City Wants to Send A "Delegation" At Taxpayer's Expense to Denver for the 2014 National Civic League All-America City Award

Partying, Conferencing on Your Money

With no lingering hangovers from their March Bikefest in Fort Worth which cost the taxpayers from $900 to $1430 per traveler, Brownsville's entitled bureaucrats are asking for another free trip.  Denver is the destination this time for the gimmicky All-American City Award, given annually to wannabe cities desperate enough to pay for it.  The other nominated city from Texas is Marshall, which shows you this "award" is about low self-esteem, not greatness.

At Fort Worth's bikefest, taxpayers footed the bill for representatives from the city's parks, planning, tourism and health departments.  The taxpayers also sent City Commissioners Rose Gowen and Estela Chavez-Vasquez, Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston.  Brownsville Metro was represented by Norma Zamora(City buses do accommodate bikes on front bike racks.) All enjoyed the plush accommodations of the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel & Spa and $56 per diem for meals if they didn't like the food served at the conference.

Below is the agenda item to be presented with a straight face by Finance Director/Assistant City Manager Pete Gonzalez:

13. Consideration and ACTION to approve travel request for the delegation of city employees to travel to Denver, Colorado, from June 13, 2014 through June 16, 2014, to attend the 2014 National Civic League All-America City Award. (Pete Gonzalez-Deputy City Manager)

Below we reprint our earlier article about the All-American City Award:

"No Thank You!" The Taxpayers of the Nation's "Poorest City" Can't Afford Any More Awards!

(republished from April 11, 2014)

Charlie Cabler, David McCarthy

Do you remember "bannergate?" Two years ago, a Warsaw, NY "businessman," attending theU.S. Conference of Mayors in Orlando, FL, sought out Tony Martinez(likely with a pic of Martinez in his pocket) to let the mayor know that Brownsville was one of 15 cities to be honored nationally with a Community Showcase Award.

The award, according to Community Showcase CEO David McCarthy, would "show the city of Brownsville's economic vitality and the support of the business community."

With a contract letter in hand from the City of Brownsville, clearly indicating the award would be at "no cost to the city," McCarthy and a buxom companion, identified as Itza Pena, began visiting Brownsville businessmen to sell banner packages ranging from $600 to $4,000. It was emphasized that the meager $600 package was only for "churches and non-profits. Upstanding businessmen, who "supported Tony" were expected to cough up four grand.

Variations of this scam are legendary, including upfront money to make your five year old a Hollywood star or get your invention patented and in production. "Flattery", whether directed at individuals or cities, according to the late actress Mae West, "will get you everywhere."

The City of Brownsville, increasingly recognized as the "poorest city in the United States," is in contention for another award, that of "All-American City." All-American cities aren't picked the same way as All-American football players.(Marshall is the other Texas city, along with Brownsville, still in the running, both city's "90 lb weaklings" as cities go.) It takes self-promotion andMONEY to get the nod. Fayetteville, NC estimates expenditures in excess of $170,000 to garner the honor in 2011.

Note this comment to the Fayetteville Observer:

"It would be interesting to know how many folks who have moved to Fayetteville recently did so because of the previous designation as an All-American city. Seems to me that the city could use that money for something more worthwhile."

Arturo Rodriguez, who must have an extraordinarily light work load as City Health Director, gave the half hour power point toUnited Brownsville in February about the city's quest for the All-American designation.(Arturo shows up again and again on travel requests, just spending a week at the bike seminar in Fort Worth along with a large delegation at taxpayer expense.)

The All-American City designation is like being in the "Who's Who in College" book. The benefit is psychological, appealing to municipalities with low self-esteem. What if for $39.95, a city can be listed in the book, "Great American Cities," and you get a copy of the book?

Here's the scary part for Brownsville's hardworking, overburdened taxpayers. According to Brownsville Herald reporter Ty Johnson:

"City officials will head to Colorado this June to make their case for Brownsville to be named a member of the 2014 All-America City class now that the National Civic League has identified 25 finalists for the award."
Please don't tell us Ty that Brownsville taxpayers are

Arturo Rodriguez, Pete Gonzalez

sending a large delegation to Colorado to plead their case for this award, while attempting to scrimp by on a $56 or $71 per diem meal allowance at a plush Denver hotel and spa.


