 |
| Partying, Conferencing on Your Money |
With no lingering hangovers from their March Bikefest in Fort Worth which cost the taxpayers from $900 to $1430 per traveler, Brownsville's entitled bureaucrats are asking for another free trip. Denver is the destination this time for the gimmicky All-American City Award, given annually to wannabe cities desperate enough to pay for it. The other nominated city from Texas is Marshall, which shows you this "award" is about low self-esteem, not greatness.
At Fort Worth's bikefest, taxpayers footed the bill for representatives from the city's parks, planning, tourism and health departments. The taxpayers also sent City Commissioners Rose Gowen and Estela Chavez-Vasquez, Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston. Brownsville Metro was represented by Norma Zamora(City buses do accommodate bikes on front bike racks.) All enjoyed the plush accommodations of the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel & Spa and $56 per diem for meals if they didn't like the food served at the conference.
Below is the agenda item to be presented with a straight face by Finance Director/Assistant City Manager Pete Gonzalez:
13. Consideration and ACTION to approve travel request for the delegation of city employees to travel to Denver, Colorado, from June 13, 2014 through June 16, 2014, to attend the 2014 National Civic League All-America City Award. (Pete Gonzalez-Deputy City Manager)
Below we reprint our earlier article about the All-American City Award:
"No Thank You!" The Taxpayers of the Nation's "Poorest City" Can't Afford Any More Awards!
(republished from April 11, 2014)
 |
| Charlie Cabler, David McCarthy |
Do you remember "bannergate?" Two years ago, a Warsaw, NY "businessman," attending theU.S. Conference of Mayors in Orlando, FL, sought out Tony Martinez(likely with a pic of Martinez in his pocket) to let the mayor know that Brownsville was one of 15 cities to be honored nationally with a Community Showcase Award.
The award, according to Community Showcase CEO David McCarthy, would "show the city of Brownsville's economic vitality and the support of the business community."
With a contract letter in hand from the City of Brownsville, clearly indicating the award would be at "no cost to the city," McCarthy and a buxom companion, identified as Itza Pena, began visiting Brownsville businessmen to sell banner packages ranging from $600 to $4,000. It was emphasized that the meager $600 package was only for "churches and non-profits. Upstanding businessmen, who "supported Tony" were expected to cough up four grand.
Variations of this scam are legendary, including upfront money to make your five year old a Hollywood star or get your invention patented and in production. "Flattery", whether directed at individuals or cities, according to the late actress Mae West, "will get you everywhere."
The City of Brownsville, increasingly recognized as the "poorest city in the United States," is in contention for another award, that of "All-American City." All-American cities aren't picked the same way as All-American football players.(Marshall is the other Texas city, along with Brownsville, still in the running, both city's "90 lb weaklings" as cities go.) It takes self-promotion andMONEY to get the nod. Fayetteville, NC estimates expenditures in excess of $170,000 to garner the honor in 2011.
Note this comment to the Fayetteville Observer:
"It would be interesting to know how many folks who have moved to Fayetteville recently did so because of the previous designation as an All-American city. Seems to me that the city could use that money for something more worthwhile."
Arturo Rodriguez, who must have an extraordinarily light work load as City Health Director, gave the half hour power point toUnited Brownsville in February about the city's quest for the All-American designation.(Arturo shows up again and again on travel requests, just spending a week at the bike seminar in Fort Worth along with a large delegation at taxpayer expense.)
The All-American City designation is like being in the "Who's Who in College" book. The benefit is psychological, appealing to municipalities with low self-esteem. What if for $39.95, a city can be listed in the book, "Great American Cities," and you get a copy of the book?
Here's the scary part for Brownsville's hardworking, overburdened taxpayers. According to Brownsville Herald reporter Ty Johnson:
"City officials will head to Colorado this June to make their case for Brownsville to be named a member of the 2014 All-America City class now that the National Civic League has identified 25 finalists for the award."
Please don't tell us Ty that Brownsville taxpayers are
 |
| Arturo Rodriguez, Pete Gonzalez |
sending a large delegation to Colorado to plead their case for this award, while attempting to scrimp by on a $56 or $71 per diem meal allowance at a plush Denver hotel and spa.
