From Brownsville Herald
...Brownsville City Commissioner John Cowen said further impetus to beef up ethics rules presented itself when an application for $200,000 in Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation BIG 2.0 grant funds from a limited liability corporation owned by Mayor Trey Mendez and former city director of government and community affairs Ramiro Gonzalez came to light last month.
Their company, Urban 8 LLC properties, applied for the grant to help rehabilitate the former Coca-Cola Bottling Co. building at 1018 E. Washington St. and transform it into retail/commercial space. The BCIC grant funds are part of $2 million donated by the Musk Foundation toward downtown revitalization.
The foundation stipulated that anyone with eligible properties could apply for the grants, including officials or employees with BCIC or the city, which oversees BCIC.
Urban 8’s purchase in July of the Coca-Cola building and grant application were public record, meanwhile, though the grant application was pulled from BCIC’s Sept. 30 regular meeting agenda before it could be considered for approval alongside other BIG 2.0 applicants. Mendez said it was the plan all along to pull the item if the Coca-Cola building project hadn’t proceeded to a certain point.
“It wasn’t even ready, so I was surprised to see it on the agenda actually,” he said.
Mendez said the grant application was done according to BCIC guidelines, while the formation of an LLC to purchase real estate is a common, non-controversial practice.
(Ed.'s Note: Did the foundation initiate the stipulation that the $2 million that Musk donated to the city be available to BCIC board, staff and employees as well as city elected officials and staff? Or was it inserted by Mendez and Gonzalez for their benefit? Once money is donated to the city, it becomes public money, subject to all the rules and requirements of the public trust. This is so self serving on Mendez's part it is ludicrous. Did they put that in for their benefit and that of BCIC chairman Michael Limas who has also dipped in the kitty for his cut? Or are we to believe that Musk knew about downtown renovation and development in which the mayor and Limas have a hefty investment?)
14 comments:
Pinche enano culero! Resign!
If musk foundation has the parameters—and those are the ones we are going to follow—-then they run it. ONce it is given to the city—city rules apply. Can’t circumvent policies and procedures (laws) just cuz Elon said.
that mentality is why we haven’t seen a launch since last spring……
I’m just mad that I didn’t go find an empty lot to use other peoples money to buy….
Why haven't any of the other city commission members said anything publicly regarding the $10K/20K pink mural (how much was really paid) or the obvious current impropriety of BCIC/BIG grants awarded to COB/BCIC members? SILENCE is not the answer the people of Brownsville are looking for.
Limas, Mendez and all that received grant money, are you going to request street name changes to your family names ? Oh, one already did!
John should be commended for taking a stand.
Yes, thank you John Cowen for coming forward to make a statement regarding the BIG grants. We will be looking forward to further developments on this story.
Browntown...the Land of Weasels....Weasels in PD; Weasels in City and County government. Squeak, squeak, squeak!
What do I need to do to also get free money from BCIC? Can I partner up with the mayor and get free money? How can I make my properties historical like Mendez, McNair, Gowen, Cornejo Lopez, etc.?
In the photo Musk looks all nice an cool and the enano culero looks like a dog sniffing ass. Pobre bato.
Thank you, John Cowen for stating the obvious. The reason it doesn't look right, begs the following questions. Why was Trey Mendez and Ramiro Gonzalez grant approved before other people? HOW did they manage to get to the front of the grant line? Did they have insider information? Who else received the grant money? Do they have a connection to the Mayor, Ramiro Gonzalez or Limas? Who or what determined how the grant money was issued? Too many unanswered questions!
Thank you, John Cowen for stating the obvious. The reason it doesn't look right, begs the following questions. Why was Trey Mendez and Ramiro Gonzalez grant approved before other people? HOW did they manage to get to the front of the grant line? Did they have insider information? Who else received the grant money? Do they have a connection to the Mayor, Ramiro Gonzalez or Limas? Who or what determined how the grant money was issued? Too many unanswered questions! What is going on?
Miren la cara de felicidad que tiene el pinche enano. Todo el dinero que le va a dar Musk a la cuidad. Y de alli ya agarro su moche el pinche enano.
He should abstain on any vote related to Musk or Space X. He's already conflicted for taking all that money. We need to know how much money he has gotten because of his position as Mayor?
Thank you John Cowen. Amazing that people don’t see how those 2 million dollars are just a MORDIDA in a discreet way from Musk. No se hagan pendejos!!!! It is a shame that our elected officials sell themselves so easily. Todo por un pinche dólar. Bola de hambrientos. I guess that Enano’s law firm is not that profitable that the
Second best thing he can do is sell what in Mexico is called “influencias” or in valley terms “calabacitas””.
Publish the amounts given to all of the individuals and their LLC’s. Publish the principals’ names, amounts given, addresses and check their status with COB. Then figure percentage of money given to anyone associated with the city or county vs amount given to individuals that don’t have any association with city government .
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