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| Donald Clupper |
In a somewhat dishearteningly weak field of candidates for BISD trustee positions, it's like walking through a mine field to find candidates who won't blow up in the face of children's education. Some familiar names have track records of self-service, eager to disseminate BISD's $500,000,000 annual budget with personal enrichment in mind. Others are relatively unknown, but have already formed unwholesome alliances with known vultures.
The race for BISD Position 5 is typical including all of the factors mentioned above: Donald Clupper, a 67 year old political newcomer, but with ties to Brownsville Cheezmeh, Cata Presas-Garcia, an incumbent who switched races and Butch Barbosa, a former City Commissioner.
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| Butch and his best bud Ernie |
Butch Barbosa gets instant disqualification for being an Ernie Hernandez lackey while serving on the City Commission. Barbosa facilitated Ernie getting city wrecker service privileges, an ethical violation in its own right, but we've heard that Ernie was not simply one wrecker out of three getting calls. Some calls were allowed to go to an answering machine and then told, when it was too late, someone else got it. We're told dispatchers got a $25.00 handshake for handling calls in this way. We DO NOT NEED Barbosa on the school board making sweetheart deals for his bud Ernie. Oh, Butch did get the
AOBE endorsement by promising that he would ONLY deal with that particular union in labor negotiations.
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| Presas-Garcia with her "Brother" Carlos |
The mercurial Cata Presas-Garcia has bulldozed her way through BISD with vindictiveness and abandon. Administrators who slight or cross her may find themselves unemployed or working in the BISD dungeon. The spiteful, quick-tempered Presas-Garcia demands respect but seldom earns it. The principle threat to her candidacy comes from the administrators and teachers who are unfortunate enough to have come to know her. She does not have their votes. We haven't even mentioned that she is a puppet of convicted RICO felon Carlos Quintanilla who manipulated her to dismiss the $14.3 million dollar lawsuit for overcharges against Healthsmart or that she was amply rewarded by Linebarger for recognizing they were the only firm to collect delinquent BISD taxes. BTW, Presas-Garcia got the coveted B.U.C. endorsement, partly we're told because of their fear of Barbosa again misusing public office and their lack of familiarity with Clupper.
Neither Barbosa nor Presas-Garcia are educators or educated. They are simply politicians who know how to milk the system. Clupper, on the other hand has a BBA and an MBA, worked many years as a stock broker for E.F. Hutton and Merrill Lynch, then when that office closed in Brownsville became a math teacher for 22 years. He is simply a numbers man. He might be unique as a trustee in actually understanding a budget. Off the cuff, he rattled off every high school in Brownsville, its particular educational focus and transportation needs. Despite his lack of charisma and early affiliation with Cheezmeh, Clupper seems like the obvious best choice for the kids.
BISD school board is currently a circus. If Clupper is elected it will be a three ring circus. We certainly do not need such form of entertainment making decisions for our children.
ReplyDeleteYeah! Clupper seems to be the better choice!
ReplyDeleteI voted for Mr. Clupper. If you care anything about the future course of BISD, there is only one logical choice and that choice is Mr. Clupper.
ReplyDeleteTo the first comment, so what are you saying, the current administration is a bunch of clowns? Three ring circus? At least Mr. Clupper has a college degree, two in fact and also a formidable and extensive background in education. His opponents can not make those claims. Mr. Clupper knows not only knows what is needed to in the classroom and at a management level to restore BISD to its former glory but also has a vision that would plan and prepare our students' curriculum for the needs of the future.
ReplyDeleteI voted for Donald Clupper and so should you.
Historically former school employees have a very poor record of being a good board member. BISD as well as other districts in the valley have had similar bad experiences with this type of board member.
ReplyDeleteLet's focus on BISD. Our basic problem is candidates manipulated by outside interlopers, primarily insurance interests. Healthsmart has a huge financial interest still in BISD, fending off a potential lawsuit. Carlos Quintanilla is the operative, financed by Ted Parker. Linebarger spends money to make money by contributing heavily to the campaigns of cooperative trustees.
DeleteJIm
Jim, if you're so concerned about insurance issues, why do you ignore Johnny Cavazos and his cohorts Aguilar, Colunga, Zayas, and Cortez? Do you really think that Healthsmart compares to Johnny Cavazos and hig gang of $4. Don't you get it. The people threw their asses out. Caty stood tall against them. Pena folded like a wimp. Aguilar and Colunga won't even run. You're paranoid and ignore obvious facts. If Quintanilla was backing her, why isn't there a PAC pouring money into this campaign? Wake up, dude! You should be worrying about Barbosa and a known calabazista like Powers. WTF!
