After months of denying that the OP 10.33 organization spearheaded by Ft. Worth car-lease mogul Mike Hernandez III and United Brownsville architect Carlos Marin was targeting anyone by running candidates against them, we now have the pudding to prove they have put their money to ferret out corruption and provide opportunity to all.And their first targets appear to be Tito Lopez and Ralph Cowen at the Brownsville Navigation District.
In the 30-days-prior-to-election campaign financial reports filed by Ed Rivera and Raul Villanueva, the main contributor both their campaigns is none other than OP 10.33 honcho Hernandez III with an "in-kind" contribution to each of $10,000 for printing and advertising."
The OP 10.33 organization has as its main goal the eradication of poverty in Brownsville in 10 years (therefore October (10). 2033) Toward that end, they say they will support candidates to the various governmental entities who will vow to remain virtuous, pledge to better the lives of local residents, and bring a brighter future for local residents.
"Corruption cannot coexist with Opportunity," read their billboards dotting the city's landscape.Marin is the economic and jobs developer for Hernandez's OP 10.33 group and is keenly interested in developing so-called industrial corridors at the port.
By giving the two challengers for the port of the BND, does this mean that OP 10.33 is singling Lopez and Cowen out because they are linked to some sort of corruption?
Patrick Anderson, a Los Fresnos school teacher, is also running in the position now held by Lopez. He reports that he has spent $3,200, $1,697
coming from individual contributions.
His 21 reported contributions range from $25 to a high of $300.
Lopez, on the other hand, reports spending $9,350 from a personal loan of $20,000.
Rivera, in his race against Cowen, reports spending $1,200 and (besides the Hernandez III $10,000) another $5,000 loan.
Why Lopez, who runs a truck transport business ferrying freight from the port and to Mexico, would be picked for defeat by Hernandez III is not clear. As far as local know, there has never been any kind of corruptions overtones to his public service.
Replacing him with Rivera, who has little or no experience in maritime matters, makes little sense. Likewise, Cowen, who we must admit, likes his freebies and has spent considerable time abroad seeking to bring cruise ships to the port, has never been linked to any corruption that we know of.
Granted, both men have personal interest in what goes on at the port, but Brownsville is a small town where you'll have relatives on local entities. Cowen has family members who are customs brokers and deal daily with the port on a daily basis.
But then again, so does John Reed, an incumbent who had no one file against him for his position on the board. That is, Rivera had filed against him, but later in the day changed his mind and filed against Lopez.
If one looks at Reed, he has a brother-in-law who is head of the Gulf Stream Marine stevedoring company. That is the company who got a former port of Brownsville board to allow them to work there without having to pay local longshoremen union wages. They, in effect, broke the union.
As a result, Brownsville is the only port on the Gulf Coast that does not get paid comparable wages as are those from Corpus Christi to Pensacola, Fla. and up the Atlantic coast.
So why Lopez and Cowen? After all, a majority of voters in the last port election voted for these two men. They both have, as it were, a constituency. By targeting them, is Hernadez III aware he might be alienating them as well?
23 comments:
So much for OP1033 being truthful. They said that when they chose the candidates they will announce it. This guys think that everybody in Brownsville, TX is an IDIOT. Pure and simple. They will tell us how to think and vote and how to spend our money. They will tell us how much we will earn and who will make the money and control the growths of Brownsville, TX and the Port.
People don't be deceived by these cons. Carlos Marin, Mike Hernandez and who ever is associated with them will lose.
My vote will go for Mr.Lopez and Mr. Cowen... Simple as that.
A fool and his money are soon parted. Hernandez come on just send the checks to each household in Brownsville avoid the noid-aka los elistists like marin pinguino, Julie Garcia el rustyburger and
irv downing, these chinches aka bugs garrapatas only want to screw you and take your money nothing more that poison and promises, but wel what the hell its your cash, adios hombrecito, don't say you were never warned by some nice Brownsville city folks like me. CA.
Mike Hernandez has to be as corrupt as Ed Rivera and Villanueva. Birds of a feather.....
Ed will be Marins puppet make no mistake. Spineless lying cheating vato. No respect for that guy he is so full of himself.
Tito is an honest, well liked financially independent guy. Vote for Tito! he cares for the port, he cares for his community. He is so down to earth. Unlike Ed yea Ed everybody knows you lied. You live in Laguna Vista and no one likes you there.
I am very disappointed with Raul Villanueva. Ed Rivera I knew was a greedy person but Raul I thought had more integrity.
I will not vote for anyone associated with Carlos Marin, OP1033 or Mike Hernandez
Rivera and Villanueva support LNG facilities at the port (as do the port incumbents). Vote for the community! Vote "No" on LNG by voting against any candidate for any office that supports LNG.
Please tell me which candidates are AGAINST LNG so I know who to vote for. I will not vote for anyone in favor of polluting and destroying our beaches.
Nothing screams "poverty" quite like children swimming in toxic industrial runoff next to dead fish and birds. How 3rd world of us.
Someone explain how this OP 33 thing is "reducing poverty" by turning our pristine tourist and wildlife sanctuary into a 3rd world dump?
BTW does anyone else wonder if "OP 1033" is just an elaborate money laundering scheme? If it turns out drug money was involved I will not be surprised. Somehow, someone shows up with a million dollars and whaddayaknow suddenly its being funnelled right into Imagine Brownsville and surprise, ends up directly in political campaigns.
Once upon a time candidates had "chicken plate" fundraisers for mystery cash to flow into. But that, could only launder a few thousand dollars at a time. Small beans compared to this me wonders.
Maybe the new "motto" or "logo" for Brownsville, Cameron County, BISD and BND should be "Corruption uber ales" or "Corruption fits all sizes".
