When the brouhaha over the sale, transfer, gift, (or conveyance as weasel-tongued city attorney Mark Sossi likes to say) of the 48-acre Lincoln Park for a measly $6.5 million was being pushed by the majority under Mayor Tony Martinez and the city administration, District 2 commissioner Jessica Tetreau took the low road.
Or rather, the low profile road.
She had never voted for the sale, transfer, gift, or "conveyance," in two prior votes, she declared smugly.
And sure enough, Tereau made sure that the city secretary go back and change the minutes of a city commission meeting where she was absent but was counted as having voted in the affirmative with the majority to consider the move.Absent isn't "no" but it will do in a political claim, we would guess.
The other vote was actually an abstention, so that doesn't count as a "yes" or "no," but allows the majority's votes (who voted yes) to go through with negotiations to transfer, sell, give or "convey" the park to the fabulously oil-and-gas wealthy University of Texas System.
By that measure, Tetreau is correct when she states that she has never voted to transfer, give, etc..the park, but it also shows that her absence and abstention – while an effective political subterfuge – deprived her constituents of a voice on the commission.
In the Feb. 5 meeting, the minutes reflect that then-commissioner Melissa Zamora moved to authorize the donation of the Lincoln Park property and another 21.5-acre tract.
Voting "aye" were Zamora, 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.
The coming May city elections are non-partisan. That is, the candidates do not run as Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, Socialists, Anarchists, etc. The voters can vote for whoever they want without regard to party.
That's why when the local Republicans had a meet where they invited local candidates to attend and Tetreau made the claim about her never voting to give, transfer, etc., (you get it), an irate GOP member form Harlingen stepped up to the plate and confronted her asking her why she was on the city commission to begin with if she was using an absence and abstention to doge the issues.
A flustered Tetreau had little to say, but those attending remember she was not a happy camper that she had been called out on her reluctance to take a stand.
As the date gets closer to the May 9 election day, there will be forums held for the city candidates where the Lincoln Park issue will be raised. Will Tetreau retreat to her "never voted to sell, transfer (etc.)" dodge again?
18 comments:
WE DONT CARE IF SHE VOTE YES OR NO.SHE WENT TO JAIL BECAUSE SHE BEAT HER HUSBAND. WE DONT WAMT A WIFE BEATER.
I see someone is a loser..^ what ever happened in the past stays gone!!! Clearly you don't!!!
It is sad that Mr. Zarate has to stoop to such low measures to degrade this woman. She is my commissioner and lives a few houses down from me. I know for a fact she is with child and this shows me he has no concern for the life she is carrying. I along with my family and neighborhood will not be voting Zarate. Thumbs down to his childish antics and bullying behavior.
Mrs. Kalifa has shown time and time again she cares about our city more than any commissioner ever has. I'm with Jessica Tetra- Kalifa on this.
Is her husband a woman?
On another point,there are hundreds of young,high school football players that would give their last nickle to have 16 inch arms like this woman. Is she on steroids?
Lies, lies... Don't you ever get tired of printing lies for beer?
Where do each of these illustrious candidates for mayor and city commission stand on the issue of sale/gift/donation/whatever of Lincoln Park to the
UT System?
Blue wave car wash is coming to Brownsville so she should be looking for a new job.
Anon of March 29, 2015 at 2:39 PM
I think you meant to say WE DONT WANT A HUSBAND BEATER.
Besides that, the woman is ILL PREPARED, VERY DUMB, and AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. WHY DO WE KEEP ELECTING IDIOT DUMB ASSES OVER AND OVER AGAIN I DON'T GET IT????????????????
We presently have NO VOICE IS DISTRICT 2. Jessica was only elected to get rid of Charlie Atkinson but NEVER did anyone expect her to do anything. She was always considered a ONE TERM COMMISSIONER.
Jessica is an abusive person that hung around Erin and Ernie Hernandez and they became her mentors and she became their puppet.
We the citizens of District 2 Cannot afford her anymore. She is an embarrassment to Brownsville plus she decides to abstain with no explanation.
Willing to speculate that the Harlingen GOP person was really a Harlingen Tea Party buddy of our favorite Tea Party member roman perez that is running san party affilliation. Such a sneaky guy.
What is Rick Flair wearing
When it comes time to cast the hard votes, Tetrau hides and runs to Dillard's to buy a new pair of shoes. Then the voters are supposed to bedazzled by pictures of her new duds on FB with a new pedicure and youtube video by Britney Spears. During election time: 'But I wasn't there! I didn't vote for it!'
Abstaining, or abstention, for those who don't know, is another cop out. It means you are sitting right there when a difficult decision has to be made, and intead of voting, you sit on your ass and refuse to vote either way. It is a non vote, pussying out, being too scared to cast a decisive vote on a controversial issue, wasting your vote, refusing to vote, lack of balls to cast a vote that would offend the mayor, Cheezme, those nice guys who bought me dinner or whoever else you were trying to please == FAIL
I will abstain from voting for Tetrau this May.
reply 6.36pm...SI VIVES A DOS CASAS DE DISTANCIA HAS DE VISTO A LA POLICIA ARRESTARLA POR LA 'MADRISA' QUE LE ESTABA DANDO A SU ESPOSO. COMO ES POSIBLE QUE TU DEFIENDAS A ESTA MUJER SI ES INDEFENDIBLE.AHORA QUE HA HECHO DE BUENO PARA LA CIUDAd de brownsville. LO UNICO BUENO FUE QUE LE GANO AL 'COACH' CHARLIE ATKINSON.
Unfortunately for District 2 if Sergio "el sucio Lucio's boy" Zarate wins. He will continue to use the Down by the Border to take trips to Rome and buy Land Rover's all under the known name of Down by the Border. Zarates' are a joke. Plain and simple they love to trick the honest parents who have children with special needs. The only needs that the Zarates' have are special interest and deep pockets.
She wasn't there because she was attending a SpaceX launch in Florida. Because we all know SpaceX really cared she was there and wouldn't have launched without her presence. Oh wait, they actually aborted the launch that day. I guess they took a page from her book and abstained. Too bad Zarate is a pendejo too. Either way, district 2 and all of Brownsville will lose this May with those two clown candidates.
Even white Republicans think she's a joke.... LOL
Um, she is not white. Just the horribly bleached hair.
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