Sunday, May 12, 2013

Brownsville As Smalltown, USA~Roberto Uresti, Letty Perez-Garzoria, Others Comment on the Election

Driving through late afternoon traffic along Boca Chica Blvd., stopping at light after light, Brownsville has the feel of just what it is, a city of 200,000 souls.  An internet reference source is more generous, 441,000 for Brownsville-Harlingen and environs, just ahead of Corpus Christi.  These numbers do not translate to political clout, national attention, grants, federal funding, projects or even Interstate 69.  When national politicians disperse those goodies, Brownsville is viewed for what it is politically, a city where 3,583 vote in a  city election.  Brownsville has the political pull of Smalltown, USA because of the weak participation of its citizens.  While the Motor Voter Act has swelled registered voters in Cameron County to 173,000, that's just an "Oh yeah, sure!" from people getting their driver's license, not actual election interest.

Roberto Uresti
Last night at Wing Barn with a smattering of his supporters, the always ebullient Roberto Uresti, after greeting us with a big hug, was forthright about the voter turnout:

"Jim, Brownsville just didn't vote.  When I called some close, longtime friends this afternoon, they said 'Oh, I forgot.'  Families were going to the park, the mall, but not the polling places.  What I fear now is that some of these land deals, involving the mayor and the university, that have been waiting on the election, will now get done without citizen approval."   

Later, at Cobbleheads, with Letty Perez-Garzoria and her group, a firefighter who had worked tirelessly in her campaign, was candid about his disappointment in the low voter turnout:

"If you had told me we would lose with maybe twice these numbers, I could have lived with it.  We thought we were getting out the vote, but we weren't.  This is so disappointing.  We have to rethink how to motivate people to participate.  If it takes going to schools, community centers and carefully explaining how low voter turnout hurts a city, that's what we must do."

La Voz
Another union official said he spent election day delivering copies of La Voz, a newspaper-like printout, detailing the moves made by the mayor with cooperation of the city commissioners to gradually shift control of the city to United Brownsville, a sham entity created by behind-the-scene puppetmasters.

"By noon I had delivered 1,000 copies of La Voz to Brownsville homes.  One of my friends came up to me with the early voting numbers, saying 'It's over," telling me to stop.  I told him I was going to keep going and delivered 400 more that afternoon.  This is information, not in the Brownsville Herald, that people need to read."


Across the table at the Garzoria event, a senior citizen gave this comment:

"UTB has a student population of over 13,000, that could actually control Brownsville elections if they voted.  Mary Rose Cardenas Hall had what, 151 total early votes.  That is pathetic.  Between The Center for Civic Engagement and Project 100% Vote, something isn't working.  I only saw about 25 students at the most at the UTB Candidate Forum.  UTB has email notification, but I understand that wasn't even used to notify students of the forum."

Letty Perez-Garzoria, after graciously naming the individuals helping her in her campaign, commented on the results of their efforts:

"We made a dent, especially considering this was a grass-roots effort.  We got their attention and they should now realize they(the mayor and city commission) are being watched.  This was a very different type of campaign and I'm proud of how we conducted it.  We actually listened to people.  That's what government should be about."


Chris Davis
Chris Davis, the newly-appointed Election Commissioner, was given an A+ grade by one local blogger, citing his promptness with the results.  Included in the job description for Election Commissioner, on the county's own site, however, is "community outreach" to generate voter participation.  That may be even more challenging for Davis, but it is an opportunity to do way more for the community than deliver an accurate, timely count of the meager numbers of a largely non-participatory electorate.







22 comments:

  1. (longtime friends this afternoon, they said 'Oh, I forgot.) LOL!
    Dags.

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    1. So now it's Davis's job to remind Uresti's longtime friends to get out and vote? Why didn't he blame Roger all the other times he lost? Garzoria too. Had she won, do you think she'd refuse her victory since the voter turnout was extremely low? She lost and with a greater turnout she and Uresti would've lost by an even larger margin. Get over it and take down your signs.

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  2. I guarantee that the day a politician(s) announce cuts or reform in federal or state benefits you will witness a massive voter turnout like never seen before.

