YVONNE BARRAZA: UNITED WE'LL MAKE BROWNSVILLE STRONGER

Why I'm running:

Hello, my fellow Brownsville residents. My name is Yvonne Bazarra and I am running to represent all of us on the city commission. 

When my friends and relatives found out that I have filed to become a candidate for District 3 of the City of Brownsville Commission, their usual response is "why on earth would you want to do that? You're young, working, and still have your life ahead of you. Why run for public office?"

My response is "why not?" Shouldn't our fellow citizens who work to improve their life and the  lives of their families and fellow residents and for a better future have someone to represent them in city government?"  

My decision to run for city commissioner is driven by a deep commitment to serving our community and affecting positive change. As someone actively involved in our city's affairs and
who is volunteering to improve our beautiful city, I've developed a keen understanding of our challenges and potential solutions that could make a real difference. 

My decision to run is rooted in the belief that hard work dedicated to a worthy cause is one of life's most significant rewards. Unity makes us stronger. Together, we can – and will – win. 

I offer my extensive experience in business and  
management which has honed my skills in addressing complex issues, implementing solutions, and exercising fiscal responsibility. 

My active participation in diverse community organizations and committees has given me the insight and a comprehensive understanding to address our city's needs.

I have several key goals that will significantly improve our community once I'm elected.

Economic Growth and Local Business Support

Advocating for economic growth and supporting local businesses are crucial aspects of a thriving 
community. We must support our local economy, hire local people, and to keep our money here. As your city commissioner, I will work tirelessly to create job opportunities to encourage our youth to stay local and contribute to our city's prosperity. By fostering a business-friendly environment and removing institutional obstacles that hamper growth, we can attract new enterprises, help existing ones to flourish, and create a robust local economy that benefits all our fellow residents.

Youth Opportunities

Finding and creating opportunities for our youth is a crucial commitment to our city's future. I will collaborate with local schools, businesses, and community organizations to develop programs that provide valuable skills, internships, and mentorship opportunities. Investing in our young people ensures they have the tools and support needed to succeed right here in our community. They must be made to feel that they have a direct stake in our city's future and feel that their voice matters. We need to institute an attitude in our new generations that civic participation is a duty and that contributing to our city's betterment is an obligation we all share.

Enhanced Public Safety

The safety and security of our neighborhoods are paramount. As your commissioner, I will work 
closely with law enforcement and community leaders to implement effective strategies to protect 
our streets and residents. This includes supporting community policing initiatives, improving 
emergency response times, and addressing the root causes of crime through prevention programs.

Infrastructure Improvement

A city's infrastructure is its backbone, and I am committed to keeping our roads smooth, our 
parks green, and our flooding issues managed effectively. By prioritizing infrastructure projects,
we enhance the quality of life for our residents and create a more attractive environment for 
businesses and visitors. I will advocate for smart, sustainable solutions that address our current 
needs while preparing for future growth.

Tell the People the Truth

As your city commissioner, I pledge to champion government transparency. I believe leaders 
should see themselves as public servants first, not just civically elected community members. 
This means being accessible to constituents, providing clear and timely information about city 
decisions, and actively seeking public input on important issues. By fostering an open and 
accountable government, we can build trust and ensure that our city's policies genuinely reflect 
the needs and desires of our community.

We Must Lead by Example.

In conclusion, my decision to run for city commissioner is driven by a genuine desire to serve 
our community. I bring a combination of business acumen, community involvement, and a strong 
work ethic to this role. If elected, I will work hard to address our city's challenges, improve transparency in governance, and enhance the quality of life for all our residents. I ask for your support in this endeavor, and together, we will build a brighter future for our city. 

Your support is crucial, and I am committed to representing your best interests. United, we can win. United we'll make Brownsville strong.

SO IT'S POTHOLES YOU WANT, HEY?

(Ed.'s Note: We have been taken to task for praising the work of Engineering and Public Works on city streets and failing to mention the city's chronic pothole problems. Sufficiently chastised we now post the portrait of two bad boys on Jefferson Street next to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral worthy of note. Drivers beware! There you go, fella!)

CRACKERJACK ROAD CREWS TACKLE STREETS ACROSS THE CITY

TAFT STREET TO INTERNATIONAL BLVD.: 

BELOW, ASST. CITY MANAGER/PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DORO GARCIA  AND STREET CREW AT CITY BARN

STAGECOACH FROM MORRISON TO ALTON GLOOR

DISTRICT 2 COMMISSIONER THANKS STREET CREW

AND COMING SOON...DANA ROAD

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Employees with the City of Brownsville Engineering and Public Works Department continue to work on street construction across the city. E. Price Road, Harrison Street and other thoroughfares throughout the city have been serviced and a priority list has been established.

The ongoing work encompasses several aspects, including the replacement of curbs and gutters, as well as the process of milling and overlaying the street surface. A grateful District 2 commissioner Linda Macias thanks the crew for their outstanding work on streets in her district and the rest of the city, especially the job they did on Old Port Isabel Road between E. Price and Jaime Zapata 

The need to repair city streets is staggering, according to city staff. They estimate that it could easily surpass the $500 million mark and instead they have targeted the most-traveled thoroughfares and made them their priority. So they are doing it de poco a poco. If you're interested in attending meetings between the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority  and the City of Brownsville, call city commissioner Macias to find out their next meeting on streets that may affect your area.

