The Challenge the Proposed Lincoln Park Acquisition Presents the University of Texas

At the town hall meeting about Lincoln Park, behind two folding tables pushed together, sat four city commissioners and Irvine Downing, Vice President of Economic Development for the UT's eastern satellite campus.  Downing is the one in the blue, button-front shirt, sitting next to Ricardo Longoria in a "Superman" t-shirt size XL.

Irvine Downing, UT

Downing, as the "face" of the University of Texas for this meeting, heard about 50 speakers voice their view of the proposed agreement for the city to acquire Lincoln Park.  Three spoke in favor of the deal:  IBC Bank President Fred Rusteberg, Downing's crony at the pretend governance, United Brownsville, Maria C. Hall, Chamber of Commerce President and Abraham Galonsky, who owns a land tract next to the proposed new location for the park.  Rusteberg spoke in platitudes about the Imagine Brownsville Comprehensive Plan, while Hall mentioned progress. Galonsky, speaking softly, said simply that he favored the move.

The half a hundred speakers after Hall and Rusteberg spoke passionately AGAINST the moving of the park, several bilingually.  Most of these speakers lived in Brownsville's poorest region, Southmost, the location for most current users of the park.  Downing witnessed a group of girl softballers in uniform accompany their pre-teen spokesperson, who stated she loved Lincoln Park, wanted it to stay where it is, not moved next to a sewer plant.  Ironically, the name across the girl's uniforms read LADY LONGHORNS.  

Downing also heard Attorney Michael Cowen elaborate legal issues with the sale as well as the common sense factor that UT has no actual, current need for the 48 acre tract.   

The overwhelming opposition of the community should give the University of Texas and Irvine Downing pause.  Will they have the humility, the flexibility, the humanity to rethink the transfer?  Will their superiors at the UT understand the public relations nightmare of unnecessarily acquiring a public park from a 90% Hispanic community, the poorest in the United States?