by Jim Barton on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 5:53pm
As Brownsville waits with baited breath to see if the report of Armando Villalobos' pending indictment is simply a mirage or actually an epic judicial turning point for our abused, impoverished community, Jerry Mchale on his blog Browntown Blues takes us down memory lane to remind us that our current crop of self-serving leaders are not that different from their historic predecessors:
"Corrupt because Solomon Ortiz, Eddie Lucio Jr., Gilbert Hinojosa, Abel Limas, Jim Solis, Ernie Hernandez and Conrado Cantu's names speak for themselves. Brownsville, if the truth be known, is synonymous with crooks. Charles Stillman, Brownsville's founder, initiated this Third World City's fall into the abyss with the assistance of his cronies Miflin Kenedy and Richard King. They monopolized business, from promoting their steam ships at the expense of railroad expansion to stealing thousands of acres from the original landowners to renouncing their citizenship as Unionists and Easterners to join the Confederacy in order to make millions transporting cotton contraband through Matamoros to Europe."
As depressing as Jerry's synopsis of our city's history above, many of Brownsville's knowledgeable citizens will heave a heavy, heavy sigh of dissappointment if Juan Montoya' dramatic disclosure proves unfounded.
It's so much easier to provide justice for a 20 year old who steals a 12-pack of beer from a Stripes Convenience Store. That youth is not deeply connected, entangled within the system that will judge him. They owe him no favors and give him none.
Those who want clean government may have their hope dashed again. Do you remember that empty feeling you had when Casey Anthony was found "not guilty" on all but the least of the counts against her? Of course, we're talking about a possible indictment here, not a conviction.
Jerry not only wants us to understand our city's history, he doesn't want our problems glossed over with whitewashing press releases. He mentions Mayor Tony Martinez state of denial about border security. Remember Martinez went dove hunting with his two sons in the county and saw no big bad Zetas. Here is Mchale's take on the mayor:
"When you hear Mayor Martinez parroting the special interests' line that the border is safer than a park in Nebraska, you shake your head and ask yourself, 'Es tan pendejo este puto o es un pinche buey vendido?'"
Of course, reality is not that easy to face nor history always that pretty, but what if our town could turn an historic corner?
One can only hope...
ReplyDeleteSe vale soñar Jim !
ReplyDelete"Where there is a will, there is a way"
ReplyDeleteJerry is right, Tony "buey" Martinez was bought, and paid for.
ReplyDeletewhy complain? mr. villalobos and his cronys would falsefy documents all the time. ask Aurora about falsefying indictments. no one investigate weather they had an actual grand jury or not. the same rule applied to mr. villalobos but now he is on the other side of the coin. very funny when mr. villalobos called amit livingston a fugitive when he himself let him go. ha
ReplyDeleteJuan Montoya needs to take care of hs family first. Keep those kids of his i school. Clothe them and feed them. That's your main job, Juan.
ReplyDeleteJim, your last three pieces are reprints from three different blogs. Some reporter.
ReplyDeleteJim, do not listen to negative comments, just keep up the good work!!!!
ReplyDelete