Will District 1(Southmost) Elect the Independent Commissioner Brownsville Needs?

Commissioner John Villarreal

John Villarreal's tepid Facebook endorsement of Ricardo Longoria for District 1 City Commissioner is more amusing than consequential.  John has zero voter influence in Brownsville, certainly none in Southmost to pull voters to Longoria. 

Informed voters have observed John merely occupying a chair at the City Commission, once in a great while laboring over a word-whiskered comment or question the Channel 12 audience prays he will finish.  John's endorsement of Rick has the effect of a Facebook "like" at best.

"John is merely doing what he's seen other politicians do.  He does not understand the dynamics of an endorsement," stated one political observer.

Casa del Nylon, $2.3 million in taxpayer dollars,
off the tax rolls, still sitting vacant after 3 years

Abraham Galonsky, on the other hand, the primary beneficiary of Tony Martinez' mayorship in finally selling his decade-on-the-market retail building for the inflated price of $2,300,000, Casa del Nylon, does not do Facebook. Galonsky has a vested interest in who represents District 1.  The 30 acre tract he hopes to sell the city is adjacent the smelly lot where the city proposes to relocate Lincoln Park.  Standing to profit from the current Lincoln Park relocation plan, Galonsky can support financially a candidate to represent his interests.

Nurith Galonsky

Initial rumblings indicated Abraham's daughter, Nurith Galonsky, would run for City Commissioner District 1, after all Tony Martinez had already positioned her on the P.U.B. Board and the Galonsky's owned property in the Acacia Lake area, providing an address in the district. Perhaps, that was just a trial balloon, but it's clear Galonsky will not support Longoria, who, after first voting to sell Lincoln Park, succumbed to public pressure from his district to oppose the sale.

Attorney Michael Gonzalez,
District 1 Candidate?

Perhaps more palatable to Galonsky would be Attorney Mike Gonzalez, whose office shares an address with Municipal Judge Ben Neece at 1000 E. Van Buren Street. Gonzalez, a talented singer, was a frequent "Open Mike Night" performer a couple years ago at Neece's Crescent Moon Cantina. It is rumored that another young attorney in the same office, Cesar De Leon, is considering a run for City Commissioner At-Large "A."  Neece, while likely proud of his young colleagues, is prohibited as a municipal judge from an active role in any materializing campaigns.

Roman Perez at Town Hall Meeting

Actually filing for City Commissioner District 1 to run against incumbent Rick Longoria is Roman Perez, who lost to Longoria in 2011 by 140 votes.  Since then, Perez, a professor of history at Wayland University, has firmed up his Southmost support with his lay youth ministry at Christ the King Catholic Church and participation with Valley Interfaith on the Lincoln Park issue.