Cowen LIKES the freebies? That's an understatement if I've ever heard one. Cowen LOVES the freebies! Come on Montoya everyone knows that he prances around the Port like he owns the joint. Why are you turning a bling eye? My family has always done business at the Port and know that new leadership is needed. The man has traveled the world on the taxpayers dime and not one single thing has come from it. VIVA VILLANUEVA PUTOS!
Unusual to hear Ralph Cowen refered to as "Mr. Cowen". Can't imagine his as the mamager of the port.
Besides the union busting, self-dealing conflicts of interests and wasteful junkets you mentioned Juan, I think Hernandez is going after the port because of its poor showing against other ports in Texas and the rest of the US.
I’ve seen Tito’s bar graph sign in Los Fresnos – it’s easy to compare yourself to yourself and claim success. But the reality is that the port is in 66th place in tonnage among US Ports when Houston is ranked 2nd and Corpus is 5th.
No doubt the insiders at the port are rolling in it anyway, but that crappy performance hurts the rest of us who are not insiders. We just pay taxes and get little in return.
It seems as if the port has been a story of lost opportunities and lost potential forever.
And in terms of why Rivera was the choice, the bottom line is that manufacturing is one of the few bright spots for good paying jobs here.
Apparently he works for an outfit with manufacturing facilities throughout the world and holds an MBA from Harvard. He's a local boy done good.
And what do Ralph and Tito offer besides looking after their own interests or those of the old families? It's clear that in eight years, they have neither the ability nor the ganas to look beyond their own self-interest to help Brownsville.
I don't blame Hernandez one bit. Ralph and Tito might be nice guys, but think it's time the port works for more than just a few insiders. It's time for a change.
4-13, 3:03 so now you are recommending that the port work for Marin and Hernandez lll ?
OP1033 has got it all wrong, they are backing candidates that are only interested in being puppets for Marin and his entourage who smell millions in dollars in contracts and studies because that's how they suck the lifeblood out of Brownsville. Tito, Reed and Cowen are also leeches, but they are small timers, just nickle and dimers, garden variety type of local yokels who sneak in a trip here with the concubine in toe and sideswiping crumbs and favors for family and friends. OP1033 is nefarious, hiding behind some altruistic veil-- either that or they're really naive and have been bamboozled by the first baboons in suit and tie that met with them. I believe that Tito, Reed and Cowen and Eddie Campirano ought to be tarred and feathered for their incompetence but it doesn't make sense to replace them with bigger rats. They already fucked up with the $21 million bridge to nowhere and now they want to raze wetlands to build our version of Texas City refineries? The only one that makes any sense is Mr Anderson, and he's a well-meaning idealistic gringo who spews factually correct platitudes but inspires only the scattering of easy-to-inspire anti-LNG Birkenstockers hanging to a teapot in a job-hungry tempest. In other words, with or without OP1033's well-intentioned millions, we are fucked and will continue to be fucked for the foreseeable future.
I know Ed well and know that he has been living in Brownsville for over a year. That's the reason his residency was not challenged Juan. Tito would have ended up with egg on his face. Had nothing to do with Rentfro at the port. Everyone knows that it was a feeble attempt by Tito's campaign manager to discredit Ed.
As far as switching, maybe Ed thought John Reed was doing a better job than Tito.
Everyone knows that Ed is a much better and qualified candidate. I heard his speech last night and he gave some very good reasons to welcome change. Ed's opponents are going to do better in terms of reasons why we should have to vote for Tito and Cowan
Ed ran on a platform for change at TSC and won by a landslide. Looks like he's doing the same thing at the port. As for Patrick Anderson, it's interesting to note that the Sierra Club is supporting his campaign and he's running on the anti-LNG ticket,yet none of his push cards mention this. Perhaps he saw the poll that showed an overwhelming number of Brownsville citizens favor jobs over coyotes. Come clean Patrick. At least you always know what Ed stands for like it or not.
A post above stated it perfectly, if you like an empty Port ranked 66th keep doing what you are doing. No wonder Brownsville is in the shape it is. Might as well turn the Port into a golf course if you keep voting the same people in. At least if it was a golf course, someone would be seen on it. What a shame.
I still can't believe the amount of people that think our beach is going to be ruined because of LNG companies. Go do you research and educate yourselves.
They are also supporting Eddie Trevino for county judge
Op1033 is going to contract the candidates for BISD, TSC, PIRT COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, CITY COMMISSIONERS, MIKE HERNANDEZ, CARLIS MATIN, DR. JOSE ANGEL GUITERREZ, ARE WORKING ON A VOLUNTEER ARMY V3 THESE POIR SOUL WHO SIGN THE PLEDGE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVE TO THE COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTEER TO SERVER THE CANDIDATES THEY SUPPORT... I SIGNED THIS PLEDGE I WAS CALLED AND CALLED REPEATEDLY DAY IN AND OUT TO ATTEND MEETING TO GO BLICK WALKING PHONE BANKING. FOR CANDIDATES. I WEMT TO SOME MEETING BUT THE OFFICE MANAGER WAS A BITCH NO SOCIAL SKILLS, SHE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE I THINK NOW SHE IS A CANDIDATE FOR TSC.. THIS V3 SAYS THAT THEY ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH OP1033 , IF THEY ARE NOT WHT WAS CARLOS MARIN AND MIKE HERNANDEZ THERE ONCE PRESENT AT A MEETING HELD THERE AT THE BUILDING LOCATED AT BOCA CHICA ST?
Good lord! My head hurt trying to read and understand your comments . ......please , no more!
You, whoever you are are a total fucking liar. Ergo, shut the fuck up, Ed!
Ed changed NOT A FUCKING THING at TSC!
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