Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Interim City Planner Ramiro Gonzalez: "I Don't Know What Harlingen Charges for Parking!" City Commission Meeting, 3/18/14

Interim City Planner Ramiro Gonzalez
At the 3/18/14 City Commission meeting, Interim City Planner Ramiro Gonzalez presented the first reading of the new, improved agenda item to change the ordinance on parking.  Unlike the first go-around, this agenda item actually includes the phrase "parking meter rate increase."  

This time Gonzalez gave a power point using selected facts, selected quotes and selected cities to again try to make his case for increasing downtown parking rates and funneling those monies into a downtown revitalization war chest.(Ramiro told me privately that the first expenditure of the revitalization fund would be the purchase of credit card accessible parking meters.Those gizmos are priced at about $1,400 each.)

When Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa noted that Gonzalez' comparison parking fees included New York, Chicago, Austin and San Antonio, she innocently asked if he had any comparisons from the "valley."  Gonzalez deftly responded that McAllen was at 75 cents, not mentioning Weslaco, Harlingen, Donna, Pharr or La Feria.  

"But, how much is Harlingen charging for parking?" asked Tetreau "innocently."

"Oh, uh, I don't know how much Harlingen charges.  I think 50 cents," responded Gonzalez, his nose growing noticeably longer.

Get this.  Ramiro Gonzalez can rattle off the parking rates of New York, Chicago, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, but has no idea how much Harlingen charges.  How convenient and what an obvious lie.  

Ramiro knows, just as I know, just as every typical Brownsville resident who occasionally has business, relatives or health care in Harlingen, that Harlingen has no parking meters;  not on Jackson Street, Harrison or Tyler, or any other street.  Parking is free in downtown Harlingen.  

The fact that Ramiro pretends not to know Harlingen has free parking downtown tells us all we need to know about his credibility. 


Empty meters on E. Jefferson during
downtown's busiest day.
Our pictorial evidence proved that the entire rationalization for a parking rate increase was a lie.  Brownsville's downtown "congestion" is only on two streets, Elizabeth and Washington Streets, from E. 10th to International Blvd.  St. Charles and Jefferson are empty during even peak business periods.   

If the employees of downtown businesses were "pumping meters" as young Ramiro suggests, they could have simply been directed to park on E. Jefferson, E. St. Charles or the nearly empty top two floors of the City Plaza parking garage.

In a deft move, future candidate for mayor, Commissioner Ricardo Longoria proposed a compromise raise to 50 cents with revenue in excess of funding parking meter enforcement going into the general fund.  Mayor Martinez skillfully reworded Longoria's motion to send downtown parking  revenue above $350,000 into the general fund.  Finance Director Pete Gonzalez put the annual cost of patrolling downtown parking meters at $310,000 with an annual shortfall of $10 to 20 thousand.(Commissioner John Villarreal tried lamely to speak for the parking rate raise based on $20,000 of taxpayer money being spent to subsidize the cost of downtown meter maids. Even Ramiro Gonzalez had difficulty embracing that theory.)

John, based on what you just said, Brownsville would be better off by $10-20 thousand annually with free parking like Harlingen. Then, there would be no need for a subsidy from the general fund.  John, please explain that back to me.


Commissioner Rose Gowen tried to get back to the original agenda item, using parking meter fees to fund "downtown revitalization." She said her primary attachment to the original agenda item was that a committee of downtown merchants would control how the money was spent.

Planner Ramiro Gonzalez admitted that the agenda item did not include wording for downtown merchants to control the revitalization fund, killing Gowen's argument.  He said that could all be worked out later.  Lol!

As Mayor Martinez called for public comment on the issue, he sighed:  "I suppose our friend Roberto (Uresti) wants to make a comment."  That little indiscreet condescension epitomizes Martinez total disdain for citizen involvement.  He wishes he could do a "Weslaco" and simply request the taxpayer audience to leave. 

Addendum:  I was disappointed that Commissioner Tetreau-Kalifa voted FOR the doubled parking rate after telling downtown property owners at the town hall forum she wouuld vote against it.  Of course, even with her "no" vote, the item would still have passed.

As for the $20,000 shortfall, elaborated on by Commissioner Villarreal, we will verify that with a Public Information Request.  Finance Director Pete Gonzalez clarified it as a "$10-20 thousand shortfall,"  so it may be overstated.  Anyway, $310,000 is collected annually in downtown parking fees, with either a $10 or 20 thousand kicked in from the general fund to pay for the difference in salaries. 

Harlingen, with free parking, has zero shortfall.




17 comments:

  1. Every idiot on this commission desperately needs to be voted out!

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    1. IN TOTAL AGREEMENT

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    2. Do these IDIOTS realize how STUPID AND LAME THEY REALLY ARE?
      WHY DON'T THEY EVER PLAN TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES TO COME HERE TO CREATE JOBS THAT WE SO DESPERATELY NEED.

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    3. Anyone who knows or employes or had employed any family of Juliet should be voted out and/or appointed. Just get to the root of the problem.

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    4. This proves Ramiro is an ill prepared, uneducated (regarding other cities in the RGV) imbecile. Gowen trying to piggy back shows her disdain for the average Brownsville tax payer

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  2. Gowen playing shortshop to all ideas deviation from the plans to handsomely reward the new and improved UTRVG! The frustrated look on her face read like a horror movie. Ramiro like it is said in Spanish " ni el se la cree". ( not even he believes himself ) !