We will be keeping an eye on travel requests made to the City of Brownsville. Oh, by the way, is there an award for conserving and protecting taxpayer assets? I didn't think so.

Mayor Tony Martinez' Downtown Property in Shocking State of Disrepair!

Mayor Martinez' Dilapidated Eyesore, Health
Threat at 1205 E. Jackson St.

While giving lip service to making Brownsville better, healthier, attractive to new business, the mayor has allowed his own property at 1205 E. Jackson St. to fall into an incredibly shameful state of disrepair.  

A Roof Long Since Collapsed

No amount of political spin can explain away the building's totally collapsed roof, urine soaked floors with several noticeable deposits of human defecation, excrement. What makes the building's condition more deplorable is its location in a residential area with kids next door. Like the roof, the building's doors have long since collapsed, giving open access for the area's children to play among the human feces and filth.

Think of the irony of City Health Director Arturo Rodriguez partying down at the bikefest in Fort Worth and wanting city approval to frolic in Denver to seek All-American status for Brownsville while such a disgusting situation exists in downtown.  

Tony Martinez Law Office Next Door
at 1206 E. Van Buren

The property is the former El Tucan Sports Bar, where on August 20, 2005 artist Alfredo Bustinza was stabbed 13 times by Arturo Rodriguez(a Texas Syndicate member, not the Health Director).  On September 21, 2006 the property was purchased by TM Valley Enterprises, Inc., which records show is owned by Antonio Martinez of 1206 E. Van Buren St.(Mayor Tony's law office).  

When made aware of the condition of the mayor's building a downtown property owner commented:  "It's unbelievable how the city chides us about keeping our properties in good repair when the mayor allows his own property to get in this condition."

Environmental Impact Study~The Specifics of Boca Chica Beach, Highway 4 Closures

Highway 4 Nearing the Dunes of Boca Chica
(Brownsville Herald photo)

Someday, we may know the reality of Boca Chica Beach closures during SpaceX launches, mission aborts, wet dress rehearsals, weather postponements, etc., but, for now, all we have are the representations made to the FAA.

According to the just-released EIS, the duration of beach closures would be a maximum of 15 hours with 6 hours typical.  It is explained the 15 hour window allows for mission aborts.  

Closures for "wet dress rehearsals" would "typically be 3 hours or less."  Whatever the reason for a closure, whether aborted mission, weather postponement or launch, those closures cannot exceed 12 per year nor can the total hours of beach closure exceed 180 hours annually.(180 divided by 24= 7.5 Earth days)

During a beach closure, SpaceX and local law enforcement will monitor Hwy 4 east of the "soft" checkpoint, roughly 14-16 miles.

SpaceX  will also monitor the beach with video, an ATV, SUV or unmanned aerial vehicle(drone).  Such drones are described as small(3 ft. in diameter) and quiet.  

Following a launch, naturalists will be given one hour to check sea turtle nests before the beach is opened to the public after which checkpoint barriers will be raised.

From the Environmental Impact Study~General Public Checkpoint "14-16 Miles from Boca Chica"

The first item to catch my eye in the just-released Environmental Impact Study is the proposed two checkpoints on Highway 4 leading to Boca Chica Beach.

The first proposed checkpoint would be   14-16 miles from the end of Highway 4 at Boca Chica Beach. Only government, SpaceX, or emergency personnel and property owners in the prescribed area will be allowed beyond that first "soft" checkpoint.

The general public will not be allowed beyond this soft checkpoint on launch days.  This means the Palmetto Battlefield National Historic Park and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge will be off limits during launches.

The second "hard" checkpoint will be a "no-pass" during launch.  No one will be allowed beyond this checkpoint as per FAA regulations.

Some of us had assumed that the citizen barrier would be at the current Border Patrol checkpoint, but it appears a more stringent soft checkpoint will be in place approximately 1-3 miles east of the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport and 14-16 miles from Boca Chica Beach.

Frank Morris Cameron County Republican Party Chairmanship~"Rock Solid" or Up in the Air?

Octogenarian Frank J. Morris, a Harlingen resident, near the actual epicenter of the Cameron County Republican Party, has resigned his chairmanship of the local party, pending a state-level review of challenges to his credentials.

Morris and three other county party officials will look to state party leaders, convening at the dreary Fort Worth Convention Center June 5-7, 2014, to determine their future participation in local party affairs.  

