Mary S. Rey's Three Minute Speech at BISD Does Not Go Unnoticed

Mary S. Rey with grandchildren

West Brownsville grandmother Mary S. Rey would typically not be the subject of a local blogger, unless she produced a prize winning rose or had artifacts associated with the region's early history. But, Juan Montoya, publisher of El Rrun Rrun blog, did indeed focus a blog article on the 64 year old Brownsville resident, criticizing her 3 minute speech before the BISD Board of Trustees during the public comment period.

Prolific blogger Montoya, himself a grandfather, does not, as it might seem on the surface, have a personal vendetta against Mary S. Rey.  He is merely doing what he must do to eat and live. While some baby boomers hold up "Will Work for Food" cardboard signs under freeway overpasses and others cash in their 401K, Montoya writes articles, advertisements on his blog for pay.  This is essentially not different from a jingle writer writing a catchy tune for Rice Crispies, then doing the same for Cocoa Puffs. It is about survival.

Juan Montoya  

If the intent of the blogger's article was to undermine Mary S. Rey's credibility, her most vulnerable pressure point was the recent murder conviction of her son, Randall Bolivar. Montoya used that point of reference to suggest that merely one month after her son's conviction, Mary S. Rey had the audacity to speak during public comment at a BISD board meeting. Montoya might suggest that Rey wait longer, say three months or even a year before stating a point of view in public.  As Montoya's own children and grandchildren go through life, he will face similar life choices.

Blogger Montoya described Mary S. Rey's statement before the BISD board as delivered in "halting English.  "Halting" is defined as "slow and hesitant, especially through lack of confidence, faltering." That does not accurately represent Mary S. Rey.   She has the accent of a native Spanish speaker, but nothing about Mary's speech is "halting."  A halting, hesitant speaker uses word whiskers like "uh," as their speech pattern becomes delayed, hesitant, uncertain.  Rey pauses before words to "hit" them with emphasis, using modulation, a variance of pace, pitch and power to enunciate her words.  A Spanish accent does not take away from her delivery.

Ted Parker, former CEO of Healthsmart

As for the history of the 2010 formation of the DefeatZayasCortezPowers Political Action Committee, that account can be spun several ways.  While city movers and shakers Pat Lehmann, Ben Neece and Juan Montoya, along with convicted RICO felon Carlos Quintanilla, met at Lehmann's motor scooter business on Central Blvd. to discuss the formation of the PAC, none of the high profile players wanted the political burden of leading the PAC, so Brownsville ladies Argelia Miller and Mary S. Rey were lovebombed and flattered into being the President and Treasurer of the committee.  Without a doubt, the prospect of legal assistance for a son, then facing a murder charge, was dangled in front of Ms. Rey.

The PAC was largely orchestrated by Carlos Quintanilla, but financed by Healthsmart's Ted Parker, who faced a $14,300,000 lawsuit for health insurance overcharges to BISD.  He had dispatched Quintanilla for similar work within the City of Lubbock, resulting in a settlement well below the asking price of that city's similar lawsuit against Healthsmart.  It's obviously  much cheaper to simply elect trustees who would overturn a lawsuit then pay the lawsuit off at face value.

Mary S. Rey, a personal friend, does not need me to write an article defending her.  She is a strong-minded woman, fully capable of defending herself.  But, the real story is not about one woman's three minute speech, but about a school board in disarray, still unsettled on how to proceed on a $14,300,000 lawsuit, money the district's children could very well use.