by Jim Barton





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      If the basic role of a school board is to protect and carefully manage the financial, tangible and personnel assets of the district, the BISD Board of Trustees are miserable, unconscionable failures.   If you believe that the children's interests are more important than increasing the profits attorneys and health insurance providers than you are in total disagreement with the BISD board.  

     At the BISD budget meeting January 16, trustees could not even ACT impartial while pretending to monitor the presentations of three firms competing for the right to represent the district in delinquent tax collections.  Budget committee chairperson Cata Presas-Garcia actually took two potty breaks during the Pena group's 17 minute presentation.  To objective observers, the Pena group offered to continue collections with the lowest fees charged to the district.  The Perdue group demonstrated superior collection rates in those districts where they had succeeded Linebarger in the tax collection role.  But the trustees thinly-veiled preference for the Linebarger group were confirmed with Linebarger's quick selection following the presentations.   

     Reasearcher/Blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes discovered at least 5,250 reasons for certain trustees to favor Linebarger:

CHRISTINA SAAVEDRA12/13/2010 $500 from Rene Oliviera12/13/2010 $1,000 from ERD International 12/14/2010 $1,000 from Linebarger (tax collection company)12/13/2010 $500 From Esparza & Garza (they promote Linebarger)no date $250 from Mullen Pension & Benefits Group 12/13/2010 $1,000 from Gilbert Hinojosa (lobbies locally for Linebarger)11/01/2010 $500 from Rene Oliviera10/05/2010 $1,000 from Linebarger10/06/2010 $600.00 from Sylvia Atkinson

LUCY LONGORIA

10/08/2010 $1,000 Linebarger 

ENRIQUE ESCOBEDO
11/15/2010 $1,000 Linebarger
10/04/2010 $500 Rene Oliviera
10/04/2010 $500 Rene Olivera (who he named BISD's interim counsel) 
10/19/2010 $500 Linebarger
10/04/2010 $750 Esparza & Garza



     We must also factor in State Representative Rene Olivera's appointment as BISD interim counsel.  Oliveira has been a Linebarger advocate for over a decade.  Notice this excerpt from Mean Mister Brownsville's archives:  

     First, a little historical perspective:  In 2001 Oliveira spearheaded a committee to remove a line in section 3308 of the tax code limiting the delinquent tax collection fee to 15%, subsequently including language allowing a tax collection fee rate of 20%.  That bill sailed through the Ways & Means Committee of which Rene was chairman and was passed by the entire house.   Considering Linebarger's near statewide presence in tax collection, how many millions of dollars did this sleight of hand add to the agency's coffers?

     Now, we learn that on the agenda for the 2/15/12 BISD board meeting is an agenda item rewarding the Linebarger firm for all their kindnesses with a 2.5% increase in their collection fees.  Based on last year's collections, that's a $125,000 gift to the huge legal firm.  Why, in a time of budget cuts, is the BISD board rewarding an enormously wealthy law firm with more money to simply do their job?  The answer is simple.  The BISD board works for Linebarger, not the kids.