WIGHTMAN, NEECE AGREE: RENE DE COSS SHOULD NOT HAVE BOTH JOBS!

From the editor: Not unlike the rarity of a total eclipse of the sun, two Brownsville luminaries, City Commissioner Ben Neece and blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, seldom see exactly eye to eye.

Yet, with respect to the issue of Rene DeCoss serving as attorney for both the City of Brownsville AND the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, Wightman and Neece agree.

We raised the issue in yesterday's Brownsville Observer:

"We keep repeating that the entire point of creating 4A funding for economic development is to keep that exercise away from politics.  That is why we don't need city commissioners serving on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation,but also we don't need the City Attorney serving as the legal representative for BOTH the City of Brownsville AND the GBIC.  It's such an obvious conflict of interest.

That is the same gig Mark Sossi had and now, foolishly, those two assignments have been bestowed upon Rene De Coss.  Yes, now De Coss can pocket $5,000 per month from the GBIC, just as his predecessor did, but it's a bad idea."

Here is Neece's take on the matter:


Ben Neece January 23, 2019 at 10:31 PM

Now this should be noted by everyone. One of the biggest complaints against our former city attorney was conflicts of interest. In particular, that he was attorney for both GBIC and the City of Brownsville. Now you have these clowns doing the same thing by appointing our COB city attorney as the GBIC attorney. What exactly did Luis Hernandez do to be "terminated?" Enquiring minds should want to know. This is all that is wrong with Brownsville. Do we care anymore about ethics? How can a city attorney, who serves on an economic development corporation not have a conflict of interest, when dealing with city issues, e.g. CDCB vs. GBIC? What is heard in executive session for one entity cannot be disclosed to the other entity. How do you get around this? The elections are coming. Vote for people who will hold ethics foremost. Not like these clowns who serve their own interests, or even worse, the interests of special interest groups. Inform yourself. Be the force that determines who governs you. Register to vote, which I can do for you, and vote for ethical candidates. Don't be governed by amateurs.  

Now, Mr. Wightman's view:

BobbyWC January 23, 2019 at 4:55 PM


Sorry for the typing but I was having real bad tremors. On Rene Coss under the rules of Professional Conduct he cannot be the attorney for the city and GBIC. There is an inherent conflict of interest. Who does he side with The city of GBIC when they are in conflict.




Bobby WC