Congrats to Doro Garcia and the crew! Superb work, guys. 

HAVE A HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! CHERISH OUR FREEDOMS!

 

   

American Tune

Lyrics by Paul Simon

Music by Johann Sebastian Bach

Many's the time I've been mistaken, and many times confused

And I've often felt forsaken, and certainly misused.

But it's all right, it's all right, I'm just weary to my bones

Still, you don't expect to be bright and Bon Vivant

So far away from home, so far away from home.

I don't know a soul who's not been battered

Don't have a friend who feels at ease

Don't know a dream that's not been shattered

Or driven to it's knees. 

But it's all right, all right, We've lived so well so long

Still, when I think of the road we're traveling on,

I wonder what went wrong, I can't help it

I wonder what went wrong.

And I dreamed I was flying. I dreamed my soul rose

unexpectedly, and looking back down on me, smiled

reassuringly, and I dreamed I was dying.

And far above, my eyes could clearly see

The Statue of Liberty, drifting away to sea

And I dreamed I was flying.

We come on a ship we call the Mayflower,

We come on a ship that sailed the moon

We come at the age's most uncertain hour

And sing the American tune

But it's all right, it's all right

You can't be forever blessed

Still, tomorrow's gonna be another working day

And I'm trying to get some rest,

That's all, I'm trying to get some rest

OLD OLVERA SHOE REPAIR SHOP START OF CORTINA WARS?

By Juan Montoya

For years, many historians – from J.T. Canales to Milo Kearney and Tony Knopp – have glazed over the exact spot where Brownsville hero-villain Juan Cortina shot city marshal Robert Shears a hot July 13, 1859.

When we used to ask former City Heritage officer Joe Gavito for the exact spot, he said it was unknown.

Canales and the historians agree that the confrontation occurred in Market Square. 

In some accounts, Cortina is sitting down having coffee at the cafe that belonged to Gabriella Catzell, a Swiss immigrant who ran the business with her family. Those accounts say that as Cortina watched,  Shears was arresting Tomas Cabrera, a vaquero who worked at his mother's ranch, for public drunkedness.

In others, such as the narrative by Gene Fernandez, the former operations manager of the Brownsville Historical Association and acknowledged history maven of the city, Cortina was not sitting having coffee, but was just riding by when he saw Shears attempting to arrest Cabrera after one of Catzell's children had been sent by his mother to get the marshal and arrest Cabrera who was causing a disturbance and bothering her business.

One of Fernandez's ancestors bought the one-story building from Catzell and added the second story and balcony, he said. Much later the Olveras, who set up a shoe-repair business, retained the building the way they acquired it from Fernandez. Recently, its exterior has been restored to that architectural design.

In that account, Shears, who was around the corner at Washington and 12th, arrived and tried to arrest Cabrea, who also happened to have an arrest warrant pending against him for an unspecified offense. In that narrative, Shears just happened to be having his service firearm in repair and was using a "loaner" when he tried to arrest Cabrera.

Canales wrote that when Cortina objected to the rough way that Shears was treating Cabrera (pistol whipping him), Shears turned around and asked "What's it to you, Mexican?," whereupon Cortina ended up shooting him in the shoulder and riding off with Cabrera.

The other account differs in one respect. It states that Cortina ordered Shears to release his ranch hand and when Shears refused, he fired one shot in the air and then Shears used his second gun to try to shoot Cortina, only to hit his saddle horn because the gun was so old and in such bad condition that it was a miracle the shell did not burst in the barrel.

It was at that point – and this is where both accounts meld – Cortina shot the marshal in the shoulder and rode away with Cabrera to his mother's ranch. (We have been unable to find any photographs of Shears, but that is his grave at the Old Brownsville Cemetery.)

Later, in September 28, Cortina and between 50 to 80 men rode into Brownsville and briefly occupied the city searching for their enemies. It would be two days later before Cortina left the city and issued a proclamation September 30 against his enemies from his ranch about two miles north of present-day Villanueva. 

Tensions remained high and only worsened when a city posse captured Cabrera and Texas Rangers and a mob of some 20 citizens hanged the ranch hand. When the Brownsville Tigers and then Rangers tried to capture or kill Cortina, both were repulsed and the Cortina Wars began. It would be decades before turmoil caused by the animosity between Cortina and his enemies would subside.

So was the Fernandez-Olvera building the spot where the Cortina-Shears confrontation occurred that ignited the race (Mexican-Anglo) confrontations that would bedevil the border are for years to come? 

So far, this is the nearest we've come to ascertaining the spot. Unless someone else can come up with a better account, it's as close as we have come to the exact location of the fracas. 

A FELON FOR PRESIDENT? WHY NOT AN AIRPORT BOARD MEMBER?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

City sources say that city officials from the commissioners, the city attorney, and the chairman of the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport City Advisory board have been aware that one of the members appointed to that board is a convicted felon who a state court jury found guilty of promoting a Ponzi pyramid scheme which was later upheld by the 13th Court of Appeals.

