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| Cesar Lopez |
At Wednesday's city commission meeting, our mayor and city commission, scrupulously insistent on protocol, decided to remove Ben Neece from the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation board, because he was no longer a city commissioner.
Can't private citizens serve on city boards, especially one who was a municipal judge for thirty years?
That logic is lost on this ass-backwards commission, who frequently "strain the gnat, but swallow the camel," to quote a religious leader's words from two thousand years ago.
The "swallowed camel" came in the form of one Cesar Lopez, who was appointed unanimously to fulfill the remaining months of Neece's tenure with the BCIC.
Cesar Lopez is the best this city commission can come up with to replace Ben Neece on the BCIC? Really?
Lopez, first appointed to BISD's procurement department by the late Enrique Escobedo, later served on the Board of Trustees as board member and president.
His BISD service is marked by scandal, alleged "bid rigging" and self-enrichment from an obvious conflict of interest.
As a BISD board member, Lopez accompanied young procurement officer Silverio Capistran into Mexico to purchase barbacoa from Valco Foods, two separate orders totaling $973,208.
When a scandal arose over much of the barbacoa being rotten, unsuitable for human consumption, young Mr. Capistran committed suicide.
The incident was water off a duck's back to Lopez, who continued to serve on the Board of Trustees without shame.
Yet, the barbacoa scandal was not the only bit of unseemliness touching Cesar Lopez.
In the infamous audiotape, released by former Fire Chief Carlos Elizondo, the tape that recorded former City Commissioner Cesar De Leon using a racial slur, Cesar Lopez is prominently featured.
Former Commissioner De Leon is heard complaining that he was charged $1,500 for campaign signs from Grafik Spot, a political sign company owned by Cesar Lopez.
In the tape former City Commissioner De Leon is adamant that Grafik Spot owner Cesar Lopez promised him $1,500 worth of campaign signs free.
"I'm not paying the $1,500," De Leon is heard to say.
It's not as if the $1,500 would make or break Cesar Lopez, who reportedly did $1,399,515 worth of business with BISD while serving on the BISD Board of Trustees.
Unfortunately, Cesar Lopez, like the late Joe Rodriguez, used BISD for their personal enrichment.
Another brouhaha involving Cesar Lopez involved Lopez endeavoring to ram approval of Ziwa Contracting past the board in awarding BISD construction contracts, despite FOUR firms having a lower bid.
Cesar Lopez wanted to award a $4,050,000 to Ziwa anyway.
Board member Phil Cowen smelled "bid rigging" and walked out of the vote, as did Sylvia Atkinson, who said she thought there would not be a vote.
Lopez, along with Laura Perez-Reyes and Joe Rodriguez supported the award to Ziwa with Minerva Pena the lone "no" vote.(Only one honest board member?)
One would think with all of this baggage, alleged "bid rigging" and, at the very least, very poor procurement practices, Cesar Lopez would not be the first name to roll off the tongues of our city commissioners to replace Neece.
Yet, Commissioner Pedro Cardenas nominated Lopez and the commission, I'm told, voted for him unanimously.
Honestly, the Brownsville City Commission is not qualified to make appointments to any city board.
They have zero understanding of ethics and are only interested in appointing either themselves or cronies who have no business being within a mile of any decision affecting our city.
Addendum: The October 5 City Commission meeting discussion on ethics was the best, free-flowing interaction I've seen on this commission.
Unfortunately, the livestream sound is garbled making it difficult to hear exact comments.
The City Commission chambers, also has very poor sound, with only one small speaker tower in the back. I hope the sound issue is addressed in the remodeling.
Other city councils, in cities much smaller than Brownsville, have crystal clear sound in their livestreams. I've checked several just to compare.
My God, it never ends!!!!
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