By Juan Montoya
For some reason or other, politicians in Brownsville think that a conspicuous act of largess, the grand gesture, will divert attention from the obvious shortcoming of this city.
The naming of Brownsville as the poorest city in the United States set off a spate of acts designed to diver attention to the moniker and to blind the public to the obvious.
We became the city in the Guinness World Record with the most people dancing zumba, the city with the most kids with a fishing line in the brown waters of our resaca (Hooked for Life), and the city who has striven to give out subsidies to millionaires and wealthy corporations.
Take for example, the generosity of City of Brownsville Tony Martinez since he has been mayor. He now ants a third term in this this May's election. Why?
Who else, for example, would give out millions in subsidies and tax abatements (combined with the state) to billionaire Elon Musk? Who else would bend over backwards to give millions in real estate (including Southmost's Lincoln Park) and subsidies to the oil-and-gas wealthy University of Texas System so they could put their campus in downtown Brownsville?
And who else would pledge $350 million in cash (plus tax abatements) to Tenaska to build a $500 million natural gas, electric generating plant and be content to take one-fourth of the 800 MWs produced? That is, the Public Utility Board ratepayers would put up 70 percent of the cost and keep 25 percent of the energy produced (200 MWs).
And to add insult to injury, since 2013, the ratepayers have been stuck with a 35 percent increase in utility costs and the money they pay (estimated at more than $100 million) has continued to pile up at the PUB because Tenaska does not have customers to seel their 600 MWs because there is a glut of electricity on the grid.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, as it were, none of these efforts have come to fruition.
The UT System moved its main offices to Edinburg (UTRGV) and keeps a satellite office in Brownsville (UTRGV-Brownsville), the Tenaska plant won;t be built in the foreseeable future, and SpaceX hasn't launched one satellite when they pledged to have a blast off every month since 2013.
And don't get us going about jobs for local people. We're too busy giving away our meager resources to people and corporations that don't need it.
17 comments:
Makes your blood boil over more then once.
VOTE EVERY SINGLE ONE "OUT"
port is next
AND NO ATTORNEYS HERE we need to make a statement AGAIN
You forgot to mention da mayor’s $69mm airport project, plus future change orders, for 500 passengers a day airport, that is allready big enough for that meagar passenger count. What did he do to the poor architect ?
Meanwile our city’s balance sheet is all red numbers trying to pay off the Sports park, empty industrial parks, etc. And don’t forget. The dark forces of Mago Marin’s old BEDC are still meeting secretely, trying to build yet another useless industrial park.
And we’re fucking broke.
Tony Martinez has done too much damage to this city and to the pocketbooks of the local citizens to allow him another term as mayor. The city has swirled down the toilet during his tenure. He has focused his attention to the downtown area and failed the rest of the city. Just say NO to Tony Martinez. We don't want to continue to be the joke of the RGV because we have a mayor with no leadership or management ability. He is arrogant and has no empathy towards the citizens of Brownsville.
What about his property in Harlingen he owns?
Good summation of the various projects that have been note in B'ville, but we still don't know how we will ever benefit from them. I am getting ready for my departure to the next world and fear I will never see Brownsville as the Brownsville it should be. Why? Because in almost every one of our entities, we find people who's interest is not to help everybody but only themselves and their buddies. We should send so-called elected official back to the fields for it seems we always have "give-me's" in our candidates for office.
Yet, we dummies vote them back. Remember as you vote this upcoming election to get rid of people like him, Gowen, Longoria, Atkinson, Pena, Brown, and Tipton when their time comes up.
For some reason or another.
Don't forget La Casa Del Fraude (Nylon) total waste of tax payer monies. That ratnest still sits empty, where is the accountability & transparency? Do we need another four years of downtown development? Mismanagement that is!!!!
Our Mayor did nothing bad compared to no need engineers from public works to purchase a 279 acre land on the opposite side of the border wall fence for more than 2 million dollars back in October 2016 for landfill cover. The land is all sand even space x hand problems with the dirt according to KRGV 5. look it up. Mr. Arvin Tucker was used to accept the findings of good soil material for land fill use instead of an engineer.
The new mayor's first priority is to clean house get rid of the old goats like that "been here 50 years" NEW BLOOD new ideas no hidden agendas.
NO ATTORNEYS. NO ATTORNEYS. NO ATTORNEYS. NO ATTORNEYS. NO ATTORNEYS.
Como dicen en Mexico "Los abogados van a la escuela derecho para trabajar chueco"
I am paying for the credit card for Jason Hilts and Gilbert Salinas, and the Black Magic whore of Jason Hilts, who is using his credit cards to support his life style. He states that no one has the balls to stop him, so he can pay for his Black Magic whore, and enjoy his life, with the yes man Lazoya.
We need to carefully watch what other elected official is endorsing this crook
This mayor and these commissioners had a very special priority, the Duck Park was more important than fixing street, drainage and Bus shelters. Duck Park cost over 300 thousand dollars. The Ducks are shitting all over their new home. SICK MAYOR OF BROWNSVILLE.
This is one of those jokes that doesn't fit all! What is the difference between a Cat Fish and a Lawyer? One of them is a bottom dwelling scum sucker and the other one is a fish! Enjoy your day!
You're doesn't fit. (at all).
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