For the past few years the City of Brownsville, the University of Texas System, private investors and other public entities (CDBG, BCIC, GBIC) have been spending millions to revitalize downtown Brownsville.
They have plowed millions into the Market Square area, made numerous questionable purchases from property owners - many of them well-known real-estate speculators - and paid $100,000 to consultants who advised the city planners and commissioners.They have been partly successful, running off small businesses like hairstylists and the handful of the small cantinas which used to cater to low-income, blue-collar workers who used to come in, drink $1.50 beer, and play norteno music in loud jukeboxes.
And what has been the result? The property owners have grown rich off public funds. Elected officials have ingratiated themselves with land speculators, and the campaign contributions to keep them in office have flowed.
But what no one has addressed the obvious. Aside from the segunda clothing shops, the dollar stores, and the low price-tag businesses remain alongside the empty sores with burglar bars. About the only new developments around are the plasma donor firms which dot the prime corners of the downtown real estate.
The obvious effort under the two-term Tony Martinez administration to gentrify the city's downtown area has resulted in small businesses who do not cater to young professionals and customers with expendable income to depart the area. In the eyes of the planners of this administration (Ramiro Gonzalez comes to mind), this will be the new Austin Sixth Street one day.
In their minds' eyes, they see an entertainment district crawling with young people spending their bucks on swanky clubs and bistros and specialty eateries every weekend. But they don't say what happens here during the rest of the week. They don;t see the burglar bars, the empty buildings, the shabby appearance of the inner core. 
And the homeless sleeping in doorways.These are the same people that the customers to the new upscale bars and clubs that are starting to sprout among the squalor and misery step over when they visit the inner city. They are dirty, smell bad, and have nowhere to go but to seek cardboard boxes and sleep in alleys.
There has been little or no response -compassionate or otherwise - to this glaring social problem.
The question has gone beyond the human and social issue that it is. It has now become an economic development issue that might derail the millions of investments by the city and investors if not addressed, and addressed soon. Will it be addressed or will they choose to cut their losses?
These, after all, are human beings in need of help. How we respond to it will be a measure of our conscience. Will it be one of cold law enforcement or a humane response with security and social components that will eradicate the
Rewind to 1890.
That year, Jacob Riis wrote his seminal work of photojournalism that set in motion major legislative reforms addressing the squalid living conditions prevalent in late nineteenth century New York City tenements,
The name of that work - How The Other Half Lives - was an attempt to bring much-needed attention to the otherwise neglected population of immigrants living in close quarters on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The title of the work was taken from François Rabelais’s famous quotation: “One half of the world does not know how the other half lives.”
Look at How The Other Half Lives in downtown Brownsville.
Martinez and his cohorts on the city commission like Rose Gowen have shown no reluctance to spend public funds on restoring old buildings and investing the public's money on amenities like hike-and-bike trails to improve the "quality of live" for the well-to-do.
So far - in almost a decade of holding the public trust and power - they have not shown any Christian inclination to invest in this human capital.
Will the city step up to the plate and address this glaring social issue and protect their investment? Or will the movers and shakers continue to ignore it and allow the sore to fester?
So far - in almost a decade of holding the public trust and power - they have not shown any Christian inclination to invest in this human capital.
Will the city step up to the plate and address this glaring social issue and protect their investment? Or will the movers and shakers continue to ignore it and allow the sore to fester?
16 comments:
Obvious you have no idea what real gentrification is. Check out Big Cities for a better understanding. Brownsville is NOT experiencing gentrification, you idiot! It's just a poor border town!!!
You should "smell" yourself, Montoya. You smell like a wetback.
As long as assholes like Ramiro Gonzalez be involved in City's planning, nothing will ever be acquired
Well done, Mr. Montoya. it'd be useful to ask officials what they intend to do with this end of the development problem. Also candidates for the upcoming election.
WOW it’s you!!!!!!!
@10:38
Its a phantom smell you must have gotten out of the toilet and smelled yourself pendejo.
Austin has many homeless. Walk through 6th st.you p.o.s.
Downtown even in 1994 used to be a lively place, day and night, for rich and poor, everybody making a living, legal or not. After several peso devaluations, the properties became the prey of the lawyers like Trey Mendez and they bought up everything. Now the downtown won't recognize anybody who doesn't have a credit card - cash is no good. Places like Trey Mendez' wine and pizza place are a case study - they only want rich little fresas or white people with connections nobody else. You used the word Upscale - and thats what downtown will become if we let it happen - no more real people just people with money and our taxes paying the police to make the streets safe while these entitled assholes "venture" into downtown Brownsville.
These group of citizens won't get help here why because they don't vote.
KICK EVERY BODY OUT DO NOT RE-ELECT ANYBODY NO ATTORNEYS...
Is God republican or a democrat?
It is either a new bike trail or help the homeless, they start with the new bike trail next week.
Re: February 11, 2019 at 11:54 AM
Which side defends his book? You have your answer.
Not sure Downtown Brownsville has been "active" since the 1960's. There is no reason for me to go downtown except to get my car registered or to serve on jury duty. And, here in North Brownsville we feel very distant from the city government. It is true that we see the police, the fire fighters and EMS, but it seems that the city government only thinks about downtown...not about us and issues here. Most of us never see our city representatives....they all seem to be from the downtown areas....not North Brownsville. Tony Martinez is sort of invisible here and we only hear rumors of his actions or Herald stories....mostly "kiss ass" stories.
To anon at 7:53 AM. Republican greed, racism, xenophobia, scape-goating, demagoguery, robbing the middle class while rewarding the top 1%, alll the while Bible thumping and screaming Jesus is the ultimate hypocrisy and desecration of both Old and New Testaments. And last but not least, worshipping the bloated self annointed great white (orange) diety en la Casa Blanca is the ultimate blasphemy. Please don’t give that bullshit that the Republicans are the party of God, Jesus, righteousness and character.
The elected official would rather buy old and falling apart building from their friends, build bike and hike trails with fancy rest shelters millions on cameras to protect cantinas fancy trips to south america. NO room for these folks.
gentrification and the expulsion of its citizens; scoot over just a few blocks from where they are seems like a happening deal; yet only a few can afford expensive restaurants; coffee shops and Italian pies that are up and coming. As long as the majority of the income earners aren't willing to go; we are far from gentrification and its attempt to move the less fortunate so the apparent middle class can enjoy. Maybe they are attempting to gentrify but it seems far to complex for it to happen. Note: apparent Middle Class.
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