𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗕𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗦

 

Beto Torres(center), candidate for BND Place 1

The impression I'm receiving from BND Place 1 candidate, Beto Torres, and Place 3 candidate Norma Lee Valle, is that a spirit of cooperation and support simply does not exist between the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Trustees and site operators at the Port of Brownsville.

Valle, who assumed control of a port site after  the death of her husband, a site that her family had operated for over 50 years, has made claims of having to endure misogyny and good-ol'-boyism in her dealings with the BND Board of Trustees.

"Despite my repeated requests, messages and phone calls, the board took over nine months to even put me on the agenda," Valle told me.

"Now, I could see such arrogance from Edward Campirano," I told Valle.

"Campirano was simply a floating bureaucrat with the city and county, not a marine or port specialist," I added.

"But, please don't tell me that Steve Guerra was not helpful?" I asked.

Valle nodded as if to indicate that Guerra was part of the problem, something we will discuss with him soon.

But, it's not just Valle making this claim.

At a pachanga last night, Beto Torres, who's taken over the operation of Valle's former site, has told me that he's also being stonewalled by the port's board, not having his interests placed on the agenda.

"They've told me they're waiting to see if I get elected before dealing with my needs and interests," Torres explained.

Well, gawdammit!  The Port of Brownsville is a public entity and the BND board should be serving the interests of the site owners, vendors and workers at the Port of Brownsville!

Now, this evening we'll be attending a rally by another BND board candidate, Ernesto Gutierrez, running for BND Place 1.

We'll be checking with Gutierrez on a report that he's not actually a U.S. resident, something that shouldn't be too difficult to verify.