Feedback on the Project 100% Vote UTB Forum Attended by 87.5% of the Candidates

Father Armand Matthew Interviewed
by a Student Reporter

UTB's Project 100% Vote's Candidate Forum, moved from the spacious Gran Salon to the more comfy Salon Cassia, attracted a few dozen students and a smattering of old folks for the City Commission Candidate Forum.  The forums are part of an overall project to get UTB students to vote initiated by the salaried Catholic priest, Father Armand Mathew, who once nastily threatened TSC Trustee Trey Mendez with ruining his career because he voted for separation of UTB and TSC.

It's difficult to judge how effective the program to attract student voters has been, but on Wednesday 15 voted at the UTB polling place, the Mary Rose Cardenas Hall.

The forum was moderated by a UTB professor and utilized four scripted questions.  At-Large B opponents Dr. Rose Gowen and Roberto Uresti, District 4's Letty Perez-Garzoria and John Villarreal and District 3's David Belleperche, Debby Portillo and Rosarlio Rosales participated.  Martin Sarkis was a no-show.

More than the forum itself, the real story was that there was a forum at all.  Originally scheduled as a challenge match between Roberto Uresti and Rose Gowen, Uresti took a stand.  He declared that, unless ALL the candidates were invited, he would not participate.

Comments on the forum include the following from Duardo Paz-Martinez, an Austin blogger with a keen interest in Brownsville's affairs:

Duardo Paz-Martinez

We caught the live-streaming of the Brownsville City Commission candidate's forum this afternoon, and we can report that it was good "being there." Nothing settles things like photos or videos. Imagine how many followers there would be if we had video of everything in the Bible. In any case, much of what we had been thinking in regards to this cycle's weak candidates fell into place while we watched Letty Perez-Garzoria, Roberto Uresti and Leo Rosales. But we were surprised at seeing Dr. Rose Gowen, John Villarreal and Deborah Portillo out-perform all others. If that was a test, then the latter trio passed it. And it was something to see blogger Jimmy Barton and his wife, Nena, there in the front row. It had to be wild and disheartening for Barton to watch his candidates do so badly. It had to..

Another commenter had this observation:

Jimmy, I don't live in Brownsville, but do any of these candidates have an idea how much money it would take to redo the downtown area. Believe me it is not going to be thousands, rough estimate, around 98,000,000 million and that does not include adequate parking. Or infrastructure as it is known in city Jargon. All of the candidates are clueless. Cities like Brownsville that are bordertowns, cater to the Mexican Nationals, not to long I spoke to a rep. of a large chain store. And she stated, I don't see how anyone can live in these towns, they are ugly and even the large chain stores are dirty. Going back to the 98,000,000 million that would encompass a rather small section of downtown. I have nothing against the candidates, but hell now wonder Brownsville is where it is. Cowen is taking too much credit for the med school, way too much. Please pass on the word, no more forums.


My observations about the forum? If these candidates were speech or debate students of mine, the grades would have been low. No one seemed that prepared, including the threesome favored by the blogger above. With several forums under their collective belts, the talking points should have been finely honed, delivered conversationally with some passion. It's not like they haven't heard these questions before.

David Belleperche

David Belleperche, running for District 3, is still a student at UTB, coming from San Diego on a baseball scholarship,working as a parking enforcement officer. In a single sentence he mentioned the need to lower taxes, reduce our city's $150,000,000 debt, while upgrading our infrastructure. Wow!


Debbie Portillo, also a District 3 contender, cited "good ethic value, morals" she received from her parents. When asked how she would create jobs for UTB graduates, she repeated the often-heard pablum about SpaceX, gushing that it would create 1,000 jobs in Brownsville at a minimum of $55,000 per year.

A bit of a tussle ensued between John Villarreal and Letty Perez-Garzoria over the Tenaska Brownsville Generating Station. Villarreal declared that it would provide, not only power, but jobs for Brownsville residents. Letty Perez-Garzoria called the deal "shaky" as Villarreal noticeably shook his head. Garzoria said the citizens should have been consulted and the details of the deal made public before an agreement was reached.

Dr. Rose Gowen mentioned SpaceX and the newly proposed VA hospital as adding to the Brownsville economy. She had no idea where the combined UTPA/UTB would be located.

Roberto Uresti implied that the city was stifling new business by raising taxes and with restrictive laws banning smoking and plastic bags. He said the $35,000,000 wasted on the new sports park "money pit" could have been used to revitalize downtown.


Rosalio Rosales repeatedly said the city needed to "come together" and "make a plan."


John Villarreal mentioned the city's offer of a $10,000 match for facade improvement of downtown buildings had not been utilized by downtown property owners. With respect to the newly legislated medical school and the fusion of the two universities, he emphasized "thinking regionally."

Rose Gowen mentioned the "Better Block" program with respect to downtown, while Perez-Garzoria cited the "personal pride" needed by property owners. Uresti lamented the decay of the historic El Jardin Hotel.(Actually, former Mayor Pat Ahumada claimed to have a deal in place to sell the hotel to an investor who would remodel with some government funding. Ahumada couldn't get the City Commission to go along.)

Letty Perez-Garzoria, John Villarreal

For some voters it boils down to a referendum on Mayor Tony Martinez. If you like the direction he is taking the city, the incumbents who have supported him may best reflect your view. If you want the city to go in a different direction, the candidates who publicly question Martinez may appeal.