The record indicates that a jury in the 206th District Court convicted Gayle C. King of two counts of promoting a pyramid promotional scheme and one count of theft by deception, both felonies, in 2002. The jury acquitted her of five other indicted charges. The court sentenced King to three concurrent sentences of two years in a State Jail facility, probated for five years, imposed a fine, and ordered restitution. 

The case stemmed from King's promotion in late 2000, of a program referred to as Women Helping Women ("WHW"), Original Dinner Party ("ODP"), or "birthday club" which became popular as a "gifting club." Women who wished to join WHW would pay $5,000 for a "plate," designated as a "gift," with the expectation that their $5,000 gift would be returned to them, multiplied, as other women joined the club and paid the $5,000 gift. 

King's adverse jury verdict rested on two counts of a pyramid promotional scheme and one count of theft.

The record shows that King appealed her convictions to the 13th Court of Appeals in 2003 on eight issues, but in 2005 the court affirmed the jury judgment and conviction, and the sentence on Counts 1, 2, and 5.

As city officials ponder whether the city charter and the Airport Advisory Board bylaws prohibit King's appointment, the city's and board officials have been noticeably quiet about her appointment to that board. 

El Rrun-Rrun has submitted information requests to the city clarifying that issue, and have yet to receive a response. We will keep our eight readers posted.

Advisory board members include Chairman Ed Rivera, Vice Chair Javier Villarreal, Airport Director Angel Ramos, Secretary Patricia Guillermo, King, David L. Tumlinson IV,  Raul F. Villanueva, and  James N. Tipton. 

"HEY, GIVE ME A BREAK! EVEN THE 'STROS ARE ONLY .500!" TRUMP BADLY FLUNKS A GAUGING OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

RRUN-RRUN GRAPHIC

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Louisiana Republicans have passed a law that requires that the biblical Ten Commandments be posted inside all school classrooms to imprint their value on impressionable young minds to lead them to a moral upbringing and adulthood. 

Former president (an convicted felon) Donald J. Trump chirped in that he loves the Ten Commandments.

Okay, then. How does Tump measure up?

Let’s start with the 1st commandment, which, if paraphrased, amounts to “One, and only one, God.” So if you glorify and sacralize a person, as many in the GOP do, you are not obeying the first commandment. The offense is worse if the person you worship is yourself. 0 for 1.

The 2nd commandment forbids idol worship. See commandment one above. 0 for 2.

In the 3rd commandment, the Lord forbids taking his Name in vain. Trump uses the term “goddamn” regularly, including in front of Christian audiences. But they forgive him. 0 for 3.

Let’s see, the 4th commandment requires that we remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Trump and the MAGAites fail this test, but this one is complicated by a couple thousand years of differing interpretations among Christians and Jews, so let’s call this an incomplete.

Likewise, we see no evidence that Trump has violated the 5th commandment. He passed one.

The 6th gets into tougher territory. Trump has never actually shot anyone on Fifth Avenue, but he has displayed a depraved indifference to murderous violence. Campaigning in 2016, he suggested that the United States government should kill the wives and children of terrorists. 

He asked the Department Homeland Security to shoot migrants in the legs as they crossed the border and suggested the same about protestors after George Floyd’s death. He knowingly misled millions of Americans about the danger of the coronavirus because he thought it might tank the economy and hurt his re-election chances. And he failed to call off his goons when they were chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.” It’s not murder, but it’s awfully close.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” ’Nuff said on the 7th..

The 8th commandment says, “Thou shalt not steal.” Where to begin? With all of the small businessmen and contractors Trump stiffed on his casino projects? With the plaintiffs in the Trump University scam? With the misappropriation of charitable funds? With the $355 millions in civil fraud? Or with the boxes of classified documents he secreted away in Mar-a-Lago?

Number 9: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” There has never been a more prodigious nor a more pernicious liar in American public life.

The 10th commandment forbids coveting that which belongs to others. Trump has raised avarice to an art form, convincing millions that his covetousness is actually a virtue, and scorning those who weren’t born to millionaire parents as “losers.” 

He covets all the baubles of this world (and treats wives as such). But worse, from our perspective as citizens of a free country, is a consistent theme in his life: He truly covets the power of dictators. Trump longs for the coerced sycophancy enjoyed by Putin and Kim. He envies Xi Jinping’s capacity to become president for life. Trump doesn’t just covet things. He covets raw power.

Trump flunks six, (maybe seven and a half) of the ten commandments.

The governor and members of the Louisiana legislature should make up their minds. Do they want kids to become moral citizens? Or do they want them to be like the man to whom MAGA genuflects?

WHO ELSE HAS A MESSI BOBBLEHEAD BESIDES TOUCAN'S?

BERYL IS BARRELING TOWARD THE GULF OF MEXICO, SOUTH TEXAS

 

REAL DEBATE: DO WE CHOOSE THE OLD GUY, OR THE FELON?

ISOLATED, PUTIN TRIES TO JOIN ADULT KICKBALL LEAGUE, QUITS

La Cebolla

MOSCOW—In an effort to strengthen ties with outside groups two years into Russia’s widely condemned invasion of Ukraine, an increasingly isolated Vladimir Putin confirmed Wednesday that he had tried joining an adult kickball league. 