DeleteJohnny Cavasos is dead and didn't take from BISD money like Healthsmart. He gave them bids with set comissions nothing hidden unlike Healthsmart. The one to go after is the Salazar Group they are just as bad as Healthsmart and the one the current group is in with. Aguilar and Colunga are both retired and don't need to be bothered with such things anymore.
DeleteAstute analysis, Jim. Just a few issues to ponder. While being educated is most certainly a crucial ingredient for making a positive impact upon BISD as a board member, being an educator is not necessarily so and typically overrated. Having classroom experience is much different than having the capacity to influence the classroom experience as a board member. Few of the roles and responsibilities of a sitting board member center around directly impacting the classroom experience. A board members indirect classroom influence is a topic for another discussion. Moreover, Mr. Clupper's persona as sort of a cranky, know it all will make it challenging for him to achieve measurable success as a board member. Such things as building consensus and utilizing broad based considerations when approving policies and functions of the district run against the grain of his approach. The hope is that Mr. Clupper does possess the ability to get out of the way of himself so as to consistently do the right thing if elected. At the end of the day, it is not about being right, it is about being effective.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I voted for him too. For precisely the same reasons you succinctly pointed out. Hopefully, the idealism we both possess will not turn out to be only right yet ineffective. Splitting the vote will only serve to accomplish the one thing the district cannot afford. Allowing the most despicable person ever to serve on the BISD board another 4 years would be the worst of all possible outcomes.
I'm hopeful. He's not the perfect candidate, but not unreasonable. I observed some interplay he had with Lucy Longoria where she said he had his numbers wrong. He didn't get bent out of shape, but mentioned that he had got his numbers from the CFO that morning, that while her overall number was correct, he was speaking only about the unfunded balance.
DeleteWhat I'm hoping to avoid is a candidate that views the district as an opportunity to make money. I suspect both Barbosa and Presas-Garcia are in that category.
Jim
You're making huge allowances for a man who has a weak reputation among his teaching colleagues. Clupper may stand apart from the others on a few personality traits, but he is no better than Barbosa and the Presas-Garcia lady. You seem to be in a "settling" mode, and that simply goes along with the inherent problem related to the kind of candidates Brownsville endures.
DeleteYou're correct. I'm settling for someone seemingly honest with no obvious connection to Carlos Quintanilla or Ernie Hernandez, Jr. This blog has been pretty consistent in opposing those two corrupt influences. After all, it's our children's and grandchildren's money.
DeleteJim
Clupper may be a good man and may be the best candidate for BISD Trustee....but as an Anglo in one of the most prejudice places on earth....he doesn't stand a chance. The Hispanics here....about 95% of the population....don't care if he is the best person....they won't vote for him because he is Anglo. Here, the majority (Hispanic) blame the Anglos for all the ills of the world.....sort of like Obama blames Bush for all the ills in this country. Most Hispanics will say they are not prejudiced....but at election time they will vote against Anglos candidates...even if they may be the best candidate. Just as African-Americans vote for Obama because of his race...not that he is the best candidate.
ReplyDeleteYou exhibit a remarkable lack of understanding of the journey Valley Hispanics have been on for more than a century. Perhaps you are new to town. And, yes, these same Hispanics who weathered harsh treatment from the Anglo powers of the past have every right to turn the tables on Whitey. I'd be for that, but not for long, for it is still in the best interest of local Hispanics to triumph over corruption and this "tomorrow" mentality. The "blaming" you refer to is no longer an issue here. Open your eyes, clear your ears, lad. Today's local Hispanics are just as sophisticated as the Anglos are and were. stuffing the ballot box? Ever hear of Duval County and that infamous race that LBJ won? Ever hear of Othal Brand up the river in hidalgo County? Maybe you haven't. This Clupper fella may be the best you can find, but don't expect a similar assessment from your neighbors simply because that is what you wish. Hispanics are where they are in Brownville because of where they've been. They have it in hand. My only wish and hope is that they do better than the Anglos who had the power before them. As for Brownsville being the "most prejudiced place on earth," well, son, let me point you to today's Dallas and Philadelphia and even that lovely town in Augusta, Georgia where they play the annual Master's Golf Tournament. Prejudice in Browntown? Obscenity!
DeleteI can't argue with much of that. Clupper is likely unelectable. After all, Cameron County just selected the niece of politiquera Herminia Becerra, Sylvia Garza-Perez as the new Democratic Chair running against two better qualified Anglo candidates. The election wasn't even close.
DeleteLad? That must be DP-M.
