A BLAST FROM THE PAST: AHUMADA REMINDS THE VOTERS

 By Pat Ahumada

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Dear Editor,
The Tenaska project produced high utility rates and made a lot of people richer, but we got nothing in return. 

When I was mayor, I opposed this 800-megawatt Tenaska/PUB power plant proposed project, because we did not need it. This proposal was for Tenaska’s benefit, not ours. The proposal was 200 Megawatts for PUB and 600 for Tenaska with PUB ratepayers were guaranteeing the financing. 

I also opposed the $2.3 million downtown real estate purchase, because it was only worth $600,000 and we had no need for it. In my first term as mayor, I was against and the only to vote against the 84-acre give away to TSC to build the university buildings, which then UTB sold back to TSC when it dissolved. 

I was instrumental in exposing the $91 million PUB subsidies for land developer’s, which forced a more equitable impact fee that led to lowering utility rates, which was a huge win for ratepayers. 

I was the only one who opposed the Carlos Marin Imagine Brownsville scam, which cost taxpayers $850,000, plus an annual fee for years and it too failed, with no benefit for taxpayers. What a scam!

After I left the mayorship, I opposed the 285-acre land purchase without water rights for another $2.3 million, which was worth $380,000 and we did not need. Early this year, I heard of another potential scam to develop a 700-acre industrial park, which prompted me to advise our mayor against this project, because again I see a potential scam for taxpayers to be burden with.

The Tenaska/PUB 800-megawatt power plant scam has come to light, which has again proved PUB cannot manage itself! This leads me to recommend a charter change to create an autonomous Utility Board that will take city politics out of management and would lower utility rates.

The $23 million Bridge to Nowhere scam, the Tenaska project, and all the other scams have proved to hurt taxpayers, because there lacks leadership, transparency, accountability and failure to elect people who seek office to serve, not to be served.

The gates for Special Interest were open when Tony Martinez was elected, which led to the over-priced real estate purchases and Tenaska/PUB scam breaking ground in early 2013. This prompted me to request information under the Open Records Act in December 2013, but was denied. Subsequently, knowing this was a scam, I followed up with similar requests in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, but was repeatedly denied.

But, like all Pyramid schemes and the $23 million bridge to nowhere, the perpetrators get richer at others expense.

Millions were spent on the Tenaska project, with $29 million remaining, which in my humble opinion we should hold Tenaska accountable. They knew or should have known this project was not feasible and they continued to perpetrate the scam with PUB. This is why my Open Records requests were repeatedly denied.

Recently the commission/PUB voted to forgive late penalties and to stop disconnections, which is a way for the PUB Board and City Commission to seek absolution from the rate payers, hoping they will forget that this scam happened on their watch. It is their hope voters will reward them again to keep the status quo.

PUB has proven it cannot be managed itself responsible because of the politics. PUB should publish how who benefitted from the scam and all should be barred from doing business with PUB/City for 5 to 10 years. That is called, ACCOUNTABILITY! The City/PUB has failed its’ fiduciary duty and will continue to fail, because it lacks true leadership! True leaders will put the city before themselves, others always look for an angle to gain from there position. Hopefully, this next May election voters can put aside their emotions and not be easily pandered to voting for the same elite self-serving people who seek office for all the wrong reasons.

Do not forget they voted to raise your utility rates and you got scammed! We need to .elect people who will put our city First! We must take our city back from special interest in order to restore transparency, accountability, cut a lot of ongoing waste, increase revenues, reduce the tax rate and utilities and do capital improvements.

Paving our streets needs to be a priority, hiring more police officers, and improve the permitting department. Some people are forced to wait 8 months or longer for permits, which is unacceptable! Imagine paying rent and waiting for a permit 8 months, this is a recipe for failure for small business growth and we must improve code enforcement to help businesses comply with minimal bureaucracy. 

It is time to put forth a plan to make Brownsville a “no kill’ city over a five-year period, because there is no justification in slaughtering 6,000 +/- pets annually. 

These elected officials do not care how many we slaughter, which says a lot about them, but I do! Hopefully you too and this time you will make it an issue to bring change.

We must bring international flights to Brownsville and build the weir to make us drought resilient. We must restore access to city government and make sure we do not get scammed again by special interest with grandeur pandering. This coming city election in May 2023, you the voter will have a choice! You can vote these people out of office or continue to reward incompetence. 

If you vote for the same people who voted to raise your rates, then do not complain! Special interest will be supporting these people, but you have to see through their false narratives and pandering for better governance. We must take our city back and focus on our needs and priorities.