"I voted against the Tenaska project four times...and I'll find a way to get our money back from PUB," mayoral candidate Jessica Tetreau ad
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
It has become obvious that the burning issue in this year's mayoral elections is the PUB-Tenaska fiasco that cost local ratepayers more than $125 million in higher utility rates with nothing to show for it. Lawyers, engineers, and numerous consultants made off with millions even years after 2017 when Tenaska pulled the plug on the project.
Former mayor Pat Ahumada – running as a write-in candidate and calling for a "protest" vote – claims he turned Tenaska down when he was mayor way back when. And Erasmo Castro is hurling accusations against the city and PUB for stealing money from the residents to line their pockets. Jennifer Stanton just casts a wider net and declares that "corruption is not a career."
Commissioner John Cowen doesn't stay far behind, pointing out in a timeline that shows he was the main force behind the forensic audit that showed how PUB CEO John Bruciak and former Mayor Tony Martinez hid the fact from the PUB board and the city commission to keep the Tanaska gravy train rolling.
His mailers promise that he will eliminate spending at the PUB, eliminate unnecessary fees, and ensure the lowest possible rates. Will he? We'll know whether he means it when and if he gets elected.
While these seemingly innocuous claims may be dismissed as political rhetoric, one mayoral candidate – current District 2 commissioner Jessica Tetreau – blandly asserts that she voted against the Tenaska project four times. Readers of this blog have pointed out that Tetreau (in the interest of truth in advertising we'll give notice that she advertises here) may be stretching the truth a bit, if not outright lying in the ad below. A fact check has yielded evidence that contradicts her claims.
A cursory examination of the official record shows that Tetreau was sitting on the commission when Martinez rammed the project through in meetings held December 11 and December 17, 2012, browbeating the unbelieving commissioners to sign on to the project that was supposed to assure the availability of electricity for residents and attract manufacturers.
On December 11, 2012, when the first reading on the two ordinances – one to allow the city to operate a gas-powered plant and the other to raise utility rates to pay for it – Tetreau was present and was one of the commissioners who unanimously approved them during a vote.
And she was absent for the second reading December 17 when the other commissioners voted unanimously – albeit without the District 2 commissioner – to make it final. At the time she never raised any objection. And her absence after she had cast the "yes" vote to adopt the ordinances in the December 11th meeting indicated she was for the Tenaska Project.
Those votes of December 11 and December 17, saddled the residents of Brownsville with the Tenaska Fiasco.
Being absent for the December 17th meeting could be construed to mean that either she was fine with the project, or that she was derelict in representing her constituents when she had the chance. In city politics, you can't have it both ways.
And on March 5, 2013, when planner Ramiro Gonzalez told the commission that in order to grant Tenaska a tax abatement they would have to enlarge the boundaries of the 550 Reinvestment Zone to cover their facility, she not only voted in favor, but seconded the motion to close the public hearing and then seconded the motion to approve the item.
We're not picking on just the commissioner here, because she was but one of the members of the entire city commission who were bamboozled by master manipulator Martinez.
But the record shows that much later, on November 17, 2015, Tetreau seconded commissioner Ricardo Longoria's motion and cast her vote to implement subsequent utility rate increases according to the city's Memorandum of Understanding with Tenaska.
Does the record show that the commish was against Tenaska as she claims in her television ads?
Obviously not, but in an election it'll be up to the voters to decide whether to believe the ads or the official record.
Early voting starts today, April 24, and ends May 2. Election day is May 6.
28 comments:
Wow! Either Mrs. J. Tetreau is a liar or a complete air head. Neither is good for Brownsville. Though Tony Martinez had a lot to do with what happened at BPUB all involved went along with him. There was no brow beating or manipulation. Let the records stand.
All JT is good for is a bad wet dream.
So the mayor controls the electric rates
Wow
If only we would of known
Jessica admitted she vote to increase rates because of the transfer of revenue to the city. This is an express finding in the Audit based on her own Admission of same.
See Page 61 "Since the initial Tenaska presentation before the Commission, BPUB has highlighted that the COB would
benefit from an increase in the city transfer, something Mayor Martinez enthusiastically supported. We
asked Commissioner Tetreau if this influenced the vote to approve the rate increases and she believed that
it did. In 2017, after all scheduled rate increases were put in place, the BPUB transfer was almost ten
percent of the city budget90. In voting for the rate increase, the Commission was, in reality, voting to
increase the COB’s revenues. We cannot separate this incentive to the city from their motivations when
they approved the rate hikes, and apparently neither did BPUB. Approving rate increases and receiving the
benefits thereof, does present a conflict of interest for the COB."
See Page 61 of Audit
https://www.vote4roy.com/_files/ugd/2d836d_34e0c44cf62c41a39b84446ba3e12cad.pdf
No seas mamona! 12 years and you did nothing about it.
The Mayor also controls what is Historic. You know Brownsville has a history of bad politicians dropping their pockets. They'll look and look and not find it.
Jessica Tetreau is innocent. She was absent from the meeting. She probably wanted to object but she did not want to create issues and problems to others.
Wow. Well Done.
Does Jessica TETA ever change her dress? I say, "Get rid of all those that are there and bring in some new blood that is actually for the people on his or her pockets.
FIASCO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU LIKE CAREER CORRUPT POLITICIANS THAT ALL THEY DO IS STEAL FROM THE LOCAL CITIZENS DON'T DO THEIR JOB HIRE ALL THEIR FAMILY VOTING FRIENDS AT THE HIGHTEST SALARIES IN THE WORLD GIVE AWAY PUBLIC LANDS (FOR FREE) SO THEY SAY NEVER FIX ANYTHING LIKE POTHOLES TRAFFIC LIGHTS NO AIRPORT (DIRECTOR MAKES 350K A YEAR) UNBELIEVABLE (350KAYEAR!!!!)
