The "Who Cares?" Election for City Commissioners Will Indeed Effect Our City

Linda Dragustinovis, Sporting the Pink
Brownsville Cheezmeh T-Shirt to Bring
"Cancer Awareness"

Frank Mar(his Facebook name) has questioned my vote for Erasmo Castro in his run for City Commissioner At Large B against incumbent Rose Gowen.  Frank, who claims to speak several languages, has a burr in his butt with respect to Erasmo.

The Dragustinovis children, Melissa, Linda and Erasmo, of Mexican-Romanian descent, but frequently using their mother's maiden name, Castro, are beyond clever in utilizing social media for income. Their dad, Erasmo Dragustinovis, Sr., a preacher, owned a block of cement-block-constructed offices between E. Madison and Jefferson, E. 13th and 12th Streets where both Linda and Melissa have notary public offices.(Erasmo claims Linda's office at 1216 E. Madison, Suite D, as his Brownsville residence for campaign purposes. He may indeed have a cot in the back of her office to rest his bones on his visits to Brownsville.)

Residence issues aside, Frank Mar claims that Erasmo Castro referred to me as a "pendejo."

That is true.  But, for some reason, being called a "pendejo" by Erasmo, doesn't sting.  I scored 99+ percentile on the National Merit Scholarship Test in 1965, the highest score they awarded.  I'm not actually a "pendejo."

But, as I reported in 2012 the Brownsville Cheezmeh group were selling pink t-shirts to promote "cancer awareness." (Technically, any item containing the word "cancer" could be said to promote cancer awareness.)
     
When a school teacher, April Flores, questioned Erasmo about the use of the funds raised by selling the pink t-shirts, he took considerable umbrage.  Erasmo, as the head cheese, does not tolerate questioning.

April was on point in questioning Erasmo about how funds from the sale of pink Brownsville Cheesmeh t-shirts would be used.  My name came up in the discussion and Erasmo referred to me as a pendejo."

So, why did Nena and I vote for someone we knew to be tainted by greed and deception?

It was simply a case of voting for the "lesser of two evils."  While Jerry McHale states that I "endorsed" Erasmo, that's somewhat hyperbolic. We/I simply voted for Erasmo, given the alternative.

City Commissioner Rose Gowen

Rose Gowen has been an awful city commissioner, not only disrespectful and crass in responding to citizen's concerns, but openly disdainful of the city charter and the Texas Code of Ethics.

If Erasmo Castro is a charlatan, in his recent campaigns, citizens found him approachable. If, after election, he reverts back to "head cheese" personna, he will be a one term commissioner.  

Rose Gowen, on the other hand, is routinely disrespectful to citizens who question her votes or decisions, telling them to "vote for someone else next time" or simply signing with her infamous salutation: "Ugh! Rose."

Gowen has shown no hesitancy to violate the city code and general ethics to further her agenda.  In 2014, as a city commissioner, she voted to "convey" Lincoln Park to the University of Texas, not disclosing that she was employed by UT. After the conflict of interest went public, City Manager Mark Sossi hastily reworked a resolution to look for "alternative" sites to give to UT instead of Lincoln Park and Gowen, this time, abstained from voting.  Her clear conflict of interest had been exposed, but certainly not by her.  The new resolution left the city still able to convey Lincoln Park, if they couldn't "find" an adequate alternative, without the problem of a conflict of interest on the initial vote.

That same year Rose Gowen violated the city charter once more to pursue a personal agenda. Her four year term on the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, an entity responsible for dispersing nearly $5,000,000 in sales tax monies annually for 4B "Quality of Life" projects. The terms of Rose Gowen, Jude Benevides and Blanca Perez-Moreno on the BCIC board expired legally 12/31/14.

Jude Benevides and Blanca Perez-Moreno, respecting the City Charter, did not attend the 1/8/15 BCIC board meeting.  Not only did Rose Gowen attend, but she refused to relinquish her previous role as chairman, in order to attempt to push through a personal project.  When the new board did not support her bullying, she left, saying:  "I can't believe this!"

John Villarreal, Interviewed by the
Brownsville Observer in 2011 at
La Milpa Tortilleria

In yards across the city, the campaign signs of John Villarreal and Rose Gowen hang in tandem. Both support the Tony Martinez agenda, so toxic to our city.  A vote for Rose and John means continued control by Mayor Martinez without citizen input.

Joe Munguia, Candidate for City Commissioner,
District 3 Against William Garza

  If John and Rose are part of Tony Martinez' hoped for majority on the city commission, Joe Munguia, candidate for City Commissioner, District 3, is another cog in that wheel.  The insurance salesman conferred with Martinez and the infamous Carlos Marin about running for this office and has received known financial support from Marin.

Gowen: "No!"

Villarreal: "No!"

Munguia:  "No!"

If you want what's best for Brownsville, not what's best for Tony Martinez and friends.