LOBBYISTS BEARING GIFTS: SAN BENE ISD $40 MILLION BOND

By Joe F. Rodriguez
Special to El Rrun-Rrun


I was quite intrigued with the amount of advertising on the Valley Morning Star in regards to the San Benito Bond 2018 Bond Authorization Proposition on the ballot for the November 6, 2018 election.

I was not quite sure if the San Benito School District would spend such enormous amount of money when they have a quite impressive web site where I can gather my information.

I do know that not many people in San Benito have the disposable income to be promoting this Bond 2018 so aggressively. I was alerted by a citizen that the SB School Board president, Mr. Michael Anthony Vargas, was aggressively promoting the Bond 2018 on a Facebook page called www.facebook.com/eisonhower .

He posted some School District brochures and some videos promoting the Bond 2018 produced and paid by an SPAC (Specific-Purpose Action Committee) named “Investing in Our Children’s Education SPAC”.

As the old mantra goes “Follow the Money!”. I did some online research and this is what I discovered. The SPAC collected $10,922.75 in “Total Political Contributions”, spent $6,259.05 in “Total Political Expenditures”, and had $1,740.95 in “Total Political Contributions remaining unspent as of the last day of the reporting period, October 27, 2018.

Monetary political contributions were as follows: Alfredo Garcia $1,500 (San Benito), GOERO International, LLC $2,000 (McAllen), Leonardo Munoz $1,000 (Weslaco), Rene Ramirez $500 (McAllen), Rudy Gomez $500 (McAllen),

The total of unitemized in-kind political contributions (signs) of $2,922.75 was by Brand Boosters (McAllen).

Monetary contributions from corporations or labor organization are as follows: Ambiotec Civil Engineering Group, Inc.$1,000 (Brownsville), Hellas Construction, Inc. (Austin), and Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams, Inc. $500 (Carrolton, Tx located just north of Dallas).

Expenditures total for the reporting period was $6,259.05 to the Valley Morning Star for advertising. So much for the spirit of “spending tax dollars locally”. We do have a local newspaper, the San Benito News.

Total political monetary contributions (personal, corporations, businesses) broken down by city and percentage of total contributions ($10,922.75): San Benito $1,500 14%, McAllen $5,422.75 50%, Brownsville $1,500 14%, Weslaco $1,000 9%, Austin $1,000 9%, and Carrolton $500 5%.

For those who accuse me of making accusations without facts, here are the links to the Texas Ethics Commission for the SPAC Committee filing report for Filer ID 00083130 or cut-an-paste https://tinyurl.com/yckmtkd7

There is NOTHING illegal about contributing to a PAC or SPAC. In a Democracy, we are all have the freedom to contribute to our preferred candidate (Beto) with as much as we can afford.



MONETARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Date               Name             Address                  Amount
10/17/2018 Alfredo Garcia San Benito              $1,500
10/17/2018 GOERO International, LLC McAllen $2,000
10/17/2018 Leonardo Munoz Weslaco                $1,000
10/17/2018 Rene Ramirez McAllen                    $500
10/18/2018 Rudy Gomez Brownsville                $500.00

MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS or LABOR ORGANIZATION:
Date               Name                                  Address                        Amount
10/17/2018 Ambiotec Civil Engineering Group, Inc. Brownsville $1,000
10/17/2018 Hellas Construction, Inc. Austin $1,000
10/17/2018 Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Wiliams, Inc. Carrolton $500


NON-MONETARY (IN-KIND) POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Date                   Name                   Address             Amount
10/19/2018 Brand Boosters           McAllen          $2,922.75


POLITICAL EXPENDITURES FROM POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Date                      Name                       Address          Amount
10/19/2018 The Valley Morning Star Harlingen        $6,259.05



I do find it ironic that 86 percent, or $9,422.75 of the total contributions to this “Investing in Our Children’s Education SPAC,” is from contributors investors outside of San Benito.

As I stated before, San Benito is a low poverty city with people who don’t have much disposable income but they are the ones who will be left to pay for the incremental debt being proposed without real justification like a “Feasibility Study”.

Again, here is the link to a “Feasibility Study” or cut-and-paste https://tinyurl.com/y7v7zzdt

I recommend Voting NO and then start from scratch with a “Feasibility Study” and improved justifications and “more specific details and not just “pretty pictures” for each individual project.

Just because we can afford it doesn’t mean we have to spend tax dollars because it makes us “feel good”! San Benito will grow but we have to “spend wisely” and not just spend to “Keep up with Harlingen or Brownsville, etc.! We don’t have the tax base or disposable income like other cities.

Whether you are “for” or “against” the Bond 2018 Authorization Proposition, I encourage everyone to go out and VOTE. Voter apathy in our City of San Benito is really atrocious.

Remember, if you “Don’t Vote”, “Don’t Complain”. It’s that simple!