Monday, July 27, 2020

COUNTY WORKERS IN FEAR; OK WITH THAT COMMISSIONERS?

By Juan Montoya

The excitement of the campaign faded long ago. The victory party, the glad-handing, the congratulatory calls from people you hadn't heard from in months or years telling you they have been on your side all along.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to be your friend.

And for a while, everything was fun. Workers in the governmental entity treated you like royalty, knowing full well their jobs and careers might depend on one of your decisions. But things have changed.

Locking down the county in the face of widespread COVID-19 contagion should have been a no-brainer for the county commission. We're talking about County Judge Eddie Treviño, Sofie Benavidez, Joey Lopez, David Garza, and Gus Ruiz.

Instead, starting with the first case emanating from vacationing Rancho Viejo residents, Treviño went out of his way to keep it hush hush and opted to provide discreet cover for the infected, and well-heeled, parties without alerting residents of the impending crisis.

Now, as the attention of the state and the U.S. focus on Cameron and Hidalgo counties as the hot spots of the nation, Treviño – by his own admission and medical director Dr. Jaime Castillo – continues to manipulate the body count of the dead and minimizes the immensity of the dangers facing county residents.

At each press conference which features Eddie and Eddie and Eddie, he brings out reports that say 10, 15 or no people have died. He doesn't clarify the numbers and tell them that "hundreds" are dying that have not been showing up on the death list, or that the numbers are from the dead from three weeks ago to a month.

Are you OK with Treviño lying and misleading the people? How about it Sofie Benavides, Joey Lopez, David Garza, and Gus Ruiz? If you're not, stop his dog-and-pony show of lies or become  accomplices to his lies.

Are we OK with having employees at the different departments where there have been positive cases found continue to be coerced to show up for work and possibly get infected and taking the disease home to their families?

And even after County Clerk Sylvia Garza-Perez caught the virus herself and an assistant died of it, she and other county administrators including Treviño and the county commissioners still require the departments' employees to show up for work at infected offices and county facilities. The workers say they have been coming to work for more then a month after the first positive case appeared in their office.

Commissioner Joey Lopez - Home | FacebookFearing retaliation, these employees feel forced to show up for work even though the facilities remain unsanitized, they have to ride the same elevators and stairs and share the same space with people who have tested positive but are asymptomatic.

EL RRUN RRUN: COVID-19 SHUTS DOWN CAMERON COUNTY PCT. 4 ROAD CREWCommissioner Pct. 3, David A. Garza - Cameron County

The county employees of the departments – particularly those at the Brownsville and Harrison and Levee streets buildings – work and live in fear of retaliation if they don't show up, even after one was rushed to the hospital by ambulance from the Harrison Street facility and afterwards there was no move to sanitize the building.


Should county employees accept possibly infecting themselves or their families and relatives – as well as the general public – as the price of their employment?

Are we OK with that Sofie Benavidez, Joey Lopez, David Garza, and Gus Ruiz?

Over in Hidalgo, County Judge Richard Cortez ordered a lock down of the entire county including county facilities to scour them free of the virus and put a crimp on its transmittal. Right now the virus is raging behind the walls of the Rucker-Carrizales jail in Olmito and inmates have been deprived of legal counsel or access to the courts.

Serving 60 days for a misdemeanor should not equate to a death sentence. Or should it Treviño, Sofie Benavides, Joey Lopez, David Garza, and Gus Ruiz?

We cannot count on Donald Trump to face the truth, nor Greg Abbott, or even Eddie Treviño to look out for our interests. Can we count on you Sofie Benavidez, Joey Lopez, David Garza, and Gus Ruiz?

Who can we count on to defend and protect us? If not you, who? If not now, when?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Being a great leader means "taking responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and who has the courage to develop that potential"(B.Brown). Up to now, the only leadership from the county commisioners has been none. Disemmination of daily Covid19 numbers and theatrics by the county judge on TV only lead the thinking person to infer that it is all "fluff" and there is no "substance" because the news and the county health department should be disseminating this information. As per the county's handling of the testing and
tracking protocols, the supervision of the workers who were entrusted to carry out the Covid19 protocols of providing and tracking services is questionable compared to my experience with UTRGV's execution of the protocols before, during and after submitting my survey to be tested due to Covid19 exposure. COUNTY LEADERS assume your leadership skills. Provide your constituents with research based information and education so that your constituents are empowered along with your leadership to overcome this pandemic.

Anonymous said...

Now who wants to talk to you idiotas NOBODY you all are a bunch of incompetent know nothing do nothing, unless its to YOUR benefit.
ES LA PINCHE VERDAD BOLA DE AMBRIENTOS MAMONES...

Anonymous said...