“I found this intramural league that plays in central Moscow, and kickball might be a really fun way to get out there and meet new people, which I could really use right now with all the stuff that’s going on in my life geopolitically,” said the five-term Russian president, explaining that in addition to the opportunity to find friends and confidants after having become an international pariah, he hoped the regular practices and game schedule would provide structure and routine to an existence he acknowledged was “kind of rudderless” lately. 

“Maybe it sounds silly, but it’s nice to have a place where I feel like I belong at a time when it seems as if the whole world has turned against me. They go to craft breweries after every game to hang out, which is cool. There’s even a guy on the team who makes his own sauerkraut.” 

At press time, Putin had reportedly quit the kickball league in frustration after a lonely President Joe Biden also joined.

CAMERON COUNTY TO LOWER FLAGS TO HALF STAFF MONDAY TO HONOR CARLOS CASCOS

CARLOS CASCOS GETS A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE FROM HIS PEERS

By Ron Whitlock

Rio Grande Guardian

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Tributes are pouring in for Carlos Humberto Cascos, the former Cameron County Judge and Texas Secretary of State, who has passed away at the age of 71.

According to NewsTalk 710 KURV, Cascos suffered a heart attack Wednesday night on South Padre Island while driving home after a conference. He crashed into a parked vehicle, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. (First accounts said his vehicle had ended up hitting a building.)

Cascos was 71. Justice of the Peace Linda Salazar pronounced him dead at 9:15 p.m.

Here are some of the tributes:

Trey Mendez, former Brownsville mayor:

“It was heartbreaking to hear about the tragic passing of Carlos Cascos last night. Carlos was not only a friend, but he was my accountant and next door neighbor for 15 years. Carlos will forever be remembered as an honorable and well respected leader, serving as County Commissioner, County Judge and Secretary of State. 

"Carlos was always willing to give advice and was a strong supporter. When I was re-elected to the Board at Texas Southmost College, Carlos swore me in. A great life cut short. I will always remember the conversations outside our garages, great times at his home and his old Ford Bronco. Condolences to his wife, Candy, his wonderful daughters, Andrea and Cassandra, and his sister, Gloria.”

City of Brownsville:

“The City of Brownsville sends its heartfelt condolences to the family of former Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos.

Judge Cascos served as Cameron County Judge from 2007 to 2014, a period during which he made significant contributions to the community. Judge Cascos also served as Cameron County Commissioner from 1991 through 2002. His dedication to public service extended beyond his role as a judge. From 2015 to 2017, he served as the 110th Texas Secretary of State following his appointment by Governor Greg Abbott, and he was also appointed to the Texas Public Safety Commission by former Governor Rick Perry.

In addition to his prominent roles at the county and state levels, Judge Cascos made substantial contributions to the City of Brownsville. He was appointed to the City of Brownsville Charter Review Committee on December 3, 2019, and was reappointed on October 24, 2022. His work on this committee was instrumental in guiding the city’s governance and policies, he will be dearly missed.”

Tino Villarreal, Brownsville City Commissioner:

“I am saddened to hear of the recent passing of a family friend Carlos Cascos. An amazing father, husband and brother to his family. My condolences to Candy, Andrea and Cassandra and his sister Gloria Rico. I am here for you… Rest in peace.”

Richard Cortez, Hidalgo County Judge:

“I am shocked and saddened by the news of the passing of dear friend Carlos Cascos. As a former Cameron County Judge, a former Cameron County Commissioner, and a former Texas Secretary of State, Carlos embodied public service and served faithfully not only the people of Cameron County but the Rio Grande Valley and the State of Texas as well. Hidalgo County sends its prayers to Carlos’s family.”

Henry Cuellar, U.S. Representative:

“I’m saddened to hear that Carlos Cascos has passed away. He and I were both Texas Secretaries of State. May Carlos rest in peace. He will forever be remembered as a selfless public servant. Carlos and his family are in my prayers.

Francisco Galvan, former economic development director for the state of Tamaulipas:

“With sadness this morning I learned of the death of my friend Carlos Cascos, who I knew for many years – ever since the beginning of his profession as comptroller for the John Deere dealership in Brownsville. And, later, during his service as Cameron County Judge and then as Secretary of State for Texas. My condolences to his family. Rest In Peace, my friend Carlos.

Norma Sepulveda, Harlingen Mayor:

“I’m deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Carlos Cascos. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Carlos.”

Link to The Guardian; https://riograndeguardian.com/tributes-pour-in-for-former-cameron-county-judge-and-texas-secretary-of-state-carlos-cascos/

GOING NOWHERE FAST: TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE AILEEN CANNON MAKING HER MOVE ON THE SNAIL

BBC

The Florida district judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents trial is facing scrutiny over a series of controversial rulings related to the case.

Judge Aileen Cannon has already been under fire for delaying the trial, almost ensuring that it will not happen before November’s election. If Trump wins and retakes the White House, he could order the Justice Department to drop the case.

Now she is facing criticism for considering arguments that could scupper the trial itself.

Trump has argued that Special Counsel Jack Smith – who has brought charges against him in Florida and Washington – was unlawfully appointed.

