Special to El Rrun-Rrun
On June 19, during a meeting of the City of Brownsville Commission, library maintenance worker II Francisca H. "Panchita" Lucio was named employee of the month.
She was given the watch and plaque and a pin at the ceremony and the lady, a hard worker according to Library Director Juan Jose Guerra and Information Director Jerry Hedgecock, was always punctual and courteous to library customers.
That's the benevolent Hedgecock handing the worker of the month mementos to Panchita in the graphic at right.
Mrs. Lucio started work for the city in 2008 as a part-time maintenance worker (20 hours weekly) at $8.71 per hour.
She had a sixth-grade education in Mexico before emigrating to the United States. In the 10 years she has been employed with the city, her personnel record shows that she has missed work maybe five times for illness, family illness, and funerals. Her work ethic, obviously, is sterling.
She had a sixth-grade education in Mexico before emigrating to the United States. In the 10 years she has been employed with the city, her personnel record shows that she has missed work maybe five times for illness, family illness, and funerals. Her work ethic, obviously, is sterling.
It was a feel-good moment for everyone, and an obsequious Mayor Tony Martinez got to pronounce a few words in flawless Spanish because the lady doesn't speak English.
She was, of course, thankful for the honor and said as much to the commission and the audience and promised to work even harder in the future.
As she said in the presentation, she appreciates having her job. That job, according to the COB salary lists, after taxes, generates a little over $400 every two weeks. In the 10 years she has been there, her base salary went form $8.71 per hour to her current hourly rate of just above $11 (about $2.30 an hour more). She is paid an annual salary, according to the city salary records, of $11,455.
Juan Jose Guerra, the bespectacled gent with the red tie looking down at the podium, started working part-time for the cityin 1997 as an administrative technician at the library after graduating from the University of Texas at Brownsville in 1996 with a Bachelor in Science at a $5.80 per hourly rate ($6,075 yearly).
Guerra worked his way up from there and eventually went on to get his Masters in Library Science at North Texas (Denton) in 2002 and came back to work for the city. He graduated from Denton with a 3.75 GPA. Over time (more than 16 years), he has been promoted to the top spot of City Library Director and now earns – according to city salary records – $64,426 a year.
Hedgecock, the big guy in the dark suit with striped tie, is Brownsville's Public information Services Director. He came to work for the city as a computer technician from Harlingen in 1993 where he ran a magazine printing service. He started at $7.96 per hour.
Over the years Hedgecock rose through the ranks to automation technologist, systems analyst, etc., and filled in when there was an vacancy as assistant librarian, acting library director, acting supervisor, etc., Then, when an opening for head of Informational Services in 2006, he applied and made the top three.
The evaluator at the time said Hedgecock got along well with others and knew his way around the system. Among his friends was former city manager Charlie Cabler who regularly approved raises and promotions for Jerry.
The evaluator at the time said Hedgecock got along well with others and knew his way around the system. Among his friends was former city manager Charlie Cabler who regularly approved raises and promotions for Jerry.
The educational requirements were for "A bachelor's degree or education and training equivalent to four years of college education in business, liberal arts, or four or more years in the appropriate field.
That sealed it for Jerry and the evaluator chose him over two other applicants, even though he only has a GED, a high-school diploma equivalence one gets when you don't complete regular high school.
His personnel file is crammed with certificates of attendance to diverse one-day seminars from "Keeping Your Cool," "Sexual Harassment," "Bullying," FEMA Hurricane Awareness and Emergency Management, and the like, as does Guerra's.
Right now he is listed in the city salary schedule making $78,132, almost $14,000 more than Guerra with his Master's Degree.
However, neither Guerra nor Hedgecock have an Employee of the Month certificate like Panchita.
26 comments:
America is still the land of opportunity for those willing to work hard and acquire the skills necessary to succeed. The ones that play the victim card and sit on there butts with their hands out, not so much.
This lady has 10 years working in Brownsville and still does not speak english.
I knew a person who worked some twenty years here, and still spoke no English.
It took me less than six months to become fluent in English when I moved to Brownsville..
I wanted a better life....
It's gringo on gringo if it were the other way around there'd be a war. Too bad that, been here 50 years, did not intervene mostly because he doesn't like anybody without a degree.
First it was Barbecue Becky, then it was Permit Patty next it's Coupon Carl,Morry Matson, dubbed 'Coupon Carl' but here in Brownsville we have "Big Bucks Hedge" and not to mention from Harlingen. Now we know a gringo with a GED equals a Mexican-American with a Masters. I see legal action around the corner...
The library is for homeless people to cool off. They can sponge bath in the restroom
Anecdotal Evidence of Gringo Bias, so what's the solution JMON, should all Gringo be sent North of the check point. That should not take long, I cannot believe that just the handful of Gringos living here can have any influence on anything.
