MY WORLD TRAVELS: VIA INHERITANCE AND YOUTUBE

Kulas(Kyle Jennermann) is BecomingFilipino, a YouTube Celebrity Among Filipinos

The much-maligned internet, including under-heavy-fire Facebook or Meta, as Zuckerberg may soon rename it, is my information highway.

It's been years since I sat through a single television program, but instead I've been traveling the world via YouTube and using Google as my personal encyclopedia/dictionary.

Shortly after Nena died, I received a small inheritance from a great aunt in Santa Clara, California.  I was the second eldest among 70 or so recipients, all receiving the exact same modest allotment.

Rather than integrate that money into my personal expenses, using it for a Pizza Hut here or Church's Chicken there, I quickly earmarked that money for some sort of world travel, symbolically clutching it as if it were the keys to a Boeing 737.

Cuba was my first destination choice.  I'm not a Communist, but I'm intrigued by the ingenuity of a country economically blockaded for seventy years, repairing and repainting their '56 Chevy or Buick, not to mention the architecture and rum.

Besides, I know enough Spanish to order in a restaurant or explain to la policia what I'm doing or not doing there.

Then, I got sidetracked by Thailand.  "JC," a vlogger who once lived in a boat in Portland, Oregon, was beckoning me to visit Thailand.  

But, when I saw that JC, who'd been in Thailand seventeen years and spoke the Thai language, was misunderstood when he used the incorrect octave, I backed away.

Then Reekay from the Philippines got my attention.  Reekay was actually Enrique, an Hispanic from California, but his vlog quickly enamored me with the Philippines, where most everyone spoke English, as a second or third language, but spoke it.

My life changed dramatically in the Philippines as I met Ana.

A two week courtship before a proposal is not for everyone, but I have only one skill, explained to me by Kip Thrasher in high school.

"Jim, you make people nervous because you see through them.  You know what they are inside."

After explaining myself to me, Kip and his buxom girlfriend died two weeks later in a head on crash on the Benson Highway between Kent and Renton, Washington.

But, back to Ana.  

For a week at her home in Bugo, a suburb of Cagayan de Oro, I watched her interaction with her neighbors and how they respected her.  

She knew the loud fishmonger, pulling a cart of fresh blue fin tuna behind his motor scooter, would wake me up at 5:30 AM, so she had a hot cup of hot Instant Folgers waiting for me at 5:45.(Folgers Coffee is cost prohibitive in the Philippines, a pricey import.)

Marrying Ana was a no-brainer, but, while she's working nights at the hospital, I'm back exploring the world through YouTube.

Harald Baldr, a Norwegian, has traveled the world for twenty years.  Fearless, he always goes where the white man should not go, recently joining the Masai tribe in Africa, adopting their dress and eating their food.

Sabbatical, a young man from New York, who calls himself "Tommy,"  can assimilate himself anywhere.  

A genius linguist, he can be conversational in an African language within two weeks.  While in Mexico, he learned the Nahuatl language and tried it on Mexico City residents, finding that only 1 in 20 could answer him back.

A certain calmness, combined with raw courage, allows him access to the most dangerous locations in the world.  

Now accompanied by his Ugandan girlfriend Josie, an effervescent young woman with a sizable split in her front teeth, Sabbatical always goes where he shouldn't.  

He drinks beer with Nigerian gangsters, but walks out, giving them a tenth of the bribe they demand, immeasurably aided by Josie's personality and cleverness.  

Sabbatical shows off the resourcefulness, intelligence and basic goodness of the residents of the countries he so respectfully visits.

But, I'm currently fascinated with Bald and Bankrupt, Benjamin Rich, a 47 year old native of England

Benjamin took Russian in high school and is fluent, currently crossing Siberia on the Trans-Siberia Train.

Like Sabbatical, Bald and Bankrupt is without fear. 

Recently, he walked into Chernobyl, passing all the radiation warning signs erected by the former USSR.  15 kilometers into his walk, he met an old Russian woman, living by herself, trying to get by.

Below is a video of Bald and Bankrupt in his second visit to the old Chernobyl woman:

 

THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE SAN BENITO PROJECT FAILED TO COMPLETE A SIMILAR PROJECT AT LEAGUE CITY, NEAR HOUSTON

The City of San Benito has recently entered into a contract with Western Spherical Developers, L.L.C. to build a 23,000 sq. ft. convention center, a 142 room "select service" hotel and a crystal lagoon on a 65 acre property at the corner of I-69 and Hwy 509.(Select service hotels have rooms-only operations, without food or beverage services, a bedroom or bathroom for the night, but few other amenities. These hotels are typically of the budget or economy group.)