While 10,000 state delegates will converge at Fort Worth, State Party Chair Steve Munisteri made it clear that groups advocating for gay rights will not be allowed to put up booths at the convention, which runs from June 5 to 7. The issue, he explained, is that their position runs counter to the current party platform:  "If you don't like the policy, you have the right to go to the convention as a delegate and try to get the policy changed."

Exclusion from party decision-making meetings seems to be at the core of the challenges submitted by four local party members referencing apparent violations of Rule 14C of the Republican Party Rules:

(c) Unless otherwise provided by the laws of
the state in which the election occurs, in those states
where delegates and alternate delegates are elected
through the convention system or a combination of
convention and primary systems, the precinct,ward,
township, or county meetings shall be open meetings and all citizens who are qualified shall be urged to participate.

Local party members claim they've been excluded from attendance at the local Nomination and Rules Committee meetings, being told rudely to "get out."  It is also alleged that secret party meetings were held February 6, March 13 and March 18 in clear violation of the rules.

A party official who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity responds that the challenges have been orchestrated by a party operative angered by not being selected as a state delegate.  The official describes the challenges as a fuss over a "tiny" rule and states that, despite Frank Morris' resignation for the current term, his hold on the chairmanship is "rock solid," having "85% support" to serve another term.

County Judge Carlos Cascos

The unfortunate timing of this local Republican angst is the looming Carlos Cascos vs. Joe Rivera race for Cameron County Judge in the November general election. 

 

BISD School Bus Fires Revisited~What Did the Inspectors Find?

Photo by Miguel Roberts, Brownsville Herald

This past October two BISD school buses caught fire in separate incidents.  On October 4, 2013, bus #528 caught fire near E. 14th Street and Frontage Road with 29 Porter High School students safely evacuated.  

One week later, October 11, 30 Rivera High School students were aboard bus #447 when it caught fire. Again, quick action by the bus driver removed those students from harm's way.

Brownsville Firefighters Fighting Blaze
Photo by Miguel Roberts, Brownsville Herald

In what may be a logical fallacy or simply a coincidence, both buses catching fire were manufactured by the International Corporation. International quickly flew in an inspection team from Chicago to examine the buses to determine the cause or causes of the fires.

BISD Superintendent Dr. Carl Montoya also called for an independent investigation.  To our knowledge the results of the two inspections have not been made public.

Cata Presas-Garcia

That did not stop BISD from acting quickly to protect their students with the focus seemingly on the particular manufacturer of the buses that caught fire. BISD  Trustee Cata Presas-Garcia commented:  "We have to face the battles, but we overcame that. We all understood it was Thomas buses and Thomas buses were purchased. So International buses were not purchased this time around. We want whats best for our students and safety is priority for our district."

Quickly, BISD ordered 72 buses for the district at a cost of $6,400,000.  As Ms. Presas-Garcia stated above, they were ordered, not from International, but from Thomas Built.  

BISD Superintendent Dr. Carl Montoya

But, does this focus on the brand of school bus ordered correct the problem?  We've heard recently from an anonymous source, that it may not.  We've been told that the cause of the fires may not have been a manufacturing defect but a maintenance problem within BISD.  If that is the case, purchasing new buses may only be a temporary fix.

So far BISD has been silent on the results of either the manufacturer's inspection or that of the independent inspector hired by the district.  Neither has there been any indication of a lawsuit initiated by the district to recover monies spent on buses with defective workmanship.

We've filed a Public Information request with BISD requesting copies of both inspector reports.  We will publish that information in a followup story as soon as it is received.  

Homeless Couple Still Living Under La Casa del Nylon Awning Despite Applying for Housing Months Ago

The couple pictured in a February Mean Mister Brownsville article, living under the awning of La Casa del Nylon building at 1305 E. Adams Street, were still there on Memorial Day.

Brownsville native, Jesus Marroquin, sporting a U.S.A. ball cap and his wife, Roberta Waters, originally from Washington D.C., and their dog Milo sleep nightly under the aluminum overhang of the old retail store.  

After Roberta asked "Who owns this building?"  I explained that it was purchased in 2012 by the City of Brownsville for $2,300,000, to which she responded:  "They paid too much!"  While any Brownsville resident with common sense would agree with Roberta, Mayor Tony Martinez and the City Commission have not demonstrated common sense in spending or protecting taxpayer monies.  La Casa del Nylon is just one of a dozen or so old buildings the City Commission has purchased recently with other people's money for which the city officials are now scrambling to find uses.

