Random Scattered Thoughts on the BiNED Summit 2013~Tickets, Evening Reception, Hedrick's Air Cargo Concept

Tickets, RSVP?  This was the second recent event asking attendees to download tickets, but not asking for them at the door.(The other was the Greg Abbott for Governor event at the BEDC meeting room.)  Perhaps, it's simply a way to gauge attendance, anticipating the needed seating and refreshments.  The Wendy Davis event held at the Cameron County Texas Democratic Women headquarters did not ask for tickets, set up about 50 seats and had a thousand show up, spilling out the back door and standing outside the front of the former torta venue.

Evening reception:  Planned for the Student Union Veranda on what turned out to be a very cool night, the evening reception was not what you might envision for a subtropical clime anticipating business people and visitors from another country.  No soft guitar music in a town full of guitar players.  Non-alcoholic sangria(Kool-Aid) in plastic glasses.  I was embarrassed and it was not my event.  But, at least there was no Filemon Vela, no Tony Martinez, no Leticia Salazar.  I can't imagine such low-rent liquid refreshments if the event had been in Matamoros.  One of the BiNED speakers and I had a laugh about this during a break, but that was before we saw the modest box lunch.(Chicken salad crescent, chips and cookie).

The Ghost of Bob Hedrick:  Instead of his picture, I simply put a Pan Am logo.  Bob Hedrick, convicted and imprisoned on child pornography charges, had an idea that was mentioned and included in the bullet points at the BiNED.  The outline simply read:  "Hedrick's Air Cargo Gateway."

Hedrick's idea was based on the fact that the shortest distance between Asian markets and the U.S. was over the North Pole, straight into the center of the U.S.  Since the U.S. allows such aircraft only one stopping point and considering the huge markets in Central and South America, Brownsville is geographically the most logical place for a cargo hub for the Americas.  Add the rail, sea and highway connections and the concept makes even more sense.

Copy the U.S./Canadian Model:  Cards were inserted into each attendees packet for questions to be asked of the expert panel.  Time constraints eliminated this part of the program.  My question had to do with the statement in the "Fact Sheet," recommending Brownsville/Matamoros follow the U.S./Canadian model.  My question was: What Canadian and U.S. cities had cooperated on an industrial zone?  I couldn't remember or Google any.  Filemon Vela told me that Alan Artibese, being from Seattle, is an expert on this and he would relay the question to him.  Later, United Brownsville Executive Director Mike Gonzalez promised our questions would be answered online.

Audi Prototype?

The Huge Elephant in the Room:  There was little mention of the drug cartels until the morning's program was nearly over.  What investor would put a factory in Matamoros today with the police and military powerless or unwilling to protect the business from the cartels?  In just the last month reports indicate the cartels have moved to control both the coal and iron industries and, more recently, avocado production.  Chris Wilson of the Mexico Institute did mention Audi locating a factory in Puebla, Puebla.  He said Audi gave no consideration to Northern Mexico because of the cartel control.

This was not a public event:  This event was not advertised in the Brownsville Herald or widely promoted.*  Although held on a college campus, no students were in attendance except the handful in blue sport coats, serving as ushers, pages.  In the developed spirit of United Brownsville, it was an elitist affair, not intended for the common Brownsvillian.  Anti-democratically, an effort to shape the future of Brownsville for the next few decades was attempted without the taxpaying citizens invited or involved.  Even public officials were excluded for the most part, likely by design.  Does anyone find it odd when participants from as far away as Denmark and Sweden flew on long international flights to make the conference, but almost no one from the City Commission was there?  What exactly is united by United Brownville?  Please correct me on this if my perception is inaccurate.  I did see a smattering of officials who also happen to be on the United Brownsville Coordinating Board:  Mayor Tony Martinez, City Manager Charlie Cabler, Finance Director Pete Gonzalez, City Attorney Mark Sossi.  TSC Board President Francisco Rendon was there, but he's also on the UB Board. It seems as if attendees were prescreened.   I would not have known about the event had not a blog commenter mentioned it.  Other than one blogger accidentally there, I was not aware of any media coverage.   Does anyone not find this strange?

ps:  After the morning session, attendees were instructed to fan out to various rooms in five "breakout sessions."  Based on the color of dot on your name tag, attendees were assigned to 1. Security 2. Legal Framework/Trade/Finance  3. Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Competitiveness  4. Human Capital  5. Infrastructure / Natural Resources / Environment.

I looked at my name tag.  No dot.  I was not welcome at the "breakout sessions" or the afterparty. The message was clear:  "Do not pass 'go.'  Do not collect $200."

While many Brownsville residents claim that Carlos Marin is orchestrating United Brownsville for personal benefit. (Some claim he owns properties adjacent to what will become the industrial corridor.)  In actuality, Marin keeps a very low profile.  It's almost impossible to find a picture of him on the internet.  At a recent United Brownsville meeting, he kept a low profile.  Yet, in the fact sheet provided for the BiNED Summit 2013, at the bottom he acknowledges authorship with the tag included on the left.

*The story indeed was in the Brownsville Herald in a story written by Steve Clark published December 7, 2013.  Somehow, I missed Steve in the crowd.