Former Secretary of State and County Judge Carlos Cascos has expressed support for this project, dubbed the Rio Grande Valley Epicenter.

A reader suggested we look into problems Western Spherical has had completing projects and claims work has not started on the San Benito project.  

We've not verified yet whether work has started on the project, but the agreement between the City of San Benito and Western Spherical specified work must start by May 31, 2021 and be completed by May 31, 2024.

We did find that Western Spherical entered into an agreement in 2018 with League City, a city 26 miles SE of Houston.

The project called for a convention center, a sports arena, an amphitheater and more at the site of the existing Chester L. Davis Sportsplex near I-45.

In late 2018, League City officials expressed excitement for a project that would have added a convention center, a sports arena, an amphitheater and more at the site of the existing Chester L. Davis Sportsplex near I-45.

However, plans for the $460 million project never went much further than a predevelopment agreement that expired at the end of January 2019.

As part of the original plan, the developer would be required to pay to create new sports fields to replace the ones that would be destroyed by the development at the sportsplex. 

However, Western Spherical Developers never fronted the money for the new sports fields nor the new single-hotel plan, and the project fizzled out, city officials have said.

This doesn't mean the San Benito project won't be completed, but only that we must maintain a watchful eye.

THE ROADMAP FOR HOW A CONVENTION CENTER COULD WORK IN BROWNSVILLE IS LAREDO

A convention center will work for Brownsville if done correctly.  We already have a model in Laredo.

Laredo, a Texas border city, only slightly larger than Brownsville, has enjoyed a very successful 10,000 seat convention center for twenty years.

The project was financed with 1/4 cent of sales tax revenue, exactly what Brownsville gives BOTH the GBIC and the BCIC. 

The project cost was $36.5 million, but contributes $100 million annually to the Laredo economy, as well as creating hundreds of jobs.

The venue serves Laredo and northern Mexico, providing major concerts, sporting events, family and ice shows, conventions, trade shows, and civic events. 

The Laredo Energy Arena is not run by local government, but instead by a management agency that does the same thing for over 300 by other venues worldwide, ASM Global, formerly SMG.

If Cameron County voters approve the Convention Center on the November 2 ballot, but allow it to be run by county officials, it will fail miserably.  

It must have private management, even including the concessions.  If local politicos are allowed control, the vendors, concessionaires, etc. will be cronies, family, friends, etc. and failure will ensue.

The LEA, as its called, has, in recent years, featured Shakira, Elton John, Julio Iglesias, Cher, WWE, Santana, ZZ Top, Juanes, The Harlem Globetrotters, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice.

It is the home of the Laredo Bucks Hockey Team who play in the Central Hockey League, plus the home for regional basketball tournaments.

Upcoming events include Mike Towers, Intocable, Reik, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, Jay Wheeler, Ana Gabriel, Ricardo Arjona and J. Balvan. 

HOW A CONVENTION CENTER COULD ACTUALLY WORK IN CAMERON COUNTY

Of course, I'm not an expert on running a convention center successfully, but I've talked to individuals with some expertise in that area and will attempt to share what I've learned.

Cameron County actually running the venue is a recipe for absolute failure.  

Neither Carlos Cascos or Eddie Trevino has the number of Elton John or Luis Miguel's manager on their iphone nor likely the expertise to run an entertainment venue, no disrespect intended.

A SUCCESSFUL company with a substantial history in entertainment procurement that can be vetted needs to be retained.

In exchange, such a company will likely require a long term lease on the facilities, possibly 30 years.

The lease particulars need to be negotiated so that they actually pay off any bond or other indebtedness the county has incurred.

The goal is not for the county to make a profit, but for someone else to pay for the venue.

The county may be able to negotiate some minimal profits for itself; interior signing and scoreboard ad revenue, but also naming rights.

Think Cameron County Chick-fil-A Convention Center or somesuch.

Yet, the lessee may insist on those advertising monies and that's not a deal breaker.  After all, they will incur heavy expenses in procuring talent, advertising events and paying staff.

The lessee will be responsible for maintenance and repairs with agreed upon maintenance protocols specified in the lease.

The lessee receives all money from ticket sales less local taxes.

The lessee is actually being paid for their knowledge and expertise.

They HAVE to know that, while Luis Miguel might sell out three consecutive nights, Tiny Tim might not sell 10 tickets.

The risk and reward is all theirs. 

The returns to the county and city would come in the form of sales taxes, hotel, motel, restaurant, service station and supermarket revenue, all monies coming into the area because of the entertainment venue.

Chuck Berry

Back in the 80's I was on the fringe of a city event in another state that had hired Chuck Berry as the headliner.

