So, while Lincoln can just keep the signs up from 2006, proclaiming their "All-American" status or make new ones, Brownsville is not quite so sure of itself. Despite "winning" the award in 2001, our city leaders NEED the reassurance, the pat on the back that comes from the Civic League declaring them "All-American" once again.
The All-American designation is mostly a small town thing, with out-the-way places saying "Look at me!" San Francisco, Seattle, Miami and New York do not need or seek recognition of the National Civic League.
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| Marshall Mayor Ed Smith |
"The City of Marshall offers a full range of municipal services. We have well trained and highly qualified Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Service Departments that are fully prepared to respond to any type of emergency. A full-service library is available to our citizens. The City operates a comprehensive park system that includes a ten-field ball complex, several neighborhood parks, a public swimming pool, a horse arena, two fishing ponds, and a nine hole golf course. Our Public Works and Water Utilities Departments manage a full range of municipal infrastructure services." Well, woopty doo!
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| City Manager Charlie Cabler |
City Manager Charlie Cabler is out to kick Marshall's ass and is willing to break the budget to do it. Cabler is heading a huge contingent of 15 to make the case for Brownsville. Finance Director Pete Gonzalez will present an agenda item at the 6/3/2014 City Commission meeting to "amend" the budget to pay for the hotel, eats and travel to send the delegation of 15 to Denver, Colorado to be one of ten cities to "win" the title. Think of this little fiasco the next time Gonzalez comes sad-faced before the City Commission saying he's turned over every rock to cut the city's budget. Oh, did I tell you Gonzalez is going to Denver?
Pete will present agenda item 13 Tuesday night:
Pete submitted one Travel Request Form on behalf of all 15 in the delegation asking for $1,608 for each traveler or $24,120. The city's budget has to be "amended" to pay for this.
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| Our Bureaucrats Partying Down in Fort Worth |
So, who gets to go to Denver to party, I mean conference on the taxpayer's dime? Ok. Charlie and Pete, Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez, City Commissioner Debbie Portillo(just back from Las Vegas on city "business"), City Commissioner Estela Chavez-Vasquez, Health Director Arturo Rodriguez, Patrolman Liliana De la Garza, Brownsville Bike Barn Manager Eva Garcia, Events Coordinator Shannon Guerrero, UTB Media Person Cynthia Hernandez, Healthy Communities' Gilbert Lopez, Librarian James McCoy, Legal Secretary Beulah Mendez, Grant Coordinator Roxanna Rosas and Healthy Communities' Kendra Stine.
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| Health Director Arturo Rodriguez |
Health Director Arturo Rodriguez has been working on this application for several months, obviously committing a huge part of his salaried time to this "opportunity."
Brownsville may be "the poorest city in the United States," with a neglected, decaying downtown, a humongous dropout rate and a corrupted political process where almost no one votes, but gawdammit, we're an "All-American City.!"
How shocking! They are not sending the pendejo Fire Chief Lenny Perez? As much as he has had zero progress since he started over 12 years ago it makes sense not to send that idiot.
ReplyDeleteI want to go! Again, I think it is a good effort, but I do not think you need that many people to travel, but that is my opinion only. Probably someone or more than one on the commission is pushing to send more people than needed.
ReplyDeletePat, you cannot go! You merely want to go so that you can get DRUNK. You embarrassed Brownsville enough during your term as mayor. Now go away and do what you do best; play with puppies.
DeletePat.....you can go....straight to A.A.!
DeleteYou just don't understand Jim this is good for our community. We're only spending $25,000 to get a return of millions in tourism dollars. That is a good investment. You need to look at the big picture. We have small minded people in Brownsville who don't understand how valuable this designation is. These small minded people are why we are considered a third world city.
ReplyDeleteHe's a naysayer, Pat. Barton is not for Brownsville. Most cities do this. Barton hates to see Mexicans going on trips. LOL!!!
DeleteHey Pattie, you want to go. Get in your car and go, who cares, just don't try asking for money or any encouragement from us. Oh, by the way, City of Lincoln, IL is looking for a city administrator. Go away Pat.
