Brownsville As Smalltown, USA~Roberto Uresti, Letty Perez-Garzoria, Others Comment on the Election

Driving through late afternoon traffic along Boca Chica Blvd., stopping at light after light, Brownsville has the feel of just what it is, a city of 200,000 souls.  An internet reference source is more generous, 441,000 for Brownsville-Harlingen and environs, just ahead of Corpus Christi.  These numbers do not translate to political clout, national attention, grants, federal funding, projects or even Interstate 69.  When national politicians disperse those goodies, Brownsville is viewed for what it is politically, a city where 3,583 vote in a  city election.  Brownsville has the political pull of Smalltown, USA because of the weak participation of its citizens.  While the Motor Voter Act has swelled registered voters in Cameron County to 173,000, that's just an "Oh yeah, sure!" from people getting their driver's license, not actual election interest.

Roberto Uresti

Last night at Wing Barn with a smattering of his supporters, the always ebullient Roberto Uresti, after greeting us with a big hug, was forthright about the voter turnout:

"Jim, Brownsville just didn't vote.  When I called some close, longtime friends this afternoon, they said 'Oh, I forgot.'  Families were going to the park, the mall, but not the polling places.  What I fear now is that some of these land deals, involving the mayor and the university, that have been waiting on the election, will now get done without citizen approval."   

Later, at Cobbleheads, with Letty Perez-Garzoria and her group, a firefighter who had worked tirelessly in her campaign, was candid about his disappointment in the low voter turnout:

"If you had told me we would lose with maybe twice these numbers, I could have lived with it.  We thought we were getting out the vote, but we weren't.  This is so disappointing.  We have to rethink how to motivate people to participate.  If it takes going to schools, community centers and carefully explaining how low voter turnout hurts a city, that's what we must do."

La Voz

Another union official said he spent election day delivering copies of La Voz, a newspaper-like printout, detailing the moves made by the mayor with cooperation of the city commissioners to gradually shift control of the city to United Brownsville, a sham entity created by behind-the-scene puppetmasters.

"By noon I had delivered 1,000 copies of La Voz to Brownsville homes.  One of my friends came up to me with the early voting numbers, saying 'It's over," telling me to stop.  I told him I was going to keep going and delivered 400 more that afternoon.  This is information, not in the Brownsville Herald, that people need to read."


Across the table at the Garzoria event, a senior citizen gave this comment:

"UTB has a student population of over 13,000, that could actually control Brownsville elections if they voted.  Mary Rose Cardenas Hall had what, 151 total early votes.  That is pathetic.  Between The Center for Civic Engagement and Project 100% Vote, something isn't working.  I only saw about 25 students at the most at the UTB Candidate Forum.  UTB has email notification, but I understand that wasn't even used to notify students of the forum."

Letty Perez-Garzoria, after graciously naming the individuals helping her in her campaign, commented on the results of their efforts:

"We made a dent, especially considering this was a grass-roots effort.  We got their attention and they should now realize they(the mayor and city commission) are being watched.  This was a very different type of campaign and I'm proud of how we conducted it.  We actually listened to people.  That's what government should be about."

Chris Davis

Chris Davis, the newly-appointed Election Commissioner, was given an A+ grade by one local blogger, citing his promptness with the results.  Included in the job description for Election Commissioner, on the county's own site, however, is "community outreach" to generate voter participation.  That may be even more challenging for Davis, but it is an opportunity to do way more for the community than deliver an accurate, timely count of the meager numbers of a largely non-participatory electorate.