Taking Brownsville Back from Autocratic Mayor Tony Martinez

Tony Martinez, the Man
Who Would Be King

One man rule almost never works out well for the little guy, the average citizen.  Benevolent dictators are as rare as five leaf clovers.  Just ask those Haitians who eked out a life under Jean-Claude Duvalier or the suffering Libyans during Muammar Gaddafi's reign of terror.  Maybe the North Koreans would give Kim Jong-un high marks, but they haven't received this week's edition of the Weekly Reader.

With several doormat city commissioners, Mayor Tony Martinez has had his way with Brownsville.  For some in the city, the single most important qualification in this current election for commissioners is the willingness to stand up to Martinez.  Rose Gowen will never do that.  Her election as commissioner was managed and financed by Tony.  John Villarreal becomes a cartoon character rolled over by an asphalt drum roller whenever Tony wants to make a move.  Estela Chavez-Vasquez checks to see which way the Martinez wind is blowing before voting on agenda items.


All of the above gives Tony one-man-rule of the city, nothing resembling a democracy.  Tony even orchestrated the continued broadcast ban of public comment, utilizing his henchman, City Attorney Mark Sossi, the most dishonest man in Brownsville, to give a high school caliber pie-chart presentation in support

Kim Jon-un

of the extension of the undemocratic ban.

In a normal, educated, grownup world a mayor doesn't unilaterally go on a $3,500,000 speculative real estate binge, obligating the taxpayers for the next umpteen years plus interest, especially when this near third world city has needs, many needs crying out.

Muammar Gaddafi

The only way a dufus mayor like Martinez pushes that agenda through is with the unwitting cooperation of deer-in-the-headlights commissioners.  Grownups would ask questions.  Why are you spending $2,300,000 for  La Casa del Nylon building that's been for sale for a decade without a bidder?  Why are you buying a tiny bar and the building next door on E. 11th St., a warehouse, an armory?  Why are you buying all these rundown buildings in the downtown?  The simple fact that no commissioner raised those question publicly or at a commission meeting illustrates the stranglehold Martinez has on the commission.

Many expected attorney Martinez to be an idea man, using the mayorship as a vehicle to advance Brownsville.  Note this comment by Mean Mister Brownsville in 2011:

"Whoever thought back on May 14 at the time of Tony's landslide election from among 5 candidates without a runoff that the most significant accomplishment of his administration would be a continuance of an anti-democratic policy initiated by Pat Ahumada, induced by a Mark Sossi hissy fit? What a waste of blue campaign signs and chicken plates! Brownsville needed, no REQUIRED a dynamic point man who would hit the ground running with a plan, with ideas, carefully strategized and thought out. What we got was a do-nothing, status quo plodder, a ceremonial figure like England's Queen Elizabeth. Officiating a tomato contest at the farmer's market, witnessing the sprinkling of holy water on the Juarez Mercadito is acceptable mayoral behavior, but it's not enough for a city hurting, watching its most precious resource, the historic downtown disintegrate into nothingness. The sad thing is Tony knew he was going to be mayor, WANTED the job, but so far hasn't gotten off his ass."
Enter three candidates in 2013 that have all sought office before, share a certain advocacy for the city without an official position and have no connection with the elite puppeteers Tony Martinez feels obligated to placate, serve and service.

Roberto Uresti

Roberto Uresti: a retired school teacher, Vietnam vet, has worked tirelessly for his segment of the city for over twenty years.  When the homes of residents in his neighborhood flooded due to city negligence, not opening the dams in a timely manner, Uresti canvassed the neighborhood, taking pictures of the damage and went before the City Commission with the evidence gathered.  When flooding necessitated residents negotiating a narrow pipe across 15 foot deep waters, he shamed the city into building a bridge.  Again and again Uresti has appeared before the City Commission with addresses of dilapidated houses needing demoliton, suggestions and questions.  Uresti has been a commissioner without the title for two decades.  He has done more for the ity than any current commissioner without the actual job.  He faces Rose Gowen for City Commissioner, At-Large B.

Letty Perez-Garzoria:  a retired nurse, single mother.  Garzoria has spoken out frequently on the city raising taxes, not "living within their means."  She campaigned in 2011 for an At-Large position singlehandedly without an organization.  Garzoria does owe taxes to the county but is making regular payments.  She is fearless and not afraid of Tony Martinez or anyone else for that matter.  Garzoria, deeply religious, wants Brownsville churches more involved in cleaning up our city.  She advocates volunteerism.

Martin Sarkis

Martin Sarkis:  educated as an architect in Matamoros where he owns a number of buildings.  Sarkis ran for City Commissioner, At-Large A in 2011, losing to Estela Chavez-Vasquez.  Sarkis brought a group of vendors from Matamoros to downtown Brownsville in a mercadito on the main floor of the Majestic Theatre building.  He is full of ideas about improving the downtown, making it a tourist attraction for visitors.  Sarkis favors defunding United Brownsville.