The LNG issue was definitely on the minds of those who filled a side room at Brownsville's Southmost Library Tuesday night for a Brownsville Navigational District candidate forum as evidenced by the fact that most of the questions in the Q&A part of the forum dealt with LNG. The event was co-sponsored by the Brownsville chapter of the League of Women Voters and Mary Helen Flores' Citizens Against Voter Abuse, CAVA.
Two candidates for the Brownsville Navigational District were no-shows, District 4 candidates Steve Guerra and Javier Vera. Vera sent his wife Nancy Vera, who showed up in culottes to read a statement on her husband's behalf. Mrs. Vera, describing her husband as a "good guy," stated that he had worked as an auditor at the port and favored "new growth that does not impact the environment."
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| Nancy Vela, Patrick Anderson, Cesar Lopez, John Wood |
Anderson feels that community leaders like Los Fresnos' Val Champion fail to look beyond the "facts" companies present, ignoring pollution issues. Anderson estimates that one LNG plant alone will emit 500,000 tons of pollution annually into the Cameron County atmosphere.
Cesar Lopez, currently president of the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees, is seeking BND District 2, along with former city and county commissioner John Wood.
Lopez, who obviously favors the LNG plants, believes that the federal government will "properly vet" those companies.
After the meeting, Lopez and I briefly tussled about how many local jobs the LNG plants will create. I said that the industry was so safety conscious that they would ONLY hire those with LNG experience with locals relegated to janitorial, landscaping and security jobs only.
Lopez disagreed, stating that "hundreds of jobs" would be given to locals in constructing the plants.
John Wood, Lopez' opponent for District 2, states that the LNG companies are not "like the chemical plants of 40 to 50 years ago," but much safer and more conscientious with respect to the environment.
Wood said that LNG's safety record was "very good in the U.S."
From the editor: This was the first event I've attended since losing Nena. I deeply appreciate the kind words of condolence spoken by several in attendance.
Yesterday, my sister dropped off the picture below, taken 50 years ago in front of a building on Coria Street in Brownsville:
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| Jim and Nena Barton |
John Wood is not simply seeking a spot on BND. He’s seeking re-election.
ReplyDeleteThis may change your perspective on the forum and that race.
Jim welcome back. Great vintage pic. And thanks for the balanced coverage.
ReplyDeleteBobby WC
Good to have you back inside the outhouse, Barton, which is what Brownsville will turn into if we allow LNG's to take a massive toxic dump in our backyard. LNG has no place in the Port of Brownsville because it is a polluter that will kill our environment and the thousands of jobs that depend on it. As if that weren't enough, the LNG polluters are whining about paying taxes. Nowhere do we have leadership with vision; we are absolutely fucked. Thank you Rene Oliveira and Los Sucios Lucios for bending over and taking it up the channel and go fuck yourself Port Chairman Ralph Cowen and his lapdog Eddie Campirano for being short sighted and greedy and Ratface Eddie Trevino whose rodent p-brain gnaws no boundaries when it comes to fucking over people for his own profit and while you're at it, throw in Montoya's teat, Tampax Dominguez who worries more about the price of tampons than the toxic wasteland looming ahead from his endorsement of LNG polluters. We are really fucked.
ReplyDeleteSo who do we vote for. It is no great secret George Gavito is helpig with Guerra's campaign so he can get his job back at the Port. While we are at it. Why nothing in your post about Cesar Lopez's unrelenting support for LNG.
ReplyDeleteBobby WC
Someone please tell the anti jobs assholes that they lost. You all should have used facts instead of lies in your half ass campaign. People in the RGV are smarter than you thought. The USA energy sector, especially natural gas is experiencing incredible growth. WE ARE BUILDING THIS COUNTRY WHILE YOU SIT ON YOUR WELFARE ASSES PROTESTING. We won, you lost.
ReplyDeleteYup, true dat. Great jobs on the way.
DeleteThank you, Tad Hasse.
DeleteWe need jobs, not unemployable protesters.
ReplyDelete