𝗔 𝗙𝗘𝗪 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗨𝗠

The Cameron County Appraisal Board Candidates Forum was held in the same room as the TSC/BISD thing a couple nights earlier and, despite not knowing some of the candidates, I did jot down some notes.

The Question of the Night Award was won by: 

"If you're involved in real estate, mortgage or development, why is it not a conflict to serve on the appraisal board?"

Ricardo de la Garza's response was that folks in the industry were "good people," not exactly reassuring, but, oh well.

"Please, don't elect people who know nothing," he added.

The question may have been aimed at a slate of Bill Hudson, Minerva Simpson and Norlene C. Chamberlain.

Mortgage Loan Officer Simpson oozed with compassion as she characterized herself as someone who would "extend a thirty year mortgage to a 95 year old," also referencing her humble beginnings by saying that her birth was assisted by a midwife.

"I don't discriminate," she told the forum audience.

Her slate partner, Bill Hudson, an odd combination of arrogance and goofiness, decried a "culture of bullying" at the appraisal district, calling out the "cherry picking" of comparitive properties," also implying inflexibility.

"If you have an issue with your appraisal, you need to pack your bags," Hudson said.

During the forum which was aired on the internet, I received a message from voter advocate Mary Helen Flores, wondering about two men dressed in identical uniforms.  

Sure enough, Ruben Martinez and Ricardo "Ricky" de la Garza were wearing identical white shirts with red and blue embroidered writing, "twins," we could call them, although nothing was said about them being a slate or even a duo.

On my way home I noticed that their campaign signs are also very similar using the same colors.  No joke.

Erasmo Castro with microphone

Erasmo Castro, running against Bill Hudson for Place 1, stressed compassion and his record of "fighting for the people" as he made eye contact with the entire audience during his speech. (I had a brief vision of dealing with either Castro or Hudson about an appraisal, making a mental note of my preference.)

Ruben Martinez, one of the "twins," did say that high property values were beginning to squeeze people out."

Ruben Martinez addressing the forum

Martinez also made an odd statement for a discussion about property appraisal, saying "we don't always need to hit a home run."

Was he saying the system merely needed tweaking, not a total remodel?

Philip Cowen, candidate for Place 3, may have answered my question when he called for "restructuring the board," but also saying he was "anti-slate."

Perhaps giving us a bit more information than needed, Cowen told his that his family had been here "190 years, since 1822."  (Wouldn't that be 202 years?)

Cowen also described his recent baptism, along with his wife, in the Jordan River, "where Christ was baptized." (I guess it would be picky to say Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, becoming the "Christ" afterward, but I'm a backsliding agnostic, so what do I know?)

Fernando Lazo made some good points, calling for an emphasis on "data and analytics," but then lost me when he admonished to "approach every situation with enthusiasm."  

Maybe, that's because he's the breadwinner for a family of 7.  

𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗭𝗔'𝗦 𝗨𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗦 𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟-𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗦𝗖 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗦

From the editor:  I apologize for missing this in my inbox yesterday, the start of early voting, but it's proof that Adela Garza is trying to orchestrate the defeat of two incumbents on the TSC Board of Trustees; Eva Alejandro, her friend of forty years and J.J. De Leon, her co-trustee for the last six years.

Adela is hell-bent on replacing these two experienced trustees, with numerous accomplishments to their credit, with two newbies she can control and manipulate.

It's a desperate move for power and control by someone who doesn't actually give a shit about Texas Southmost College, only her personal recognition and control.

Does Adela's disgraceful conduct remind you of anyone?  If you're old enough, you may indeed recall Julieta V. Garcia, the despot who once controlled operations at the former UT-Brownsville, now UT-RGV.  

Adela has morphed into Juliet over time.

Adela Garza~Julieta V. Garcia

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 "𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗢 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦" 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝟮, 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟵 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗗

submitted by Rene Torres 

𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗧, 𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗬! 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨'𝗥𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗬 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗦, 𝗔𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥!!

 

Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center

As I head over to the Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center for my 12:30PM swim, I noticed Jerry McHale's again posted one of my tiny stories without crediting the author.  That makes five times in the last few months he's neglected to properly credit the posting.(Typically, Jerry credits appropriately)

I'd have mentioned something last night at El Hueso de Fraile, but I thought he was over that shit. . . 

