By Jim Barton
www.brownsvilleobserver.blogspot
Academics, motivational speakers, even rappers, come up with catch phrases that stretch the language into new places and illustrate a point of view they want to exalt or preach against.Irv Downing, the newly installed President of United Brownsville,after accepting the baton from Fred Rusteberg, and during his pep talk to the newly constituted UB coordinating board May 18, cautioned repeatedly "not to work in silos," but, instead, to work "collaboratively," while thinking "regionally."
Since "working in silos" was a new phrase to us, we went to Business Dictionary.com to see what the reference site had this to say about "silo mentality," finding this definition: A mind-set present in some companies when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This type of mentality will reduce the efficiency of the overall operation, reduce morale, and may contribute to the demise of a productive company culture.
Talk about serendipity, but Mike Hernandez III, not an academic, motivational speaker or a known rapper, but a car salesman, was quoted in the Brownsville Herald's puff piece Sunday to the effect that "the local government entities, for example, seem to work in silos."
Can we assume our favorite auto trader has been rubbing elbows with the more loquacious of United Brownsville like Irv Downing and his camera-shy bud, Carlos Marin?
Yet, as we go back into recent history, United Brownsville's Binational Economic Development Zone Summit 2013, or Bined, held at UTB/TSCs Gran Salon December 6, 2013, was not as inclusive as it might have seemed, actually more silo-driven.
Yet, as we go back into recent history, United Brownsville's Binational Economic Development Zone Summit 2013, or Bined, held at UTB/TSCs Gran Salon December 6, 2013, was not as inclusive as it might have seemed, actually more silo-driven.
One bank, Fred Rusterberg's IBC, and one engineering firm, Carlos Marin's Ambiotec, represented their respective industries at the event. While the mayors of Brownsville, Harlingen and Matamoros, were on prominent display, Cameron County officials, like County Judge Cascos, were conspicuously not there, and we were later told, not invited.
Yet, this was a regionally-focused industrial, manufacturing, import-export seminar that tried to compare the region to San Diego-Tijuana. How could it be justified to invite only certain city officials, not county, and only those connected with United Brownsville?
Yes, the Gran Salon was filled that day with little silos of ambitious folk with close ties to United Brownsville and the powerful elite, who almost never want to share information or anything else with anyone not in their silo.
Yet, this was a regionally-focused industrial, manufacturing, import-export seminar that tried to compare the region to San Diego-Tijuana. How could it be justified to invite only certain city officials, not county, and only those connected with United Brownsville?
Yes, the Gran Salon was filled that day with little silos of ambitious folk with close ties to United Brownsville and the powerful elite, who almost never want to share information or anything else with anyone not in their silo.
15 comments:
Everybody - please! Get off your duffs and go vote in the TSC board election runoffs. There were a total of only 98 early votes cast yesterday (Monday) at all locations. It's one thing to complain about super-PACS and Tony Martinez' not-so-subtle attempts at voter manipulations. It's another thing to do something about it. Go vote, please! Juan, please exhort your 8 readers to cast a ballot. One vote will make a big difference in this election.
There's a story there somewhere. The writing is just dense, wordy. Barton has no range in his vocabulary, something that also dooms Wightman-Cervantes. Barton is an old coot, so maybe it's just typing for him.
None of this is new, it is just a different group of carpetbaggers at work to scam taxpayers and if anyone protests, then they label you as a person against education and progress, while they are busy at work finding ways to fill their pockets. Just review the prior scams with the UTB/TSC merger that was promoted and achieved by some of the same people with United Brownsville, which turned out to be a failure, but Juliet Garcia, Michael Putegnat, Terry Rey, Cardenas, Rusteberg and others got rich by standing on the pillar of education. They expect you to forget their promises of a grandiose future. When I opposed this proposal and every time they wanted something for free from the city, they went after me stupid and against education. I instructed the city manager to fence in the parking at the Jacob Brown and for them to share a portion of the fees UTB/TSC collected for using our parking lot and refused to give them the R.E. Smith 80+ acres of land, which made them even more determined to label me as someone against education. And now that they got the parking for almost nothing, along with the Jacob Brown forcing us to incur enormous debt to build the Event Center and after they built buildings that made Terry Rey rich on our R.E. Smith property and kept some of those buildings in the UTB/TSC split, plus left us almost all of the debt when the split occurred they have moved on with their pockets full, laughed at how stupid we are, but they promote their failure to deliver as if it were our fault not ours. Citizens were taxed, they got what they wanted, got rich, and then left like carpetbaggers with the spoils and left us the debt.