We will be keeping an eye on travel requests made to the City of Brownsville. Oh, by the way, is there an award for conserving and protecting taxpayer assets? I didn't think so.
.jpg)
This is good for the city and we should all support getting the recognition and hopefully the designation.
ReplyDeleteWe've been crown the POOREST CITY IN THE ENTIRE U.S. and you think we should pursuit "All Am. City" status????
DeleteYOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING OR VERY STUPID!!!!!
@2:46 exactly
Delete(City Wants to Send A "Delegation" At Taxpayer's Expense to Denver)
ReplyDeleteHow convenient. It's about an hour's drive from Vegas.
Dags.
You must be an ex-student of BISD. Try looking at a map.
DeleteI did. And BTW, you must be a member of the "delegation", huh? Convenient, indeed.
DeleteDags.
Harlimgen at one time received the award. It is a b/s award. Nothing changed
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those nontangible benefits, if the city gets the designation. The award can be promot Brownsville's quality of life, helps counter the lawlessness perception promoted by the media, helps us promote our city to increase tourism and many other intangibles that come with this type of award. I was honored to be part of the first designtion in the 90's. We transformed Brownsville from a a none green city to a beautiful green city. We invested and leveraged the investment to purchase and plant thousands of palm trees and oleanders to beautify our city. This was done through a unknown committee with no significance, no budget when I took office and jump started the committee with a $100,000 investment, that got us a $400,000 state grant to plant trees. If memory serves me correct, we planted 10,000 trees at that time, passed ordinances to help beautify our city, purchased a tree spade and street sweepers when we had none to help transform our city. Not everything is a bad idea that comes out of city hall.
ReplyDelete"...helps us promote our city to increase tourism..." TO SEE WHAT?
DeleteTRASHED OUT CITY...PLASTIC BAGS ADORING TREES...GRAFFITI...MASSIVE ILLEGALS INFESTING OUR CITY...THE STENCH OF POVERTY SO PERVASIVE HERE????
THIS CITY IS SO BACKWARD THANKS TO DUMBOCRATS IN CONTROL WE'RE A SORRY JOKE!!!!!
Adoring trees? Stupid racist learn to spell or please stop posting your ignorant rants.
DeleteThe trees are nice. So what! The economy here is one of the worst in the civilized world.
Delete"Helps counter the lawlessness perception" You are TRULEY an idiot Ahumada, killings going on everyday across the border, home invasions and kidnappings on this side of the border and you still say it does not exist. Laughable.
ReplyDeleteNone of the comisioners attended any of the countless meetings that were held for this "award" let's just wait and see who takes the credit for it. It very comical that Pat is trying to take credit for transforming the city to a beautiful green city. We live in a tropical climate! While you were in office did you shift the globe or something? This man is just as senile and has an imagination greater than CASCOS!
ReplyDeleteBarton's plan: Keep the Mexicans and the Mexican town down. LOL!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou know people, when students across Texas come and enjoy all the attractions at the Mitte Arts District, they don't see the "nation's poorest city; they see what their city doesn't have. They see the possibilities of where Brownsville can go if we have the right leadership to take this city to the next level. At the moment, we don't have those great visionaries with an earnest interest in making Brownsville stand on it's own two feet and finally become great, like we always knew it could be.
ReplyDeleteAs long as demokrats are in control it will never happen.
DeleteRight, so we don't deserve this award!
DeleteTo the dolt who thinks a green city refers to a tropical climate: A "green city" refers to a city that is environmentally conscience and looks for, and implements clean alternative energy sources like wind, solar and hydro-electric power. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, do you have to attack me on anything and everything, you sound like Rosendo Escareno and Chris Valdez. FYI, the city went through some harsh weather in the late 80's, which killed a lot of our vegetation. It is a known fact and my pledge to fund the Beautification Committee, which up untill then had no funding and were asking for only $5,000, it was funded $100,000 to refores our city. We did this after much political upheaval to balance the $2.0 plus million defecit left by my predecessor, with $54K in reserves. At that time, we had no street sweepers, or funding for any programs, pay raises and the such. By drastically going against the grain and cutting costs, increasing our revenues, we were able to sell bonds to do capital improvements, fund programs like the Beautification Committee, buy our first street sweeper, fund Miss USA to market our city, and provide public safety with the equipment and pay raises sorely needed. It was not easy to go against the grain, by forcing the county to take over the downtown bridge security, fencing the Jacob Brown parking lot to make it a pay parking lot, upgraded fees, did away with free utilities to many, made developers take on more responsibility for infrastructure needed to serve their developments and more to balance the budget and build our reserves, which were $3.0 million when I left. So, criticize me all you want, but it takes initiative and leadership to go against the grain to protect your interest bozo. .
