SHADOW GOV'T. (UNITED BROWNSVILLE) CLAIMS "FINANCIAL CHALLENGES" SAYS IT'S " RESTRUCTURING," BYE MIKEY

Dear "Members,"

In May 2016, United Brownsville’s board initiated a review of the organization’s mission, membership and organizational structure. As a result of this work, the Board amended our organizational by laws and membership levels on August 31st.

More importantly, the Board reviewed and adopted priorities on several key collaborative community initiatives which will be the focus of our work over the next ninety days. We’ve experienced some fiscal year-end financial challenges that the United Brownsville Tri- Chairs believe can be addressed during the transition to a new membership format... that resulted in the elimination of the executive director position. We believe the staff restructuring  will allow for the longer term financial sustainability of the United Brownsville initiative and helping us manage through this transition period.
Miguel Gonzalez was notified earlier this week of the restructuring and elimination of his position. Mike served United Brownsville for several years as our only Executive Director. He demonstrated dedication and commitment to the United Brownsville organization and to the Brownsville Community.
We have asked Laura Matamoros to remain in her position with United Brownsville. She will be assisting with day to day operations, membership matters, and budget revisions. We expect to convene a meeting of the United Brownsville Board in mid-October. Should you have any questions in the interim, please feel free to contact me or the other Tri- Chairs; Jorge de la Garza and Deborah Portillo.

Irv Downing

By Juan Montoya

And so it ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.

United Brownsville, the shadow government organization that in 2009 self-appointed itself to "provide a forum for local government officials to communicate regarding public projects and public-private partnerships," (and) "thereby lessening the burdens of government," is claiming penury.
The organization was a byproduct of the failed Imagine Brownsville comprehensive plan that cost the citizens of Brownsville $1 million (plus another $1 million in in-kind city staff work and resources) that went into the pockets of Carlos Marins' Ambiotec Engineering which was obsolete when it was produced since the federal funding for which it was created did not materialize.  
Since that year United Brownsville has collected $200,000 a year in "membership" fees from eight public entities which have been decreasing as the members of those entities' boards realize that nothing has been produced for the public's benefit since its inception.
Since 2009, this $25,000 has amounted to United Brownsville receiving more than $1 million in "membership" fees which it has extorted for "a seat at the Good People's table from 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, and the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation.

The commissioners of the Brownsville Navigation District stopped giving in to the extortion two years ago, and only the fact that social climbers Kiko Rendon and Ed Rivera wanted to rub elbows with former IBC President Fred Rusteberg and UTB President Julieta Garcia kept TSC doling out public monies to this self-appointed organization which is accountable to no one.

Just yesterday, when we inquired into whether Gonzalez was gone, caretaker interim director (actually, a secretary) Laura Matamoros feigned ignorance of his dismissal and stonewalled us with an answer. Downing said she knew since the August 31st meeting that he was out.

This is not a good way to start a campaign where United Brownsville claims is "restructuring" itself to face these new "financial challenges" and gain the trust of the public.

Why even have a United Brownsville? If any elected officials in local government want United Brownsville to "lessen the burdens of government," they can quit and allow someone else who won't shirk their responsibility to take the reins of public service. Giving away the money from the poorest community in the United States to an entity with no accountability to anyone (who elects Downing?) or a reason to be is wrong, if not downright illegal.

And as far as "providing a forum," it has not been able to do that with any tangible results in the past seven years. Does Downing want the public to continue passing him cash to fund the money-making schemes of Marin, Oscar Garcia Jr. (Julieta's son) and other pampered non-achievers just because of their familial, political and class relations?

Give it up. This "restructuring" is actually a death rattle for a bogus organization that had no business at the public trough to begin with.

When will the other entities charged with being stewards of the public dollar stop abdicating their fiduciary responsibility to the people and stop the hemorrhaging of public funds to these self-appointed sugar daddies?