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| City Manager Noel Bernal |
Mayor Tony Martinez, with flu symptoms, set the tone with a hoarse voice, attired in a black clerical robe without a collar, his Mayor's Activity Update reduced to a terse "Happy Holidays" and "God bless."
Pastor Brad Burke displayed Christian charity by allowing a young minister to pray over the meeting. All of the commissioners bowed their head in prayer except for Commissioners Gowen and Longoria, who evidently pray to a different God.
During the City Manager's Update, the newly selected Noel Bernal referenced a city departmental meeting to discuss, not strategy, but culture.
"Every city has talent," Bernal told me afterward, but without the right "culture," nothing works efficiently.
Bernal used the analogy of a sports team to make his point, emphasizing good team chemistry.
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| Commissioner Neece |
Years ago, even before his first term as mayor, Tony Martinez promised that a new ethics code would be the "first priority" of his administration. Nearly two terms later, that promise has not been fulfilled.
Amazingly, Mayor Martinez also supported something he's he's opposed in the past, discussions to form a regional Metropolitan Planning Organization. Currently, the region is served by three independent MPOs, Hidalgo County, Harlingen and Brownsville.
BCIC Director Rebeca Castillo announced a matching grants program to help downtown business owners fix up the exteriors of their buildings.
It is insane that we are discussing using 10th century technology to deal with the border. The fact that anyone is even entertaining building a monstrous and useless wall to attempt to control the border, when more than half of the people illegally in this country entered legally, and millions of tons of uninspected shipping cross daily by land and sea, shows how low the debate has become. The Democrats should "just say no" and let Trump piss and moan until someone stuffs a binkie in his mouth. They should refuse to negotiate this issue, not because it is politically expedient, but because the wall is just an idiotic idea.
ReplyDeleteWell actually the Dems have done exactly what you are saying and Trump responded he will shut down the government if he does not get the wall and Pelosi and Schumer stood their ground. Trump became very upset when Pelosi called it the Trump government shutdown. She defied Trump to raise the issue in the House claiming even among Republicans he does not have the vote, and Trump refused. The Dems are holding. I will bet the farm if Trump shuts down the government over the wall the Republicans will give the votes needed for a veto override
ReplyDeleteBobby WC
Ben Neece calling for a code of ethics? What a joke!
ReplyDeleteEven with the wall, don't you know how many illegals are caught by the border patrol? We can only wonder how many actually get in anyway. Walls do work. If you have a different opinion that's fine but why do the people that don't agree are so hateful. When the Republicans AND Democrat BOTH voted for the wall there was no hatred. What has changed? I think it's a hatred towards OUR President. If you think differently than me that's okay. I won't whine, complain, or hate.
ReplyDelete