Sunday, May 31, 2015

Broadcast Ban of Public Comments Hovers Like a Dark Cloud Over City's Participatory Democracy

City Attorney Mark Sossi Caricature by Nena Barton
Certainly, Argelia Miller had no idea of the far-reaching effects of her August 25, 2010 letter to City Manager Charlie Cabler about a $167,323 judgement awarded to City Attorney Mark Sossi' former employer, Willette & Guerra for theft of funds.  What Miller was upset about was that the City of Brownsville seemed to be paying off Sossi's debt by utilizing Sossi's old firm to represent the city in legal matters.

When this obviously compounded conflict of interest was later mentioned during the Public Comment section of a subsequent City Commission meeting, Sossi had heard enough and issued the ludicrous legal opinion to Mayor Pat Ahumada and the City Commission that the continued broadcast of public comments on City of Brownville's Channel 12 would make the city vulnerable to lawsuits.


Sossi knows a thing or two about lawsuits, being on the receiving end of, not only the Willette & Guerra judgement, but a $20,711.66 judgement from the Texas Workforce for stealing monies, a $100,000 lien from the Internal Revenue Service and two malpractice lawsuits from locals who wrongfully assumed a City Attorney might be someone to engage for personal legal matters.  In hindsight, perhaps the City of Brownsville should have considered a banishing of the City Attorney instead of banning the broadcast of public comment.  But, no, Sossi hangs on as a Tony Martinez lap dog, facilitating the mayor's backdoor deals on a $10,000 per month contract basis, also netting $5,000 per month from the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation for a net of $180,000 annually.(Ironically, the payee for Sossi's payroll checks is The Good Government Firm.  Lol!)


A couple months into the Tony Martinez tenure as mayor, former City Commissioner Melissa Landin(Zamora) introduced an agenda item to consider rescinding the ban on the broadcast of public comment. Shocking those who thought they'd voted for a democratically-oriented mayor, Martinez voiced his opposition to lifting the ban:  "I'd like to continue doing things the way the previous administration did them. It's been working pretty good so far. I don't want to change that."

The former commissioner was set to introduce the agenda item to restore the broadcast, but behind the scenes Mayor Martinez and City Attorney had worked up a little surprise for Lindin. Sossi, who could never seem to find 15 minutes to work on an ethics code, something this city of 200,000 doesn't have, had spent all week working up his infamous pie chart to demonstrate to the City Commission audience how pulling the switch on the broadcast of public comment had actually enhanced representative democracy, not stifled and choked the life out of it.  Here is our reporting of the incident from 2011:

"Melissa Hernandez-Zamora seemed dumbstruck when City Attorney Sossi stood up to give opposition testimony concerning the broadcast of public comment item she had placed on the agenda. It was obvious that Commissioner Zamora had not been advised of the behind-the-scenes manipulation by Mayor Martinez and his eager cohort Sossi. Sossi, afterall, had the most to lose from public comment broadcast since it was comments about his questionable ethics that triggered the ban in the first place. As Zamora got her bearings, Martinez waved Sossi the "go ahead". Sossi made no attempt in his feeble, highschoolish power point to express a legal opinion. There was no mention of free speech, the first amendment, the constitution or even the phony liability issues he has pretended previously. Those might have been worthy legal issues. Instead he expressed only viewpoints, unscientific at best, but most likely simply wrong. With a straight face he used a pie chart to illustrate the greater "diversity" of commenters since the ban, not even having the honesty to acknowledge that many of those new participants were speaking out against the anti-democratic ban. He also railed against grandstanding as he grandstanded."

Tony Martinez was once heard bragging to a commissioner after a City Commission meeting:  "I told you I could get this thing done in 45 minutes."  That is not what conducting the city's business should be all about, rushing things through without discussion. Agenda items that involve the hard-earned tax dollars of Brownsville's citizens should be carefully, judiciously considered. Commissioners need to come to City Commission meetings prepared to discuss each agenda point intelligently, articulately.

In a city where 10% of registered voters actually vote, our city needs more participatory democracy, not less.  The broadcast of public comment should not only be restored, but enlarged.  Our city needs, not only Robert Uresti and Letty Perez-Garzoria speaking up with ideas, but also Teresa Saldivar, Trey Mendez, Dennis Sanchez, Daniel Lenz, Abraham Galonsky, Larry Jokl, Craig Grove, Peter Zavaleta, Tony Zavaleta, Dino Chavez, Laura Miniel and others. Expand the session to 30 minutes.  Martinez can TIVO Boston Legal.  Hopefully,  someone who actually "believes in Brownsville" will have the intestinal fortitude to introduce this matter.  Cesar??????

31 comments:

  1. The problem is only these clowns galonski, garzoria, and Uresti go and say crazy things. It's embarassing! I don't want people in McAllen playing these videos and thinking garzoria actually represents how we feel. It should be public, but these clowns need to stop taking advantage.

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    1. I will take your so called embarrassment any day to retain the right for freedom of speech. You are a fool to believe otherwise. McAllen can kiss my ass. So can this dysfunctional Brownsville City Commission. The only thing I am embarrassed about are the idiots getting elected.

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    2. And don't forget that nutcase so called "reverend." It's always the same people who want attention for themselves and don't give a rat's ass about the city. They can't get elected so they scrap for any open mic they can get.

      That one applies to you, Letty!!!

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  2. Tony Martinez thinks that the public has no place in government and he has sought to keep his administration a secret from the public. Tony Martinez is an elitist asshole!