Roberta called my attention to how clean and neat they

were keeping the store entrance.  Pointing to the concrete, she offered:  "I clean that with Fabuloso."

Family dog Milo stays tied to an H.E.B. shopping cart, stuffed with reusable plastic bags, containing the couple's earthly goods.

"He won't let anyone get close to our stuff," explained Jesus, "but he won't bite."  When I extended my hand to Milo, he licked my fingers that likely still contained traces of the handful of dog food I'd given my dog that morning.  When I mentioned that the housing authority may not permit dogs, Jesus said:  "Well, he could stay with my cousin."

"Have you two ever applied for housing?" I asked.  "I know some people actually prefer living out-of-doors."

"No, we've applied," responded Jesus, pulling out a card with the name of a Brownsville Housing Authority contact.  "They told us there is a two year waiting list."

Jesus did take some personal responsibility for their situation, stating: "We didn't have all our paperwork together."  The couple are not exactly off the grid with Roberta getting a monthly disability check via direct deposit in her bank account and what looked to be a cell phone stuck in the door pull bar of La Casa del Nylon.

The conversation turned to other places the couple had spent the night, including uncovered bus stops, before finding this location under an awning.  The city's primary downtown restroom, La Plaza at Brownsville Multimodal Terminal, is just a half block away.  The bus terminal's restrooms, cleaned constantly, serve as body wash and changing stations for Mexican Nationals with jobs in Brownsville.  The restroom counter, with several sinks, is covered with water splashed from patrons washing more than just their hands.  A young man exits a bathroom stall after changing into a Church's Chicken work outfit including cap and name badge.

One street away from Jesus and Roberta, a homeless man sleeps in front of the former Famsa/Edelstein's Furniture Store on Washington Street.

While the blame for downtown homelessness can be spread out among several entities and individuals, including the homeless themselves, our city's officials are preoccupied with using their cleverness to convert a tract of land unneeded as an easement to owned property for a city planner or to make overpayment for downtown real estate owned by a friend of the mayor in a deal negotiated by the mayor's law partner.  

Why can't we divert some of that cleverness to solve real needs in our city or does Mayor Tony Martinez not "Believe in Brownsville?"

Gimme Shelter | Playing For Change

Playing for Change~Worldwide Artists Doing "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay"

Two Young Guitar Virtuosos Playing Michael Jackson's Billie Jean

Our Readers Speak Out About Juliet's $25,000 "Goodbye" Dinner and Severance Package Offered Tenured UTB Professors

From the editor:  Frequently, pointed information and observations made in blog comments exceed what's written in the blog articles.  We've assembled a handful of recent reader contributions that fit that description.

First, this observation about the severance package offered tenured UTB professors in anticipation of the new UT-RGV:

"Look at this fabulous choice offered the tenured faculty of BOTH universities in today's Herald:

"In a(sic) e-mail to UTPA faculty, President Robert Nelsen writes “The “Voluntary Separation Incentive Program” will offer “current full-time, benefits-eligible, tenured faculty who meet certain criteria” one-half of their nine-month salary in exchange for voluntarily leaving their positions on May 31, 2015.
The program could appeal to faculty members who’d like to avoid going through the hiring process for UT-RGV."

In other words, take the chump change or risk the likelihood that you will not make it through the "hiring process". What might be the criteria for the new hiring process? Take a wild guess....

And, "The buyouts are a way to maintain costs and streamline budget and personnel expenditures, according to information supplied to UTB faculty members." Translation, not many of you will be hired so you better take the money or gamble against a stacked deck.

Just another booby prize left by "La Cacique"

Here's another:

"OK sport's fans here it is straight from the horse's mouth: "Artibise said by getting the tenured faculty to voluntarily retire, the university opens the institution to hire at lower salaries so there’s real revenue and cost benefit. Artibise said the VSIP will also give the new university the flexibility to build programs by hiring new faculty."