Critics argue Judge Cannon, an inexperienced Trump appointee, has made rulings favourable to him and taken too long to settle pre-trial matters.

CARLOS CASCOS, FORMER COUNTY JUDGE, SECRETARY OF STATE, DIES

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Former Cameron County Judge and Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos died today from an apparent cardiac event that caused him to lose control of his vehicle and crashed into a building in South Padre Island.

He was 71.

Cascos served as Cameron County Judge from 2007 to 2015 and Texas Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017.

He also served on the Texas Public Safety Commission and started his career as a Cameron County Commissioner.

He was an American Certified Public Accountant and was the state's 110th Secretary of State. He was appointed by his fellow Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and was confirmed by the Texas State Senate on February 18, 2015

Authorities have not released details of the incident which led to Cascos' death.     

However, sources close to the family say that he suffered an apparent heart attack as he drove in South Padre Island that caused his vehicle to hit a building. No one else was hurt in the accident, they said.

TEC FINES CORTEZ $10,OOO FOR MULTIPLE ELECTION VIOLATIONS

 Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The Texas Ethics Commission has levied a $10,000 fine – double the $5,000 cap on election penalties – on former Texas House of Representative D-37 candidate Ruben Cortez after finding that he repeatedly violated election law by failing to file election finance reports, filing late, and repeatedly failing to respond to its notices and inquiries. 

Additionally, the TEC gave him 30 days from the June 24 notice of default judgement to pay the $10,000 fine or the civil penalty will be referred to the Office of the Texas Attorney General – as are child support payments – for collection proceedings. No payment on the sanctions have been reported.  

The TEC issued its default judgement and Final Order on June 24, 2024 after holding a preliminary review hearing June 18 in Austin where Cortez failed to appear to respond to two complaints despite numerous documented efforts by the TEC through registered mail. telephone calls and emails, all of which he failed to respond or disregarded.

The TEC determined that it had given Cortez legally sufficient notice and that he had not demonstrated good faith to address the violations.

In considering assessing the fines, the TEC examiners stated that they assessed the following factors:

1. the seriousness of the violation, including the nature, circumstance, consequences, extent and gravity of the violation; 

2.the history and extent of the previous violations;

3. the demonstrated good faith of the violator, including actions taken to rectify the consequences of the violation; 

4. The penalty necessary to deter future violations;

5. and any other matters that justice may require 

With a quorum present, the TEC board found that Cortez's failure to respond to the sworn complaints "demonstrates a lack of good faith" by filing the July 2022, January 2023, and July 2023semiannual reports late, and failed to file three 2023 special legislative session reports.

"Given the respondent's pattern of disregard for the sworn complaint process and the laws enforced by the TEC, a substantial penalty is warranted," the order states.

Cortez's latest campaign finance report filed May 20, 2024, indicates that from February to May he had received $42,330 in political contributions for the May 28 runoff election for D-34 which he lost to former Brownsville Justice of the Peace Jonathan Gracia, spent $347,164 and had a total of $11,192 left on the last day of the reporting period.

Among those contributing their member's funds to help Cortez get elected were organizations like the Association of Texas Professional Educators ($3,000), Patrick Hammes, American Federation of Teachers president of  Brownsville Educators Stand Together (BEST) Leader ($1,000), Planned Parenthood of Texas Votes ($3,000), Texas AFL-CIO State Cope Fund, Texas Parent PAC ($2,500), the Texas State Teachers Association ($1,000), 

Other notable contributors to Cortez's failed bid for state rep were Brownsville engineer Carlos Marin ($1,500), Joe Salazar, an insurance agent from Brownsville ($500), Brownsville Independent School District board legal counsel O'Hanon, Demerath and Castillo ($1,000), El Padrino Bail Bonds ($2,500), and Nicole Ortiz ($10,000), a Harlingen resident who is described as being self employed.

Apparently still smarting from his defeat at the hand of Gracia, Cortez has reportedly started a WhatsApp chatroom urging voters to vote republican in the November general election and declared that he would challenge Gracia in the next state rep elections.

Astoundingly, on a nomination by his longtime business associate Brownsville attorney and charter schools representative Rick Zayas, Cortez – which the ethics commission sanctioned for ignoring the law – was named chairman of the board of the Region One Education Service Center. 

The Region One ESC region is made up of the eight county area of deep South Texas including Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties and includes 38 school districts, including the Brownsville Independent School District (BISD). 

Among its duties is to approve vendors to service the districts with purchasing to include food and energy purchasing, and human resource cooperatives. In 2015, it approved Valco Foods to provide barbacoa to its member districts and ran afoul of U.S. Department of Agriculture rules that prohibit the purchase of Mexican products with federal funds, resulting in the BarbacoaGate scandal where BISD bought spoiled meat which was processed in Mexico. Cortez was on the Region 1 board at the time and has been there since 2011.

The investigation led the director of the Food and Nutrition Service Silveiro Capistrano to commit suicide the day before he was to meat with federal investigators.

Judging from his Facebook page, he and his BISD-employed wife are living in the lap of luxury and contemplating his next stab at elective public office. Will Cortez now use his campaign contributions from educator groups to pay for his $10,000 fines as a result of the TEC election violations?

