RUBEN O'BELL AIRS ATKINSON LETTER, TRIGGERS BROUHAHA

By Juan Montoya

What started out as a simple request for a letter by State Rep. Eddie Lucio III's chief of staff Ruben O'Bell from Brownsville Independent School District trustee Dr. Sylvia Atkinson to solicit campaign contributions for her candidates in the current school district race, has bloomed into a full-blown controversy.

Atkinson said O'Bell had previously asked her for the campaign contribution request letter so he could show to potential contributors. She said she sent him one about a month ago under her letter head. Then, about a week later, he asked for another and she sent him another.

That's when it hit the fan.

 Instead of keeping the letter confidential, as he had the last one, O'Bell somehow managed to have copies made and distributed into cyberspace. Now, just about every blogger and Facebook subscriber can get a copy.

In the letter (at right), Atkinson (with the disclaimer of being an ad paid by the candidate) thanks her supporters for "choosing to believe in my campaign" under her letterhead. Atkinson, as is stated a little further down, is in her second year of a four-year term.

She states: "While we have made significant progress towards several of our initial goals, unfortunately we have struggled to form a board majority that would commit to prioritizing the academic needs of our students and the professional support of our staff above unplanned initiatives and 'pet projects.'"

Are $7 million in district funds to pay for artificial turn and a $1.4 million scoreboard for Sams Stadium some of those (Joe Rodriguez's) "unplanned initiatives and pet projects?" Will the voters, as Rodriguez wants, vote for him to "keep up the momentum?" Atkinson, obviously, doesn't think so.


That reference to "form a board majority" with different priorities set off charges from various candidates in the BISD election who say Atkinson is attempting to lead a majority to control the district. It is no secret that she posted in her Facebook page that she is supporting Drue Brown in the crowded Position 1 race and Priscie Roca-Tipton in the Place 4 contest.

She said she made no endorsement in the Place 2 race between incumbent Carlos Elizondo, Erasmo Castro and Otis Powers, her brother-in-law.

Other candidates in Place 1 include Caty Presas-Garcia, Jose Valdez,  Mark Anthony Cortez, and Timmy Ramirez.

Position 4, now held by Rodriguez, include candidates Randy Gonzalez, Roca Tipton, and Jorge Valdez.

The letter, apparently, has made its way to the supporters of Atkinson's candidates and some have questioned if funds gathered through her solicitation for her campaign can be funneled to other candidates. Apparently, it is perfectly legal as past readings of campaign expenditure reports shows that among the expenditures from contributions are included donations to other political campaigns.

Will the brouhaha created by the release of the letter by O'Bell become a campaign issue that will determine the election outcome in the election? Somehow, we seriously doubt it. After all, voters will ultimately decide whether they want to stick the course or to elect someone who wants the district to go in another direction.