ELECT ALL NEW PEOPLE CANDIDATOS TODOS NUEVOS
GIVE THEM A CHANCE THE CURRENT ONES DIDN'T DO "NOTHING" IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT HERE DO NOTHING IDIOTAS Y MAMONES???
I just vote today and I vote to stop the steal and get my money back from las ratas at pub.
do not re-elect no one do not re-elect ratas anymore.
STOP THE STEAL VOTE ALL NEW CANDIDATES DO IT AND HELP THIS TOWN GET AHEAD ITS ABOUT TIME IT DID...
VOTE ALL THE RATAS OUT DO IT
HAVE THEY PROMISED TO HOLD PUB ACCOUTABLE NO
HAVE THEY PROMISED TO INVESTIGATE PUB NO
HAVE THEY PROMESED TO IMPROVE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE NO
HAVE THEY PROMESED NOT TO HIRE ALL THEIR FAMILY NO
HAVE THEY PROMESED TO HAVE AN AIRPORT NO
HAVE THEY PROMESED TO FIX THE POTHOLES NO
HAVE THEY PROMESED TO FIX TRAFFIC NO
HAVE THEY PROMESED TO REDUCE ULTRA HIGH SALARIES NO
SO WHY VOTE FOR ANY OF THEM - DO NOT AND IMPROVE THE CITY.
Juan voters need to clean house and bring in new persons, better to take chance on someone new than what we already have? NOTHING. I am voting for Bryan and Jenifer and those who can vote in her district vote for linda, all the way, new folks and new vision. clean up city hall from corruption. el porter homie.
Jessica Tetreau is innocent. She was absent from the meeting. She probably wanted to object but she did not want to create issues and problems to others.
NO NO NO, HA HA HA HA NO NO NAH. . .she wasnt there because she had her thumb stuck up her butt.
During the recent Mayoral candidate forum , Jessica said that Pub does a good job, because when your electricity goes out they have you up and running in 2 hours. Jessica don't lie and maybe it's up and running at your house, maybe in less than 1 hour? (special priviliges?) Candidates don't lie to make yourselves look good. Stop adding crema to the tacos. Stop hidden agendas and stop asking for donations on you mail fliers.
I personally hate the bitch. . .I don't hate no one except this POS. Caliche parking lots, explosive tanker trucks next to people's homes, and racist and discriminatory zoning practices. That raise property taxes due to INDUSTRIAL gentrification in residential areas. Exposing people to toxic caliche dust, loud noise of 70 decibels 24/7, no paved parking lots, no blast proof walls. You're a POS Jessica.
ALL OF THEM NO MATTER WHAT ARE LAIRS, THEY PROMISE THE MOON AND THE STARS BUT ULTIMALEY ARE IN OFFICE FOR THERE BENEFIT.....
PROMISE PROMISE AND PROMISE BUT 12 YEARS OF DOING NOTHING WE NO LONGER BELIEVE IN ALL OF YOU RATAS
DO NOT RE-ELECT NO ONE
Tetreau will say anything to get votes. Don't believe a word she says. Like I said before, she is all about herself. She was pushing children out of the way to get to the front of the podium during Zoo Nights and Lights so she could get her face on camera. I was told that one of the children she pushed out of the way and put behind her was her own niece. No shame. It's all about her.....
NOBODY will lower your PUB bill. NOBODY.
John Cowen is the dangerous candidate here. He is a Republican and is pro-Anglo on most issues. Cowen voted for name change of Frontera Street to an Anglo name.
He is not for Mexicans.
By a long shot.
Im sure there’s a paper trail in regards to who voted and who didn’t and if you had any brains Jessica you would know this can verified. This is just another example on how all these so called candidates insult our intelligence by promoting all these fantasies. Brownsville will continue to suffer at the hands of these losers. The cancer needs to be eradicated from city hall!! In the meantime: same ol , same ol CRAP.
April 24, 2023 at 8:39 AM
...so she chose to hurt the pocket of those she said she would care for. You are better off telling us a story with a happily ever after.
Hindsight is 20/20. Politicians are so gullible. Look at the BND bridge to nowhere. Too bad.
I remember something about her voting for an increase in fees
No wonder they are expecting a full time salary NOW WE KNOW WHY!
Jessica will give one percent of the her city pay check to poor orphans dogs and cats. Jessica cannot remember a thing about that vote on Tanaska bar or that thing about something about electricity for her car. Jessica will change her only dress when she becomes mayor of Matamoros, no Brownsville and she wouldn't change Elizabeth St to her name. Jessica will change her fake hair and go with the flow, blad for her crown of spacex. Her grows when she lies but it stop growing because little lies don't count. I had enough of her, voting for Castro, cannot get any worse for Brownsville.
JUAN PUROS MAMONES LOS INCUMBANTS, TIME FOR A CHANGE BROWNSVILLE
All politicians are liars. Pero La Yessica a andado con el ojete sudado peddling for votes amongst raza. Y el Cowen que? Nambe ese weii no le interesa los Brownies de Brosbil. I’ll vote for the home girl not afraid to get her ojete sudado for votes con la raza. She working real hard for it and deserves the votes. A for effort.
Really You have that SUPER POWER or had that power all this time and didn't speak up? LOL !! Stop adding ridiculous resaca fees!!
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