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  3. Vita por Patricio y para de chingar...

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  4. In the Valley as a whole, McAllen is the nicer neighborhood. Brownsville, all of it, is the Southmost of the RGV. That's reality.

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  5. Cesar is with Martinez, how can you think that little snake will stand up to anyone. All his volunteers and supporters are with Tony and imagine Brownsville. Good luck brownsville, I'll see you never.

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  6. Jim , you are sadly mistaken if you think Cesar would ever go against the Mayor's wishes . He is a Galonsky and Martinez puppet as everyone will soon find out.The city's best shot of progressing is if the F.B.I task force would bust some of these "United Brownsville " cartel members......then we could "Believe In Brownsville ", right now it's just a bad joke.

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  7. Cesar Deleon is a puppet like john Villarreal. They both are crash car dummy's.

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  8. Cesar de Leon is sending friend requests for Tony Martinez in Facebook,

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  9. Every sonofabitch that you have backed has been a fucking loser, Jim. Cesar de Leon is a fucking lawyer! Tony's a lawyer! When will you get a fucking brain?!!!

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  10. John Shergold took city commission to task tonight at meeting on banning public comment from being televised. Even quoted JFK. Mayor didn't look happy.

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  11. John Shergold looked like a fool. Mcallen doesn't broadcast public comment either because of the same problem Brownsville has.

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    1. It was part of the job when you sought election. McAllen was JUST AS WRONG and the fact that you don't like it....well tough shit. Quit doing crap that people have to call you out over.

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  12. Shergold es un pinche Mamon de primera. Vato mentiroso. Que pedo, guey? I speeeeeek for myself, puto! Vete a la chingada, gusano sin chile. Largate, mugroso, apestoso. Tus palabras me enrabian, me hacen querer tirar chingasos. Fuera, fraude!

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  13. Everyone knows Cesar's Facebook was hacked. He's on it and BPD has been notified. So, disregard the posts above from the clowns trying to make him look like a Martinez puppet. That's a laugh!!! HA ha!

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    1. Shut up, you goddamned fool! Cesar is no big fucking deal. Puppet Puppet Puppet Puppet. ja ja ja MEJICO!!!

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    2. He wasn't hacked, he was being an idiot on FB, he's green and is too smart he's dumb to think it through, pendejos

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  14. Hacked? Come on , you can use a better excuse. In time Cesar will show everyone what he is and wh a t he stands for, what he believes in. The "grants" angle he keeps talking about? Galonsky all the way! It's pretty obvious where that is heading to.

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  15. Mr. Barton, please remove the image owned by me (TruImage Photography) as you do not have permission to use it. Thank you!

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    1. With little interference from guards, the inmates rampage.

      Video images capture dozens of prisoners racing over fences, pummeling one another, breaking windows and furniture and wheeling bodies stacked on a cart.

      Guards are there, but do little more than watch as inmates force open gates and stroll through corridors en masse. Later, the guards can be seen dragging the wounded, and several apparently dead prisoners, into a room.

      After the riot, at a prison in San Luis Potosí State in central Mexico two years ago, the authorities said 13 people had been killed and 65 wounded.

      Now the video footage, recorded by security cameras at the time of the riot, is providing a vivid illustration of what actually happened inside the prison, raising tough questions about the response to such outbreaks in the country’s chronically overcrowded and violent prisons.

      Jailbreaks, massacres and deadly rioting, sometimes in collusion with corrupt guards, are common in Mexico.

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  16. To: Anony 10:47
    What the Fuck are you babbling about? If you know something say it, pendejo. Why don't YOU (the armchair quarterback) tell us? You probably didn't even vote. The "grants" angle. What the Fuck is that? How can Galonsky possibly benefit from the City getting grants. Can you please splain it to us? Where is "that" heading to? Enlighten us you fucking moron.

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    1. Struck a nerve? Ha ha ...the pendejo is you for following along like sheep after the puppet Cesar while Galonsky laughs all the way to the bank. Why don't you (the dense follower)ask Cesar to enlighten you ?

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    2. I thought so, puro babble. Pendejo

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    3. Follow the grants......ha ha ha ........people pay attention !

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  17. Can democracy exist when the public is apathetic and ignorant, as it is here in Cameron County??

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  18. What's maddening with Rick "The Prick" Perry- now the 1176th declared GOP presidential candidate - is that he is doubling down on already double downed insanity. I know the Republican clown car is crowded - what with all the big shoes, small minds, and malfunctioning hearts - but when George Pataki is the sanest one in the vehicle, your party has more than an upcoming election to worry about.

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  19. “There are no scientific grounds for assuming congenital Mexican disabilities. The problem is not biological, but cultural and educational.”

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  20. Eh, Raza, wassup with the Blimp, wightman, abusing the VA? One year of lousy service and he tales over medical care at the Harlingen VA. Where's the outrage! colon, bladder, spleen, epidural, cyst surgey. Que mas? Hijo de su pinche madre. he's bankrupting the VA!!!!

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    1. ja ja ja ja DA BLIMP! Our own Captain Kangaroo!

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  21. what they are doing is violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. If a citizen's comments period has been allowed at city meetings as a tradition, and the commission starts fucking with that tradition by changing the comment period from the beginning of meetings to the end, reducing the time allowed to speak from say 5 mins to 2 mins, discontinuing comments altogether, censoring comments in the media (TV, Radio, Internet, Press, etc) the assholes are in violation and need to be filed against in court and with Texas Attorney General. If found guilty they forfeit office!

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