CAPTAIN "DOUBLE EXPOSURE" BOB ANSWERS ALL OUR QUESTIONS

From the editor:  We sent a very specific question to Robert Sanchez, AKA Captain Bob, but the press of operating a highly successful seafood restaurant in town likely prevented him from responding.

No problemo!

Captain Bob with his Prized Avocados

Captain Bob has a new blog, cleverly titled "The Captain's Table," a forum through which he professes to "discuss the perils of human existence."  That's a tall order for a blogger, especially one who limits each article to a mere paragraph.

Our reference to the blogger as Captain "Double Exposure" Bob is because each paragraph-long article is topped by two identical photos.  We're not certain if Bob is repeating for emphasis or Wordpress has this incredible "2 for 1 sale."

Anyway, we thank the captain for answering our questions even before they were asked:  


BARTON:  Bob, in your years of public service, have you ever been approached with something clearly unethical?

CAPTAIN:  "I can remember back in 2004, I was sworn in as a Brownsville Public Utility Board Member taking the seat Sam Pate had occupied so honestly on the board. In the crowd was a City Commissioner who pulled me aside. He said, “Whatever contract you can help PUB get, ask for 20% and give me 10% and we will get rich.” I was shocked but stayed quiet. The following Monday I went to District Attorney Armando Villalobos office to report the bizarre idea of the City Commissioner and nothing happened. The particular City Commissioner has been dead for about two years now."

BARTON:  Was this the only time you were tempted to use your position for profit?

CAPTAIN: " . . . . as my tenure on the PUB ran, the community was in a turmoil with the developers of residential lots concerning the Impact fees that they wanted at 280.00 per lot but audits and financial analysis insisted that they should be $3000.00 per lot. At that time the BPUB board was to vote for the proper fee. A week before the meeting, a representative of the developers approached a relative of mine to tell him to tell me if I would consider taking $100,000.00 for myself in order for me to vote for the $280.00 Impact fee because there needed to be a swing vote and they felt my vote would be it. They also wanted me to resign from the board after the vote. I said no and voted for the citizen’s and ratepayers fair Developer’s Impact Fee amount ."

BARTON: "Why do you feel you were able to resist temptation when so many officials in Brownsville and Cameron County have succumbed to temptation?

CAPTAIN: "I was self made with help from my parents."

BARTON: What is your assessment of the local blogosphere?

CAPTAIN: "You know what, hatred runs wild on the blogs. There are certain bloggers that are so intelligent but just do not get it. DPM of the Brownsville Republic has astonished me with his writing that is so visual like mine. Once again I am grateful to him. I want to express my gratitude to him."

BARTON: Do you prefer to be called Mr. Sanchez or Captain Bob?

CAPTAIN: Another name they give me besides Captain Bob is “MR CLEAN.” I know the other names some demons call me but my favorite ones are CAPTAIN BOB AND MR CLEAN BUT MY MOST FAVORITE IS ROBERT SANCHEZ.

BARTON:  What is your fascination with avocados?

CAPTAIN:  "We happen to have two different trees that produce the great tasting creamy pulp. This is the first year a crop grows from tree in my yard. It took seven years to mature to finally produce. The tree my parents have, has produced avocados since I was a teenager. 800 avocados have been harvested from both trees in the last month with 100s more I see on top of the trees . Today at Sam’s Wholesale Club and at HEB a single avocado is sold for $2.25. Europe and Asia are buying large amounts of the Mexican production and the USA market is at a shortfall. That is why avocados are so expensive today . If you want to taste ours, just go to Captain Bob’s Seafood restaurant and order a guacamole plain or a guacamole with onion, cilantro, tomato and chili if you want. Also the coctails have avocado slices on top. These will be ripe in about 48 hours. Yummy"

BARTON:  So, you like to shop for groceries?

CAPTAIN:  "I love going to supermarket because of all the vegetables and seafood we see, but more interesting to me is to see scores of Brownsville citizens stop to look at my girlfriend move gracefully through the aisles with Captain Bob behind her."