THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER: February 2019

Thursday, February 28, 2019

THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER GOES DOWNTOWN DURING THE CHILDREN''S PARADE

From the editor: The pics below are more about catching the atmosphere of the "Children's Parade," then covering the parade itself:

ALL THREE MAYORAL CANDIDATES SET FOR "WHINE AND CHEEZ" PODCAST SUNDAY AT 1:30 PM

Mayor Tony Martinez

Trey Mendez

Charlie Cabler

JOHN COWEN AND ISMAEL HINOJOSA, RESPECTFUL OPPONENTS FOR CITY COMMISSIONER AT LARGE "A"

John Cowen

John Cowen and Ismael Hinojosa, half of the contenders for City Commissioner At Large "A," seem to end up talking to each other at Brownsville political events.

"I have a lot of respect for John," states Ismael.

"We seem to agree on almost everything."

Cowen concurs and laughed when I referred to the unlikely tandem as "bookends." Both are soft spoken, although Cowen more so, both self-effacing, family oriented. Cowen admits to losing 20 lbs so far on the campaign, weight he didn't need to lose.

Ismael Hinojosa

"I'm the least important person in that picture," Hinojosa told me when I mentioned his campaign sign showing his entire family.

"You don't know what it means to be a dad, until you actually are one," the attorney told me as he talked about finally understanding the sacrifices his parents made for him and his siblings.

Carlos Guerrero and Jessica Puente-Bradshaw are also running for the position.

Hopefully, within the next couple weeks, we can have all four on the Whine and Cheez Podcast.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

FORMER MAYOR PAT AHUMADA HOLDS UNIQUE POLITICAL EVENT AT LA HACIENDA RESTAURANT

"It was very different from the normal Cobbleheads event," I told Pat Ahumada after his meet and greet at La Hacienda Restaurant at 2200 Boca Chica Blvd.

My comment was no reflection on Joe Kinney's mainstay venue of Brownsville political events, just noting a style and substance upgrade from the norm.

Two photogenic Montanaro siblings, Realtor/Campaign Manager Ray and his sister, attorney Aida Montanaro-Flores, each made a credible case for putting the former mayor back on the commission.

Ahumada's prepared remarks were lengthy, but substantive, touching on his rationale for the plastic bag ban, his advocacy for an animal "no-kill shelter," setting up committees to monitor lighting and pothole repair needs, eliminating property evaluation inequities.

Several politicos, including mayoral candidate Trey Mendez, Mayor Tony Martinez, District 1 candidate Nurith Galonsky, At Large "A" candidates Carlos Guerrero and John Cowen were in attendance, noticeably welcomed by Ahumada.

Mayor Martinez and blogger/podcaster Erasmo Castro sported unique Charros Day vests as pictured below:

MORE PICS FROM FIESTA EVENT AT LONE STAR BANK

CRAIG GROVE REPORTS BEHIND-THE-SCENES CONTROL OF THE GBIC BOARD

Craig Grove, Christine Breeden

From the editor: The blog comment below by Craig Grove deserves a wider audience. We repost it without commentary:

Brownsville Living, February 27, 2019 at 6:11 AM

Jim, thanks for mentioning me and for this article. You are spot on about the board.

One minor correction. I didn't serve on the Board. I was on the GBIC Incentives Committee that was implemented after they shortsightedly dismantled BEDC.

We were tasked with evaluating all incentive requests. However, when I realized it was a rubber stamp committee and there were other people really making the decisions, I protested and was rebuffed by the new CEO.

My protest was about the mysterious approval of the airport funding. We had specifically addressed this and said we most likely couldn't support it because it would wipe out our ability to do economic development projects as you so aptly stated.

I confronted them about when and where this was approved and was essentially told to back off. The item was somehow approved by GBIC during the time after Gilbert Salinas was fired and before Mario Lozoyo was employed.

