ENTITLED FREELOADER ROSE GOWEN NAMED CHAIR OF BCIC

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Guess who's back at her familiar place in the feeding trough as head of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation deciding where to funnel an annual $5 million-plus in sales tax revenue to her inner circle of silk-stocking friends?

Would you believe Brownsville Biggest Freeloader Dr. Rose Zavaletta-Gowen? 

Prevented from serving yet another term as city commissioner by voter-approved term limits, she has landed on all fours by getting herself appointed to the BCIC Board Chair and overseeing the disbursement of millions to her pet projects such as bike and hike trials, "wellness" projects, and dishing out "incentives" to what has become and incestuous cabal of local downtown developers.

As city commissioner, she funneled millions to subsidize such projects such as cyclobias, farmers' markets, and "bicycle friendly" businesses she claims have lowered diabetes and obesity rates in the city. Funny, but none of these claims have been documented or verified by state or local health authorities. 

One such subsidized business is the Seventh and Park bike and coffee shop which has taken over the parking in the linear park despite signs prohibiting private parking there. Gowen used that business to stage her numerus political campaign events and saw to it that they received "incentives" like free advertising through Cinemark at Sunrise Mall.

She will be joined by the usual suspects such as Cesar Lopez as Vice Chair, Sergio Martinez as Secretary, and Murad Abusalim as Treasurer. Lopez was one of the school district board members caught up in the Barbacoagate scandal which was squelched when the Food And Nutrition department head was found dead in his truck just before he was going to be interviewed by UDSA investigators. This trio has been happy to approve $100,000s to their well-heeled inner circle of friends and developers like the Fruias, former mayors Trey Mendez and  Tony Martinez, and the Limas brothers and others.

Why a freeloader? Until the last year of her reign as the At-Large B city commission position when she sold her home which is listed as a historical site, the Gowens paid no city taxes for more than a decade on the residence. When they sold the house, it carried the historical tax exemption as part of the bargain. It's probably genetic, though, since the Zavalettas – with a double T, mind you – have always felt entitled in Brownsville.

In other words, they felt they are entitled to spend Other People's Money (OPM). Often, their largesse has come on the backs of city residents and taxpayers. When she was last on the BCIC before she got on the city commission, Gowen was a leader in throwing millions of good money after bad in the white elephant Brownsville Sports Park, which started out at $12 million and ballooned to more than $24 million. Can we expect anything different now that she is once again the chair of the BCIC? 

Cori Peña, President & CEO of the BCIC, breathlessly announced that Gowen is "bringing her expertise and passion for community development" to the board. She also announced that the board voted on new policies "to enhance public access to meeting materials and financial transparency, ensuring BCIC remains a leader in responsible governance."

(Incidentally, when now-mayor John Cowen ran for city commissioner, one of his platform planks was that city commissioners would not serve on boards like the BCIC and the GBIC. He forgot that when the city commission disbanded the sitting board at GBIC and he was seated as chair like Gowen now at BCIC. What happened?)

As for the promise of "financial transparency and responsible governance," the proof will be in the pudding.

Will we get the audit that has been performed on the BCIC outlining how money flowed from the organization to the Fruias, Michael and Fabian Limas, of the Ramblas Hospitality Group and Benito Garcia, of  Solaris Management Solutions?

"How can they pretend to promote programs," asked a downtown business owner, "when they are never there and always the same people get the benefit?"

In the past we have pointed out that the BCIC board and its director Peña had been doling out "free" grant money to a select number of recipients, often their lifelong school chums and friends closely linked to certain socioeconomic circles. The track record of those projects funded by them is less than desirable, often going over budget and saddled with change orders which are almost always given a rubber stamp.

The Limas brothers (Michael and Fabian) have gone to that well often, as has Garcia, and both have used public money to speculate in downtown real estate and commercial ventures. In fact, the Limas have received the cash when Michael Limas was the BCIC board chair.

Others followed suit. The Fruias, former mayor Trey Mendez and his partner Ramiro Gonzalez have also gone often to that well, and the businesses associated with then-BCIC board member Arturo Treviño (Los Trevi's Drive-Thrus).

In one case involving a grant request from Mendez ($200,000) and the Limas brothers (a few thousands), the requests were withdrawn when Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz and his assistant prosecutors showed up at the meeting. The grant requests from a sitting mayor and its board members would have gone through if not for their presence. Mendez explained that the request was made "prematurely." Limas revealed that a grant request made by an applicant was actually renting from him for her business.

In any other town, this would have resulted in criminal indictments. But we're in Brownsville, and things here are a little different.

And just recently, the BCIC awarded a $200,000 grant to Emanuel Hernandez and wife Maren Fruia to "maintain and enhance the Cameron Hotel’s historical character."

It is interesting to note that a former city auditor who exposed the dismal performance of then-Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation (GBIC) CEO Helen Ramirez – now city manager – which resulted in losses of more than $750,000 to space-related companies that resulted in zero jobs for local residents, was also more than halfway through a similar audit of the BCIC before she left the city.

What happened with the work product of that audit?

We suspect that it has been swept under the rug by Ramirez and BCIC's Peña and put someplace away from the public eye. What mismanagement and sweetheart deals among friends were in that audit? We'll dig a little more to secure the work product of the audit which the current city auditor promised to finish when he took over. 

Let's look under that rug.)