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  3. Bravo, Jim! You single-handedly, from the comfort of your mobile home, in your ragged sagging underwear, managed to misinform the people yet again. You said "jump" and all the idiots said "how high?".I couldn't believe it when I saw the park fiasco on Facebook so I decided to attend the meeting. I knew that was not on the agenda because I READ IT! But I still wanted to see all your zombie readers there so I could laugh at them. It was actually a very interesting meeting if you could hear past the confused audience. I agree with commissioner Gowen and her idea that the extra money generated by the meters should go to a seperate fund that would be managed by a committee with downtown retailers and other stakeholders composing it. They would've been able to plan things as a group and have the teeth (money) to get it done. Commissioner Longoria's argument was also sensible but I agreed with Gowen's more. Commissioner Villareal made an interesting point, not sure why you called it lame because it actually made a lot of sense. The $20,000 that is subsidized by the general fund to help pay for the meter operations is in a way a tax like Villareal said. I NEVER go downtown so why should my tax dollars go toward paying for that? It should be paid for by the merchants, employees and customers who benefit from going there. Unless you agree with Obama-ism, this was by far the best point made for or against the increase. I am impressed by your writing skills most of the time. For the most part you are an excellent investigative reporter but then you let me down with the misinformation you post such as the Lincoln Park deal. This really let me down and I bet I'm not alone. You also seem to defend idiots such as Yolanda Begum (who did not speak at last night's meeting, what a surprise!), Leticia Garzora (who speaks in circles and never makes sense) and last but not least... JESSICA KALIFA-TETREAU! "What about Harlingen?" She asked "innocently." Is innocently the word you were looking for or was it ignorantly? She is never prepared for the meetings and if she really cared she would have done the research herself or asked the planning guy to have it ready for the meeting. She likes to make people look bad but it always backfires on her because she is stupid - AND YOU PRAISE HER FOR IT, JIM! I enjoyed attending the meeting and I think you should make an effort to go also instead of watching it on television next to Nena while eating your still half-frozen TV Dinners. See it live and get it right! Peace, dude.

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    1. Dear Bravo,
      You're not keeping up. The Lincoln Park transfer was likely a done deal until a day before the executive session when City Manager Cabler revealed that it would not be considered until after some sort of public forum. Yes, the city backed down, temporarily.

      As for John's comment, it did reflect understanding of how taxing works. He used the figure $20,000 to describe the meter collection shortfall, while Finance Director Pete Gonzalez used "$10-20 thousand." I'll get the exact amount with a Public Information Request. Harlingen, with free parking, has zero shortfall. Despite the doubling of parking meter rates, Brownsville may still have a shortfall, depending on usage and factoring in the cost of changing the meters.

      As for Tetreau-Kalifa's question, it was rhetorical. All of the commissioners have to know Harlingen has free parking. She was simply making that point, while Gonzalez tried to dodge the issue by pretending ignorance. It was disappointing that Jessica voted FOR the increase after promising downtown business owners at the town hall forum she would vote against it.

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    2. Ha ha, sounds like a miffed Ramiro talking out of his ass. If only these city lackeys understood some basic economics. For example, would we still have a shortfall of $20,000 - if the city hadn't blown $35,000 moving the Stillman rape shack around, or funding United Brownsville, or hadn't wasted $2,000,000 on the pointless Casa de Nylon? Would the $2,000,000 spent on Casa de Nylon, not have been invested in sidewalks, bike trails, rather than trying to trade assets like a 45 acre city park to UTB, for 6 mil for bike trails? Its a shopaholic spending spree for this commission, that 6 mil will be gone in less than a week, and you will STILL try to pass it off on the consumers and store owners, by raising their parking fees and taxes? Way to drive away business. For the record, just exactly how much debt have we gone into?

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  4. I think the tie is too tight, cutting off vital blood flow to his brain.

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  5. I know this will be a difficult concept for the mayor and city commission to understand but here goes. Parking fees are a REGRESSIVE tax. The last thing the poorest city in the free world needs for its $13,000 a year per capita citizens. If the city wants to raise funds, introduce a city income tax. But, no, government is too busy subsidizing the housing of people who make over $300,000 a year (La Reyna de UTB) and paying wildly inflated prices on crony real estate deals. I guarantee the PAN mayor of Matamoros would not be able to get away with this shit!!! And, I have a solution for their pathetic and vulgar nepotism doled out to their ne'er–do–well offspring. Every child born in Brownsville must leave the city at the age of 18 and only allowed back to bury their parents. That is the only thing that can save this din of corrupt babble.

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  6. Someone needs to discretely inform Ramey that the bow tie must go. You do not want to draw attention to those jowls. I would suggest a very loose bolero.

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  7. Ramiro Gonzales is an idiot and by not knowing the parking fees in other valley downtown areas....proved his incomptency. Being a planner is more than just bullshit, it means to "plan"....Ramiro doesn't reflect any planning; probably just doing what he is told. And Ramiro, you looked even more stupid in that bow tie...the one that was crooked. And the idea that the money from the downtown parking should be turned over to downtown merchants to spend, proves the city can't manage and again is giving money away. Ask Ramiro if New York, Chicago, Austin give the parking money to downtown merchants. No comments from 'Da Mayor....he is saving up for the Lincoln Park battle. Having to listen to the public's views on governance surely pisses Tony off....he wants no question of his real estate fiascos. Are all of our commissioners idiots or were they just not prepared to defend city planning...(or city non-planning)

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    1. "...Are all of our commissioners idiots..."
      YES LOW INFORMATION IDIOTS. THAT WHY WE'RE THE POOREST CITY IN THE COUNTRY PLUS THEY'RE DUMBOCRATS PENEJOS.

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  8. Lol. We can't deny Ramiro looked cute with his Felix the Cat Bow Tie

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  9. Who gave Ramiro his job? Oh ya his father. Typical passing there plaza to their sons.

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