Guess you have to have some Boogy man to blame how fucked up BTOWN is.
They wash up at veterans park right on the drinking fountain, that's why the water taste funny, sort of like salty. The parks director should go there to drink the water.
He more then likely has only a GED just like the other gringo at the library and making 80k a year and from harlingen...
Let's put the shoe on the other foot: Would the folks at Harlingen place a Mexican with a GED over a gringo with a master's and pay him $80,000, $14,000 more than their guys?
How is this a surprise? We have Roberto Baez who does nothing but kiss whoever's behind he needs to keep getting promoted. We have Jose Perez as Assistant Director in Purchasing even though he does not have any business education or had experience with purchasing. We have Constanza Miner who also has no planning degree or previous experience in planning. Roxanna Rosas same thing. The list can go on and on. Brownsville is all about who you know, not what you know. Por eso estamos como estamos
I remember 50 years ago, when Gringos ran this shit hole. Today, the run nothing. The idea that there is still some Gringo privilege down here is ludicrous. Today the Brown dudes run this shit hole only that is much deeper.
None of this would be happening if we had elected El Marrano de Monte as Mayor.
Harlingen is a gringo town what's he doing down here. He must of stepped on some one's juanete. Just goes to show EVERYBODY HERE how corrupt this city is. Some guy making 80k with only a GED.
This really sucks UTRGV is graduating 100's of students with 4 year degrees and here we have the city hiring a director making 80k with only a GED. This is the ultimate insult to the this community and to the university.
Just like PUB all gringos and all live in Harlingen. Is the city next???
I could speak purty good English after just being here one day. I wanted to fit in
Let's not forget the highest paying cop, chief Orlando Rodriguez only graduated with a G.E.D. !!!!!
As the Director of the Public Information Services Department(PISD) Mr. Hedgecock oversees three divisions which fall under PISD. The Public Library System, The City Public Education Government Channel and Internal library Information technology.
Mr. Guerra the Director of Library Services oversees all library operations. Mr. Guerra is in charge of library staff, library programming and collection development in addition to many other responsibilities. The entire PISD is composed of eighty plus staff. Managing a department of this size is highly complicated. Creating and securing library programing, library technology and building infrastructure require a lot of hard work and long hours.
I personally know both of these men and both are of high moral character and beliefs. I want to thank both of these gentlemen for the great job they perform daily.
It is very easy to talk trash but until one knows what these men do for the city its best to judge them by the final outcome of services provided for the community.
I'm going to burn my 4 year degree and sign up for a GED class just maybe I can get a director's job and make 80k. Opps I forgot I need to be gringo. So sorrrri.
I am removing my children from BISD so they can go get a GED and qualify for a director's job with the City.
To: July 17, 2018 at 9:10 AM
“I personally know both of these men and both are of high moral character and beliefs. I want to thank both of these gentlemen for the great job they perform daily."
It is not a question of moral character and beliefs it’s a question of qualifications. If that is the case with the city it is short changing the community by hiring people that are considered only by moral character and beliefs. So why include any educational requirements if you will only consider moral character and beliefs.
So because you know these two men they are MORE qualified than everybody else? The requirements (forms) to hire anybody is approved by the city commission is it not? So who are you to by-pass these requirements? Was it approved by the city commission that YOU by pass these requirements and not consider the educational requirements? Something is really wrong here. Sadly it is the city that continues to operate in the wrong direction and consequently the community is the one that will suffer.
To: July 17, 2018 at 9:10 AM
Who do you think you are to thank anybody? Are you representing the mayor or the elected officials of the city? Nobody here is talking trash as you say. We are only stating facts. If facts to you is trash you need to go back and retake several courses related to comprehension of the English language that is if you have a degree and not a GED (As director?).
Were you at work when you posted your comments? Look at the time - July 17, 2018 at 9:10 AM The city working hours are form 8am to 5pm. Where is your immediate supervisor? So where is "YOUR" high moral character and beliefs?
"Managing a department of this size is highly complicated. Creating and securing library programing, library technology and building infrastructure require a lot of hard work and long hours."
So the library has programmers and library and building engineers? We need a fact-check here!!!
Where is the mayor and commissioners? Employees running rampant reading and post to blogs during working hours how can this be??? Well its not coming out of their pockets its coming out of OURS!!!
I guess its ok to read and post to blogs while working at the city, I guess the As the Director of the Public Information Services Department(PISD) oked this type of behavior. "If I can do it everybody can do it", this is what you call high moral character and beliefs at the City of Brownsville.
Isn't Gerardo Salazar the former director of the Brownsville library? If he is, it's no wonder he is protecting them. I guess Gerardo forgot all the verbal beatings he received from Jerry when he was director.
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