Mr. Berry had very straightforward conditions.

1. Provide a backup band familiar with Chuck Berry music.(Berry traveled light with only himself and a guitar.)

2. Provide a limousine to pick him up at the airport and return him to the airport after the event.

3.  Pay him $50,000 before he unpacked his guitar case.

The lessee will deal with artists more demanding than the late Chuck Berry, but Cameron County will profit from the hotel, restaurant and tourist revenue.

DON'T CONFUSE THE SAN BENITO EVENT CENTER WITH THE 10,500 SEAT CONVENTION CENTER ON THE BALLOT IN CAMERON COUNTY

Comparing Apples and Oranges

The project recently breaking ground in San Benito for an event center, hotel and water feature and the 10,500 convention center now on the ballot in Cameron County are not close to similar projects.

The San Benito event center is only slightly larger than the Brownsville Event Center, evidently has no fixed seating, but more closely resembles several event centers already existing in Brownsville.

It is not a venue that would serve Brownsville or even draw its citizens for events.

On the other hand, a 10,500 seat convention center is large enough to hold a Luis Miguel concert, a preseason NBA game or even become a permanent venue for a minor league sports team; hockey, basketball or even indoor football, that is, if aggressively marketed.

Corpus Christi's American Bank Center has 10,500 seats, the exact size of the project proposed for Highway 100.  While the population of Corpus Christi almost doubles that of Brownsville, 348,420 to 183,677, Cameron County's population exceeds that of Nueces County, 425,211 to 362,830.

The proposed convention center is appropriately sized and actually fills a need for our county.

RAMIRO LEAVES BEHIND A LESS-THAN-CANDID LEGACY

 

Ramiro Gonzalez caricature

It was fitting longtime city planner Ramiro Gonzalez would fall on his sword, resigning from his presumptuously titled final position with the city, Director of Government and Community Affairs.

So many times during his tenure with the city had Ramiro unabashedly promoted the whims of City Commissioner Rose Gowen and former Mayor Tony Martinez using misreprentation that he'd become sort of a cartoonish character as represented above by my late wife's caricature of him.

For example, in order to promote an extension of one of Rose Gowen's bicycle trail projects, Ramiro, once signed a grant application claiming that "1,000 riders daily used the Battlefield Bike Trail."

That was simply untrue then and remains untrue today as only a trickling of riders and walkers are ever observed on the trail.

As we reported in 2016:

Incidentally, I recently spent four hours at the Filemon Vila Federal Court House at 600 E. Harrison, reporting for potential jury duty. 

Two hours were spent in the lobby on the 3rd floor, waiting to be called by lawyers in an illegal gun purchasing case.

For most of those two hours I stared out the window down into the mouth of the Old Battlefield Hike & Bike Trail.

Despite the fact that the City of Brownsville claimed that in a grant application to extend the trail through downtown Brownsville that the trail experienced over "1,000 riders daily," I did not see a single rider.

When I heard a report that the city was planning on removing the parking spaces on one side of East Adams Street downtown to accommodate a bike lane, I approached Ramiro, who assured me that wasn't happening.

"No, we're not doing anything like that on Adams Street," he told me.

Yet, when I obtained the city's plan for the hike and bike trail it showed that, not only did the city have plans to remove half the meters on Adams, but to reduce it to one lane, making it a one-way street, all to accommodate cyclists.

That's how it always seemed to go with Ramiro; promoting "the plan" without shame.

Then, there was the proposed tripling of parking meter rates downtown.

Ramiro, touting a book he'd read, "The High Cost of Free Parking," claimed the cheap parking was clogging our downtown, making it difficult for shoppers to get to the retail stores.

Standing in front of the city commission audience, Gonzalez talked about parking rates in New York, Chicago, Austin and San Antonio to justify tripling Brownsville's rates.

As we reported in 2014:

When Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa noted that Gonzalez' comparison parking fees included New York, Chicago, Austin and San Antonio, she innocently asked if he had any comparisons from the "valley."  

Gonzalez deftly responded that McAllen was at 75 cents, not mentioning Weslaco, Harlingen, Donna, Pharr or La Feria.  

"But, how much is Harlingen charging for parking?" asked Tetreau "innocently."

"Oh, uh, I don't know how much Harlingen charges.  I think 50 cents," responded Gonzalez, his nose growing noticeably longer.

Get this.  Ramiro Gonzalez can rattle off the parking rates of New York, Chicago, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, but has no idea how much Harlingen charges.  How convenient and what an obvious lie.

Harlingen back then had free parking downtown and still does.

Eventually, the city decided to merely double, not triple parking rates, cap the revenues at $350,000 annually with the balance going to a "Downtown Revitalization Fund."