There was a window where they didn't call us for any meetings. That was when the airport funds were approved.

After realizing I had no voice and would just end up being blamed in the future for something I had nothing to do with, I resigned and began my "subtle campaign" to help expose the true nature of this and other civic concerns.

Thanks again Jim. Although we aren't always on the same page I appreciate your continued effort to inform the public. -

Craig Grove

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

PICS FROM LAST NIGHT'S FIESTA AT LONE STAR BANK

BRO AIRPORT ANXIOUSLY AWAITS GROWTH GENERATED BY NEW TERMINAL

Airport Director Bryant Walker

While the Brownsville/South Padre Island (International) Airport, now marketed as BRO, has no international flights, it is still a "gateway," a "point of origin" for flights north.

"Yes, we have more enplanements than deplanements," stated Walker, as we walked to view the newly refurbished Pan American Building.

"People from Mexico and further south board in Brownsville to go north, but not necessarily return. We think Winter Texans also bring their RVs to Brownsville and then fly home," continued the director.

To be sure, a graph showed the last five years of airport business to be relatively flat, while both United Airlines and American Eagle experienced monetary declines the first four months of fiscal 2019(October 1-January 31).

Yet the new, much larger airport terminal, expected to be completed in 2020, gives the Airport Advisory Board reason for optimism.

Right now, things are a mess with a necessary road detour and construction all around. While earth-moving equipment was readying the terminal area for the new terminal's building pad, gas and fiber optic lines were being laid.

Walker and the advisory board are especially proud of the 1931 Pan American Building's interior and exterior restoration with new hardwood floors, replacement of exposed electrical conduit, new air conditioning as well as painting inside and out.

The building could be available for community events including a celebration of the airport's 90th anniversary March 9, 2019.

READER CLAIMS DE LEON CANNOT SERVE AS P.U.B. ATTORNEY AS PER CITY CHARTER

Former Commissioner Cesar De Leon

Racial minorities in the United States are frequently suspicious, even resentful of other minority groups they fear may infringe on their already-diminished slice of the pie.

Nena and I lived and worked in the black community in Little Rock during both the Indo-Chinese resettlement in 1975 and the "Cuban Invasion" of 1980 and saw the tensions develop between poor whites and blacks and the two large groups of migrants.

Much the same as today's false Trump rhetoric, rumors raced throughout Arkansas that Castro, Fidel, not Erasmo, had simply emptied the prisons and mental institutions, sending the United States and Arkansas "bad people." That malicious gossip proved just as untrue then as today.

So, a recording of Cesar De Leon using a racial slur to impress his beer-drinking buddies was no big surprise. While that reflects poorly on Cesar, displaying, not only racism, but insecurity, but, for me, it was not the most disturbing aspect of that recording.

I've always said that it was more concerning that De Leon asked several times "where is mine?" as if entitled because of his position of service. That mindset is the exact opposite of so-called community service.

Anyway, now Cesar De Leon has, once again, resigned from the City Commission, and is now rumored to be "getting his" with an appointment to a six figure position as a Public Utilities Board attorney.

"Not so fast" claims an anonymous commenter to this blog who maintains that appointing De Leon to the P.U.B. position violates the city charter.

We quote the comment in full below with the supporting references from the charter:

"De Leon is not allowed to represent the P U B for at least one year or GBIC or any other board or commission for at least one year.

De Leon was a member of GBIC and a City Commissioner, so he cannot represent the City Commission, GBIC or P U B.

De Leon was a city commissioner that appointed current P U B board members and De Leon was a city commissioner that was active in meetings with P U B and in P U B matters.

He cannot represent P U B or G B I C on anything before the city. That is a conflict of interest and a violation of the city ordinance.

The purpose of the city ordinance is to prevent commissioners from doing business with the city or P U B due to "inside" information or just to use their former position to make a buck.

El racista was involved in P U B decisions and executive meetings and had power to impact P U B fees so he cannot represent them.

