Charlie Atkinson Defends Spending on Sports Park, Blasts Zoo and Museum of Fine Art Expenditures

City Commissioner Rose Gowen, who now serves as chairperson for the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation has given impetus to the push for an independent audit of the controversial Brownsville Sports Park located on the outskirts of Olmito.

Gowen wonders out loud if 4B tax fund earmarked for quality-of-life projects haven't been funneled lopsidedly into t-ball and skateboarding north of town to the neglect of the arts and personal wellness promotion.

Mean Mister Brownsville commented publicly on the need for such an audit and was immediately challenged by someone closely identified with the sports park, former commissioner Charlie Atkinson.  Atkinson, the last time we saw him, was unplugging his laptop at the City Commission after a sound whipping by an unknown write-in candidate Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa.  The crushing landslide was more of a referendum on Atkinson, than a mandate for the then unknown Tetreau-Kalifa. As one resident of Alan-A-Dale told us at the time:  " I would vote for a mesquite tree residing in District 2 before I would vote for Charlie Atkinson."

Brownsville residents have long been concerned about the huge overruns and mismanagement of the sports park and feel they were incredibly oversold on its potential for profitability.  Here are the recent exchanges between Mean Mister Brownsville, Atkinson and other citizens concerning the proposed audit:

Mean Mister Brownsville:  "Look out for things the original contractors "forgot," do-overs, anything going outside the normal bidding process.  Look out for any work performed by American Surveillance or any contractors friendly with Charlie Atkinson.  It's a nice park for 12-15 million, but not 33.5 million.  It's also too far out of town, but that ship has sailed.  Poor planning, poor execution, poor project management."

CHARLIE ATKINSON:  "Hey Jim Barton, 13 million was spent on the infrastructure and drainage of the whole park.  It was raw land so it cost that much to install underground utilities and sewers.  The audit is warranted and a good idea because then the citizens will see that things were done by the book.  36 million was spent on UTB's theatre arts building using tax payer dollars and 99 per cent of Brownsville will never see the inside of this building.  The sports park is the best thing that has happen for the youth of Brownsville.  In 2003 this project was planned by over 150 citizens who met and gave input on what they wanted to see in our sports park.  Mayor Vela and her commissioners back then set up committees and got public input so the park was built with the citizen's input and wants for that park. I would rather spend our tax dollars on a park a quality of life project that benefits the masses than to select special interest groups like the zoo and museum of fine arts who want our poor citizens to pay for something they will never go to."

Martin Buitron:  So as I understand former(thank heaven) commissioner Charlie A. doesn't support the zoo or a fine arts museum but you would support a park.  What do Brownsville tourists do when they visit the city you once represented?  Do they go to the park or do they go to the zoo?  I guess you've never been to the zoo on a weekend or during one of the holiday events.  Maybe 10% of the visitors are tourists but the rest are folks form Brownsville(the city you once represented.)

As for me I appreciate everything our zoo and our art museum has to offer.  I can spend hours shooting photos of the animals and plants.  So, as you put it UTB/TSC built a theater arts building and you are saying 99% of the citizens of the city you once represented will never see the inside of this building.  Those are very poor expectations you have of the citizens that voted for you.  You should be ashamed of yourself.  The sports park might be nice, but I didn't see 35 million worth of nice.  13 million for infrastructure.  Who are you trying to kid?"

Mean Mister Brownsville:  The unanswered question for me(about the audit) is: "Why now?"  This should have been done years ago.  I hope they don't gerrymander the scope of the audit to hide corruption.  Also, will the city aggressively go after recovery if there were overcharges, kickbacks?  Their track record is not good.  They let the dentist who bilked the city for $400,000 off the hood for just $70,000."

Craig Grove:  "Jim, I am glad to see this and you and I have the same concerns. . . . "

Tim Lopes:  "All the records need to be put away for safekeeping now and I believe it should also be a forensic audit, so that we don't end up with a lot of loose ends.  Either way, I'm glad this is finally getting done."

CHARLIE ATKINSON:  "You should spend more time utilizing the park and exercising fat boy instead of criticizing and bitching."

Camille Atkinson:  "To begin with Charlie was not a Commissioner when this got started, he just made sure it got finished when so much money had already been put into it.  Secondly, it would be nice if people who commented used their real names to back up their comments.  My husband, Charlie, has always been a big supporter of youth sports and that is something I will always be tremendously proud of.  Thanks Charlie!"

Randy Tridwr:  . . . . . As for hiding my name I have more evidence about the commissioners than they would like me to have and as for Charlie being for youth sports does not make him qualified to handle or make decisions on a project this size.  As for defending Charlie, that what wives are for."

CHARLIE ATKINSON:  "I just want people to know that the city gives the zoo over $400,000 a year and the MFA over $300,000 a year and have been for decades. . . . . Everything at the sports park goes back to the city.  Why doesn't the zoo or the museum give back?  It's a racket and has been and you have people on the city commission who won't address it. . . . . When do the leaches stop leaching? "

CHARLIE ATKINSON:  :Wow, just reading "John Johnson" everyone can tell its Craig Grove. Craig, give it up and be a man and leave your real name.  I have seen the numbers and the Sports Park brings in more sales tax dollars to our city than the museum and the zoo combined.  The zoo and the museum are lucky we have the Sports Park because teams that play at the park during tournaments come into our city and spend money.  Nobody besides your lame butt will wake up and decide to drive over 300 miles to a zoo or museum.  People from out of town come to Brownsville for a sports tournament.  Cities bid for the Superbowl upwards to 60 million dollars.  Wake up Craig and stop milking our city out of our tax dollars for your stupid little pet projects.  Man up and get a life.  Argue with me, not my wife.  You know where I live.  Lets meet face to face and settle your hatred with me.  I don't hate you.  I feel sorry for you One eyed Willie."

ADDENDUM:  Don't we all miss old Charlie, our bull-in-a-china-closet former commissioner?  After we sent him packing from the City Commission, he's doing quite well for himself, thank you very much.  He has a sister, Sylvia, in Human Resources at BISD, who vaulted Charlie past all the qualified, certified, experienced coaches and teachers waiting in line and gave him a P.E. coach job at Faulk Middle School.  


With Charlie and Pat gone, the decibel level at the City Commission has been turned down to a whisper.  The City Commission is being reduced to simply nodding to recommendations made by Cabler's team.  They can affirm the recommendation this meeting or table it and affirm it the next as Tony moves the city closer and closer to autocracy.