By the way this is from a "new" article today in the Herald. The previous one I quoted has "disappeared". But, this is even better. Lower salaries, yes, better faculty, what do you think? Stupid me, I thought people were paid higher salaries because they are more productive and experienced. It looks like from the quote above that money is what talks. Better to have new inexperienced faculty that are cheap and get rid of the "old" expensive ones. If this is effective, why hire a PhD at all and just hire people with a Masters at a much lower salary. Or, why would you want a Nobel Prize winner on your faculty when you can get some 28 year old with a Master's to do the job. Makes sense to me. It's the bottom line, stupid."

Now, some comments on the $25,000 for a table of 10 dinner honoring the UT Regents, Chancellor Cigarroa and Juliet Garcia:

"Honoring Leadership and Vision"? I guess this is correct if you define leadership as being a top flight political hack and vision as looking out for your own aggrandizement. Here is a woman who ended up with a salary over $300,000 and untold other benefits at the poorest university in the United States that has only about 6,000 FTE students.

The area’s (Corpus Christi) premier institution of higher learning enrolls more than 10,000 students and is part of The Texas A&M University System. Presidential salary: $265,000

Read and weep: http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/government-employee-salaries/titles/president/3286/"

Another:

"Wow, what a function for the poorest city in Texas. I wouldn't pay 25 cents to attend. Obviously this price prevents almost anyone in Brownsville from attending or participating. We can expect Juliet's local friends to attend (Rusteburg from the money laundering IBC bank, Carlos Marin, Tony Martinez).....but what will be interesting will be the number of local taxing entities that use tax dollars to buy a table at this event. Will Eduardo Campriano use our tax dollars to buy a table for the Port. Will P.U.B. use our tax dollars to buy a table. Even a table for UTB would be using tax dollars. Will the Kardenas Klan use their ill-gotten wealth to buy a table....probably. This function is likely where the video we have been hearing about on the life of Juliet will be presented. The connection of Cigarroa and Garcia for such an event seems to support the possibility that some see Juliet as the next Chancellor of UT. Perhaps this connection is the cause of Dr. Nelson resigning from UT-PA to go back to teaching. The political powers are exerting their powers and playing their games of corruption and favoritism."

Yet, another:

Knowing Brownsville politics the way we do and knowing that voters don't just accept corruption.....they demand corruption; Ernie Hernandez could be the next mayor and Julieta is surely using "other people's money" and the Kardenas Klan to influence her next position on the public tit.

Business Owners Meet at Market Square to Discuss Improving Downtown Area

It was not a City of Brownsville meeting, but one arranged by downtown property owners concerned about lagging business, crime and cleanliness downtown.  Close to 50 locals attended the meeting held Wednesday evening at the Market Square Conference Room.

"We know Mayor Martinez has an agenda," offered one business owner after the meeting, "but it has nothing to do with Brownsville.  His vision concerns other interests, making deals to benefit himself and his friends."

The meeting started with a young woman trying to sell downtown business owners on the idea of a glossy magazine similar to Shopping en el Valle de Texas.  Her half hour presentation as well as the rest of the meeting was presented in Spanish.  District 4 City Commissioner John Villarreal became the first city official to travel to a meeting by bicycle.  City Manager Charlie Cabler also spoke at the meeting as did BISD Board Member Cata Presas-Garcia.

The organizers, designating themselves as the UNION DE EMPRESARIOS DEL CENTRO DE BROWNSVILLE, handed out a position paper in English and Spanish, the English version obviously generated by a translation website.  There was this suggestion to improve downtown parking:  "Offer us as owners to seek alternate parking to allow more spaces for visitors, and authorities so you can support us through the construction of parking lots to drop, and the possibility of parking parallel to diagonal.  Brownsville authorities center to agree to allow to have a Saturday and Sunday without charge parking."
We asked City Manager Charlie Cabler about the progress of remodeling 609, 611 and 615 E. 11th into a police substation as the city-authorized sign on the window of 615 has advertised for the last two months.

"That will be a decision made by the Brownsville Police Department," stated Cabler.  "Officers working the multi-modal bus station have intercepted illegal drugs.  They may go that route or add officers on bicycles.  It's up to them.  We don't have much violent crime downtown, mainly theft."

We asked about the office space leased at 1101-A E. Washington St., initially for a mayor's office, but now called the Brownsville Downtown Revitalization Information Center.(This blog has reported the mayor craved this building as a mayor's office, then changed his mind.  The taxpayers have been on the hook for the lease since October 8, 2013.)  When I suggested to Cabler that I just assumed the city would drop the lease since they were building another office for "Downtown Revitalization" across the street.  Cabler stated:  "That would be a good assumption." 

