BIG BROTHERS MATA, BROWNTOWN MAYORS REWRITE HISTORY

"Two plus two equals five," 

From 1984

By George Orwell

By Juan Montoya
In George Orwell's 1984, Winston Smith works as a clerk in the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to rewrite historical so they match the constantly changing current party line.
This involves revising newspaper articles and doctoring photographs and over time, Smith becomes skeptical of the party.

And so it is with today's copy of the Brownsville Herald, where the signing of an "agreement" by Tony Martinez and Lety Salazar, the mayors of Brownsville and Matamoros respectively, is described as the "formalization" of that relationship after existing side by side on opposite borders of the Rio Grande since 1848, some 167 years ago,

That despite an October 17, 1995 resolution passed by the City of Brownsville and then-mayor Henry Gonzalez proclaiming them to be such.

And that despite the annual Charro Days week-long fest celebrating that sister city relationship since 1938.

In fact, the Charro Days website states that: "Over the years, Brownsville’s sister city of Matamoros has always been a key participant with Fiestas Mexicanas. In years gone by, international bridges were open during Charro Days, allowing family and friends to share the festivities. Even today, ties between the sister cities are celebrated each year with “Hands Across the Bridge”. In this ceremony of friendship, the mayors of Brownsville and Matamoros meet to officially began the celebrations."

So how is it then that this "formalization" can even be contemplated at this juncture?

Salazar was quoted in the Herald saying that some of the early developments of this "agreement" include "improved railway transportation for business efficiency, collaborating in educational practices at all levels, and allowing library cards for Mexican residents."

"My neighbor's child is my child," Martinez chimed.

Well, now. That's a mouthful. And a very revealing mouthful at that.

The West Rail Relocation and international bridge has been in the office for decades, if not longer. Salazar is probably not wrong in declaring that to be an "early" development. She probably wasn't even born when the plans for that project were being drawn up.

As far as collaborating in educational practices is concerned, well, that's striking at a tender nerve with Brownsville residents. After all, schools in the Brownsville Independent School District have been ordered by the federal government to accept children who can show a utility or rent bill with a Brownsville address. Matamoros parents caught on early and rented ramshackle apartments and trailer homes or had their kids live with relatives on this side to enroll them here and get a "free" education.
And Matamoros college-age kids are already allowed to apply for financial aid to attend college here.

Each day, charter school buses can be seen lining up to pick up students from Matamoros enrolled in classes here. Do you really think that the Brownsville public libraries can handle 800,000 new users?
It gets even cozier.  Rafael Vasquez Cardenas, Salazar's director of  "social concentration," in charge of controlling the hundreds of vendors who ply their wares in the city streets, is a bus driver for the BISD and has led bus drivers and monitors to demand better wages and working conditions.
As Martinez, who is the champion of a Catholic middle school said: "And, as sister cities, we have a responsibility to our neighbor's children."
That sentiment – that we hadn't really "formalized" the sister-city relationship – is carried over to a story on the city commission meeting Tuesday that states: "Although for decades Brownsville has claimed Matamoros as its sister city, a formal agreement stating such had not been signed until (the) ceremony..."
Even Don Pedro throws in his two centavos saying that "You'd think they would have formalized the relationship years ago..."
But we're not done yet.
Also discussed in Tuesday's city meeting was the plan to "enter into negotiations" with Altamira, Tamaulipas, to become a sister city. Altamira, by the way, is down the shoreline from Tampico, which is also our sister city. Is Brownsville two-timing Tampico with its sister city Altamira?
And why would we be forming a sister-city alliance with Altamira, the Port of Brownsville biggest competitor on the Mexican Gulf coast? Reminds us of the Jimi Hendrix tune "Red House" where he says: "Cause if my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will.."
And two plus two equals five, of course.