We've all heard it through the years.
The Mr. Amigo Association is a clubby, cliquish group of wannabes who use public funds and manpower (personpower?) to have a two-week bash with private parties restricted to their friends.
What's more, what has the Mr. Amigo Association given back to the city that receives in-kind services through the use of city-owned venues and police security each year?
New Mr. Amigo Association President Cristiano Luigi said he acknowledges that some of the criticism is well deserved. But he says that the group's executive board is ready to take the bull by the horns and show the residents of Brownsville who foot the bill annually to host the organization's Mexican celebrity that they are aware of the criticism want to do something positive to offset it.This year, model and soap-opera star Mariana Seoane was elected Mr. Amigo 2013.
"I am the kind of person who doesn't resent being criticized," he said recently. "We have been part of this community for 50 years and we want to remain a part of it another 50."
Toward that end, Cristiano said that the group's executive board had voted to establish an educational scholarship for a local student who may be involved in studying, researching or promoting the unique international character of the local culture.
"It could be music, dance, language, anything to do with culture," he said. "We want to keep it open and be inclusive."
Cristiano said he didn't know what the amount of the Mr. Amigo Association scholarship will total, but he said that the group hopes it will encourage the two other sister organizations – Charro Days Association and SombreroFest – to do the same .
"That will be three scholarships available to local students," he said.
Although he concedes it's a small start, he said that during his tenure – each president is restricted to serve one year – enthusiasm for enlarging the idea will result in a larger scholarship each year thereafter.
The group's annual budget totals almost $100,000 in revenue through different fundraisers and in-kind donations from local individuals and businesses. Under former presidents, that amount was depleted and the next president was left with about $5,000 to budget for the next year. In the recent past, some presidents have been criticized for spending extravagant amounts on costly decorations, food and drink for the members, and private parties for a select few. Cristiano hopes to change that starting this year.
"We have planned to have this year's Mr. Amigo attend a series of events which will involve the organization with our schools, hospitals, and service clubs," he said. "We are aware of the criticism out there and we are going to do something positive to address that. All we ask is that the public give us a chance to show them."
10 comments:
Are we talking about the same Luigi Christiano,, "Mr. I want to help you.." Mr. Dannembaum?
Ya nos chingamos.
REF:
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_e4fde83c-3609-5f28-b4a6-b4b8930f9860.html
Mr.Cristiano is very incorrect.
His comment on Charro Days Inc. and Sombrero fest giving scholarships is very offensive.
He must have no idea how much
both of these organizations have been given back for decades to the community.
Mr.Cristiano should have more comon sense to figure out the downfall of Mr. Amigo came about last year, compliments of Yessenia Patino and Sylvia Perez
and it looks they are at it again.
Those of us who were decade supporters had never encoutered
such ruthless and arrogant people.
One used Mr. Amigo Association, our donations, to live a life she and her husband can't afford and the other to get some kind of
self-esteem boost.
How does this association now choose its members?.
It looks they are at it again.
Guess we will be seeing them taking centerfold in all the pictures and so called Mr. Amigo visits in town.
Your decade supporters are very disappointed this organization is nothing but the new joke of the town.
Charro Days, like every day in Brownsville, is filled with competing groups with competing agendas. All seek money from the city and the public; yet the different power groups refuse to cooperate. The festival is going down the toilet just like the city. If it weren't for BISD and the city, there would be no parade. The origins of Charro Days reflected coordination and communication; that's gone. Too many groups with conflicting interests.
Christiano wants a scholarship to study local "international culture". Two problems, Christo; one, there is no local culture and two, much less international. I would suggest a study of the local phenomenon know as bi-illiteracy.
I don't give a shit about charro days or anything having to do with it.
Just a bunch of arrogant, grandstanding assholes
luigi c? a bridge afar? to where? el port de brownsville to no where, but it cost the taxpayers 22 million dollars que padre? now those are the kind of projects i would like to get involved in and make some decent money. anyway its just taxpayers moneis and no one else andthen the da gets involved y mas crime o corruption i must say, i want my share of the pie too dijo el former da a villalobos, este pastel esta grandote. wow
Yesenia Patino has been telling everyone, especially to her customers at her barbershop, that Luigi is by far the worst idiot Mr. Amigo President. That she got rid of key members and sneaked in her husband Miguel and between Yesenia, Miguel, Sylvia Perez, Sergio Martinez are controlling this years Mr. Amigo. She told my friend Martha that as she was painting her hair that this year she put her husband Miguel in charge of security because this way she could get ALL her friends and family in to take pictures with the stripper without paying to be sponsors. She was laughing sooo hard that Luigi has no clue what is going on that the money being paid by the sponsors are being used by them like she did last year with her presidency.
I asked my friend if she could get me in the dances and she said of course it is all taken care of. Yesenia said all of her clients are going in for free and to all the private events, by the time anyone (especially Luigi) finds out it is over and done with. A few board members know about Miguel preparing to ruin Luigi's year. I told her cool I'm in for free and I'm taking my daughter and son for free too.
Viva Mr. Amigo.
Every day is Charro Days in Brownsville !
There are always problems, no matter what organization there is, because there are alway people who think they are intellegent and prestigious enough to take control of situations they know nothing about for popularity and recognition.
Come people, who do you think you are fooling? If any of you really knew what you were doing you would act with professionalism and help one another out to help your organization. Instead, you retired people think you can use the same tactics from your previous jobs. Push people around because you had a title.
There are too many chiefs and not enough indians in the Mr. Amigo Association. All of you trying to put each other down, all of you making fools out of yourselves, neither one of you with any pride. It is so sad that you all feel the need to intefere with one another for recognition. Instead, all of you should be ashmed of yourselves for the organizations representation.
Who is suppose help who in the chain of command? I personally like Mr. Luigi, do not blame him for the people who are working with him. It is not his job to teach them to be professionals. They are just plain rude to do this to him and the organization. No name calling from my part, just disappointed in our society.
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