A leader as defined by B. Brown is " anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential". The leadership behaviors from the county commisioners in dealing with the Covid19 have been in reality non-existant. I have not heard any guidance or direction from my county commissioner. The dissemination of unreliable Covid19 numbers and theatrics by the county judge do not help the situation. To any thinking person, his behaviors are more "fluff" than substance.The judge and the commissioners should be more focused on making sure that the administrator/s that is/are hired to supervise that the Covid19 testing and tracking protocols are being judiciously executed so that people are educated and empowered to make the right decisions. The faithful and professional execution of the Covid19 testing and tracking procedures by the UTRGV administrators before, during and after my testing gave me hope after three weeks of attempting to get any response from the Cameron County Health Dept.. Which by the way, I still have not heard from them. And, I know that I am only one of hundreds of people that have encountered poor, if non-existant, customer service by the health county workers during and before our Covid-19 expereiences. I ask that our county leaders assume their leadership responsibilities, that were entrusted to them when they took office and whom they swore on a Bible to assume, so that we, the constituents, are empowered to make the right decisions to mitigate the social, emotional, psychological, physical and economic effects of the Covid19 pandemic.

Anonymous said...

Ya pinche Montoya! Stop playing politics! King Trevino is hoping to get money from the government, but he needs to show that the death rate in the valley is growing everyday! Lockdown and a stricter quarantine is in the future for the people! I mean the sheeple!!!

Anonymous said...

The responsibility for our safety from COVID-19 is ours.....not elected officials. Already the pandemic is poltical and that means we can't trust anyone but ourselves. The spread of the virus in the RGV is because of the citizens, not the politicians. People have been irresponsible, especially the young people of the RGV. Too many think the government will take care of them in every situation and all they have to do is wait in line for their "free shit". Our young people are spoiled, irresponsible and future sheep for the Socialist society that the Democratic Party plan to impose on this nation; after they destroy our history and culture.

Anonymous said...

I was watching Sylvia on a zoom meeting for the census. She was asking us for updates from our region and noticed that she took off her face mask and she was coughing throughout while other people were in the room with her.... Not right... Ay qué quidarse por favor!

Anonymous said...

What's Gus "Da'Pussy" Ruiz say about all this? Will he call the cops after we hurt his feelings again?

Anonymous said...

This problem with the county has been going on since May. The incompetence shown by the county judge, county commissioners and county clerk is infuriating and shows complete lack of regard for life. Sadly, money moves the world!

Anonymous said...

"Suddenly everybody want to be your friend" bull shit people that you didn't pay what you promised are figuring out how to collect
NO SE CREAS TAN BUENOTES/A BOLA DE MAMONES.

Anonymous said...

No one cares about your best interests.

People need to learn to be self reliant, and take care of themselves
Stop blaming other people for your own recklessness.

Anonymous said...

Due to a power outage caused by Hurricane Hanna, your newspaper delivery will be late this morning
You mean they're still open?
What-its always late!!!
and they print 20 per day

AND ITS NOT MY NEWSPAPER

Anonymous said...

Lol..the Herald news are 2 to 3 days late. Why even have a newspaper? And to top it off, some of the reporters appear not to "rock the boat" of those entities that buy advertisements from the Herald.

Anonymous said...

many people who contract the virus “are taking a long time to get better.” Almost a quarter of COVID-19 survivors report still having symptoms even after three weeks, and some still require oxygen long after the disease has left their bodies, Castillo said.

Puro pedo they just want the free meals mamones GO HOME!

Anonymous said...

Yes, it is the citizens' responsibility to take care of themselves and others thru social responsibility. However, our leaders need to educate, inspire and lead their constituents to do the right thing. The problem is that our current leaders do not inspire trust in their constituency. It is a shame that we don't have any real leaders whose constituency look up to them anymore.

Anonymous said...

what is constis.. constitios constutuosono what does that mean? is it like your mom or your parent?

Anonymous said...

How you playing this Crap out Mont-Meta,.... Govt., Doctors, Neither Mi Presidente can control or stop a Virus baboso, We all gonna get it sooner or later dammit....the weak and sick will unfortunately succumb, and the strong will survive, pos ni modo......puro pinche Politica in attempting to blame all of this on mi Presidente.....Say Anything Do Anything destroying our Country to Conceal all of the Demo-tarded Criminality.........PaFuera Cabrones !!!

Anonymous said...

July 29, 2020 at 5:05 AM

Man you really got your head stunk in his ass I hope its not for free if it is don't be a pendejo go to adams and make some pesos guey they like jotitos there...

Anonymous said...

@8:43 It's spelled STUCK Pendejo! Go back to school pinche guey! You have 6 grade brain!!! Pinche mongo!

rita