JESSICA OF BROWNTOWN TO THE RESCUE....NOT!!!

"Three commissioners have already publicly stated they oppose the sale: Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa, John Villarreal and Ricardo Longoria. Jessica has never voted to sell the park while both John and Ricardo reversed their positions after hearing the public outcry at the October 30th town hall meeting. Can the wishy-washy Longoria, running for re-election against Roman Perez and Michael Gonzalez, be trusted to honor his commitment?"
Jim Barton in MeanMisterBrownsville blog

By Juan Montoya
Mayoral candidate Erasmo Castro chose Lincoln Park as the launch pad for his run at the office.
And Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz – sensing a groundswell of popular protest to aid his 2016 candidacy – half-heartedly sued in court to try to prevent the city commission from selling it to the UT System at below market value.
District 2 city commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa, also sensing the issue to be the lightning rod to the May 2015 elections, made it a very public affair to have the city secretary correct the city commission minutes of February 25, 2013 that she was absent from the meeting and did not vote to give the UT System the park at bargain prices.
The minutes of that meeting also reflect that the commissioners' actions also included the relocation of the park (for a second time).
The correction of the minutes by Tetreau left the impression that she had been the paladin of resistance to let the UT System have the park. She also pointed to the Feb. 5 meeting where the minutes reflect that she abstained from voting on the issue.
In the Feb. 5 meeting, the minutes reflect that commissioner Melissa Zamora moved to authorize the donation of the Lincoln Park property and another 21.5-acre tract.
Voting "aye" were Zamora, Mayor Tony Martinez, and commissioners Estela Vasquez, rose Gowen, Rick Longoria and John Villarreal. Tetreau abstained without any reason given.
At the Feb. 25 meeting, the minutes reflect that Gowen made the motion that the property "be donated" to the UT System if a downtown site was selected for the campus UTB campus (now UTRGV) and was seconded by commissioner Villarreal.
Voting "aye" were Martinez, Gowen, Longoria and Villareal.
Voting against ( in a flip flop of her previous vote where she made the motion to donate it) was then-commissioner Melissa Zamora. Tetreau and Vasquez were listed a absent.
Now, taken in this context, we find the protests by Tetreau, Longoria and Villarreal that they are against the donation, sale, conveyance, etc., self-serving at worst and disingenuous at best.
Even before the Feb. 5, 2013 vote was taken, the city commission had already responded to the UT System's call for Requests For Proposals for property for a university site as early as October 12, 2012 where they placed the park on the barrel head for donation to the UT System. The response to the RFP (http://issuu.com/jtirsun/docs/cob_rfp_no.reo_09_04_2012_bor) clearly stated that Lincoln Park was in the incentive package for the UT System to stay put at the current site. That, of course, was not the only incentive in the package. Other offers included:
* Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation - $2,500 to $5,000 for every University job associated with UTB's location downtown
* Brownsville Economic Development Corporation - BEDC will contribute tax revenue from increased sales, mixed beverage, and parking meter taxes to UTB for public realm improvements downtown
*Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation - BCIC will provide funding and/or subsidies for "quality of life" projects, including cultural and athletic amenities in greater Downtown Brownsville
* Brownsville Metropolitan Planning Organization and BCIC - MPO and BCIC will increase bicycle infrastructure, including the extension of city hike and bike trails to better connect the UTB facilities with surrounding downtown neighborhoods and amenities
* Public Utility Board - PUB will provide reduced utility rates for new UTB buildings that are built to LEED accreditation standards
* Brownsville Metro - Brownsville Metro will increase their bus coverage area to better serve UTB's campus and to increase service frequency to UTB campus facilities
All the city commissioners knew about the offers they had made to the UT System included in the response to the RFP. As the commissioners gear up for reelection (Tetreau, Longoria, and Martinez with Vasquez gone) they are exhibiting a very selective memory in remembering that they signed on for the wholesale giveaway of the assets of the nation's poorest city to a oil-and-gas wealthy institution.
On the other hand, when members of the city's Parks and Recreation Board asked Parks director Chris Patterson in early 2013 what the city was planning for Lincoln Park and he informed them of the move to donate it to the UT System, they told him in no uncertain terms that they were dead set against the idea.
Former members say that the board had spent large amounts of money to make the park elderly and handicapped accessible only to have the city give it away. Later, when Gowen made her pitch to get them on board, they also sent her packing.
Tetreau's protest that she is standing up to the university and for the little man rings hollow given the fact that when she could have taken that stand, she was AWOL or hid behind an abstention, in effect, a dereliction of her duty as her constituents' representative.
The rest of the incumbents in this election are no better.