For those readers in Latvia that Google says we have:  Fly Frontera was an airline asking for incentives from the city of Brownsville, TX to run flights between Brownsville, TX and Monterey and Tampico in Mexico.   The following account revisits some of the events associated with the deal that was eventually not approved. 



     A young couple approached us at the Crescent Moon Cantina, actually greeting us by name.  Facebook introduces us all with pictures of people we've never actually met.  John, the husband, brought up Brownsville Cheezmeh:  "I was on board with most of what they did early on.  Then I think the group sort of lost its way.  You may remember I made the comment that they were in danger of becoming more of a politiquero group than a watchdog group."  I didn't really remember the post he was referencing.  We talked for a minute about Fly Frontera.  "Yeah, that was a no-brainer; had to be stopped,"  John said.
     Yes, John, Fly Frontera was such an obvious scam that a Hollywood script writer would have to tone the story down a bit to make it realistic.  The principle characters Carlos Quintanilla, the front man for the airline, Mayor Pat Ahumada and Commissioner Charlie Atkinson, three cartoonish caricatures almost beyond believability:  Carlos Quintanilla, the convicted RICO racketeer looked like the carnival guy who watches you try to land your quarters on greased plates, then flips one effortlessly, landing it squarely on a plate to show you the game is not rigged.  Mayor Pat Ahumada, could win you over with his smile, then lose you with his arrogant stubbornness.   Charlie Atkinson was everyone's whipping boy, inarticulate but verbose, pushy but unconvincing.
     A group of us met at Craig and Laura Grove's  house a day or two before the April 5 city commission vote on the airline deal to organize our comments for the public meeting.  Dino X. Chavez, a CPA with an MBA, Alex Guerrero, Laura Miniel and Linda Dragustinovis were there among others.  Someone had obtained a copy of the proposed contract so we knew about the $500,000 upfront money for fees, spare parts, fuel, etc.  We knew Fly Frontera was a startup company, registered only 4 days before the commission meeting.  The contract rewarded failure with the City of Brownsville paying $130 for every ticket NOT sold up to the first 23.  This meant that the most profitable flight would be an empty flight using less fuel.  We also knew about the $1,000,000 likely annual contribution by the city for each of the first two years.
     Several of us had done research on the Fly Frontera front man Carlos Quintanilla.  The first thing coming up Googling the name was a RICO felony conviction for running a scam on a brewery, then other allegations surfaced:  $85,000 arrears in child support, $12,000 in hot checks, liens on his residence, etc.  We knew Ahumada would try to distance Quintanilla from the deal and he did, but the fact that the company's web site listed Quintanilla's home address as the company's headquarters nullified that claim.  We decided not to focus on Quintanilla, but the merits of the deal instead.  Craig would start out, then Dino would do the numbers and I would wrap up.
     The commission meeting April 5th started as usual with proclamations, a routine agenda item or two, then broke for executive session.  It would be an agonizing two and a half hour wait as we were eager to testify.  We saw that food was taken in to the commissioners.  Dagoberto Barrera tried to lead the courtroom in some kind of chant or cheer.  Finally, the mayor and commission came back in.   Ahumada announced that there would be no public hearing on Fly Frontera.  The matter was being tabled for up to 21 days.   Angry words came from some in the gallery. Commissioner Troiani then stated that the deal was in the commission's hands.  Sharing details of the contract would not be fair to the airline or the city.  He said the 21 days would allow for the item to be fully vetted by the boards supporting the commission, an obvious admission that due diligence had NOT been done.  As some of us walked out, a motion was made to allow discussion.  It was obviously not what Ahumada wanted.  "We're going to lose an airline!" he kept saying.   Commissioner Longoria asked for the floor, reiterating in rapidfire delivery that the item had NOT been discussed in executive session, that since it was tabled, no public comment was required, but that they were going to open it up.   He repeated the statement several times as if to convince himself.
    Realtor Craig Grove went first, dressed meticulously in a suit, hands clasped behind him.  He began respectfully with his carefully worded speech.  Ahumada interjected "no personal attacks" forcing Craig to restart.  Atkinson could not restrain himself.  "What about your car burglary?"  Craig then turned to the audience in disbelief:  "They've done a background check on me and found that at seventeen, yes seventeen I was charged with breaking into a car."  Exchanges between Atkinson and Grove continued with Ahumada finally saying that Craig's time was up.  Craig persuaded Ahumada to allow him to finish his speech since it was Atkinson's interjections that had used up his time.  After Craig, I believe Zeke Silva spoke, then Pan Am President Bob Hedrick.  I spoke after Hedrick.  We left the commission room with the phrase "21 days" ringing in our ears.
   