The same occurred with the Port Bridge to nowhere, the Casa Nylon, the Tenaska project, the Imagine/United Brownsville scam and the same is going to occur with other projects they propose for us citizens who cannot govern ourselves, but must rely on them to tell us what is best for us. They will buy the Eddie Trevinos and people like the mayor, and present commission members to do their bidding while they get rich and richer. You see, they believe or know most people do not care and will not vote, which allows them to take over our government. They believe the majority of 175,000 citizens in Brownsville or 600,000 in Cameron County should be marginalized for their benefit, after all they do not care to vote. The West Loop is a primary example with 100 bicyclist killing the loop that will benefit a city that needs jobs, but what the heck, to them it is more important to buy 100 bicyclist votes, kill the loop and forget the needs of the majority and progress. This is how they think and the bicyclist will be gone tomorrow while Brownsville will bottleneck and no jobs. We deserve what we get, after all we put them there.
People, go vote. This is a very important election and my readers get it. so maybe a word of inspiration for Juan's readers will get everybody out there.
Go FUCK yourself, Pat!
None of this is new, it is just a different group of carpetbaggers at work to scam taxpayers. If anyone protests, they label you as a person against education and progress, while they are busy finding ways to fill their pockets. Just review the prior scams, the UTB/TSC merger that was promoted with greatness by some of the same people with United Brownsville, which turned out to be a failure and costly. The TSC merger benefited Juliet Garcia, Michael Putegnat, Terry Rey, Cardenas, Rusteberg and others and they got very rich by standing on the pillars of education. Mike Hdz and Carlos Marin is doing the same today with grandiose promises, after all nobody cares enough to hold them accountable.
I was against the UTB/TSC merger and opposed them when they wanted something for free from the city. I was publicly called stupid, labeled against education and demonized publicly by them and the Herald, but I have been proven right. Remember the scandal when I instructed the city manager, Kirby Lillejadahl to fence the Jacob Brown parking lot, in order to force Juliet Garcia to share a portion of the parking fees she was collecting using our parking lot for free? She felt entitled and no need to share, when they could get commissioners like Jackie Lockett and others to give them what they wanted for free. Not only did they get free parking, they got 80+ acres of the R.E. Smith land and I was the lone wolf standing up to them, as I was on the Imagine Brownsville scam that Atkinson and the rest funded. The freebies forced our city to incur millions of debt to replace the Jacob Brown, forced us to pay additional property taxes to build the new campus and then with the UTB/TSC split, they turned around and sold the land with some buildings back to TSC with all of the debt they unloaded back onto TSC. We should have never given them a dime, instead we should have kicked them out for the carpetbaggers that they are. These carpetbaggers have moved on with their pockets full and promoted their failure to deliver the grandiose promises on us for wanting to restore our Junior College. They even used a Priest and the church to demonize us for wanting the split with threats of ex-communication.
The same scams occurred with the Port Bridge to nowhere, the Casa Nylon, the Tenaska project costing us millions, the Imagine/United Brownsville and the same is going to occur with other grandeur promises being made by Mike Hdz, Carlos Marin, Eddie Trevino and the mayor. They feel entitled and know how to divide and conquer. They know most people do not care and will not vote, which allows these carpetbaggers to take over our government to marginalize the 175,000 citizens that live in Brownsville or 600,000 in Cameron County for their benefit. People are like sheep who believe that if you stand against these people you are against education and progress. When you expose them for harvesting votes, for their lack of integrity, or transparency, and their bad prior history, most people that drink their Kool-Aide and support them think you are crazy. The West Loop is a primary example how Eddie Trevino was able to buy 100 bicyclist with a pledge to kill the loop that will benefit a city of 175,000 citizens that needs to move traffic and create jobs. Eddie Trevino marginalized the majority s in his desperation to have power and wealth and they laude him as an environmentalist, which is a crock. These people prefer their self serving agenda than meeting our city’s needs and priorities.
We do not learn. We say we want good government, but not enough people care. When Nacho Garza was mayor and Harry McNair on the commission, the city was financially bled to the verge of bankruptcy. They left me with a projected $2.0 million deficit, $54,000 in reserves, with no street paving projects, the downtown fiasco left by McNair costing taxpayers being razed and no beautification program, no street sweepers, and the city was in a huge mess, but now they are back. We deserve what we get.
Does the truth hurt Anonymous 1:11 PM?
La casa nylon, el Cueto building, San Fernando building, Gutierrez warehouse and the list goes on and on. Wasteful spending of taxpayers monies.
AND DON'T FORGET THE TOLL ROAD TO NOWHERE?
De Leon and Tetreau have been spotted numerous times with this Hernandez thief and with the biggest (but shortest) thief of all, Marin. Easily bought kids. No business in politics.
Pat, y el cheque APA?
Not guilty you fool or should I say idiot!
Why run expensive campaigns if they don't win if you can easily buy kids in office with a cheap steak dinner?
Gorillas don't like disgraced puto politicos.
You prefer corrupt cops like Carlos Garcia, charlie Cabler, Eddie Trevino, Tony Mtz and cowards like you who hide.
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