefit students of the University of Texas at Browns ville instead of TSC students.
“The Defend ants seek to change the name of the Foundation to the Historic Fort Brown Foundation for Higher Education, or another name, in an attempt to eliminate any association with TSC,” the lawsuit states.
The Brownsville Herald reported that the foundation was established in 1984 when the Department of Education double-matched $1 million that was raised by the community and was given to TSC. The then-TSC Board of Trustees gifted the money to the foundation.
“The TSC board of Trustees gifted all that money to the foundation for the purpose of scholarships for the students in higher education,” Diaz said. “At that point it was only TSC, but a few years after that UTB and TSC went into partnership. Because they went into partnership for 20 years, the foundation has granted scholarships to students in UTB and TSC.”
Back in the days when Garcia used to rule the roost, the tuition and academic fees at the partnership were the highest of any community college in the state of Texas. At the time, a Presidential Scholarship fund was set up with a portion of the fees which the administration said would be distributed sat its prerogative.
It became, in a sense, a slush fund to dole out money to select students by charging everyone more and placing an education beyond the reach of the average student. The plan to snatch the foundation's scholarship fund to make it available to UTB is just another version of the same scam.
The Brownsville Herald reported that the foundation was established in 1984 when the Department of Education double-matched $1 million that was raised by the community and was given to TSC. The then-TSC Board of Trustees gifted the money to the foundation.
“The TSC board of Trustees gifted all that money to the foundation for the purpose of scholarships for the students in higher education,” Diaz said. “At that point it was only TSC, but a few years after that UTB and TSC went into partnership. Because they went into partnership for 20 years, the foundation has granted scholarships to students in UTB and TSC.”
Back in the days when Garcia used to rule the roost, the tuition and academic fees at the partnership were the highest of any community college in the state of Texas. At the time, a Presidential Scholarship fund was set up with a portion of the fees which the administration said would be distributed sat its prerogative.
It became, in a sense, a slush fund to dole out money to select students by charging everyone more and placing an education beyond the reach of the average student. The plan to snatch the foundation's scholarship fund to make it available to UTB is just another version of the same scam.
8 comments:
That's some bullshat. Rage against the machine!
Given the damage these blowflies upon the ass of humanity have already done, looks like they would move on to more fertile ground. I guess they're just getting some revenge for being humiliated over the UTB debacle. People such as this deserve a special place in Hell!
Bola de tanzas (La Lola, la vaca de gowen, y el Marin pimpin.
And the corruption and intrigue continues in "poorest" city in the US. Julieta Garcia is a vindictive and angry woman who is determined to destroy those who won't take her side. Julieta and her ego are destructive and a threat to local education. She wants to control everything in her purview, without having to go through the political process. She uses her cronies, like Tony Martinez, Freddy Rusteberg, et al to do her dirty work. Julieta learned much from the Kardenas Klan and she continues to take action to serve herself, while screwing the public.
Esos Putos, NO TIENEN NINGUNA VERGÜENZA!!!!!!!!
and I thought all the great hoodlums were hanging out in my southmost area, hell NO, the worst iones at the top. sk
Benjamins, thats all these elected people want folks, nothing but money, scams, american greed, transas etc, and es puro hocus pocus, remember the hand is quicker than the eye went it come to taxpayers monies. Now you see it and now you dont. Folks we need to vote these monsters out.pp
ratas ratas ratas
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