COBBLEHEAD'S FOOD DRIVE FOR NEECE'S OZANAM CENTER

(Ed.'s Note: Fueled by Emilio Crixell's band of merry musicians, most of then pals of the late Ben Neece, supporters of the Ozanam Center – a homeless shelter that serves individuals and families in the area in need emergency housing assistance – participated in a canned food drive to assist the needy. The event took place Sunday at Joe Kenny's Cobblehead's Bar on Central Boulevard and generated a full house of Neece's old friends who continue to support his community benefit projects.)

REARRANGING THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE USS CCSO

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Push has come to shove at the Cameron County Sheriff's Department with defeated incumbent Eric Garza struggling to keep a skeleton crew with top administrators bailing out as the ship falters in the roiling waters following his political defeat in the May 28 runoff election to Manuel "Manny" Treviño.

Visitors to the administrative offices – named after his predecessor Omar Lucio by county commissioners as if to add salt to the wound – have noticed that Chief Deputy Silverio "Silver" Cisneros' office is now empty. And some staffers say that Cisneros was seen hauling out his personal effects out the building after having handed in his two-weeks notice.

This follows reports that Cisneros and Garza had had an all-out shouting match behind the closed doors of Garza's private office, allegedly over the filing of charges against Charles "Chuck" Hoskins, the IT maven who Garza had brought with him from his former position as Cameron County District Clerk.

The latest scuttlebutt is that Luis Mendieta, the jail administrator in charge of the county's jails, has been tapped to fill "Silver's" shoes as chief deputy, to be Garza's water carrier after Cisneros refused to carry out Garza's ongoing retribution against those who did not support him in the election.

God help you, Mendieta.

 Cisneros was said to be reluctant to carry out orders to start messing with people who didn't support the boss in his reelection by writing them up or for any reason, and/or demote them. Some of the targets said to be on Garza's "hit list" include Jesus Rosas, who ran against the sheriff, Captain Alvaro Guerra and Sergeant Edgar Rivera from CID because they filed the charges against Hoskins and arrested him for impersonating an officer.

He was fired immediately after he was arrested and booked. https://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2024/06/ccso-administrator-charles-hoskings.html

When Garza was said to be planning to rehire Hopkins, Cisneros was not on board with that decision. Surprisingly, Cisneros showed he still had a pair and showed he knew how to put politics aside after a loss and stood up to the boss on what he thought was a purely political act of retaliation against the veteran lawmen.

Some candidates that had been mentioned as Cisneros' successors were Captain Danny Gomez, Gilbert Cisneros, Angel Perez, Rick Cornejo, or even Carlos Del Bosque 

Del Bosque had already retired from the Sheriff's Department and got rehired as a regular deputy but with supervisor authority. It's well to remember that chief's position is a non-civil position, and when a new sheriff comes in January 1, 2025, they will be out. Whoever the new chief deputy turns out to be, they will be asked to sell their soul to the devil. Nobody should be messed with for political affiliation. 

They have families who will be collateral damage if the sheriff administration messes with their livelihood.

Ideally, that position should be left to be filled by the new administration. But politics being politics, Garza is moving fast to exact political retribution. Will Garza's maneuvers be approved by the commissioners court which hold the power of the purse in approving personnel changes?

As of now, every department is running on its own merit. Good luck to "Silver" with his new endeavor, and some top sheriff personnel knew that he was forced to do things Garza ordered him to do and stuck up for the deputies.

The countdown is on for the end of the Garza administration, 189 days to be exact, but who's counting?  January 1st can't come soon enough.

FELICIDADES A TODOS LOS JUANES EN EL DIA DE SU SANTO

El Día De San Juan

Song by Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre

El 24 de junio

El mero día de San Juan

Un baile se celebraba ahí en ese pueblo de Ixtlán

Micaela desde de temprano

Sonriendo le dice a Juan

Por ser el día de tu santo, al baile me has de llevar

No quiero hacerte el desaire

Pero algo presiento yo

De que esta noche en el baile se te amargue la función

Uah, ja, ja-ay

¡Claro que sí!

Mira, Micaela, que te hablo

No le hagas mucho jalón

Que está tentándome el diablo de echarme al plato a Simón

Llegó Micaela primero

Se puso luego a bailar

Se encontró de compañero al mero rival de Juan

Ah, ja, ja-ay

Ih-uh, ju, ju

Alegres pasan las horas

Las 12:00 marca el reloj

Cuando un tiro de pistola dos cuerpos atravesó

Vuela, vuela palomita

Pasa por ese panteón

Donde ha de estar Micaelita con su querido Simón

THE SQUALOR OF URBAN REALITY CONFRONTS CHURCHGOERS

(Ed.'s Note: It's Sunday morning and senior parishioners at downtown's historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 602 Elizabeth – smack in the middle of downtown Brownsville – are met at the church doors by a sleeping local homeless man who has taken possession of the landing outside the main entrance of the church. He sleeps surrounded by his own trash and sleeps on the concrete amid splotches of liquid stains.

He sleeps on the floor shirtless surrounded by his filth. Today he sat against the church wall glaring at the people walking up the steps and entering the doors.

Locals know him as a mentally deranged man who wanders shirtless and aimlessly on downtown streets arguing loudly and angrily with himself. 

