Scattered Thoughts~Linda Salazar, John Villarreal, FBI, Evaristo Gamez

Linda Salazar, "The Wedding Planner"

After reading Juan Montoya's article in El Rrun Rrunabout Justice of the Peace of the Peace Linda Salazar using office staff as hallway runners to intercept those registering for a marriage license and steer them to Salazar for the $250.00 ceremony, it occurred to us that Salazar was using methodology similar to Nuevo Progreso dentists.  Dentists have strategically placed runners with business cards and price sheets who, once finding out you need dental work, will walk you to their bosses' office.

Juan's earlier article about Salazar illustrated how she tipped  more difficult to work cases submitted by state troopers, constables and sheriff's deputies to JP, 2-2 Kip Van Hodge, soon to be replaced by the as-yet-unindicted Erin H. Garcia.  This gives another possible reason for Ernie Hernandez wanting to create a new JP position for Carlos Masso.  Ernie may have been concerned about Erin assuming Kip's workload.

John Villarreal

With the Election Commission open to applications for a new Election Administrator, what about John Villarreal?  With a degree and bilingual, he meets some of the criteria.  But, this statement by County Judge Carlos Cascos may rule John out:  "If they have been past officers of either party, I know that I would not support anybody like that.  It would give the appearance that somebody was coming in on a bias on a certain political thought process."

Many also still remember how John went livid last summer at EarthFest on seeing Mary Helen Flores, a supporter of his former opponent in the commissioner race, Tony Zavaleta, passing out CAVA fliers.  Add that to his close ties with Ernie Hernandezsoon to be more solidified with the marriage of his sweet sister Joanna to Ernie's son, the normally mild-mannered Villarreal may not be the person Cameron County needs in that critical role.

Jerry Mchale, who is briefly leaving the blogosphere to be with his ill 87 year old father.departs with this kind, if inaccurate, note:  "I will not be posting for a week. Brownsville is in the good hands of Juan Montoya and Jim Barton. I sometimes consider my blog hardly more than the frosting on their cake. But I will return and I will remain vigilant."

We wish Jerry a peaceful, nostalgic visit with his father and family, especially if it turns out, as he suspects, to be their final days with his dad.

Visiting with the F.B.I. can be educational, particularly with respect to understanding their scope, jurisdiction and focus with the emphasis on federal matters.  Just as acts you assume would garner their interest, actually do not,  seemingly trivial infractions may catch their interest.

We've detailed on this blog how Election Judge Arvelia Villolon summoned Roger Ortiz to confront us about taking pictures of vans delivering the elderly, disabled and mentally-challenged to the Cameron Park polling place during early voting last July.  The issue was having a camera within the measured polling area, a regulation we willingly obeyed.  When Ortiz found that our camera was in our vehicle as we told Ms. Villolon it would be, he said that we were loitering.  One of the agents we spoke with found that charge to be out of the purview of the election administrator and bordering on criminal.  But Ortiz has enough problems.  If he can fade off into the sunset and do no more harm to the process, we'll be satisfied.

A popular videostreamed comedy show host raised the possibility of a show themed on the seeming second death of downtown Brownsville.  Fixtures in the Permit DepartmentEvaristo Gamez and Leonel Garza are frequent targets for those who feel permit approval moves along at a snail's pace downtown.  While Mayor Tony Martinez did mention downtown revitalization as a priority of his administration, he finds little to inspire him unless it also involves UTB.  The clandestine forum now called Imagine Brownsville uses its imagination only to raise funds, siphoning off tax dollars via several city entities, but has yet to plant its first tree or lay its first brick downtown.

Cata Presas-Garcia
Courtesy of Chris Davis

Juan Montoya of El Rrun Rrun, in what may be his victory lap of subsidized articles for Cata Presas-Garcia, lamented:

 " . . . . . . . local blogger Jim Barton, of Mean Mister Brownsville, Barton continued to post unflattering photos and unfounded allegations of her being a "puppet" for Dallas Accion America president Carlos Quintanilla. Quintanilla has been a favorite whipping boy for Barton, a fledgling would-be newshound."

While we understand the point of view and the incentives involved, that won't stop us from pointing out the obvious close association of the apparently re-elected trustee with the convicted Dallas RICO felon.