Oh well. . . . .but, while I'm complaining, Jerry frequently includes one photo or none, also undermining the report's impact as the Brownsville Observer follows the code that "Every Picture Tells A Story," to be sung in Rod Stewart's raspy voice.

Reposting my feeble articles without the picture accompaniments is like a wrinkly old man standing naked in front of a full length mirror.

Rod Stewart at 79

Were I a practicing Christian like Jerry, I would not even mention this as it violates the Biblical admonition offered by Saint Paul in his first letter to the congregation in Corinth, Greece, chapter 13, verse 5, NIV, here he defines love, a text former President Trump likely reads daily:

"It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

Someday, I may learn to follow that counsel. . . . or not.

𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟 𝗣𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬'𝗦 𝗘𝗟 𝗛𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗢 𝗗𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗘

Emilio Crixell and Border Soul

El Hueso de Fraile, 827 E. Elizabeth Street, the only downtown venue carrying on the spirit of Ben Neece's Crescent Moon, was the fitting place to hold "Benito's Party," a musical remembrance of Neece.

Both El Hueso and the old Crescent Moon resembled some of the smaller venues along Beale Street in Memphis, where the music was just as good as anywhere else in the world.

One of Brownsville's living treasures, the Foncerrada family, Adrian, Sr., Laura and their three sons, promote the various strains of Latin American music at their venue; Brazilian, Argentinian, Cuban and Mexican, something they did out of a station wagon during the 90's.

"You don't have to be Black to sing the blues," a line from Joan Baez' "Miracles" was running through my mind as Emilio Crixell and Border Soul ran through a snappy 50 minute blues set.

Blogfather Jerry McHale listened patiently as I dropped names of old bluesmen I'd witnessed during my annual pilgrimages to "Memphis in May" in the late 80's, early 90's, while Stan Raines nursed a club soda at the same table.

McHale eventually broke away to talk real estate with developer Dennis Sanchez as Border Soul kept playing.

Three of Neece's sons and their significant others were focused on a montage of pictures of their dad and family on a large wall screen. 

When I told Bryan Neece that his dad had performed our wedding ceremony on a deck overlooking the resaca at Laura Miniel's home, he asked me to send pictures.

𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗔 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗢'𝗩𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗗𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗗, 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣

Patricio Ahumada

The man we used to know as Pat Ahumada, now, at age 71, prefers to be addressed as "Patricio," and we'll honor that request now that we all know we're talking about Brownsville's notorious shrimper/mayor/dog groomer.

Mr. Ahumada, Patricio, offered up a meme prayer on his Facebook page recently on behalf of former President Donald Trump.  While God might have preferred Ahumada write an original, sincere prayer in his own words, He may accept the meme prayer now, just as he did the prayer wheel in ancient times or the fingering of beads of the Rosary.

Ahumada is not alone in Brownsville as an Hispanic ignoring Trump's racial epithets directed toward Mexicans as he walked down the escalator in 2015 to declare for the presidency or his embracing of white supremacists as "very fine people" in 2017 in Charlottesville.

Of course, Ahumada has a history of being easily influenced by con artists, having fallen for the spiel of RICO convict Carlos Quintanilla in 2011 promoting the bogus airline, Fly Frontera.

Many still remember Ahumada raising his voice to citizens not fooled by that con artist: "We're going to lose an airline!"

Now, Ahumada, petitions the Almighty on behalf of another con artist, a racist to his very core, someone who has duped, tricked and fooled so many Americans, including Hispanics:

Trump has kissed the flag, held up a Bible and many in Brownsville somehow view him as a patriotic, religious man, not even seeing clearly the daily evidence of his con.

Despite his convictions of both rape and fraud, with 88 pending felony indictments, many Hispanics in Brownsville and across the country, including Ahumada, just can't see the obvious forest for the trees.