     Over the next several days, several of us dialogued with Mayor Ahumada about the merits of the deal on Facebook.  Some of these discussions lasted past 3:00 am. with the mayor defending every aspect of the deal.   At some point Ahumada challenged us to a public debate on Fly Frontera.  It was originally billed as a debate between Pat Ahumada and Brownsville Cheezmeh with several named individually.  Then, it was changed to a Mayor's Forum, not a debate,  to be held at the Amigoland Event Center on Mexico Blvd.

     The Event Center was nearly full for the forum.  Police Chief Carlos Garcia was working security.  Ahumada was wearing his mayor shirt, white with his name and title monogrammed.   Ahumada set it up so that he  and those favoring the plan would speak from the lectern, using the public address system.   Those opposed to the plan were given a near dead hand microphone and told to line up along the south side of the building.   Ahumada spoke first, then he allowed Carlos Quintanilla unlimited time to speak about the proposal.  Quintanilla mentioned one public official after another by name with the implication that they were on board with the proposal.  He said something about working closely with County Judge Carlos Cascos.  Next, Ahumada called Ruben Gallegos, Jr. president of the GBIC board.  Gallegos talked at length about how good it was the city was finally getting direct flights to Mexico.  He said he didn't believe anything he read on the internet, implying that the information about Quintanilla was likely incorrect.  While Gallegos was talking Craig Grove texted Judge Cascos to say that his name was being used in support of the deal.   Craig showed me the text from Cascos saying that he did not know enough about the plan to favor or oppose it and did not know Quintanilla.
     Those speaking against the airline deal were given a 5 minute time limit which was strictly enforced.  CPA Dino X. Chavez had worked with the numbers provided by plan advocates, incorporating research he had done about current flights to Monterey and Tampico out of Houston.  He had charts that had to be held up by another speaker in line.  Dino couldn't complete his presentation in 5 minutes, so I relinquished my time to him.  Ahumada noted that, indicating I would not be allowed to speak since I had given up my time.  Craig Grove, thinking quickly, got in line behind me.  That irritated Ahumada, but the speaking line had not officially been closed.  When Craig's turn to speak came, he relinquished his minutes to me, much to the chagrin of Ahumada.
     In my opening line I mentioned that Mayor Ahumada was treating those opposed to the plan like second class citizens.  When I said that, Ahumada, who was now leaning against the lectern in an ultra casual pose, let out a huge sigh, clearly audible through the sound system.  As soon as I used the name Carlos Quintanilla, Ahumada shouted "No personal attacks!"  I assured him I was attacking no one, proceeding to describe Quintanilla as a very smart, sly individual  who had just name dropped most in city and county government.  I asked the audience if they remembered that he had invoked the name of Judge Carlos Cascos, mentioning the text Craig had showed me on his cell phone.  "Carlos Cascos says he does not know enough about the deal to support or oppose it.  As to Carlos Quintanilla, he says he does not know the man."   The audience let out a collective gasp.  I believe Fly Frontera died with that gasp.
     We learned April 26 that Fly Frontera had been withdrawn.  We were told that the BDEC had finally done its homework and found the company not financially stable.