In the effort to ingratiate himself to the Brownsville community, self-made millionaire and auto salesman and leasing mogul Mike Hernandez III is hosting a scholarship award in conjunction with the Texas A & M Foundation called the Brownsville Scholars Program Gift Ceremony.
While this is certainly laudable, the jarring disconnect is that the ceremony will be held at the second floor of the IBC Bank building at 1600 Ruben M. Torres Blvd.
That's the lair of former IBC President and chairman of the United Brownsville Coordinating Board, the same outfit that has take money from Brownsville schools and the community college to forward their own self-serving vision of progress, whatever that may be.
And what has United Brownsville given back to the school and college and the other six entities which have paid their annual $25,000 extortionist "membership" dues for the past four or so years? Nothing, or next to nothing.
OP 10.33, fresh from being rebuffed in its efforts to remove the people's elected representatives from the port and the community college, now wants to make itself out to be the benefactor of the people.
Since 2012, United Brownsville has received $25,000 annually from the BISD, a total of $100,000 from the district's budget. They have received the same amount from Texas Southmost College, with negligible contributions to the educational betterment of the students there. Between BISD and TSC, that's a hefty $200,000 in "dues."
Despite being self-appointed, they have duped Texas Southmost College, the Port of Brownsville, the City of Brownsville, the Public Utility Board, the Brownsville Independent School District, the Greater Brownsville Incentive Corporation, Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation into contributing $25,000 to support their club.
Jim Barton, of the Brownsville Observer blog opined that: "Recently, the misguided, uninformed OP 10.33 advocacy group has become intertwined with United Brownsville in political intrigue, even adding Carlos Marin to their staff.
"In short, United Brownsville is an elitist, self-appointed board with an inappropriate interest in controlling industrial development at the Port of Brownsville and the so-called industrial corridor along FM 550. Both United Brownsville and OP 10.33 are meddling in politics to the detriment of our community."OP 10.33, fresh from being rebuffed in its efforts to remove the people's elected representatives from the port and the community college, now wants to make itself out to be the benefactor of the people.
Since 2012, United Brownsville has received $25,000 annually from the BISD, a total of $100,000 from the district's budget. They have received the same amount from Texas Southmost College, with negligible contributions to the educational betterment of the students there. Between BISD and TSC, that's a hefty $200,000 in "dues."
Whatever Rusterberg and his pal Hernandez dish out to the scholars July 28 probably won't be that much, certainly not the more than $1.6 million United Brownsville has received from these entities over that time. Now, instead of Rusteberg, the face of United Brownsville is Irv Downing, a vice president with UTRGV who served under Juliet Garcia.
We welcome the scholarship awards to deserving students as a down payment on the raid on the BISD and TSC treasury that Rusteberg, when he was chair of United Brownsville, perpetrated on the school district that serves the poorest community in the United States.
And believe us, United Brownsville and their well-paid executive director Mike Gonzalez (at a salary of $80,000 paid for by the "dues" from these tax-funded entities) will be back with his collection plate this budget go-round.
This happens as two community organizations – the Brownsville Trailblazers and the A Hand Up organization – are teaming up to collect basic school supplies for two BISD elementary schools.
These two groups will distribute the supplies collected to students attending Putegnat and Longoria elementary schools.
Their drive will run through Aug. 15 and donations can be dropped off at CSL Plasma, 1601 E. Price Rd., Suite C in Brownsville. The group is asking for 100-page composition books, kid blunt scissors, 24-count box of colors, glue sticks, 70-page notebooks and No. 2 pencils. For more information, donors can call Cesar Mercado at (956) 832-9008.
It's deplorable that while on one hand United Brownsville is taking money from the schools by the handful, it rests on community groups to go around asking for donations from the community to provide basic school supplies for schools in the poor sections of town. If United Brownsvillle and their pals at OP 10.33 really wanted to help, they should stop extorting money from these districts and work for their money instead of demanding handouts.
8 comments:
Thank You for reminding us who they collect money from. So how much of our tax money is being dipped into? And "YES", they'll be the first to be in those photo opportunities to self promote themselves handing over these supplies to the recipients. Again, using our money by dipping into many entities that we pay taxes into, and no shame at all.
UB will not live past 2016.
I had heard that the BISD, the TSC, and the Port quit contributing a couple years ago. So I suspect they really need some of OP10.33's money to keep blowing and going.
July 22 @ 3:30 I do hope that TSC, BISD and the Port have stopped contributing.
They are still contributing , the voters haven't held them accountable and voted them out of office. It's not their money so they don't care. Those boards are as much to blame for the "United Brownsville " plague as anyone for their weak , enabling actions.
Better yet Mr. Montoya, please remind us who the board members are to all entities ( who collect our tax money) that contribute to this farce of an organization and who the members are, including United Brownsville. Is there a certain time of the year that this money is given to them? We are not a GoFund me account.
What do we do? All of these RATAS are on pictures with our Republican governor and Democratic State Representative, and Senator???
If you're too lazy and uninterested to find out who your elected officials are, what makes you think your threat to expose them will yield anything? You're asking for someone to do something a simple google search will show. You probably don't even vote.
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