By Juan Montoya
Just a day after a second victim of a shake down by a city commercial building inspector to procure an occupancy permit to do business, we have learned that he has been terminated and that the city will press forward with prosecution.
Brownsville Police Dept. detectives were said to have questioned Jaime A. Buentello, a commercial plans examiner with the Building Inspections Dept. about a shakedown of a permit applicant for a business who had been denied the permit even after he had paid the city the $2,500 fee plus an additional $1,000 for Buentello to "process" the application.
After our first post, we were contacted buy yet another victim-applicant who said the same thing had happened to him.
According to the second complaint (who we understand police also questioned), he had been trying to establish a produce business near the 77 Flea Market and gave Buentello the $2,500 permit fee plus the $1,000 "consultant" fee he had required. After seven months, the second complaintant said he still hadn't received the permit and was without water or electricity to start his business.
Throughout all that time, the money he had spent to construct the building and comply with the city codes have been all for naught. A close friend of the businessman said that when he complained to the department he was told he was at fault and was denied the permit.
The investigation into the permits inspector has opened up questions into the appropriateness of city employees setting up business outside thei city employment (moonlighting) as consultants to people seeking to establish a business.
Several city employees in the engineering department, for example, have businesses where they formulate building plans that they later walk through the city building inspectors to facilitate the issuance of such permits.
Applicants feel that by haviig someone working with the city representing them, it will facilitate the process. However, in some cases, this does not happen and the applicants not only pay for the city permits, but also pay the "consultants" a fee to speed up the process.
No "moonlight" policy exists to prohibit this type of activity by city employees.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
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rita
25 comments:
When I went to get a permit, that guy was an ASSHOLE! ASSHOLE WITH A CAPITAL 'A'! That whole department needs some weeding out, like that receptionist who just stays on the phone and does not even acknowledge the customers, you know the customers are the reason she has a job, you know the customers are the people that pay her salary. What is up with that? KARMA!
We can only wonder how many city officials are taking a "mordida". Just "corruption as ususal" in Brownsville and Cameron County. Doesn't seem as if Charlie Cabler or "DA" Mayor Tony Martinez are concerned....obviously they don't believe that "The Buck Stops Here"....to accept corruption is to embrace the culture of corruption.
Doroteo your next. Do you think our DA Luis Saenz will cut you slack after what your in-laws and wife did to him?
pay the employees more so they don't have to steal or take bribes to support their starving families. everyone wants to put their stinky hands in the cookie jar. shit rolls down hill and we all know it starts at the very TOP
It is mordida called a consultant fee. It is a Mexican thang.
Hey, Juan, saw a fat-ass dude lookin like Da Blimp at the downtown HEB. He was walking up and down the vegetable bins, staring hard at the 10-inch cucumbers. ja ja ja ja
deberian checar tambien en los departamentos de health,parks,public works(p.o under 35000)and purchasing dept(p.o under 35000)y por ultimo police dept.al wilie que balio en el tucan y dejo paralitico al herido sigue trabajando en la cuidad(dept health) que porque es hijo de una sra que trabajo en human resources dept y les hizo favores al CABLER y al jefe de la policia. por ultimo en las ordenes de compra abajo de 35000 hay unos cuantos contratistas que ganan esos concursos y despues meten "change order" y vente con el moche.
Doro goes to Gamez or Garza for the permit even though it missing items the supervisor Ochoa will issue or tell the plan examiner's to issue it even though their against it just because his ties with the former commissioner
April 14 at 7:20 AM...Sweet Jesus, I will bet you call that Tex/Mex gibberish "Spanish". No wonder the Mexicans make fun of the Nacos that live here.
The mayor was also advised of the issues of Gamez secretary and the other woman(salary)stilling time from the city they come and go as they wish & affair one of had during working hours. Yes I agreed employees should get a raise & commissioner shouldn't have given Cabler a salary increase that he doesn't deserve that's why he ignores everything he care less as long as his pockets are full
Corrupt has gone for centuries all officials are the biggest corrupt people but now that people are no longer afraid of speaking up we all work very hard for some just take your money. Mayor that includes you Cabler, too
Corruption is every where not just here people unfortunately people are weak and unfortunately only the lower paying people are investigated the bigger sharks get away with getting away with it because the people who can do something won't since their bosses afraid to get fired and won't be able to get another good paying job they get burn
About the front clerk being rude extremely queta & mary no customer etiquette but you can only blame their boss gamez for letting this go on doesn't do anything to them
Yes!theirs 2 front desk receptionist could use some customer etiquette. Gamez is aware of their rudeness but his to busy going to eat will his suppose to be working citizens don't pay taxes so he can be at the restaurant for hours instead of seeing customers. Customers have to accommodate to his schedule 8:00 to 9:00 or 1:00 to 2:00 the rest of the time his eating and just shitting the breeze . expect his employees to do his work Cabler I would like a job like that taking tax payers money without not having to do free money. He was worn by cabler several times to stop but doesn't care he still does it.
Yes!theirs 2 front desk receptionist could use some customer etiquette. Gamez is aware of their rudeness but his to busy going to eat will his suppose to be working citizens don't pay taxes so he can be at the restaurant for hours instead of seeing customers. Customers have to accommodate to his schedule 8:00 to 9:00 or 1:00 to 2:00 the rest of the time his eating and just shitting the breeze . expect his employees to do his work Cabler I would like a job like that taking tax payers money without not having to do free money. He was worn by cabler several times to stop but doesn't care he still does it.
Several comments doesn't have anything to do with corruption but this people are stilling from hard working tax payers it's just the same as corruption
What'd they do????
.......and what were you doing at the vegetable section, next to the cucumbers?
Investigate Jerry Hedgecock and his personal business being run inside the Brownsville public library.
You idiots need to make up your mind. You hate corruption yet you hate Mike Hernandez and his 1033 initiative to clean up the politics in Brownsville. You should be ashamed of your hypocritical actions. You should be ashamed of what you write on blogs. You should be ashamed of what your children will inherit. You are the reason we have this.
Pendejos.
What are the formal charges to be brought against Mr. Jaime A. Buentello? And when?
My advise to Jaime Buentello is to resign like kenith liek and apply at BISD.
Are you calling the people "Pendejos" or did you sign it "Pendejos"?
This was going on when the Wanabee restaurant Rokerfeller Ralph Cowen openly admited he had the City planning department in his pocket.
Mr...please, Buentello is no Mr.
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