That fund never materialized.

When Mayor Martinez decided he needed a downtown mayoral office, Ramiro went to work.

A building at 1101-A East Washington was leased for $500 per month.  A $7,247 interactive video screen was ordered and $3,501.91 was spent on materials with city crews doing the repair work.

Yet, when we reported that Mayor Martinez had NEVER ONCE used the office he so desperately had to have, the powers that be decided it would now be Ramiro's office for promoting downtown revitalization, becoming the Downtown Revitalization Information Center.

When several months later I asked Ramiro if he'd ever actually used the office, he hemmed and hawed, finally admitting "maybe two or three times."

What a trooper that Ramiro!

DOES FORMER CITY OFFICIAL RAMIRO GONZALEZ BECOME THE SCAPEGOAT FOR THE MAYOR'S LACK OF ETHICS?

 

Elon Musk, Mayor Trey Mendez

In a long Facebook post Monday, just before midnight, former Brownsville Director of Government and Community Affairs Ramiro Gonzalez touched on his recent resignation, but stopped short of explaining why he submitted it.

As we reported in the Brownsville Observer the day it happened, Gonzalez, in his words, "was asked to resign or get terminated and given a couple of hours to make that decision."

That ultimatum was likely issued by City Manager Noel Bernal, under whose auspices Gonzalez most recently served.

Gonzalez claims "many knew" why he resigned, but does not explain further, choosing to use the rest of his farewell letter to discuss his passion for downtown revitalization and list the projects he worked on during his 12 year tenure with the city.

The timing of Gonzalez' resignation coincided with a report in this blog and in Juan Montoya's El Rrun Rrun that Ramiro Gonzalez and Mayor Trey Mendez had joined forces to purchase the historic Coca Cola Building in downtown Brownsville, then submitted a request to the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation for $200,000 to refurbish the building.

Coca Cola Building

We also reported that Mendez had submitted and been awarded $80,000 the previous month from the BCIC for remodeling yet another downtown building.

Both of those submitted grants were requests for a portion of $10,000,000 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had donated to the City of Brownsville for downtown revitalization, but the funds were being administered and controlled under BCIC and City of Brownsville guidelines.

At the same time that the mayor was requesting $280,000 for building upgrades from a city board, BCIC Board Chair Michael Limas was requesting $282,000 to make upgrades on his downtown buildings.

No world exists where it's ethical for a city's mayor, city officials and the board chair of the board dispensing those monies to step first in line to claim at least $562,000 in funds donated to the city for economic development.  City officials are elected to serve the city, not enrich themselves opportunistically from city funds.

Now, if Mayor Mendez was involved in the very situation prompting the City Manager to call for Ramiro Gonzalez's resignation, shouldn't the mayor resign as well?

Mendez has already stated he will not resign and, he can't be forced to do so.  He's an elected official, not someone working under the City Manager.

So, Ramiro Gonzalez becomes the scapegoat.

As for the $562,000 in grants to Mayor Mendez and BCIC Board Chair Michael Limas, we understand those requests have been withdrawn.

Why were they withdrawn if everything was on the up and up as Gonzalez implies in his resignation farewell?  Certainly, it was not a twinge of conscience as the withdrawals occurred only after light shown on these unscrupulous maneuvers.

Does the resignation of Ramiro Gonzalez and the rescinding of grant requests of grant requests make you feel better about the ethics of Brownsville's public officials?

We think not.

Other ethical issues have surfaced recently in the city which we will reiterate in a subsequent article.

FORMER BROWNSVILLE CITY OFFICIAL RAMIRO GONZALEZ MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT HIS RESIGNATION

 

Ramiro Gonzalez

About 3 weeks ago, my 12-year service to the City of Brownsville came to an abrupt end. 

To set the record straight I was asked to resign or get terminated and given a couple of hours to make that decision. 

Many know the reason and I won’t get into detail but I will say that I’ve been preaching about Downtown Revitalization for over 12 years and I had not had the opportunity to invest in a property downtown until now. 

I bought a building with a friend of over 20 years who happens to be Mayor. 

Everything was transparent, we never hid anything, and both parties had their own realtor involved in the transaction. We are two private citizens investing in an area that we believe in.

My story with downtown and development runs deeper than many know. My family has been in the development business since 1995 and in the real estate business since my grandfather’s days in Matamoros. 

Thus, for the better part of 60 years, development has been part of our family history. I grew up in Downtown Brownsville at my parents’ interior decorating store at the corner of 8th and Washington (a place now owned by an architecture studio).

Later on, Downtown Revitalization became the focus of my master’s thesis at UT-Austin. 

