Do Our Politicos Treat Texas Southmost College Like the Proverbial Stepchild?

"People say it doesn't exist 

'Cause no one would like to admit 

That there is a city underground 

Where people live everyday 

Off the waste and decay 

Off the discards of their fellow man 

Here in subcity life is hard 

We can't receive any government relief 

I'd like to please give Mr. President my honest regards 

For disregarding me"

Subcity by Tracy Chapman

State Representative Rene Oliveira,
A "No Show" at Historic TSC Signing

It's beyond interesting that our State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr and State Representative Rene Oliveira, so prominent in photo opportunities with UT officials relative to the newly proposed "regional" university, were obvious "no shows" at the historic TSC signing agreement more directly affecting their actual constituents.  

In terms of actually protecting the assets and interests of Brownsvillle and Cameron County taxpayers, there may not have been a more important, negotiated agreement than the one signed Friday at the Arnulfo Oliveira Student Services Center.  Please recall that outgoing UTB President Juliet Garcia tried to snooker the taxpayers by transferring millions of dollars of taxpayer assets to the University of Texas system.  There was also the not-

State Senator Eddie Lucio

so-trivial matter of $10,000,000 of so-called "back rent" owed the taxpayers.  We can only hope the negotiating team including TSC trustees factored this into the agreement just signed which included a $26,000,000 outlay to TSC.

Juliet Garcia

Also notably absent was outgoing UTB President Juliet Garcia,   Perhaps, UT Chancellor Cigarroa's words at the signing were aimed her way:  "There are two ways this can work. We can each go our separate ways and forget about each other or work together, developing mutual respect."  Garcia does not typically dodge the limelight.  Just two years ago in a UTB courtyard Garcia, Oliveira and Lucio turned the announcement of the Bell Scholarship Fund into a virtual Julietfest.  More recently, when Governor Rick Perry traveled to Brownsville for the signing of the legislative agreement authorizing the new regional university, Juliet annoyed some in the audience by standing up AFTER the signing to dazzle the captive audience with additional self-serving remarks.  

City Commissioner John Villarreal

Someone who did represent the city in the signing of this landmark agreement was Mayor Tony Martinez.  Both UT Chancellor Cigarroa and TSC President Tercero commented on the hospitality and cooperation of the mayor.  Regrettably, not one City Commissioner attended the signing, not even John Villarreal, the City Commissioner representing District 4, where TSC is located.  Ricardo Longoria, who has in the past lamented the huge financial commitment the City of Brownsville has made to UTB, only to see the administrative offices and jobs transferred to Hidalgo County for the new fused university, skipped the signing.  Commissioners Tetreau, Gowen, Chavez-Vasquez who also represent taxpayers continuing to fund TSC, did not grace the event with their presence.  Newly elected Debbie Portillo, who found her way to UTB for a candidate forum a couple of months ago, also bypassed the event.  

One or two "no shows" or "scheduling conflicts" might have been understandable, but when nearly all the politicos who "serve" the taxpayers funding TSC boycott the most important day in the history of the institution, it speaks volumes as to the collective low regard for Texas Southmost College.