Juliet Garcia, Melissa Zamora, Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa No-Shows for Tony's UTB Fest

Tony Martinez

As I walked in the door at 4:39 PM, I flipped the tv to Time-Warner channel 17-12 to see if Tony's UTB Workshop was still in session. It appears I got home just in time as Tony was just starting his presentation.  Rose Gowen had been listed as one of the moderators but I suspect that designation was honorary.

UTB President Juliet Garcia was  expected to attend, but was called at the last minute to testify before a legislative caucus group.  Garcia is likely aware of how poorly she is regarded in Brownsville and Cameron County owing to a quarter century of egomania self-service.(Tony Martinez seems blissfully unaware of how his strong-armed, unilateral running of the city is perceived, seemingly living in a vacuum, but more on that later.)

In addition to Juliet Garcia getting cold feet, the gaping hole to Tony's right contained the empty chairs of Commissioners Melissa Zamora and Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa.  No alibi was given for their absences, although it's not difficult to guess.  The commissioners who did attend did not participate, except for Ricardo Longoria, who responded towards the end when Tony asked if the commissioners had any questions.  John Villarreal looked lost, Estela Chavez-Vasquez sullen and Rose Gowen, sporting a new, youthful hairdo, seemed sublime.

The dangled carrot in front of Brownsville, McAllen and Edinburg is the Permanent University Fund or P.U.F. The mineral rights, oil, grazing and other income producers on 2,100,000 acres of Texas land is earmarked for the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems.  If a UT or A&M affiliate school is connected to a non-A&M or UT school, they are ineligible for these funds which explains why UTB was never eligible.

Pastor Brad, a local minister who attends all City Commission meetings, and, more often than not blesses them, raised a pointed question:  "Why the snub?  With the millions Brownsville has given to UTB, the tremendous need in our area, why the snub?  Where was our congressional delegation?  Could they not have worked around or changed this technicality in some way?"  Martinez had no answer, except to say that he thought they had tried.

UTB Provost Dr. Alan F. J. Artibise

Tony yielded to UTB Provost Dr. Alan F.J. Artibise, a very smooth, assured speaker who gives the impression he could sell ice to the eskimos and likely has, considering his degrees come from the University of British Columbia and the University of Manitoba.

Artibise talked about various tracts of land the University of the Americas, Brownsville edition was considering.  He said the university currently owned 110 acres, but would likely need 300-400.  Martinez interjected more than once that his friend Abraham Galonsky who just sold the city the Casa del Nylon had 25 acres along Hwy 77-83 that he would "help" the university with.  Can Tony really be unaware of the furor  caused by his speculative real estate purchases with tax dollars?  It's difficult to imagine anyone with less political skill.  More than once it was emphasized that UT will be making a site selection in March.

At the end of the presentation, Mayor Martinez asked if the commissioners had any questions.  Ricardo Longoria, looking somewhat flabbergasted, paused and said:  "Well, it's difficult to formulate questions when this our first time hearing any of this," confirming what we all knew, that Tony has acted on his own in all of this.  Tony was unfazed, but Artibise, a bit sharper, tried to play it off.  "Well, I'm provost and I don't know the exact bidding figures and details of these properties."

Longoria was also concerned at the report that the administration for the new school would be in McAllen, not Brownsville, transferring 100 jobs there, especially considering all the millions Brownsville had already given to UTB and the bond indebtedness that stretches to 2034.   Artibise said, well, administration, yes, but Brownsville would have a fine campus with 20,000 students.