THE FARCE OF THE LINCOLN PARK PUBLIC HEARING

By Juan Montoya
By now we should be used to their modus operandi.
They make backroom deals, give a wink and  a nod to their benefactors, and then lip service to their constituents.
That is exactly what is happening with the proposed conveyance of Lincoln Park to the oil-and-gas wealthy University of Texas System.
Two years ago, the entire city commission signed off on the Request For Proposals (RFP) to offer the UT System hundreds of acres at rock-bottom below market value prices on public land. This included the 48 acres of Lincoln Park situated on prime real estate in Brownsville.
See for yourself. It's on page 12.  http://issuu.com/jtirsun/docs/cob_rfp_no.reo_09_04_2012_bor
Along the way, they saw a chance to have their friends make a buck and – using funds that will be eventually paid by the citizens of Brownsville as Certificates of Obligation – went on a real-estate speculation binge that made some people some good money.
The mayor and his cronies gave Abraham Galonsky $2.3 million for half a block of real estate and a shell of a building on the premise that UTB would come along and buy it. That never happened. Now the city is stuck with a building that it has no use for. But Mayor Tony Martinez, his law partner Horacio Barrera, the federal judge's wife, and of course, Galonsky, are smiling all the way to the bank.
The appraisal submitted justifying that inflated price stated that the real value of the land lay in its proximity to Gateway Bridge and the doorway to Mexico. Guess what? The land where the park is situated is right on the river, even closer to Mexico than Galonsky's place.
That bill of goods (half a block) cost us $2.3 million.
The UT System is getting 48 acres for $6.5 million.
Ponle lapiz. It makes no sense.
But the boys at city hall and the UT System know how to play the rubes. At yesterday's hearing, the first speaker was Fred Rusteberg, the president of the IBC bank which has been fleecing this poor city for the last 30 years. He struck off a "positive" note that quickly dissipated when the voices of the people rebutted his sweet nothings.

Rusteberg is one of the three members of something called the United Brownsville Coordinating Board, a self- appointed group that has dipped into the pockets of the taxpayer through their sale of "memberships" to United Brownsville. To date – at $200,000 a year – United Brownsville has received  $1,210,000 of taxpayer money for the privilege of having a troika accountable to no one "implement" their dubious Imagine Brownsville "plan."
 They then  proceeded to hijack the reins of representative government and control the economic and social agenda of the city toward their ends. The "conveyance" of Lincoln Park is just one of the pieces of that puzzle.
And why shouldn't they? After all,Rick Longoria, the representative of the single-member district where Lincoln Park is located was hired to do the voice over for the city presentation. With his vote in their pocket, who cares what the rabble say?
This bobble head commissioner is willing to go along with the heist of a perfectly good park and then having another placed smack in front of the smelly sewer plant. It doesn't matter what they say about combating the smell. They will never get rid of it entirely because there no getting around the fact that human sewage is treated there and it's going to stink. He is willing to let the people of his district be treated like animals so that Martinez, UTB, Rusteberg and his cadre of parasites ingratiate themselves with the university and the owners of the real estate.
These gents graciously assented to "provide a forum for local government officials to communicate regarding public projects and public-private partnerships," "thereby lessening the burdens of government." For a slight fee, of course.
And who elected these people? No one. They have basically snaked their way and made an end-run to grab the reins and purse strings of the people without giving anyone an accounting of their activities.
We are paying inflated utility rates to fund an electric power plant in a deal with Tenaska that will cost future generations millions. And this bunch at city hall thinks nothing of giving away the public's assets at the drop of a hat. How long will we put up with this farce? That's something all of us nhave to ask ourselves if we want to put a stop to this.