Rolling Stones: "No, You Can't Always Get What You Want . . . . . But If You Try Sometime, You Just Might Find, You Get What You Need"

As toxic as a Tony Martinez re-election would be for the City of Brownsville, what if the new City Commission has an independent voice or two, folks not easily bulldozed by Martinez' hell-bent drive to curry favor with the University of Texas and placate United Brownsville?

A vote shift seems to already be taking form with Commissioners Tetreau, Villarreal and Longoria joining forces at times to protect taxpayer interests as in the outrageous Lincoln Park giveaway boondoggle.

Pat Ahumada

One new commissioner, who could articulate how a decision will affect the taxpaying public while it's being discussed at the City Commission meeting, might not only build consensus for opposing a decision not in the community's best interest or tweaking that proposal.  Tetreau's abstentions and "no" votes helped, but the counterpoint was not spelled out clearly with poise and logic.

That is why several of us, not just one singular person, as Pat thinks, wanted Ahumada to run for a City Commissioner position, not mayor.  The thinking, then and now, is that Ahumada didn't have a chance in hell to be elected mayor, but his name recognition alone would make him the favorite in a commissioner's race.  After all, it's still just one vote on the City Commission AND a prepared commissioner, not afraid to speak up, can guide the discussion in a productive way.  Of course, running for a so-called "lesser" position is not in Ahumada's DNA and, for that quirk of personality, the city is the loser. 

Roman Perez Speaking Out at Town Hall
Meeting about Lincoln Park

At least one other potential difference maker remains. No one in Brownsville knows the City Code or Robert's Rules of Order better than Roman Perez, running for City Commissioner, District 1.  Perez actually led the fight against the weak-kneed gifting of Lincoln Park to UT. Unlike Commissioners Ricardo Longoria, Jr. and John Villarreal, he did not need to hear the strong public outcry at town forum against the "sale."  He was already on record that it was a bad deal.

Can Brownsville get what it needs?