Someone call the vet. The GBIC Board is one sick puppy. The appointed board of five can't get a quorum to the meetings in their seats, on time.
Two board meetings ago, only the hasty swearing in of newly appointed member Ricardo Longoria, Jr. gave the board a quorum of three.
Thursday at 5:30 PM only two GBIC Board members were present, Chairman Steve Guerra and board member Ricardo Longoria, Jr.
Of course, all of the salaried people, likely adding up to upwards of $1 million per year, were present.(I'm counting De Coss's full salary, not just for the GBIC.)
City of Brownsville AND GBIC attorney Rene De Coss was there.
GBIC Executive Director Mario Lozoya was there.
GBIC Director of Business Recruitment, Retention and Expansion Ramiro Aleman was there.
GBIC Executive Assistant Janie Velasquez was there.
GBIC Director of Business Research and Strategy Laura Matamoros was there.
When City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa came in, 20 or more minutes late, the meeting finally started. All of the high dollar folk were in their places with their meters running.
Pedro Cardenas and Cesar De Leon were also AWOL.(No need for that. Replace them with someone interested.)
The purpose of the GBIC Board is OVERSIGHT of the GBIC. Don't you think an entity with the responsibility of dishing out nearly $5 million in tax dollars annually needs careful OVERSIGHT?(Admittedly, GBIC is now strapped with paying for airport expansion, just as BCIC is still stuck with the the albatross of the Sports Park.)
Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman" sums up my feelings about the "meeting":
Let me repeat myself: The purpose of so-called 4A and 4B funds is to remove economic development and quality of life projects from politics. It totally defeats the purpose of this separation to have three kids from the city commission on the GBIC Board: Cesar, Jessica and Rick.. . . .(Nurith and Ben were effective before pulled in a political dogfight)
Dammit! There are quality adult people in this city who can populate these boards with skill, preparation and life experience! They are advanced enough in life and firm enough in their values to not be enticed by candymen like Carlos Marin or Mike Hernandez III.
Since no one has attended more City of Brownsville board meetings in the last eight years than me, let me presumptuously list some individuals I've observed as board members who would dwarf the performance of anyone currently serving on the GBIC Board, not named Steve Guerra:
Daniel Lenz: No one comes to a board meeting better prepared than Lenz. No one asks better questions. Among other things he is a world-class transportation expert and gracious to a fault.
Chris Hughston: This guy just killed it on the Airport Advisory Board with his knowledge, expertise and memory.
Teresa Saldivar: Questions everything, believes nothing. Great counterbalance on any city board.
Roman Perez: Gets into the details of everything he's involved with. Reads the fine print and not too timid to question.
Now, let me add some folk I know who've not served on any city board I'm aware of, but would far outperform anyone currently on the GBIC:
Letty Perez-Garzoria
Mary S. Rey
Craig Grove*
Robert Uresti
All of the above are quality people who would not miss board meetings, not come in flat-footed, unprepared, are not afraid to speak up, and would pursue only what's best for Brownsville.
Josh Mejia and Michael Limas are effective, but needed on the BCIC with Mejia being salaried.
GBIC TAKES ANOTHER STEP BACKWARD
Director Mario Lozoya introduce a weird agenda point Thursday night that no one seemed to understand, asking for Discussion and Action to Appoint Incentive Committee Members, whatever the Hell that means.
I could barely hear Lozoya, but he used the word liaison, which usually involves interceding between two parties. Anyway, there were no application requirements or forms involved. He just called out to the board to recommend anyone for these positions.
Possibly caught off guard, board member Ricardo Longoria, Jr. nominated David Betancourt, the mousy board chair of the last four years who brought zero ideas to the GBIC Board. Betancourt was unanimously approved as the new GBIC liason.
Dammit!
The patient will not get better soon!
*Craig Grove did serve on the GBIC
PS: Mark Lund has a hell of a lot of MPO knowledge, but that board is essentially a one man band.
Possibly caught off guard, board member Ricardo Longoria, Jr. nominated David Betancourt, the mousy board chair of the last four years who brought zero ideas to the GBIC Board. Betancourt was unanimously approved as the new GBIC liason.
Dammit!
The patient will not get better soon!
*Craig Grove did serve on the GBIC
PS: Mark Lund has a hell of a lot of MPO knowledge, but that board is essentially a one man band.
Given that the mythical Alamo narrative not only survives, but thrives in Texas, and that the politics of anti-Mexican racism wins elections, I’m pessimistic that ethnic Mexicans will ever be considered Americans. It would require overturning centuries of American self-identity that has ignored its imperialist project.
ReplyDeleteWhich, as usual, is just local Mexican racist shit which has nothing to do with the story
DeleteThank you, Tad Hasse.
DeleteNena's anniversary coming up, Jim. Been a year.
ReplyDeleteJim, 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
ReplyDelete