A Dysfunctional, Challenged City Commission's Inability to Prevent Mayor Martinez from Crippling Brownsville's Future

Tony Martinez, pushing deals through
a weak City Commission that cripple
Brownsville's future

This blog has received criticism recently for not pursuing the Tenaska Power Plant scam sufficiently. 

"Why do you keep writing about the raise in parking fees and Lincoln Park? This Tenaska deal is going to be way worse for Brownsville!" stated one commenter.

We have written one article on the Tenaska deal, citing the Fitch bond rating report declaring the deal as unwise financially and inappropriate in terms of actual local power needs. Yes, the deal is a ratepayer's nightmare that will burden current ratepayers and their children.  Of course, it would only take one Brownsville citizen, retaining a lawyer to file a temporary injunction, to bring the poorly-thought-out and likely unscrupulous deal into public scrutiny.

Actually, the back story on the Tenaska deal, the totally misrepresented parking meter raise and the potential transferring of a Brownsville treasure, Lincoln Park, share a common denominator; a weak, unprepared, not up-to-speed city commission.  The commissioners seem to be good folk, up to presenting plaques and city honors, making public appearances and cutting ribbons, but, they absolutely get killed, rolled over and blindsided when it comes to protecting Brownsville's assets and the current and future funds of taxpayers and ratepayers.  No offense to Tad Hasse, but this is a Boy Scout/Girl Scout caliber City Commission.

A key component to getting the City Commission to sign on to bad or inappropriate deals is disinformation, untruths, lies, presented as facts to the commission.  To avoid get bamboozled by misrepresentation, individual commissioners have to ask probing questions, do their own private research on proposals, get to the bottom of things.  

Why do we need this now?  How much will it cost the taxpayers? How exactly will this be paid for?  What are viable alternatives? These and other questions need to be asked and answered before adding to the tax or utility rates of this impoverished city.

Since, in theory, the commissioner's serve as representatives of the people, it is critical, not only to involve Brownsville's citizens in the discussion, but then to LISTEN to what they say.  This mayor and city commission have not come close to doing that.

In a subsequent article, we will examine how disinformation contributed to the eventual raising of parking meter rates.  We will also submit how the wishes of the public were ignored by the mayor and city commission.  Please consider this future article as an examination of the process, how decisions are reached, not just a discussion of that particular issue.