DeleteHey Pat, if you do go......please make sure you are issued the "correct" check! (Wink-wink).
DeleteMr Ahumada, I beg to differ. Nobody, but nobody, is impressed with this "award". This is as useless as the "sister city" scheme. Who cares?! Let's get our city working for the residents. Wouldn't you prefer to see this money used to bring in more employment, more education, more amenities? Send two people (if we really must), but fifteen? Ridiculous!! I plan on contacting my commissioner about this - and hope some of them will stand together to deny this insane request.
ReplyDeleteDeny??? It was already approved!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteThis is a scheme to make money for the ones doing the presenting. It is about collecting on applications plain and simple...like the Who's who award for individuals...you pay and you get the designation. so if you do not participate you are not even considered? Bologna! If they want to designate cities do it with facts that are collected by those that are going to make the decision, not by who participates in your money making scheme!
ReplyDeleteAny commissioner that votes for this should be replaced. This is bad leadership, 24 thousand dollars for a trip that will eventually mean nothing?
ReplyDeleteAnother example of :) leadership. I'm starting to just get tired.....................................................................
ReplyDeleteEstela Chavez Vasquez has not done a single thing as commissioner except travel. She travels with her commission budget, with the PUB budget along with her PUB appoinment and her fellow attorney comadre, Noemi Garcia, with her 4B travel budget, with her 4A homie Sandra Langley, etc. It takes a lot of us taxpayers' money to keep this bitch on consant travel. How the hell can she be effective at being a commissioner? At being an attorney? At being a mother and wife?!?! She just got in to get her free trip around the world and to get her buddies jobs at the city. She wants a new city attorney and a new municipal judge. Guess who's in line? Noemi and all her attorney friends who she owes favors to. Portillo is not far behind. As soon as she got in she had one foot on the plane to go to Austin, Dallas, Vegas, Georgia, LA, and now Denver and she's only been there one year! In the words of Bean Ayala, "WOW!" She is living the dream with 3 more years left in her term and while she has been there she has already paid her friend Galonsky for the rent money at the casa del nylon she could not afford to pay with a cushy position on the PUB board. Someone with a successful business could not possibly have that much time to travel. She's getting money from somewhere else. Oh yeah, from us!
ReplyDeleteI respect your opinion, but I really believe that it is a great marketing tool to promote being selected as an All American City. The BCVB and the EDC will market this award, along with the city, which in my opinion is a positive thing. I just think they do not need to send that many people on the trip. Maybe, some on the commission are pushing to include a lot that would like to go, but are not needed. The award cannot hurt and it can help promote Brownsville in a positive way.
ReplyDeleteYou idiot! Its false advertising if we do win it and use it. Its preposterous!
DeleteObviously, this is a joke. Are you sure that the onion.com is not sponsoring the "contest"?
ReplyDeleteThis answers the question "How many Brownsville officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Obviously the anwer is 15 and at a cost of $24,000 for the tax payers. Hopefully all the people on the All American City committee have seen Robert Duvall's movie made here....it really portrays the essence of Brownsville.
ReplyDeleteBeing designated an "All American City" has no real impact on business or life here. People who have an opportunity to come here to work will quickly see that the public schools suck big time, and that is what most parents look for. They are not looking for border violence, drugs on every corner, poor law enforcement, corrupt politics and excessive utilities costs and politically based property assessment. Look at the major businesses here......money laundering, tire repair, prostitution, used clothing stores, pawn shops, and corrupt politicians.
EXACTLY! If both Tony and Pat like this idea it MUST be a bad idea
DeleteFirst Brownsville will never be an all American City, 80 % of its costumes are Hispanic, and in case it gets the award, what are we going to show to the 1000s of tourist the award would bring to Brownsville, Peter Zavaleta dressed as a brujo , Ramiro Gonzales with a bow tie lol
ReplyDeleteJune 2, 11:27 pm is not mine. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIn keeping with the spirit of things. Once we have the award, does Fred Burgomaster and United Brownsville get to evict all the Mexicans?
ReplyDelete