ReplyDeleteStop soaking in the urine infested hot tub Jim, it's making your writting stale...lol!
ReplyDeleteNo one would think of urinating in a hot tub unless that's their normal practice. Also, writing, whether stale or fresh, is spelled with only one t.
DeleteJim
Anonymous, Chris you need to learn to use your name. Do n ot be a little coward. Times have changed, the lawlessness you refer to is true. You get no argument from me. The only idiot is you. You are what we call Ponzona and vile. You are venemous and vile. I thought Ernie was bad, but you are far worse than anyone I know of. Your hate and poison hurts our community and is going to hurt Cascos re-election, because it says alot about him having you as his assistant. This is also why your mother in law lost and she is a nice person. Your poison affects all that surrounds you and it will be noted more with Cascos re-election failure. You being a thief, you try to bring others down to your level, which is why you attack and find nothing good that I do or say.
ReplyDeleteTry putting your community before yourself Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteWith all the complaining and self adulations I read, I have yet to see Ahumada making public comment at any public meetings. Why?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I did more than my share. I do not need to go make public comments and i do not live to your standards. You want to go make public comments, please do. I blog on the issues raised here, because, unlike other blogs, Mr. Barton does not seem to have an agenda against the city or anyone, but just reports on community interest issues. The Nylon Building is a good example and he appropriately raised awareness, which resulted on people blogging on the issue. This is healthy, particularly when we live in a city based on the caste system of government. Some think they are beyond reproach, but his blog atleast made it known that the purchase does not meet the fiduciary standard we expect from our elected officials. The most recent issure regarding the delegation that the city will be sending to Fayetteville, N.C. is another example of how Mr. Barton brings awareness. You can agree or disagree, everyone is entitled to their opinion. The point is for most of us who do not attend the city meetings or go to be heard at the city public comments for whatever reason, the awareness is raised through his blog and we have the opportunity to voice our opinion. In this instance, I think it is a good idea, as it does give the Brownsville Convention and Tourism Bureau and the Economic Development Council an additional marketing tool to promote our city. This is an intangible, but you might disagree, which is okay. I just think, being designated All American City is good for our city.
ReplyDelete"I do not need to go make public comments and i do not live to your standards. You want to go make public comments, please do."
ReplyDeleteYou will kindly take note at this point that Jim Barton didn't turn the cameras off and lets your voice be heard.
All I hear is "bitch-bitch-bitch". YOU listened to that idiot Sossi. YOU listened to that guy Quintanilla. YOU had the booze problem and lived in denial. Welcome to the citizen's side of the street.
-Anonymous by choice, but no coward
You are a coward! And a good one at that! The one whinning is you! You offer nothing! I have no control over Sossi and did not support his appointment. You just like to promote your venom and hate.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, I am no longer mayor. Be happy! I am just a citizen who has the right to support the All American City designation and hopefully award. Why does that bother you? You are entitled to your opinion on Quintanilla, but Mr. Coward, why does it bother you, when someone does not agree with you? Does it mean that you are only entitled to your opinion? Just because you listen to a pedophile and went along with what he proposed and did against Quintanilla, that makes you right. You are so perfect, why don't you run for office? And if you are not a coward, why don't you come and tell say what is on your mind to me personally? You are a coward!
ReplyDeleteaqui tengo tu veneno Mayor, baboso, vales sebo, buey!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Now, I know why you are so full of hate. You are jealous.... You contribute nothing and for some reason feel the need to promote your venom. LOL! Los cobardes como tu siempre las pagan y Dios se encargara de ti por lo venenoso que eres.. Cuando te llegue el dia, acuerdate de mi.. De pagarla si lo vas a pagar por que eres lo peor..
ReplyDeletePozona!
ReplyDelete