WHY JOHN COWEN, CITY COMMISSIONER AND CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR, SHOULD RESIGN IMMEDIATELY FROM THE GBIC

City Commissioner John Cowen

Why is it just plain wrong for Commissioner Cowen, a candidate for mayor, to be serving on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation or GBIC?

Well, one of the original, stated purposes of diverting tax dollars from cities' general funds into separate 4A and 4B entities was so that economic development and quality of life projects would not be "politicized" by being under the exclusive control of elected officials who might be tempted to disperse patronage in the form of 4a and 4b projects.

Otherwise, the City Commission could simply dispense those funds.

The whole 4A and 4B process is designed to assure the taxpayers that public officials are not using the funds to benefit their cronies, much less themselves.

Brownsville has two EDC's, Economic Development Corporations, with distinctly different missions, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation(GBIC) and the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation(BCIC).

Each of the two EDC groups recieves 1/4 cent from the sales tax generated in the City of Brownsville, approximately $5,000,000 each annually.

Commissioner Cowen, who I'm told by his uncle Ralph has made their company "a lot of money," should not be serving on and economic development board while city commissioner.