We can understand the Christian charity of church officials and churchgoers, but the parishioners – specially the elderly faithful – should be guaranteed a clean, safe place to worship. Are we being too critical to ask for a safe, clean place for our viejitos to worship? 

The longer our city elected officials keep ignoring our homeless problem, the greater the potential for something unfortunate to happen downtown, God forbid

Since we published the post above, one of our eagle-eyed readers sent us a mug shot of the man who has taken over the entry to the church. He is the man below who the reader says has been arrested numerous times for criminal trespassing.

He’s reportedly done a stint for more than 6 months in county jail and his MO is to get high and then starts hallucinating and starts attacking people by verbally threatening them he will kill them. Will the city do anything to help this man and remove the potential for him hurting some elderly person who  attend, or merely pass by, the church?)
 

"TRUMP SAYS HE'LL BE A DICTATOR: AMERICANS SHOULD BELIEVE HIM"

A billboard in Miami shows images of Fidel Castro and Donald Trump and tells voters to avoid dictators on Tuesday.

NBC News
Former President Donald Trump  told Fox News during a town hall would not be a dictator "except for Day One" if he is elected president.

Trump's comments at the taped event in Iowa came in response to host Sean Hannity's asking him whether he would abuse the power of the office to seek revenge.

"You are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?" Hannity said.

"Except for Day One," Trump responded, repeating the phrase.

Asked for clarification, Trump said, "I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill."

Moments later, Trump doubled down on his comments.

"I love this guy," Trump said, referring to Hannity. "He says, 'You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?' I said: 'No, no, no. Other than Day One.' We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator."

The Biden campaign quickly seized on the remarks, posting a clip of the exchange to X. After the town hall concluded, Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez blasted Trump in a statement.

"Donald Trump has been telling us exactly what he will do if he’s reelected and tonight he said he will be a dictator on day one," she said. "Americans should believe him.”

A GOOD READ BETWEEN TROPICAL STORMS (OR IS IT CYCLONES)

 (Ed.'s Note: With Tropical Storm Alberto gone and another one threatening to develop into a hurricane, our drainage-challenged city is in for a good flooding if it makes land anywhere near here. Bike and hike trails and sports parks won't do us any good like a good drainage system would. Remember that when it rains for an hour all our major thoroughfares are impassable. If that happens and you can't wander off into the city, here's a good read on a real hurricane.)

By Juan Montoya
I was going through my old books yesterday after watching the Weather Channel (El Guero Chano) and I remembered reading the account of a hurricane (or typhoon in the Pacific?) from Jack London's The Heathen.

The Tower Book Edition was first printed on March 1946, but the actual stories in the collection date back to his early days, between 1909 and 1911, more than a century ago. Now, lest someone accuse me of stealing London's stuff let me say at the outset that I will only use one or two pages of perhaps a 20-25 page short story to illustrate the power of these storms at sea and his mastery at story-telling.

In this account, London is on a 70-ton pearler heading to Papeete, in French Polynesia, after a successful pearl-buying trip. Enjoy.

"Wind? Out of all my experiences I could not have believed it possible for the wind to blow as it did. There is no describing it. How can one describe a nightmare? It was the same way with that wind. It tore the clothes off our bodies. I say tore them off, and I mean it.

I'm not asking you to believe it.

I am merely telling something that I saw and felt. There are times when I do not believe it myself. I went through it, and that is enough. One could not face that wind and live.
It was a monstrous thing, and the most monstrous thing about it was that it increased and continued to increase.

Imagine countless millions and billions of tons of sand. Imagine this sand tearing along at ninety, a hundred, a hundred and twenty, or any other number of miles per hour. Imagine, further, this sand to be invisible, impalpable, yet to retain all the weight and density of sand. Do all this, and you may get a vague inkling of what that wind was like.
Perhaps sand is not the right comparison.

Consider it mud, invisible, impalpable, but heavy as mud. Nay, it goes beyond that. Consider every molecule of air to be a mud-bank in itself. Then try to imagine the multitudinous impact of mud-banks - no, it is beyond me. Language may be adequate to express the ordinary conditions of life, but it cannot possibly express any of the conditions of so enormous a blast of wind.

It would have been better had I stuck by my original intention of not attempting a description.

I will say this much: The sea, which had risen at first, was beaten down by that wind. More – it seemed as if the whole ocean had been sucked up in the maw of the hurricane and hurled on through that portion of space which previously had been occupied by the air...

... I was in a state of stunned, numbed, paralyzed collapse from enduring the impact of the wind, and I think I was just about ready to give up and die when the center smote us. The blow we received was an absolute lull. There was not a breath of air. The effect on one was sickening. Remember that for hours we had been at terrific muscular tension, withstanding the awful pressure of that wind.

And then, suddenly, the pressure was removed. I know that I felt as though I were about to expand, to fly apart in all directions. It seemed as if every atom composing my body was repelling every other atom, and was on the verge of rushing off irresistibly into space. But that lasted only for a moment. Destruction was upon us.

In the absence of the wind and its pressure, the sea rose. It jumped, it leaped, it soared straight toward the clouds. Remember, from every point of the compass that inconceivable wind was blowing in toward the center of calm. The result was that the seas sprang up from every point of the compass. There was no wind to check them. They popped up like corks released from the bottom of a pail of water.