I felt very fortunate when I was hired as Comprehensive Planning Manager by the City of Brownsville in 2009 because that meant coming back to my hometown and I was eager to make a difference. 

At that point, Brownsville had little to no direction, there were no major projects to speak of, and downtown revitalization had many failed attempts.  

Twelve years later I can proudly say I left my mark on my hometown and I leave it better than how it was. 

I’m grateful for the friends, colleagues and community partners I met and worked with along the way. 

I also acknowledge that progress could not have happened without political support. I do believe the challenges were getting greater and the projects were only getting larger in scope. 

I will miss being a part of these major initiatives, particularly the closing of the Digital Divide, because this is one of those projects that can really push Brownsville forward forever. 

As I write this post I can’t help but think of the many experiences and people that I had the opportunity to meet along the way. 

However, one initiative in particular takes a special place in my heart. In 2012 as we were engaging with many partners on our Build a Better Block initiative, I met a girl who was very passionate about our community. 

She wasn’t from here and yet she was engaged in several community activities. This girl was extremely well connected at the University and played a pivotal role in bringing student organizations and artists to Better Block. One Better Block led to another, which then led to a couple of dates, and a couple of years later Luciana and I got married.

I’d like to finish this post with a list of some of the numerous projects I worked on, from design to implementation.

PLANS: Downtown Master Plan, Brownsville Hike and Bike Plan, LRGV Active Transportation and Active Tourism Plan, Gladys Porter Zoo Master Plan

Projects under my watch or initial vision

TRAILS:

Belden Trail, Belden Connect, Belden 3 ($2 Million total)

West Rail Trail ($8.8 Million)

Southmost Trail ($9 Million committed)

Battlefield Extension - North of Battlefield ($2 Million)

Battlefield Extension - University Connect ($1 Million)

6th Street Sidewalk Improvement ($750,000)

DOWNTOWN & MITTE CULTURAL DISTRICT

Market Square ($6 Million)

George Ramirez Performing Arts Academy ($5 Million)

E-Bridge Original Vision - San Fernando buillding ($2.5 Million)

UP Railyard Transaction 

Facade Improvement Program ($1 Million)

Large Murals (BTX and Cosmos) ($65,000)

Build a Better Block events in 2012-13 ($25,000)

Downtown Pole Replacement - coming soon ($875,000)

Cannery Public Market Project ($2.1 Million)

Zoo Infrastructure ($5.5 million)

PARKS:

Portway Acres Rehabilitation ($475,000)

Veteran Park Trees ($50,000)

Broadband Middle Mile Network ($19.5 Million)

Total Project Amount: 65.2 million dollars

These 12 years went by quickly because I enjoyed my work. But our progress did not come easy and without personal sacrifices. 

Time with family, career opportunities, and my public image were impacted along the way. Still, I can honestly say that I gave my all to my work with the City with the current and the past administrations.  

Although it shook me how things happened in the last weeks, I am optimistic and enjoying some off-time with my family. 

I’m excited about what the future holds for Brownsville and I will seek to remain involved as much as I can. 

Brownsville, On the Border, By the Sea, and Beyond!

MURALS THAT ACTUALLY TELL THE HISTORY OF BROWNSVILLE

 

"JIM, ADMIT IT. YOU HATE DONALD TRUMP"

"Jim, admit it.  You hate Donald Trump!"

That's a reappearing statement in this blog's message box.

The commenter's insinuation seems obvious; that my observations about Trump are personal, likely based on his rough-around-the-edges style, his rejection of historical norms, my personal rejection of his in-your-face opulence or even a jealousy of that wealth, fame and fortune.

The other side of the "you hate Trump" coin, perhaps, the softer, gentler side is "I would trade one mean tweet for $1.69 gas," a statement that attempts to minimize Trump's ineptitude as President, characterizing it as a certain "meanness," that the wimpy, oversensitive among us might find intolerable, but, also a statement, that reflects a misunderstanding of the market fluxes that influence oil and, subsequently, gasoline prices.

Believe it or don't believe it, but I've never been partisan, Republican or Democrat.  

I've been genuinely proud of the way almost all of our presidents have carried themselves; with dignity, diplomacy, courage and knowledge of how the world works.

If any of these presidents of my lifetime; Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden, were racist, they hid it well.

Yet, Trump revealed exactly who he was when he came down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president using racially inflammatory rhetoric against Mexican Nationals.

Even obvious racist George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama, who ran for President in 1968, was more subtle in his racism than Trump, as was David Duke, long time head of the Ku Klux Klan.

Wallace would say he wanted what was "best for the Negro" and his campaign garnered support, not only in the South, but among working class whites in northern states.

