Hear the latest?
Observers with their ear close to the ground on the City of Brownsville Commission say that except for the insistence of Mayor Tony Martinez on personally interviewing the remaining four candidates for city attorney, Municipal City Judge Rene De Coss was all but a shoo-in.
The vote was delayed for two weeks to give Da Mayor – also the de facto city manager and attorney and dog catcher in the abeyance of a permanent office holder in these positions – time to cull through the three remaining applicants.
There were four then, but since then Arron Leal announced his withdrawal.
The others are Gary Linan and Lysia H. Bowling, the city attorney for Pensacola. Fla. and De Coss.
Martinez has let it be known in city commission circles that he does not want De Coss and has the support of Ben Neece, who for some unknown reason, has not expressed his support for his former colleague on the municipal court bench.
The apparent majority – Jessica Tetreau, Joel Munguia, Ricardo Longoria and Cesar De Leon – apparently felt comfortable with De Coss and seemed ready to take the vote until Martinez forced the two-week delay. After all, besides being a municipal judge now, he has also served as a district judge and has the respect of prosecutors and defense attorneys alike.
Now, working in the background, his opponents have launched a silent – and nefarious – campaign to submarine De Coss' candidacy and push for Bowling, who also served as the city attorney in San Angelo. The selection is on the city agenda for this Tuesday.
There are other considerations, as those who have served in public service know. There are things like duration on the job, knowledge of local issues, knowing the actors, etc.,
But this is where the rubber meets the road.
We have heard supporters of other candidates for the city attorney selection have targeted De Leon's vote, who was the chair of the attorney search, and now lenguas sueltas are saying that he won't support Bowling because – you ready for this? – she happens to be African American.
Now, as far as we know, applicants don't include their race or heritage when they send in their applications or resumes. We know, for example, that neither De Coss, Leal, nor Linan, indicated that they were of Hispanic descent. Bowling sounds just plain American to us. Maybe they expect commissioners to deduce that through the candidates' affiliations with cultural affiliations. Then again, what if Bowling is a MALDEF member?
Has it really come down to this?
The city was subjected to national scrutiny and disdain after De Leon was surreptitiously recorded using the "N" word to refer to two vindictive Cameron County Asst. DA's who were coming down hard on local defendants and were denying plea-bargain deals (the meat and potatoes of the local law profession) to the clients of local lawyers.
When De Leon, in the presence of three other people in a private setting, used the word derisively to refer to these two specific prosecutors, the person recording him used to divert the attention to his own problems and misdeeds. That person eventually was fired as fire chief and an audit conducted on him was later used as evidence to indict him. De Leon was one of the moving forces behind that audit.
We need not go into that sordid mess since the former fire chief remains under indictment and faces an additional nine charges, aside from theft.
De Leon has since apologized and moved on. Now whoever is whispering these poisonous words in the ear of Herald reporters and other social media, is throwing this out saying that is the reason why De Leon supports De Coss and not Bowling, the African American.
Does this mean that De Leon will be suspect if he celebrates Martin Luther King's Birthday?
Whoever is doing this is merely resurrecting the specter of racism and tarnishing the image of the city again just because they don't think they have the votes to select their candidate for city attorney. This smacks very much like the lawsuit against the selection of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation CEO Mario Lozoya. In that case, the GBIC board members and their supporters who didn't have the vote for their selection sued the board, including De Leon.
They failed, and we predict this will fail as well.
If Da Mayor and the others don't have the votes to get their selection, will they sue De Leon for racial discrimination? Or will they – damn the image of the city – merely smear De Leon to cut their nose to spite their faces and show their parliamentary impotence?
10 comments:
Rumors again, Montoya? LOL
Ridiculous - Cesar isn’t or wasn’t racist
He was maybe a poor judge of character and got played
But I’m sire more tapes are coming let’s see who else was a victim of political games
Meanwhile we are still the poorest community in the country!
How about we focus on filling these vacancies and then recruiting some industry so we can feed our families
Mr. Montoya, I know I am completely off topic but this is the only way I can reach you and have you address my question. Why is it and how is this done, that every time you disclose something Sylvia Atkinson is doing, the post disaapears? You did it with her indictment and you have now done it with the "Go-fund-me" movement she started to raising money to make Brownsville Better by having people buy gold, silver and bronze positions by donating money for her purpose? What was she intending to do with that money and who was going to hold her accountable for that money? I wanted to reread that post to figure out how she was able to do such and whom she got permission or a permit to do so. Is this not an illegal action? Would you be so kind as to post an answer to these questions or has she paid you to not do already. That is what many of your 7 readers claim - que le tienes miedo a esa vieja. Is that true? No te rajes y contesta estas preguntas, Juanito. Ponte los pantalones y quitate las nauguas.
About Lysia H. Bowling, the candidate for City Attorney:
Bowling joined the City of San Angelo in November 2009. Her tenure has seen many controversial issues pass across her desk, including the trash contract and the sand depot controversies. The latest was the blowup over Lee Pfluger's sand depot. Privately, some city officials said that her approach to the controversy, and advice, has been too limited and timid. Appellant H.R. "Winkie" Wardlaw III, a former city councilman said that the city legal staff was offering bad advice to council.
She was mysteriously missing from all of this year's most contentious meetings on the sand depot, and many were speculating that she was fired. City Manager Daniel Valenzuela denied her termination two weeks ago in an email.
According to the City of San Angelo, the city attorney represents the City in legal matters, providing counsel to the City Council, the city manager, and City departments and boards. The Office of the City Attorney is involved in matters such as the drafting and review of contracts, litigation, claims against the City for damages, eminent domain proceedings, collections, the prosecution of cases in Municipal Court, and adherence to open meetings and open records state statutes.
“Ms. Bowling is a tremendously hard worker, whose efforts were greatly appreciated,” Valenzuela said. “We wish her the best.”
OK, I'm confused with 8:46pm, you started in English and ended in Spanish. So I believe you were a Trump supporter and ended up joining the band wagon of BETO!!!!! Go BETO and if you so interested in Sylvia's doing, ask her your self BUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
De Coss is a fine man and will be an excellent City Attorney. It’s sad that the mayor is such a selfish piece of shit he can’t put aside his own agenda for the good of all for once.
DE COSS IS THE BOSS!
Da Mayor is full of shit
Non-Hispanics need not apply.
Coss was the right choice! For once they did the right thing!
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