𝗕𝗘𝗡 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝟳𝗣𝗠 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗔𝗧 𝗘𝗟 𝗛𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗢 𝗗𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗘, 𝟴𝟯𝟳 𝗘 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗛

 

𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗬𝗔 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗕𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗦𝗖 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗

Graphic by Diego Rot

From the editor:  Blogger-for-hire Juan Montoya earned his keep with today's post promising blessings to TSC if you vote for Adela Garza puppet, Edward Camarillo.

Hopefully, voters will recognize that Camarillo and two siblings rode Incarnate Word Academy down to its demise, an institution that had been in operation 175 years!  

Adela does not give a flying f*** as long as she has board members she can manipulate, something she hasn't been able to do with adult incumbents Eva Alejandro and J.J. De Leon.

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2024

CAMARILLO: WITH YOUR VOTE, WE WILL RETURN TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE TO ITS FORMER GREATNESS...AND MORE

𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗬𝗦 & 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗟 𝗜𝗡 𝟭𝟵𝟰𝟲

𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗗

Luka with his dad

Basketball is a secondary sport in Brownsville with football being king and the Dallas Cowboys the city's primary rooting interest.

Entering a local sports bar minutes before the start of the Mavs-Clippers game, I noticed a hockey game on most of the screens with no one paying particular attention.  Kindly, the bartender changed the channel just for me.

A few booths from me, I couldn't help but notice a man in a Mavs Luka Doncic 77 jersey, the only other Mavs fan I detected in the building.

Meeting him and his lovely wife, I was introduced to his baby boy, Luka, pictured above.

𝗢𝗠𝗚!!! 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗔𝗥 (𝗕𝗢𝗖𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔) 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧, 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗥, 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗦, 𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦

 

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗔𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟴 (𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗼𝗰𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮) 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘

 submitted by Rene Torres

𝗜𝗦 𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗢 "𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗘" 𝗚𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗔 𝗕𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘? 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗝𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙!

Ernesto "Ernie" Gutierrez (center)

Paraphrasing the late Texas coach Darrell Royal: "If a dog's gonna bite, he'll bite as a pup," Royal's justification for starting the legendary Earl Campbell as a freshman.

The comment above danced around in my mind while attending a lavish event for BND trustee candidate Ernesto "Ernie" Gutierrez at a nicely landscaped 3600 sq. ft home on Canteras Drive, Rancho Viejo, where 100-200 guests treaded carefully around a beautiful pool with a raised infinity hot tub. (No pics as my I-phone battery went dead)

Thirtysomething Ernesto "Ernie" Gutierrez, Candidate for BND Place 1 trustee, isn't all THAT young, but perhaps more genteel than the hardscrabble folk normally associated with the Port of Brownsville, offering a handshake with uncalloused hands.

While not presenting a comprehensive business plan, Gutierrez spoke in generalities like "attracting industry," "transforming the regional economy, etc."

If maritime, cargo and port experience can transfer via osmosis, the Gutierrez pachanga had enough of that; former port commissioner/banker/ John Reed, a communicative real estater from the Brownsville Cheezmeh era, Wally Cisneros, an owner of a Matamoros factory who contantly chomped on a (Cuban?) cigar with another one waiting in the pocket of his guayabera, a very loquacious West Brownsville woman I kept encountering, Yolanda Begum and a Port of Brownville site operator now growing his late father's business. (All of the above want Gutierrez to succeed and think he will.)

As I made my exit, sport coat in hand, I was shocked to meet my two extremely disreputable nephews from an extended in-law family at the door, joking they were both running for BND trustee. (The oldest has spent most of his adult life incarcerated, the younger a con artist extraordinaire and YouTube presence you can do without.  The only explanation for their attendance would be that they were schoolmates of Ernesto, likely stealing his lunch money.)

While it occurred to me to go back inside to warn the guests to hide their purses and protect their wallets, I set my "driving directions" to my address and drove home.

Addendum:  One of Gutierrez' opponents, Beto Torres, told me that Gutierrez was not a U.S. resident.  Well, Gutierrez gave me an address of a substantial Brownsville home he shares with his wife and kids.  I don't view his residence as an issue.

BTW, my i-phone battery is now replaced, so I'll post some pics below:

Rancho Viejo Mayor Maribel Guerrero, Ernesto "Ernie" Gutierrez