Sunday, June 12, 2016

SO THE PRI LOST? WE STILL WANNA BE YOUR AMIGOS



By Juan Montoya
Well, here's another sign that this City of Brownsville's administration has a way of finding just the right way to do the wrong thing.
Today, at 11 a.m., the city commission will hold a ceremony to be the sister city with Altamira, Tamaulipas.
Altamira is the biggest contender for cargoes with the Port of Brownsville.
In fact, given the peso devaluation ($18.30 pesos to $1 (U.S.), movements by Monterrey industry to use the port at Altamira has already been detected. It only makes sense that if the peso is worth about half in dollars you go to a port that charges in pesos.
But even worse is the fact that Hizzonner Da Mayor Tony Martinez is inking the sorority pledge with a PRI administration that has just been rejected by the electorate there in favor of a surprisingly popular  PAN mayoral candidate.
The PAN candidate  Alma Laura Amparán handily beat PRI mayoral candidate Griselda Carrillo Reyes. So now we are pledging municipal sisterhood with a political party that has been rejected by the people of then city? Does anyone in the city keep up with the news?
The PRI administration is due out this October, about 119 days from now to be exact. Will the PAN people cherish the thought of being sister cities with Brownville after the PRI guys are gone?
We confess. When we suggested a few years ago that Hizzonor Martinez would advocate making Browntown a sister city to Barranquilla, Colombia, were were speaking tongue-in-cheek.
But lo and behold, even before he had gotten off da plane! da plane! that's exactly what he was advocating.
If his plan goes through, how many sister cities would Brownsville have total?
Let's see, we have our neighbors across the river, Matamoros. That's one.
Barranquilla, Colombia, would make two.
Somewhere we had heard that even Valle Hermoso has at one time been counted as our sister city as well.
The we have Tampico, Tamaulipas, Miguel Allende, Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo, Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon, and for cosmopolitan purposes, Capri, Italy.
Tampico, by the way, is only 11.04 (17.77 kilometers) miles from Tampico, the other sister city. It almost sounds like incest, doesn't it?
Just what have we done with these cities to promote the sister-city concept?
 Are there exhibits somewhere that depict life and commerce in these entities? Or will the adoption phase wear off after a while and the idea get tossed into the bin of forgetfulness like the others?
Maybe what we need is a Sister City Czar to keep all this stuff straight or at least to communicate with them every once in a while. We're sure that someone's relative at the city, the UTRGV or United Brownsille needs a cushy gig.
And while we're at it, how much sense does it  make to name three or four sister cities from the same state (Tamaulipas)?
Let's see, we already have a Ambassador of Good Will in Brownsville in Port of Brownsville commissioner Raplh Cowen, who single-handedly adopted San Miguel Allende.
Doubtless the fine food and wines there might have provided an incentive for Ralph to pander to the Miguel Allendeans. But Ralph has been kind of busy lately trying to lure the elusive cruise ship business to Port Isabel and the Island.
But, for example, when was the last time we had any inkling of what's happening in Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo? Or perhaps Capri, Italy? And just where is Santa Catarina? Does anyone even know without looking at a map of Mexico that it's nestled on the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico?
Well. we might as well learn the song that is popular in the local beer joints:

"De Altamira Tamaulipas 

traigo esta alegre canción
y al son del viejo violín 
y jarana canto yo 

Pa´ las mujeres bonitas 
que son de mi adoración 
de Altamira Tamaulipas 
traigo esta alegre canción."..

11 comments:

Zeke Sauceda said...

Juan, I love Sister Cities! My mother is from Altamira, Guey. That's where she learned to make Frijoles a la Charra and where she met my dad, a ranch hand. Let's stand by Mejico, Juan!!!

Zeke Sauceda

Anonymous said...

You're in the U.S., pendejo! Zeke Sauceda sounds Mexican, so go there, idiota!

Anonymous said...

Juan you must be moving in the right circles of people since you got invited. I didn't get invited. Who else of your 7 readers got invited? Since the city paid shouldn't we all have been invited to go meet a Mexican Mayor. Que trajo el vato?

Anonymous said...

Zeke Sauceda needs to be deported immediately. Where is the Border Patrol?

Anonymous said...

....deported.back to Kyle.

Anonymous said...

(Zeke needs to be deported immediately)

Lambeme to do el ojete cagado duardo paz martinez. Y despues the volteas pa enchufarte to do el chiquito. Ya todos sabemos que asi the gusta, puto.
Judas.

Anonymous said...


The "fake" Zeke Sauceda is ALWAYS Duardo, the ultimate phony.

Anonymous said...

(The "fake" Zeke Sauceda is ALWAYS Duardo, the ultimate phony.)

Lol.
Judas.

Anonymous said...

I heard the radio news from Matamoros this morning. Our mayor signing and saying great things about our"sister" city of Altamira.
If Tony Martinez is not mayor (and I hope the next time he is out), are all these "sister cities" out also? I would like to know WHAT have these sister cities done FOR BROWNSVILLE.

Anonymous said...

Tony Martinez seems to manage the city of Brownsville as if it were a part of Mexico; yet seems to ignore or fear being part of this region of Texas. He obviously wants to skuttle the Regional MPO...Martinez wants to know what the city will get first. Julieta Garcia convinced him to support the new UTRGV and he committed millions to her....only to have UT System shot the city in the foot. Maybe Martinez fears his own colleagues in the local governments. We all know Tony is not a leader, and we can't expect much. Everything he touches seems to turn to shit. He has touched this city.

Anonymous said...

Agree

rita