KKK Grand Wizard David Duke: "Voting Against Donald Trump is Treason to Your Heritage."

Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Duke always made it clear he did not hate Blacks, but was simply a "civil rights" advocate, for white people.  He even started an organization whose acronym mimicked the NAACP, the NAAWP, the National Association for the Advancement of White People.

While Wallace awkwardly tried to conceal his racism, Duke was super smooth, appearing on talk shows with blow-dried hair and a $1,000 suit, trying to convince us he wasn't at all what we knew him to be. 

While not personally a member of either political party, as I watched Trump in 2015 destroy 17 or 18 Republican candidates with personal insults and lies, I knew I couldn't support THAT.

Prominent Republicans initially fought against Trump, his lies and insults.

When Trump made the utterly false claim that Ted Cruz' father, Rafael Cruz, played a part in the Kennedy Assassination, something Trump had read in the garbage rag, the National Enquirer, Cruz responded by calling Trump a "pathological liar," "utterly amoral," "nuts," "kooky,' someone incapable of distinguishing between lies and falsehoods.

Republican leader Lindsey Graham also initially pushed back against Trump's lies and divisiveness, saying:  A Trump nomination "would be an utter, complete and total disaster.  If you're a xenophobic, race-baiting religious bigot, you're going to have a hard time being president of the United States, and you're going to do irreparable damage to the party."

And, later:  "You know what would make America great again?  Tell Donald Trump to go to Hell. . . . He doesn't represent the values the men and women in uniform are fighting for. . . He's ISIL Man of the Year."

Yet, undeniably, Trump tapped into something, deeply rooted fears within the American working class.

Yes, fears.  White Americans had long been fearful of Blacks, especially educated Blacks, taking their jobs and, later, to Mexicans, Central Americans, Laotians, Vietnamese and Cubans.

Hell, Bill Clinton lost his only election ever, the Arkansas governorship in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter sent thousands of Cuban "boat people" into Arkansas to live in the old Army barracks of Fort Chaffee.  Fear!

Trump also benefited from the backlash of America electing their first Black President, an articulate one at that.  Having lived in Deep South Arkansas for thirty years, I know one thing whites hate is an "uppity Negro."

Again, from my personal experience, I've watched white men thrill and cheer at the hoops and touchdowns scored by athletic black young men for their favorite high school, college or professional teams while secretly fearing those same young Black men might rape or have consensual sex with their blonde cheerleader daughter.

It was not accidental or inconsequential that Donald Trump's racist comments at the bottom of the escalator contained the word "rape."  It played into racist fears.

Trump also played evangelicals, religionists who love the Good Book, but also are influenced by the television pulpits of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Jimmy Swaggart, Kenneth Copeland, Jim Bakker and others, all righteous Trump supporters.  

Disgraced TV evangelist Jim Bakker once said:

"You know what?  Trump is a test whether you're even saved.  Only saved people can love Trump."

If there are two symbols most Americans cherish, they are the Bible and the flag.  Trump cleverly embraced both as his own.

Trump supporters will point to accomplishments.

They will say he lowered taxes, even if it was primarily for the rich.

They might say he tried to drain the swamp, although his administration had the most criminality of any in history.

Some even claim that Trump engendered respect for America from the world, while he actually tried to unravel our country's relationships with allies seven decades in the making.

Certainly, our country's intelligence-gathering agencies felt the brunt of disrespect when Donald Trump took the words of Vladimir Putin over their intelligence.

Yet, none of the words above will have any effect on true believers in Trump.

Trump has already convinced 35% of the American people this is all "fake news."

Rupert Murdoch, Fox News, QAnon, Breitbart et al, have done a number on America, hopeless dividing it as never before.

Good people, patriotic Americans, Bible believers, good Samaritans, Boy and Girl Scouts, your neighbors, my neighbors, your relatives, my relatives, some of our closest friends, have been duped, conned, tricked and manipulated into believing in America's greatest con artist, Donald J. Trump.

CARLOS CASCOS, EDDIE TREVINO ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF CONVENTION CENTER PROPOSAL

 

Former County Judge Carlos Cascos stands opposed to the current November 2 ballot item involving a 10,500 seat convention center proposed to be built near the intersection of Highway 100 and I-69, but approves the San Benito convention center project that broke ground today.

My interest is only in comparing the two convention centers, one proposed, the other breaking ground.

That's difficult to do without complete information and all offices are closed until Monday, but let's cover what is known.

First of all the San Benito project just breaking ground:  23,000 square ft. convention center, 142 room hotel and 5 acre lagoon called a "water feature," but likely for drainage as well.

