ARAMBULA: A COUNTYWIDE CAMPAIGN ON A SHOESTRING

By Juan Montoya
If we are to believe the filed campaign contribution reports filed by former Democratic Party county judge candidate Martin Arambula when he his countywide campaign ran against Joe Rivera, Ruben Peña, and someone named T. Rivera, he spent about a little over $15,000 with only $5,800 in reported contributions.
In fact, Arambula garnered his 3,980 votes with $3,300 in cash contributions and a $2,500 in-kind contribution in the rent for a meeting hall costing $2,500.
This figure drew comments of disbelief from politically knowledgeable people acquainted with the cost of running a campaign across Cameron County.
"The signs alone cost more than that," said one. "You can't tell me he didn't spend more than what it says in the reports."
Candidates are required to submit four campaign finance reports in an election. In Arambula's case, he filed the January 15th report, the report for 30 days before the election, and the one due the 8th day before the election. They are also required to file one July 15. If the go on to the runoff – which Armabula didn't – they are required to file one for that race.
The files available at the Cameron  County Elections office indicates that Arambula did not file the July 15th report.
The election was held March 4.
In fact, Arambula reported that aside from a $500 contribution from HDR Inc., PAC, of Omaha, Neb., he had received only another $300 contribution from the Green Law Firm. The in-kind contribution from the Ambassador Events Center on FM 802.
All told, Arambula reported that he had spent $20,953 of his own money with the $5,800 in contributions for the entire primary campaign.
Now, while we understand frugality, it is still hard to believe that Aramula, the Policy/Records Manager with the Brownsville Independent School District, did not receive contributions from his wide circle of friends. After he lost the race, his bosses over at the BISD generously award him a $15,000 raise to offset his other duties, mainly a half-hearted effort to recycle materials generated district wide at the BISD campuses.
We made a Public Information Request for the current salary of all principals and for Arambula's salary before and after the raise. His old salary may put him above 20 of the 58 campus principals at the BISD.
His new salary has him making more than 52 campus principals of the 58 campuses.
Arambula's salary before the raise was an astounding $75, 940 before the raise, and $90,061 after the raise.
His old salary may put him above 20 of the 58 campus principals at the BISD.
His new salary will put him making more of 52 campus principals of the 58.
However, that increase upset no end of people because the actual recycling is done by the campus principals who appoint one employee to collect and sort through plastic, paper, cardboard and other recyclables such as can, etc. An employee in Armabula's department then is sent to collect the materials by truck and they are later sold.
When questioned during a recent meeting on what amounts of money had been generated by the recycling effort, the board members could get no straight answer other than the prices paid by recyclers for the paper and cardboard.
"He never gave us a firm number," said an administrator. "We never learned how much he is making for the district."
In fact, during that meeting, photographs submitted to board members showed that on many campuses the materials were never sorted or recycled but were thrown directly into the campus dumpsters.
"That was the stuff that he was getting paid to recycle and it is all going into the trash," said a participant. "The pictures showed it all."
As the BISD elections approach thin November 4, Arambula's raise has become an issue since no such raise were given to any other employee of the district. We're sure that the 56 principals and their families will scrutinize the candidates' stand on the Arambula salary issue before they cast their votes.