Anyone that chooses to support De Leon for something like this should be referred to the Attorney General for enforcement of the city laws.

Sec. 38-67. - Subsequent representation.

(a)Representation by former city commission member or former board or commission member. A person who was a member of the city commission, a board or commission, or another city body shall not represent any person, group, or entity, other than himself or his spouse, minor children, or domestic partner, for a period of one year after the termination of his official duties: (1) Before the city commission of that board, commission, or body; (2) Unless the board, commission, or body of which the former city official or employee was a member is only advisory in nature; (3) Before city staff having responsibility for making recommendations to or taking any action on behalf of the city commission or that board, commission, or body; or (4) Before a board, commission, or other city body that has appellate jurisdiction over the board, commission, or body of which the former city official or employee was a member, if any issue related to his former duties. (b)Representation before city. A former city official or employee shall not represent for compensation any person, group, or entity, other than himself or his spouse, minor children, or domestic partner, before the city for a period of one year after termination of his official duties where a matter is one in which the former city official or employee personally participated prior to termination of his official duties or is a matter substantially related to such a matter. This subsection does not apply to a person who was classified as a city official only because he was an appointed member of a board, commission, or other city body. For purposes of this subsection, the term "compensation" means money or any other thing of value that is received or is to be received in return for or in connection with such representation."

PARTING THOUGHTS ON THE MOST RECENT WHINE AND CHEEZ PODCAST

Caty Presas-Garcia, Jim Barton, Pat Ahumada, Erasmo Castro, Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa

Sitting at the table this past Sunday February 24 with the three District 2 candidates and moderator Castro, I sensed both vulnerability and strength.

If you can't see the increased confidence and poise in Commissioner Tetreau-Kalifa over the last eight years, you are likely blinded with partisan or personal issues.

Presas-Garcia has an undeniable spunkiness, drawing on her experience in real estate to make her points. As Tetreau-Kalifa did, Caty would face a learning curve, if elected.

Former Mayor Pat Ahumada candidly admitted his battle with depression, his use of alcohol to dull the losses of his daughter and first wife, while proudly and truthfully stating that his public comments on social media are never submitted anonymously and that he "owns them."

"No one could create consensus with Charlie Atkinson on the city commission," Ahumada added.

None of these candidates impress me as buffoons, unworthy to even be on the ballot. They simply have different skill sets, life experience and loyalties.

Two are mothers, easily the most important, yet difficult job in the world, while one somehow survived the shrimping industry to have a life of substance.(Having observed dozens of shrimpers in the 60's hit the shore with a fistful of money, only to be totally broke in two days, I've always admired those who could attain some stability in their lives.)

Endorsement time? Not exactly.

I'm still observing.

LONE STAR NATIONAL BANK'S CHARRO DAYS FIESTA TONIGHT!

Monday, February 25, 2019

WILL CESAR DE LEON RESCIND HIS RESIGNATION LETTER AGAIN?

Sunday, February 24, 2019

QUICK UPDATE ON MY FIANCEE', ANA ADIONG OF CAGAYAN DE ORO

Ana Adiong

My wife-to-be, Ana Adiong from Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, sent the pic on the left after her visit to the dentist yesterday. The office visit, including meds, cost around $20. She will go back next month for a little more work.

We've been in constant contact, several hours daily, via video call since I left the Philippines December 1. She watched the Baile del Sol on Elizabeth Street with me today on my I-phone, just as she watches me shop at H.E.B.

I've been more than fortunate in finding two great partners in life. Nena went with me everywhere for 49+ years and now Ana is in my life with the same focus.

Our first immigration form, the I-129F, is being reviewed at the California Processing Center with a typical wait time of 5.5 to 7.5 months. That's just the beginning of the immigration process that will include an interview at the U.S. embassy in Manila preceded by a thorough medical check-up.

With the current administration pushing back on legal immigration, the process is taking as much as 43.5 months.