The project does not list seating as it likely does not have hard seats like a coliseum, but is comparable to the Brownsville Event Center with tables and 17,000 square ft of space.

The Brownsville Event Center is currently too small for what used to to be an annual event before the pandemic, the Taste of la Frontera.  The last couple years the event was held patrons were almost forced outside to escape the crush of bodies in the building.

At 23,000 square ft., the San Benito "Convention Center is only slightly, 1.35 the size of the 17,000 square ft Brownsville Event Center.

I'm not excited.  That's a small venue, nothing approaching what's needed for a Luis Miguel concert, which I've chosen as my measuring stick.  LOL!

While we're comparing apples to oranges, let's bring up the city of Corpus Christi. They have a venue, the American Bank Center, with a seating of 10,500, exactly the size of what's proposed on the November 2 ballot for Cameron County.

Corpus Christi's 2021 population is 348,420 in a city covering 489 sq. miles.

Brownsville 2021 population is 183,677 in a city covering 146 sq. miles.

But, that's not the requisite comparison as this is a county project.

The 2021 Nueces County population is 362,830, while Cameron County's 2021 population is 425,211, 17% larger.

So, while Carlos Cascos questions "how often such a venue (10,500 seats) could be filled, based on the relative sizes of the two counties, a convention center seating 10,500 does not seem inappropriate.

Of course, financing is another thing.

County Judge Eddie Trevino proposes funding 1/3 of the project with a 2% tax of every hotel room booked in the county, 5% of every car rented and 10% surcharge on every ticket sold for events at the venue.

“It’s a stream of revenue that’s paid for by visitors, and this project would be supported by that stream of revenue, not by the property taxes of our residents,” Trevino said. 

“We’re not raising taxes and we’re not touching our general fund.”

I agree with Cascos on the financing.  A 2% hotel tax, 5% car rental tax plus 10% ticket surcharge seems far too weak to support 1/3 of a $100,000,000 project.

Can someone show me the numbers that support Trevino's contention?  What is the actual source of the other 2/3 of financing?

Interestingly, in one of the Facebook conversations about the proposed Cameron County convention center, former city official Ramiro Gonzalez weighed in, saying that no convention center in the country pays for itself.

As someone who followed closely the promises, actual costs, funding and the reality of Alltel Arena in Little Rock a few years ago, the predicted development around such an arena does not always happen as anticipated.

On June 13, 2019 the City of Brownsville entered into an agreement to allow Mike Hernandez III to harvest 7% of the Hotel Occupancy Tax to build, not only a 138 room Hyatt Hotel, but a minuscule 8,000 square foot "convention center," less than half the size of the Brownsville Event Center and a dual enrollment high school for, get this, "60 students in 2020" and "250 students by 2023."

Why would the City of Brownsville need another 8,000 square ft. "convention center," roughly the size of several event venues already in town?  

And, the dual enrollment 60 student high school?  Why is that "needed?"

Damn!  That Hernandez boy thinks small!  Anyway, we never heard if that project ever got off the ground.

Anyway, just for comparison with the proposed Cameron County Convention Center on the November 2 ballot, Payne Arena in Hidalgo seats 6,800 while the McAllen Convention Center holds 3,500.

So, while a 10,500 seat convention center for Cameron County seems to fill an actual need, funding questions remain.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAENZ FILES NEPOTISM CHARGE AGAINST BISD TRUSTEE MINERVA PENA

 

In the type of case District Attorney Luis Saenz could file any day of the week, the Cameron County DA has selected Minerva Peña against whom to file a Class C nepotism charge.

In fairness, Saenz acted after the matter was referred to him for prosecution by the BISD Board of Trustees, alleging that Peña was instrumental in getting her daughter-in-law a job at Veterans Memorial Early College High School. 

Yet, the Brownsville Independent School District, a burgeoning enterprise with an enormous $500,000,000 annual budget, has long been notorious for board members facilitating the employment of family and friends.

Peña, who wears her religious faith on her sleeve, has literally covered her Facebook page with scripture, the latest being a quote from 1 Samuel 22:33:  "It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure."

Peña, represented by Brownsville attorney Rick Zayas, is charged with a violation of Section 573.041 of the Texas Government Code.

ANTI-VAX MANDATE CANDIDATE MAYRA FLORES RUNNING FOR U.S. CONGRESS 34TH DISTRICT

 

A NOTE FROM MAYRA

Voters in District 34 are realizing we no longer have to beg for scraps from Nancy Pelosi and Filemon Vela.  

The incumbent recently retired making this an OPEN seat that we WILL take back!  

We are hungry for opportunity and have seen the RGV lean more and more conservative. The America first policies resonate with the Hispanic community and others who live in this district.

