The headline above twists around the old punchline: "If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?" That line almost seems logical until you realize it isn't. Many of us may have made similar illogical assumptions about Mayor candidate Tony Martinez. Actually, almost any conclusion drawn about the man based on his campaign, had to be an assumption, because he said nothing of substance prior to the election. We knew his favorite color was blue and that he "believed in Brownsville." We didn't know how blue his administration would actually make us feel or whether he believed in a Brownsville "as is" or a Brownville that could be made better.
Perhaps, like me, you anticipated a man with a yellow legal pad of ideas, some crossed out due to impracticality or budget constraints, but many others still in play. How can we streamline city government, making it more efficient? How can we get more citizens involved so that more than 4% vote in elections? How can we jumpstart downtown revitalization? My dream was that Tony be Brownsville's Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, not necessarily spending his own monies, but making damn sure our tax monies are appropriated surgically. getting rid of waste and wasters.
Instead, we got a ceremonial guy, royalty, a figurehead like Queen Elizabeth. Even when Tony had a golden opportunity handed to him to restore the broadcast of public comment at commission meetings, he responded dimwittedly: ""I'd like to continue doing things the way the previous administration did them. It's been working pretty good so far. I don't want to change that." Does that sound to you like words from an idea man?
Border security concerns, one of the most visited issues night after night on local news is also downplayed by Tony. He tells us at a UTB/TSC seminar on border security that he and his two sons went dove hunting recently without incident. He proclaims our borders safe and chides those who say otherwise as politically ambitious. Drugs flow north, weapons flow south, victims of kidnapping are locked in stash houses, residents between the border wall and the river cringe as they hear gunfire, while Tony worries about image, appearances.
I will gladly eat every word written above if Tony will just get off his ass. After all, he wanted the job.
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"...when Tony had a golden opportunity handed to him to restore the broadcast of public comment at commission meetings, he responded dimwittedly: ""I'd like to continue doing things the way the previous administration did them. It's been working pretty good so far. I don't want to change that." Does that sound to you like words from an idea man?..."
ReplyDeleteNO more like a PROGRESSIVE/MARXIST who probably pass his classes with a "CIRCLE 70," got in college because of "AFFIRMATIVE ACTION" and along the way got RADICALIZED. I believe he did mention he belongs to "LA RAZA" a very extremist left wing organization and how can we forget his cozy relationship with the "GREAT ONE"-b HUSSEIN obama!!
Local news agencies should interview him and make him to be the border idiot that he is. He does not represent me.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't represent me either.
ReplyDelete"I'd like to continue doing things the way the previous administration did them. It's been working pretty good so far. I don't want to change that."
ReplyDeleteJeez man. If that were his campaign platform, I'd have voted for Pat. At least Pat had some charisma, irrespective of his shortcomings. I didn't vote for Martinez because I thought he was no greater than a puppet for the juiced-in Democrat Party. I knew this was the case when he visited me at my county job (well inside the campaign distance marker) to induce me to vote for him...with a high-ranking county official at his side. Screw that nonsense. I stepped out of my office to go take a crap when he made his rounds...because somehow, I thought that an honest crap was more appealing than the shit he was shoveling that day.
Well, I guess "4 more years" is a never-ending refrain for our masses. Fifty-four percent of us were duped.
Even still, he is our mayor. Let's hope that he can turn the ship around inside his tenure.
I wouldn't hold my breath on turning the ship around. Raising taxes is all he gots. I've heard grumbling from his friends who say he doesn't think being mayor is worth all the work.
ReplyDeleteBring back PatA!!
ReplyDeleteTony isn't that rich. He only donated $30,000 to the Democratic National Committee four months ago.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Jim, you could not be more off base with your comments. It is amazing to me that people listen to you on our Mayor. First, he has done more in a few years then any of our other mayors in the recent past. He has lead the way on downtown revitalization and is trying to keep UTB from abandoning Brownsville city.
ReplyDeleteHe conducts proper city meetings, business gets done in a quiet efficient way unlike the circus that was Pat Amahada
He and other commissioners have made great progress in wellness issues and quality of life betterment for our citizens. You guys must be joking that you want to go back to the way it was, that was an embarrassment.
Public comment, given by the same 4 or 5 guys each meeting was and continues to be a bad idea. These guys used the time to grandstand for their own purposes having nothing to do with helping the city. Televising them was a terrible mistake and another embarrassment. the fact is that they can do exactly what they did before in public comment now, it is just not televised....the fact they don't show up shows that they did not care about the issues, only the TV exposure.
look, I know you want to have blog topics, but it surprises me that you you are so negative on the Mayor... the city is getting better by the day. A lot of it may be behind the scenes, but perhaps if you and others would lend your influence to promoting Brownsville instead of tearing it down...... It's a shame, you are missing an opportunity to help
Thank you Rose for your anonymous, belated comments on an article written over a year ago to try to light a fire under Tony.
ReplyDeleteJim