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  3. alot of reasons why it was a low voter turnout. first of all, people buying their mother's day gifts, graduation celebration from UTB from day before, golf tournament and people just going to beach to spend the day or weekend out there. Maybe go back to the days of combining all 3 entities, BISD, THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION AND CITY ALL AT ONCE FOR THE ELECTION IN MAY . DON'T MIX BISD W/GOVERNORS OR PRESIDENTIAL RACE ANYMORE. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

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  4. LETTY PEREZ-GARZORIA should congratulate the winner. that is class. None of ur trio has it apparently.

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    Replies
    1. Did Mr. Villarreal act like a gentleman and extended his hand to a lady?
      Class, comming from a winner would be true class.

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    2. Compared to Garzoria, he is civil and has class. pick any monkey at the zoo and that monkey has more class than her.

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  5. No matter what happen Letty is a winner. John is the one with no class

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  6. Congratulate Letty don't give up!!!!

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  7. Those that didn't show up at the polls to challenge the incumbents have given a stamp of approval to the PUB decision to raise rates to the public for at least 5 years to pay for the new gas plant....which has already cost PUB its top bond rating. The failure of citizens to vote also gives approval to the shadow government of Mayor Martinez.....United Brownsville, which continues to survive by using local tax dollars. The low turnout also gives tacit approval for Mayor Martinez to commit the city to debt and then seek commission approval after he has made the committment. The low turnout support the continuation of autocratic government in Brownsville. Democracy is based on popular participation. The citizens of Brownsville are asleep at the wheel.

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  8. Excuses, excuses, excuses. The bottom line is that the winners got their vote out and the losers did not. Whether a low turnout or high turnout, whoever gets the most votes wins. The lamest excuse to give is "people didn't come out to vote".

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  9. Someone posted the following; "people to participate. If it takes going to schools,"

    Are you kidding now you want to campaign at the schools. Heard a firefighter and a candidate were at one high school campaigning and registering 18 year olds. I did not know you could do that during school hours.

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    Replies
    1. You can't. fireman is the principal's brother. Tsk tsk tsk bad move.

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  10. Well people DID NOT come out and vote! Less than 6,000 voters in a city of almost 200,000. Yep! People in this city DID NOT vote! Sorry Brownsville!

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  11. Someone posted; "The citizens of Brownsville are asleep at the wheel." Too Funny! Why you ask? Because the citizens of Brownsville are NOT even behind the wheel!

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  12. Another way of looking at it is the serfs have wised up and 90% see the futility in participating in the tax and squander system. What difference is it. The tax man took your money. you're fucked.

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  13. HEY JIM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NUMBERS THAT TURNED OUT WERE VERY LOW, BUT GETTING THE VOTE OUT IS THE CANDIDATES' JOB,....IF PEOPLE DID NIT TURN OUT IT IS BECAUSE THE CANDIDATES DID NOT OTIVATE THE VOTER TO COME OUT. I THINK CHRIS DAVIS DID A GREART JOB IN RETURNING THE NUMBERS QUICKLY. MAYBE SOME TYPE OF GET OUT THE VOTE AD CAMAGIN CAN BE DONE IN THE FUTURE, IT MIGHT HELP BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT IS UP TO THE CANDIDATE TO STIR UP INTREST AND MOTIVATE THE VOTERS TO COME OUT,....IMHO...


    MACLOVIO O'MALLEY

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  14. I think it's Brownsville Cheesmes fault

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    ReplyDelete
  16. sorry but i dont think that uresti told you this

    Jim, Brownsville just didn't vote. When I called some close, longtime friends this afternoon, they said 'Oh, I forgot.' Families were going to the park, the mall, but not the polling places. What I fear now is that some of these land deals, involving the mayor and the university, that have been waiting on the election, will now get done without citizen approval."


    we all have heard him speak, talk, whatever you want to call it and he is not so.. ummmmm eloquent, everyone knows that you can post and fake your own comments, that is why blogging is so unpredictable and worthless
    just saying.


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  17. I can not believe the police officers are supporting these thieves. I guess it makes sense since the police chief and commissioner estela vasquez are blood relatives. Tony,you little devil you,even with all the money that you will eventually steal from brownsville,you will always be remembered as the worst mayor this city had. But of course by then you and your lackey commissioners would be laughing all the way to the bank,you are a poor excuse for a human being.

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