DeleteYes, Mr. Clupper is an Anglo but he is not the best qualified candidate for the position regardless of his postsecondary degrees. Therefore, do not make it a race situation. Those of us that have worked with the gentleman would not recommend him for the position based on his character and personality.
DeleteNot to say that the other candidate (Cata) is better, the voters do not really have a choice. I will not vote for Cata or Clupper.
"..Obama because of his race...not that he is the best candidate."
DeleteOf course! Romney will be our Saviour. Maybe when he gets elected, my 12 million illegal alien friends and I will self-deport.
Hey, Jim, that reads like it's from DP-M. And you say all he does is diss local Hispanics?
DeleteI never said that. /DP-M told me he ALWAYS signs his offerings.
DeleteJ
Hmmm, if not DP-M, maybe Rey "El Che" Guevara in undercover mode?
DeleteRey would like to be DP-M! If only!!! ja ja ja
DeleteIt's laughable that the right can't seem to come to terms with Bush pushing the economy over the cliff. If a Democratic president would have led us into two wars on false pretenses, Republicans surely would be trying to impeach him. Hell, they are such hypocrites that they tried to impeach Clinton (one of historys best presidents) over a blow job. All while they're partys reps are tapping their feet under under bathroom stalls trying to get a homo blowjob. The Hypocrocy from the rightis so unreal. The most prejudice place on earth... laughable once again, how about Arizona? Maybe you should pack up and move there. I do agree that Hispanics need to support a candidate based on qualification not who thy are related to or ethnicity. I feel like with the Hernandez stuff it is opening peoples eyes. And yes it's sad but true we have Sylvia Garza-Perez....Damn can't say much there, but that is where we differ my friend. I actually will admit where we have faults, Becerra should be in jail and your Republican Carlos Cascos isn't doing a damn thing about it, on the contrary he's aligned himself with Ernie. I hope Rick Perry takes this into consideration before appointing him Sec. of State.
Deletehe may not be the recommendation of his peers, but anything is better than cata or butch...
ReplyDeleteGood discusssion/opinions on Education. Read the article by Bobby Wrightman Cervantes in The Brownsville Herald "My Turn" October 25, 2012 on Education. I don't know Mr. Cernavtes but I have read some of his writings. He points out what is wrong with our educational system. Ask your self a question,"If I were a stock holder (owned stock) and expected a profit (positive education results) from a corporation I own "BISD",would I hire any of these candidates to run my $500,000,000.00 Corporation? Would I buy stock or invest my hard owned money in this Corporation? Your are a stock holder and you are investing your money!What Mr Cervanes points are problems that have been known for some time and but no one will take the lead to replace the system we have.We need an action plan to correct our educational system.
ReplyDeleteParishioners at a local church were dismayed last Sunday when, upon exiting Sunday morning services, they discovered Butch Barbosa flyers stuck to their windshields. Apparently Barbosa has no shame or sense of respect. His operatives trespassed on private property and disrupted what should have been a peaceful morning of worship with his hate propaganda against his opponent in the Brownsville BISD School Board race. The padre seemed so upset that he might have considered invoking divine intervention against Butch. Well, that low brow stunt at least cost Butch any hope of getting my vote.
ReplyDeleteAnd what? Mathews' and Valley Interfaith don't use the cloak and their religous arm twisting to rally the votes? All is fair in war and politics! If you think Cata is right for the ticket, go for it! The law will remove her in short order! And yes, Bush spent a bunch of money with 911 and the development of the Home Land Security Dept. but that was needed at the time. The wars! That I don't agree with and they should not have happened! Now let's give credit where credit is due! Ever heard of the "Community Reinvestment Act" under Bill Clinton? What do you think created the "Sub-Prime" mess? Everybody deserves a home. Yes they do, but not if their credit sucks and that was Clinton's baby and he is very much responsible for the economy Obama inherited! So while Monica was tootin his horn, Billy the "Puto" was screwing us with this slow developing Sunami! So don't blame Bush for everything. The nagger we have in Washington right now don't give a rats ass about you and me and the only thing he is good for is throwing million dollar parties at the White House and continues to nag that this is all George's fault!
ReplyDeleteSo in closing, go ahead and vote for that idiot also, your vote don't mean shit in Texas! Texas is going with Romney!
I'm sorry but mr clupper does not seem very smart, first he reads and pays cheezmeh, minus 10 points, he thinks Erin is a good lawyer and even recommends her minus 50 points, then, did anybody read his political add on Sunday? He should be talking about himself or his opponent instead he talked about William garza and he should have hired one of his colleagues Spanish teacher to help with his ad, ithe Spanish was embarrassing minus 100 points, poor guy,
ReplyDelete