When I mentioned the 13 grand the city had spent to remodel the office the mayor thought he wanted, Cabler said: "Yes, it was a lot more money than I thought it would be."  When I added that amount was for materials only, not labor, Cabler quickly added:  "We've remodeled Goodman's office too, but for a lot less."  Yes, Peter Goodman's office has a new laminated wood floor, but that work was done in the last two weeks.  Tony's "office" was leased and remodeled over 6 months ago and the cost of labor was never mentioned.  As many as 4 city trucks could be seen last September in front of the office space.   Insiders tell us the office has been used 3 times since last October, meaning taxpayers likely paid approximately $10,000 per meeting including the year lease and remodeling.(Cabler thinks the office may have been used more frequently, but has no actual information.)

Another Racist Rant to the Brownsville Herald from Republican Foot Soldier Dagoberto Barrera

From the YOUR VOICES section of the Brownsville Herald, 5/19/14:

Editor:  

The Obama clique of liberals urge everyone in Mexico who wants to invade our public schools to do so, regardless of their illegal residence status.

Even our own public officials in Washington urge our public school officials to not quiz any student about his immigration status to be in our public schools.  

This asinine insurgence encourages more Mexican illegals to invade our borders, flood our schools with more sickly, uncultured non-English speakers, and use our taxpayers' facilities and burden our school instructors, get taxpayers' school supplies, food, textbooks, use our school bus transportation, etc.  All these school facilities' cost is borne by us American taxpayers--you and I in our pocketbooks.

I wonder if this leftist Obama administration is on our American side or against us weary and overtaxed citizens.

This, the word is out:  cross illegally into our country, get more free government people's money and enjoy our American style of living.

If an illegal student or American student can't be quizzed on his or her legal residency status, every Juan, Victor and Enrique from Mexico can easily come in and enjoy what we Americans have worked so hard to accomplish, to give our American students and our beloved USA.

These are low-class, many intellectually deficient, uncultured, uneducated in either language.

We Americans had had enough of these invaders, who ruin our society with their manner of finger-eating, dress, etc.

It's too heavy a burden on us Americans, who have to live and put up with these uncultured people from Mexico.

Mexico, with all the oil you produce, take care of your native peons, so they won't invade our borders any more.

Dagoberto Barrera
Brownsville

Say "Goodbye" to Juliet V. Garcia for $25,000! Hey Mayor Tony! If You Want A Table, Buy It Yourself! Don't Use Taxpayer Money!

Krystal Alanis Linder Book Signing At Heritage Museum

Krystal Alanis Linder, hosting a book signing for her debut time travel, romance novel, "NEVER ENOUGH TIME".
Sunday, May 18th at the Brownsville Heritage Complex, located next to the Stillman House Museum.

City of Brownsville Hires New City Planning Director

From the editor:  For some time the City of Brownsville's Planning Department has been functioning without a Planning Director.  Planner Ramiro Gonzalez has been serving as Interim Director while the city continued its search.  Now, it appears, a Planning Director has been hired, Michael Warrix, scheduled to begin serving June 2.(His resume appears below:)

Arnold Flores, Candidate for Cameron County Clerk, Campaign Video

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Gilbert Velasquez Graphic on Tenaska Power Plant

SAM, Inc., Surveying, Aerial Mapping, Engineering Doing Preliminary Work for Tenaska's Necessary Gas Pipeline

7 or 8 young men with heavy duty trucks have been staying for nearly a month in the gated rv park where Nena and I live.

The are doing the necessary surveying and engineering for the gas pipeline needed to power the huge Tenaska power plant.  Their trucks bear the logo of SAM, Inc., Surveying, Aerial Mapping, Engineering.  None of the men seem to know about the powerplant, just the gas pipeline they are initializing.

Some of the terrain the men are surveying is pretty rugged.  When necessary they pull behind them one of several 4-wheelers parked out back.

The aspect of the huge Tenaska power plant agreed upon in secret negotiations by Tony Martinez and his cronies is the method of finance.

Brownsville's quarter interest in the plant will be financed by the P.U.B. ratepayers to the tune of $350,000,000.

Below is a graphic sent out today by Gilbert Velasquez protesting the Tenaska Plant: