Photo Montage of City Plaza Reveals How Well It Serves Brownsville Citizens

Brownsville's Jewel, City Plaza

With 95% of Brownsville's registered voters in a non-participatory coma, it should not surprise that the remaining 5% were lulled to sleep with respect to the hidden agenda of Tony Martinez.

Early in Martinez' term we learned that the Harlingen native did not really "Believe in Brownsville."  The back-door efforts he made to stymie, squelch and stifle the broadcast of public comment by employing  unscrupulous City Attorney Mark Sossi to interrupt City Commissioner Melissa Zamora's agenda presentation with the now infamous sophomoric pie chart presentation against free speech proved that Tony's real slogan is "I'm Better Than Brownsville."

It wasn't until Tony started ramrodding through the City Commission the purchase with taxpayer money of a real estate portfolio of downtown properties that the 5% started to take notice.(The children and grandchildren of both the comatose and the narcoleptic will pay many millions through Certificates of Obligation for Tony's backdoor pandering to Carlos Marin, Fred Rusteberg and Juliet Garcia and all of United Brownsville ilk.)   Adding 58 acres of "surplus" city land adjacent to Lincoln Park that Martinez wants to gift to the University of Texas system to the mix and the 5% or less who actually vote began to squirm.

What seemed to polarize the tiny segment in Brownsville who actually vote was Tony's proposed giveaway of City Plaza, a seemingly perfectly suited downtown city block of offices, a municipal court and ample free parking for all.  To turn this city jewel over to one of the world's richest educational entities and shuffle the city's business into the third class, antiquated Casa del Nylon is traitorous.  It sends a distinct message that Brownsville citizens and city workers are not worthy of such first class accommodations.  They are second class.  Not only does the mayor not "believe" in them, he views them with disrespect and disdain.  They are Bud Light.  He is Cabernet Sauvignon.  

Nena suggested I visit City Plaza for a photo montage.  My walk-through Monday morning made it clear that this is a complex that would be almost impossible to duplicate in terms of the way it satisfies city needs.

Municipal Court

Entering the building from Levee Street, I noticed court was in session and snapped a quick pic through the glass.  That caught the attention of Officer Salinas, who confiscated my camera to show the pic to Judge Neese.  The pic was permitted and I learned that the courtroom has great acoustics, is equipped with a projection screen and sonic ear devices for the hearing impaired.  On occasion, it is filled to capacity.  This courtroom is certainly envied by those who operate in JP courts.

A unique feature of this former bank building is the vault, used by the city to protect juvenile records and, on occasion to detain violent prisoners awaiting a court appearance.  A man charged with murdering a Harlingen policeman fled to Matamoros.  Matamoros police brought him back halfway across the Gateway Bridge, releasing him to Brownsville PD.  He was detained in the vault awaiting his court appearance.

The Vault

Adjacent to the vault is the Sally Port, an entry through double doors used to transport prisoners. The prisoners enter from a side door after entering by vehicle through a garage.  The outside door is closed and locked before the interior door is opened.  It is very unlikely this sort of secure prisoner transfer could be duplicated at the Casa del Nylon.

Convenient free parking is a noteworthy feature of City Plaza.  Just across St. Charles Street is a half city block of free parking.  Less well known is the fact that the 4 story parking garage next to the building is also free.  As one city employee stated:  "We have no way to charge.  There is no ticket booth or electronic gates.  Department heads are assigned spots on the ground floor.  The second story near the health and permit offices is open for the public.  Actually, there is handicapped parking just a few steps from the health office.  

It's beyond belief that a mayor and city commission would even consider surrendering a facility so well serving the citizenry.  Such a poorly-conceived move would be a tremendous quality-of-life setback for the city.  A mayor who actually looked out for the interests of the citizenry would be trying to recover the $10,000,000 the University of Texas system owes Texas Southmost College in back rent instead of giving away more city assets.