Bobby Brought Up Abraham Galonsky. What About Galonsky?

A. Galonsky

Abraham Galonsky.  Blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes brought the name up in discussing the City Commission races. 

Local businessman Galonsky seems unassuming, and, like Sam Walton of Arkansas, dresses like a working man, not ostentatious, but he does support local political races financially and his support is frequently sought.

His name comes up in Google searches, primarily because of the 2012 sale of his downtown building, La Casa del Nylon, to the City of Brownsville for $2,300,000, about triple its value.

If you think that was a fair price for a one story building with an unfinished attic and no AC, consider that the county paid the exact same price, $2,300,000, for the six story Wells Fargo Bank building on E. Levee street WITH AC and many other amenities. 

The sale of Galonsky's building, for triple its actual value, was orchestrated by his friend, Mayor Tony Martinez, although the city had no need for the building.(Its been off tax rolls for 5 years and is in decay.)

Horacio Barrera

One almost comical aspect of the completed sale is that the exorbitant sale price was "negotiated" by Tony's law partner, Horacio Barrera.  If La Casa del Nylon transaction is an example of Barrera's skill set, he's too dumb to negotiate, let alone practice law.   Who "negotiates" to pay triple the value for an old building?

But, all of this is not Galonsky's fault.  No one forced Mayor Martinez and his youngish City Commission to overpay for a building the city has taken five years to even find a use for.(There is now talk of an expensive remodel of La Casa del Nylon for a fireman training center.)

Galonsky has many properties available for sale in and around Brownsville.  His picture above was taken at a town hall meeting where the City Commission tried to forcefeed the conveyance of Lincoln Park to the ultra-rich University of Texas system.  Galonsky was among only 2 or 3 of the 400 in attendance who spoke out FOR giving the beautiful park to UT.  

Galonsky's support for the Lincoln Park conveyance was likely based on his desire to sell a 30 acre tract he owns next to the sewer treatment plant in Southmost, the planned location for the "new" Lincoln Park.

Commissioner Rick Longoria was doing his darndest to promote the deal, even narrating a P.U.B. video, illustrating how magical chemicals would remove the stink from the sewer plant, so users of the new Lincoln Park would not have to hold their nose while on the swing.

From the editor:  Our next article will deal with the John Villarreal vs. Ben Neece race for City Commissioner, District 4, factoring in the Abraham Galonsky connection.