TSC RUNOFF: VOTE NO ON HILDA SILVA, A FOX IN THE HENHOUSE

Special to El Run-Rrun

It was 2005, some 15 years since the University of Texas and  Texas Southmost College formed the UTB-TSC "partnership" in 1991.

That so-called partnership had  proved disastrous for the college district and for its community college students. Under the UTB-TSC university-community college hybrid, President Julieta Garcia, with a cadre of willing yes-men and yes-women on the board, tuition had skyrocketed to near university levels, its four-year completion level stood at a dismal 16 percent, and the UT System had plans to swallow the community college and strip it of all its real estate, buildings and financial assets.

Each year, new student fees were raised to meet university levels. By 2015, these fee increases had depleted most students' Pell grants and they had been spent on mandatory "remedial" classes they were all required to take to remain at UTB-TSC. Many dropped out and saw their change to get a college education disappear.

There was then-Dean of External Affairs Tony Zavaleta struggling to explain to The Collegian reporters that the UTB-TSC partnership was not funded by the Permanent University Fund like other UT System entities. It was, he said, and "autonomous" component of the oil-and-gas wealthy university.

"Most people think of UT Austin and they think that UT Austin is phenomenally wealthy nd they think that UTB-TSC is a little baby of UT-Austin so therefore the parents are feeding the baby and we have this access to a lot of money, " Zavaleta said. "That's not true. We are part of the UT System, but we are an independent and autonomous component of the UT System."

And so, in 2005 – after years of fee and tuition increases that Garcia and her minions heaped upon local students Hilda Silva – then-vice president of student affairs at UTB-TSC – appeared before the public announcing that yet more increases in fees were in the offing to make ends meet.

"The state doesn't have more money for us, so we are not expecting new money," Silva told the Brownsville Herald's  Idelfonso Ortiz. She said the university tried to keep the fee increases to a minimum since students were already facing additional fees from the recreational fee referendum where students agreed in 2004 to pay an additional $79 each semester to build the center.

Fee increases, she said, were to go into effect in the Fall of 2005 like the Statutory Tuition Fee, the Designated Tuition Fee, the Graduate Tuition Differential Fee, the International Education Fee, and the Med Fee. A 12-hour student was facing tuition and fee costs of nearly $1,400  not counting the costs of books and labs.

Both Zavaleta and Silva were willing water carriers for Garcia to the point that when the UT System advanced the idea of taking over the real estate, building and  and bank assets, neither made a peep of protest. Only a majority of a new board composed of Trey Mendez, Rene Torres, Kiko Rendon and Adela Garza stood up to Garcia and her cadre and said "no."

 Now Hilda Silva wants to get elected as aboard member of the community college she and Zavaleta were willing to destroy. And while now distancing herself from the UT System she says that the board's culture "needs tweaking" and that her only  involvement now is "teaching a class twice a month."

In other words, UTRGV is her employer, and if elected, she will be required to decide between her livelihood and the interests of the community college she wants to represent. The conflict of interest in her candidacy is glaringly obvious. Can she really serve two masters? In a pinch, which side do you think she will take?

We almost lost TSC to the UT System through Garcia aided and abetted by the likes of Zavaleta and Hilda Silva. Do we need to let the fox into the henhouse again? Say "no" to Silva.

Fortunately, we have a candidate running against her who is not only thoroughly qualified, but is a Porter High School graduate, attended TSC and earned an eight-year doctoral graduate degree in Pharmacy from the University of Texas. Her name is Dr. Norma Lopez-Harris (her brother Luis, by the way, is also a medical doctor) who wants to help TSC continue the march to its former greatness. 

An independent-minded professional, she was recruited  to run for the board by the late TSC trustee Ruben Herrera, who endorsed her shortly before his untimely demise. Herrera, who devoted his life to TSC, made no bones that she could bring vigor and intelligence to the board. We concur.

Early voting begins today until Tuesday June 11. Election day is Saturday, June 15.

 CLICK ON LINK FOR EARY VOTING LOCATIONS FOR RUNOFF:

 https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/elections/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Early-Voting-Locations-for-the-June-15-2024-Runoff-Elections-IAG-5242024xlsx-1.pdf