WHEN WILL OTIS TAKE OFF THE GLOVES ON PHIL COWEN?

By Juan Montoya
After nearly a month of bearing attacks by opponent Phillip Cowen on the pages of the local daily where he was accused of everything from losing "$54 million" in five years, class sizes and
even teacher compensation, Brownsville Independent School District board Place 3 position incumbent Otis Powers is gearing up his formal campaign.
He is holding his kickoff reelection and fundraising campaign from 2 to 5 p.m. today at the Texas Country Diner at 1627 Price Road, Suite B (next to Bingo).

It was about time, his supporters say.
"He's been taking hits from Cowen that were undeserved," siad a longtime supporter. "Most of those charges against Powers make it seem as if every decision that has been made by this board has been decided by Powers' vote. You know that's not how it works. There are seven votes on the board."
Powers is old school and has campaigned on the red-white-and-blue banner of "character, integrity, and proven leadership" that has been his signature slogan.

Perhaps he should mention that when he was the board president in 2008 the BISD was recognized as most-improved district in the United States and was awarded the Broad Prize and $2 million in scholarships to deserving students. That prize is awarded to public school systems that have demonstrated the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while narrowing achievement gaps among low-income students and students of color.

Brownsville followed ther New York City school system which was awarded the prize in 2007.
The BISD never got anywhere near that during the time that Cowen was a board member or even while president of the board.
Powers might also mention that while president in 2008 (before the current majority hijacked the board) the BISD board was also the recipient of the coveted CUBE Award for excellence in running a school district. The BISD board's recognition followed the 2007 award of the coveted award to Houston schools. The Atlanta school followed Brownsville and after that Baltimore schools got the recognition. Not bad for a hair lip, hey Phil?

Among the charges are the illusionary $54 million Cowen blames Powers for losing for BISD.
Cowen is apparently referring to the $5 million that the BISD gained when the voters of the district approved the Tax Ratification Election last October. The district voters approved the move of .11 ¼ cents from the Interest and Sinking Fund (Debt Service) to Maintenance & Operations.
That move was expected to generate between $5 to $6 million net per year in additional state funding to be used for one-time expenditures to improve, repair, and expand district facilities and enhance security.

Cowen blames Powers for not holding a TRE when he was board president. But what he doesn't say is that Powers is not in control of the board majority. Joe Rodriguez, Cesar Lopez, Hector Chirinos and Carlos Elizondo are.
As a result of this junta of leadership, the bulk of the money "gained" (because the extra $5 to $6 million have to be repaid anyway, whether from the debt service or the fund balance) was spent on such extravagances as artificial turf costing upwards of $800,000 a shot to high schools and middle schools and even an indoor training center for athletes at River High School.

All this is being done while teachers are being urged to pay more out of their pockets for classroom supplies, the district is getting special waivers so that class sizes (student to teacher ratios) are bigger, and Special Needs instructors are getting their classes doubled.
At the same time, the ethics-challenged district general counsel Salazar Baltazar is doled out a not inconsiderable $264,000 salary for attending 12 meeting a year plus a thre eyear extension and superintendent Esperanza Zendejas also gets a raise to past $250,000 and her three year extension.
Instead of criticizing Powers for abstaining on some of these extravagances by Cowen's compadres,

Cowen singles out Powers for not going along with the Gang of Four.
But if you know Otis, he is not one for confrontations. Rather than fight a losing war, he opted to bid his time and get reelected to see if the new bunch can form a new majority nto blunt the excesses of doddering Uncle Rodriguez and the Three Stooges. That's who is in charge of this asylum, not Powers.

That's why the BISD priorities are skewered, as some candidates for office including Ken Whittemore, Dr. Sylvia Perez Atkinson, Rigo Bocanegra, and even Erasmo Castro have charged.

And when will Powers remind us about the Durham Bus Debacle under Cowen's watch and that and the result of that fiasco?

In Luke 4:24, Jesus told his disciples: "Truly, I tell you no prophet is accepted in his own hometown."
Cowens' dissing of Powers, who used to be his friend, couldn't prove the Nazarene's words any better.