On January 8, after hearing of alleged irregularities with Brownsville Independent School District vendor Grafik Spot, we filed a request for information with the district asking for the payments made to the company over the last five years (2013-2017).
At the time, the district said it was requesting an exemption from releasing the information because of what it claimed to be confidential information that was involved in an ongoing criminal investigation and sent its objection to the Texas General Attorney's Office.
The district's appeal to the Texas Attorney General's Office says it was taking exception to El Rrun-Rrun's because the information requested "is part of a multi-agency investigation by several law-enforcement offices including the Brownsville Independent School District. The law-enforcement agencies are investigating potential criminal activity."
It cited Texas Government Code Section 552.105 which deals with "Law Enforcement, Corrections and Prosecutorial Information."
"As stated previously, the District's Police Force along with other State and Federal law enforcement agencies are investigating suspected criminal activity.
The requested information is part of the criminal investigation. At this time, the investigation remains active by the BISD Police Department and the various law enforcement agencies.
The information made the subject of this request is part of the investigation and we believe are privileged and excepted from disclosure under the section of the Act."
It is now almost May and we were pleasantly surprised when we saw the requested information in our email. So it wasn't exempt after all? We suspected half as much when BISD board general legal counsel Baltazar Salazar told board trustees during an open meeting that the company was a "vendor in good standing" and approved the district awarding it a contract for printing supplies in 2018.
Right then and then we knew the district (and specifically Salazar) was playing games with the public's right to know. Even before BISD released the requested info (after four month-delay), we had learned that in four months of 2015 alone (July to October), they had paid Grafik Spot $1,2562,120.
Apparently, that was only the tip of the iceberg. We did the math on the new information released and found that the BISD did business with the company to the tune of millions. They started up with a mere $18,093 in 2014, but quickly reached the millions the next year.
In 2013: $0
In 2014: $18,093
In 2015: $1,660,804
In 2016: $586, 415
In 2017: $7,849
2018: ???
Total to 2017: $2,256,961
The items purchased ranged from custom nugget boxes ($366,600) to food tray liners ($319,950) to Grafik Spot's "set-up" for the purchasing department ($4). How many of these purchases were part of the criminal investigation performed for the district? And what was the result of the investigation cited to keep these transactions from the public?
We'll be asking.
To see the entire list of purchase orders and the cost of the items, click on the link below:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=643034ff4a&view=att&th=162fd1b3764fcb0c&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw
13 comments:
This is just a cover up with the department, maybe another 50 year sentence is in the works.
yes; lets be fair 50 years for all the corrupt administration and board members .
Dr. Esperanza ZENDEJAS we don't need or want you as SUPERINTENDENT for BISD.
BISD HAS NEVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION BEFORE.
OUT FAT ASS BITCH !
I hope special services gets audited
Fajita guy got 50, this thieves deserve 200
If Salazar is behind all this chingadera, he should be hung by his you know what. He is the suppose to be know it all lawyer and putting the district in a realm of fraud and yet, the public does not blame him solely. He is being paid muchos niquels for doing nothing and others are getting the bad name.
El otro, Salinas, looks sleepy even when he is not sleeping at the meeting and often admits he does not know when asked a particular question, yet we pay them so much money.
Do not disrespect our Superintendent. We make great efforts to teach our children and students respect and we teach them not to be bullies. I can understand bloggers wanting to share gossip; but why is it necessary to Allow the name calling and ugliness towards individuals. If you are well informed comment based on first hand information, not on lies and gossip, and do it without hurting families, individuals and employees of those that that you speak so ugly about.
Zendejas, Salazar, Salinas, And all Boardmembers involved and/or condoning this corrption need to go but before kicking them out they need to be held accountable! Jail time!!!!
Cesar Lopez I thought you were for the students!
You screwed them out of $2.6 million and probably more you low-life corrupt pathetic moron piece of shit! Karma will get you, you Cameron Park homeboy!
I am glad that there are still some people who have scruples and still remember when our parents told us to respect our leaders and elders. It seems all we do is blame our ineptness as good citizens on other people who are working their ass off to be there for our children. I am an involved parent who really appreciates what our superintendent is doing for our children and our community. I do not remember another superintendent that was so involved with the community and do remember some that really messed up the district, but yet, only Dr. Esperanza is disrespected by calling her names and making fun of her injured hip. Even so, she does not stay home or sit behind her desk, limping or not, cause she is working out there for our children. It is my opinion that Dr. Zendejas is made out of a strong backbone that doesn't let petty bitching bother her, as long as she knows that she is doing her best for our children. We should all support her as much as possible and try to keep her separate from the stupid school board that is doing things in an effort to bring her down.
More power to her and may you take care of yourself soon so you can come back at full speed soon.
She is working? No she is busy—- appearing busy and making sure she is in pictures.
She’s not leading and she’s not building a team or vision
Her vision is building tracks and buildings for a district with decreasing enrollment.
She isn’t serving kids - she’s serving the men on her board to keep her vote
She is an evil- person with terrible leadership skills (ask California ) who destroys morale and thinks “keeping sixth graders at elementary “ is innovative
She and joe have ruined BISD with their selfish lust for money and power and fear
It’s not about respecting elders it’s about expecting our elected officials to do better then this.....
This is a disgrace - the valley laughs
Psja is the “it” even Edinburgh has passed us...
LOL on this comment, teaching education? A big laugh on that one!
It seems obvious that a group of people with diverse individual expertise would be better than a homogeneous group at solving complex, nonroutine problems. It is less obvious that social diversity should work in the same way—yet the science shows that it does.
It's a white thing the dna and genes ingrained in the gringo forbids them to assimilate within a working group that is diverse. Their idea of being superior to everybody and everything retracts their behavior to work together within diversity groups, hence the more likely that the group will fail at every level...
Until she does something to a friend, relative, spouse related to you; then you will change your mind. It happened to me. She's not worthy of the salary she gave herself. If only you knew all the truth.
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