𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗨𝗧 𝗔 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗙 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗡'𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬?

Esteban "Steve" Guerra

What is this strange symbiotic relationship between the Brownsville Police Department and the Port of Brownsville?  

Now, it wasn't too far-fetched that former Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia would become top policer at the port.  Policing is policing, I guess.

But, to even consider making former Brownsville Police Chief William Dietrich Port Director stretches the brotherliness between the departments to the absurdity.

And why the Hell was Esteban "Steve" Guerra not named Port Director?  That's the man with the drive, knowledge and skill set to be Port Director.

Port Director Campirano, Brownsville Observer Editor Jim Barton Touring Port of Brownsville in May 2019

Several years ago Daniel Lenz and I accompanied Guerra and Port Director Campirano on a boat tour of the port.  It was obvious back then that Guerra understood the port's needs, potential and function and promoted it to the max.

Anyway, as Yogi Berra used to say "It's deja vu all over again" as the BND considers putting a policeman, William Dietrich, in charge of this economic entity so vital to our region's development.

Below is a 12 year old posting from the Brownsville Observer that illustrates that "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Brownsville Observer, December 30, 2011 at 4:21pm

Juan Montoya of the El Rrun Rrun  blog called it back in October, then refined his comments earlier this month on the City and Port of Brownsville's planned compadre system shuffle, with the Brownsville Police Chief, City Manager and Port Director swapping jobs.  

Oh, the two entities would go through the facade of a candidate search and qualification process but the three local good ol' boys would not step down from one high-paying job without the absolute certainty of the bird in the hand of another equally high-paying position.

The first domino to fall was Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia relinquishing the police chief position, then fortuitously landing the plum job of Chief of Security at the Port of Brownsville.

Other candidates interviewed at the Port of Brownsville unaware the job was likely already filled.    

The appointment is simply illustrative of the City of Brownsville being firmly stuck in the compadre system box.

Former City Manager Charlie Cabler

Of course, we all remember that the City of Brownsville did something similar when it reached into the Brownsville Police Department to fill the job of City Manager.

Now, Charlie Cabler did his best, but nothing in his background qualified him to be manage the city, promoting economic development, regulate zoning or new housing as well as monitor health needs.

At most city events during Cabler's tenure, he would defer to Ramiro Gonzalez or others, and simply take a police stance with his body positioned and aimed at the entrance.  He was still policing, doing what he'd been trained to do all those years and never seemed comfortable in his role with the city.

Why does the Port of Brownsville want to follow that model in hiring a new port director?