Thursday, March 10, 2016

Texas Southmost College Trustee Elections May Key Community College's Future

Dr. Antonio Juarez with Campaign Manager/
Wife at Cobbleheads event Wednesday night
With Hector Guzman playing tunes from the Lovin' Spoonful, the Mamas and the Papas and the Eagles, we took a seat at a Cobbleheads table for the Dr. Antonio Juarez Meet and Greet with TSC Trustees Adela Garza and Trey Mendez, along with local advocates Alex Guerrero and Gilbert Velasquez.  

Much of the conversation involved improving and growing TSC.

"Lily Tercero did a good job with accreditation and the lowering of tuition.  Now, we need the president to lead in marketing the college. Brownsville and the county have a great demographic for growing enrollment," stated TSC Trustee Trey Mendez.

An alarming rate of attrition among faculty and administration was a concern expressed at the table.  The loss of skilled personnel was linked to "micromanagement" from the top.

Mendez and Garza, along with candidates Ruben Herrera and Antonio Juarez, could conceivably create a new majority.  The need for such a contingent was illustrated when Tercero was able to push past the board $185,000 in "consultant fees" for her old bud from a Fort Worth junior college, Dr. Leonardo De la Garza.  De la Garza is viewed by some trustees as an unnecessary Tercero security blanket.  

"She told us she could do the job herself," was an opinion expressed at the table.

Antonio Juarez event at Cobbleheads
Dr. Antonio Juarez(his doctorate is in education) presented himself to the Cobblehead's crowd as a "product of the Citrus Gardens housing project," a six year army vet and a man who passed his CPA exam, despite being advised by his Pan American College instructor to change majors.  He wants to tweak the E-book program, match curriculum to the needs of local business and grow enrollment.

Tony Zavaleta-Reid, Candidate for TSC
Trustee, Place 3
Juarez is not unopposed.  He faces opposition from J.J. De Leon, Evelyn Cantu and Tony Zavaleta. Zavaleta, particularly, has administrative and professorial experience at TSC. 

"Yes, but it was during his tenure that the abuses of former UTB President Juliet Garcia were implemented," observed someone seated at our table.

Zavaleta lost his last run for office in 2010 when Brownsville Cheezmeh-promoted candidate John Villarreal narrowly won City Commissioner District 4.  In retrospect, the chemistry of the City Commission might have been considerably altered with Zavaleta, not a pipsqueak, afraid to express himself.  You may recall that Zavaleta, in his campaign for City Commission, advocated free downtown parking, among other novel concepts.

TSC Trustee Trey Mendez
Tonight, the popular TSC Trustee, Trey Mendez, kicks off his campaign for TSC Trustee, Place 4. The event, which starts at 5:30 PM, has been moved to the Alonso Building because of the possibility of rain.  

3 comments:

  1. Did u hear? MORGS Graham took Jhon Chambers off the ballet! Apparently, Victor Cortez and MORGS have been gettin chummie. Been seen together more around town. She didn't even wait for John to clear his good name. Dirty politics reigns supreme in Cameron County. How could you Morgan? I thought you were different. John and Christina Chambers have done more for this party than you ever will. GO HOME MORGS! You have failed us as chair! Thanks to you, now we have four more years of Lucio!

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  2. He is a convicted felon. What part don't you get? He had a jury of his peers find him guilty. The hypocrisy you say you are different than the dems yet when Morgan does what is right you scream. You can't have it both ways. She did not create your case John Chambers. YOU DID. Get it. JURY OF YOUR PEERS I like you John but you messed up big time.

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  3. Morgan didn't have a choice. Morgan obeys the law unlike your CONVICTED felon of a candidate. She read out loud and showed everybody the documents and the underlined the law showing if she didn't do it that would have been failing as a chairman and violating the law.145.003 (g) and 172.058 (c) read them. It says she had to remove that FELON when she got things proving him ineligible. im a retired police chief and I read and understand it what's your excuse?
    Good luck telling somebody to resign for doing their job. Seems the Chamber cash cards are enough to buy you!!!!!! He hasn't done squat that wasn't about his campaign and yeah they have been seen together at PARTY events dummy. No shit they'll both be there. She's the damn party chairman.

    Thanks to your dumbass felon of a candidate the local party has a ruined record because once we could say we don't have crooks on our ballot that we vote for. Well a bunch of dumbasses voted for your crook.

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TSC Board of Trustees Thursday evening's Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees meeting at Gorgas Hall , the first since the passing...