There was no system to them, no stability. They were hollow, maniacal seas.

They were eighty feet high at the least. They were not seas at all. They resembled no sea a man had ever seen. They were splashes, monstrous splashes, that is all, splashes that were eighty feet high. Eighty! They were more than eighty. They went over our mastheads. They were spouts, explosions.

They were drunken. They fell anywhere, anyhow. They jostled one another, they collided. They rushed together and collapsed upon one another, or fell apart like a thousand waterfalls all at once. It was no ocean any man ever dreamed of, that hurricane-center. It was confusion thrice confounded. It was anarchy. It was a hell-pit of sea water gone mad."

(Now was that awesome writing or what? Do yourself a favor. Read the entire story or better still buy the book for the entire account. It's a keeper.)

ROUND 2: POTENTIAL TROPICAL STORM BREWING IN THE GULF

Channel 4 News

National Weather Service

Less than 3 days after Alberto made landfall south of the Valley, bringing wind and rain to the RGV, the next potential tropical storm will be taking the same path to Tampico by Sunday or Monday.

As this next low tracks over the Bay and Gulf waters, it will strengthen and become better defined. It may become a tropical depression or even a tropical storm named Beryl. Beryl might resemble its predecessor in more ways than one by producing rain across northeast Mexico and Deep South Texas this weekend and into Monday.

BELOW, THE JAIME ZAPATA BOAT RAMP DURING T.S. ALBERTO:

BPD SHUTS DOWN TRESPASSERS IN EMPTY DOWNTOWN STORE

(Ed.'s Note: Brownsville Police Dept. officers were called to the corner of 10th and Washington streets after local residents complained that several men (two asleep inside) and a third one keeping watch outside broke into the vacant Casa Anyer, a frequently vandalized building that used to house a second-hand clothing store.

But as usual, the cops arrived too late and the trespassers were gone before they arrived. The trespassers were defiant in their occupation of the broken-into building telling a motorist that they were part "de una ganga" who would get him for taking their picture.

Since the second-hand store closed almost two years ago, its glass plate windows have been broken numerous times and used as a crash pad by vandals and drug users. The building is located half a block from City Hall and directly across 10th Street from the old Coca Cola Building now occupied by a coffee shop operated by District 4 city commissioner Pedro Cardenas and his wife.

It wasn't until a concerned citizen and local businessman Ezequiel Silva called the police on the trespassers that the city forced the owner to board and lock the building. Now the entire block looks deserted despite the millions invested city through its Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) to "rejuvenate" downtown Brownsville.

(The old Coca Cola building is owned by former mayor Trey Mendez, who rents to the Cardenas. Mendez, shortly after he left office, got a $75,000 BCIC grant, but was turned down for $200,000 that he and his business partner Ramiro Gonzalez had applied for when Mendez was still mayor and Gonzalez was working for the city.)

"Anyer," by the way, stand for "Reyna" spelled backwards, the name of the second-hand store owner's wife.)

Link to see picture of the First Methodist Church which stood on the same corner from a vintage postcard. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/403606295596

WHAT BUILDING STOOD THERE BEFORE: THE FIRST METHODIST CHURCH

HOLIER THAN THOU LT. GOV. PATRICK PROMISES TO PASS TEXAS TEN COMMANDMENTS BILL IN UPCOMING SESSION

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

A bill that would have required schools to post the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms in 2023  died after failing to get a vote by the House before a crucial deadline.

Guess what? It's coming baaaack!

The bill that failed last year would have required public school classrooms to display copies of the Ten Commandments that are at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and “in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom.”

Louisiana is now the only state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom in public schools and colleges.

Oklahoma and Utah have floated similar legislation to Louisiana's Ten Commandments bill and Texas' failed Senate Bill 1515. However, none of those bills have made it to law, likely due to the legal battles that would inevitably come.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick directly called out Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan for killing the bill "by letting it languish in committee for a month."

Yesterday (June20), Patrick promises to pass the bill again in the Senate next session.

"ANONYMOUS COMMENTS" PASSED OFF AS REAL NEWS. REALLY?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

"A lingering question about Cardenas' residency was raised on a social media page after they checked voting records that showed Cardenas had voted in the primary (runoff) elections on March 20 (corrected to May 20) using his 4068 Lake View Drive address which had been sold two months before (March 15) to a Jason Starkey.

"Did Cardenas declare to the voting judge that he no longer claimed his residence there when records show he voted?"  https://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2024/06/complaint-filed-with-da-over-cardenas.html

A local blog reported that:

 

"On this very same morning, this blog received two anonymous comments, one suggesting that either city commissioner Roy De los Santos or Rodrigo Moreno's Pink Ape Media had financed a "hit job" on Cardenas (through Juan Montoya).

"Whoever wrote the first note references personal knowledge of when Cardenas voted and when he sold his home. Is that you Pedro?

"I would bet Santos or Pink ape paid for this mornings hit job on Cardenas. Early voting started on February 20th, which is before Cardenas sold his home.

"The elections office can verify the exact day he voted. Another hit job by Montoya and those who pay him."