 For over 100 years, the Democrat Party has taken for granted the loyalty and support South Texas has given them for decades. 

They do nothing to earn our vote or our support.

While Representative Filemon Vela has remained comfortably in Nancy Pelosi’s pocket, President Biden has signed a record number of Executive Orders to kill Texas jobs, weaken border security, and remove protection for the unborn. 

Enough is enough.

Democrats are destroying the American dream.

When I was little, my family legally immigrated to America.

They taught me Conservative values: faith, family, & hard work.

The Left is demolishing everything my family came here to find.

I won’t let them!

CHARACTERIZING THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER AS A NEWS OUTLET IS IMPRECISE

Jerry McHale:  "Unlike Montoya, Wightman-Cervantes and Barton, I'm more of an editorialist while they luxuriate in breaking news."

That characterization made me chuckle.

The Brownsville Observer, from its inception, has always been about the "human nature behind the news," not the news itself.

Opinion permeates every verb, adjective, noun and gerund in this obscure blog; my opinion.

While the McAllen troll continues to blogsquat in the comment section of local blogs, characterizing me as fat and uneducated, my grammar, syntax and vocabulary is not exceeded by anyone in the local blogosphere.  

In writing, credentials mean nothing.  It's the body of work.  You either "can" or you "can't."

The Brownsville Observer doesn't generally receive news "tips," but those are nearly always agenda-driven anyway.  

One close friend will quickly call me, once a story's published, if he notes an error, and I'm just as quick to make correction. 

While Juan Montoya breaks story after story, I feel no compulsion to match that, although, if I stumble onto a story, it gets included.  

I'm more occupied with why, than how, when and where.

While one excitable local blogger is quick to label people a "con artist" or "liar," I attempt not to make things personal. (The same blogger recently made a wild assertion that I was inexperienced in home ownership or managing home repairs.  LOL!  If he only knew!) 

While I recently faulted the BCIC for granting or considering grants for its own board member, Michael Limas, and Mayor Trey Mendez, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, I still view BCIC CEO Josh Mejia as an extremely nice, conscientious young man.

That whole BCIC episode was still a very bad look for the city, greatly undermining any confidence left in local officials.

I'm currently reviewing one year's overhead costs for the GBIC and I find the numbers staggering.  

With current projects in place and a huge overhead, including salaries, attorney fees, board travel, meals, office supplies, rent, janitorial and landscaping costs, medical, dental, life insurance, property taxes, depreciation, wearing apparel, advertising, insurance, utilities, etc., it's difficult to see them continuing to function as a 4A entity, dispersing money for economic development projects.

I'm waiting on the report of their annual income, but, unless I'm missing something, it should match the BCIC's, $4,600,000, each receiving 1/4 cent from each dollar Brownsville collects in sales tax.

That would mean, that, even without any new projects, they're already spending more than they take in, unless those project expenditures are being transferred over to the city's general fund.

ARE THERE STILL SPEED TRAPS IN TEXAS AND CAMERON COUNTY?

 

It may have been the late 70's or early 80's.  We were on our annual trek from Little Rock to Brownsville to visit family, with my wife taking a turn at the wheel, when we were stopped in either Corrigan or Diboll, TX for going slightly over the speed limit.

It was a thinly-built police officer who stopped us, a no nonsense female equivalent to Barney Fife, I remember thinking at the time.

It wasn't just the issuance of a ticket, but the officer demanded we follower her to make immediate payment.

We  complied, following the cop to a metal building that housed the city jail, judge's chambers and police station, all in one.

"What if we don't have the money?" my wife asked, still annoyed with the traffic stop.

"Then, you'll stay in jail until you get the money," the officer responded.

We paid with a credit card.

Rightly or wrongly, we always viewed that town as a speed trap and cursed it every time we drove through in subsequent years.

My question is:  Are there still towns in Texas with the reputation of being so-called speed traps?

Are there any in Cameron County?

Los Fresnos used to have such a reputation and perhaps Port Isabel.

Leaving Port Isabel once, at dusk in 2004, I was urgently pulled over on the shoulder of Highway 48.  The officer said I was pulled over because one of my two license plate lights had burned out, but it seemed he was checking me out for the odor of alcohol and scanning my vehicle for what he might find.

He let me go with a reminder to "drive safely."

A few year earlier, in Arroyo City, I left a pachanga at Chili Willies and was quickly followed all the way home by a constable, who closely tailed me until I turned into my driveway near the edge of Adolph Thomae Park.

Are there any towns we need to be wary of in our area, particularly watching our speed?

2ND ANNUAL GEORGE RAMIREZ CELEBRATION OF LIFE EVENT