QUIRKS, REVELATIONS IN CANDIDATES' EXPENSE REPORTS; AS DEEP THROAT SAID "FOLLOW THE P.U.B. MONEY"

By Juan Montoya
You don't have to tell someone who wants to be a candidate for public office that it will cost a pretty penny to run without any guaranteed results at the end.
And if the campaign contributions and expense reports are not works of fiction, much can be gleaned from them when it's time for the candidate to file them with the city secretary.
The report filed by the candidates for the 30-days-before-the-election period sheds some lights on their financial backers and their expenses.

For example, At-Large "B" incumbent Rose Gowen reported that people ranging from State Rep. Rene Oliveira to Ambiotec's Carlos Marin plunked down $1,000 each to further her chances of staying on a city commissioner among the 26 contributors..
Others with larger contributions included:
Abraham Galonsky $1,000
Daughter Nurith Galonsky $1,000
Delinquent Tax Attorneys Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson $1,000
Reba McNair, $400, as did her mother Mary Rose Cardenas

It has been pointed out in other blogs that Gowen held several events at restaurants owned by Mayor Tony Martinez. And to stay in Da Mayor's good graces she also also contributed $400 to sponsor an event at his Guadalupe Catholic Middle School.
The rest of her expenditures dealt with campaign signs and consulting, except for the $90.56 she reported spending for tire lights at J.T. Cycling to cover the cost of outfitting the bikes that participated in the Charro Days parade.

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Her opponent Erasmo Castro is running a lean-and-mean campaign and as of the time we're writing this post, his report had not been filed on the city's website.

Neither had William Garza's in the Ditrict 3 race with Joel Munguia.
Munguia's report also shows some detail on the way he is conducting his race to replace Deborah Portillo as commissioner on that seat. Munguiia reported receiving $3,850 in contributions and spending $14,354, with most of that ($9.800) coming in the form of loans to himself. His biggest contributor was Rafael Munguia (a relative?) from MCAllen. Munguia is self employed and owns an insurance company.

But it is his expenditures that sheds an interesting aspect of the Munguia campaign.
Listed among his expenses is one for "consulting." Most of the candidates lists consulting as an expense, but Munguia's consultant is none other than Armando Magallanes, brother of district judge Juan Magallanes and also a member of the Public Utilities Board. To have two PUB board members supporting candidates who are said to be on the side of Mayor Martinez casts a new aspect to this election.

Munguia reported that he has paid Magallanes $6,500 since January 31. The dates and amounts are listed below:
1. January 31, $1,000
2. February 6, $1,000
3. February 13, $750
4. February 17, $750
5. February 24, $750
6. March 11, $750
7. March 17, $750
8. March 24, $750

Munguia is seen as a one of the candidates supported by Tony Martinez and Marin to maintain control of the city and the PUB. Martinez is not only the mayor, but is also an ex oficio member of the board at the utility.
So far, the PUB administration and attorneys have refused to show the public copies of the Memorandum of Understanding between the PUB and Tenaska, the private company that was to build a $500 million gas-powered electric generating power plant in Brownsville. Toward that end, both Gowen and incumbent John Villarreal voted to increase electric rates by 31 percent as well as water and waste water services. So far, more than $90 million have been collected.

Since Tenaska and the PUB have gone to the Texas Attorney General to secure opinions shielding the secret deal from the public, there is no way to know what responsibilities and costs the rate payers have been encumbered with through the MOU.

This election, then, is about the control of the PUB and the continued hiding of the details of the secret agreement with Tenaska.