𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗛𝗜𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗧 𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝟳-𝟭𝟬 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡

While this storm is still on track to move into Mexico by Wednesday overnight it has the chance of bringing plenty of needed rain to South Texas with a potential rainfall total of 7-10 inches of rain closer to the coast.

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗘~𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟲, 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟱

 submitted by Rene Torres

𝗠𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗧~~~~𝗧𝗦𝗖 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗦𝗨𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦

 

Gerald "Jerry" McHale

From a barstool at 1848 BBQ, Jerry McHale told me he considered the writing of clever headlines to be one of his "gifts".

McHale may have struck proverbial gold among today's offerings of the McHale Report, mostly pictures and headlines, supplemented by some actual writing, with this memorable heading: "BLOGGER BARTON SUFFERS TRUMP TANTRUM AFTER TSC LOSSES"

Jerry's headline is partially correct; the local community college did suffer the loss of considerable educational and administrative experience with the election of two newbies that the chairwoman trusts will cater to her every whim. (I suffered no personal losses as I don't endorse candidates.)

As for my being a tantrum thrower, no one who knows me thinks that, but Jerry was just responding to my description of his Trump-like style of insulting, denigrating political candidates who don't hire his services, calling them "backstabbers," "stooges," "jackasses," "traitors" or "cockroaches."(With respect to one female candidate who refused to pay him, McHale's headline referred to her "crawling under sperm-soaked sheets.")

Perhaps it would have been more accurate had I written that it was Trump using McHale's modus operandi in 2015 when he destroyed 17 Republican candidates for President with juvenile slurs and insults.

Either way, in the current political climate, the strategy does work, but it's classless and unprofessional.  When this technique is employed locally, particularly with respect to candidates for the board of trustees of an educational institution, it reduces the whole election process to something unworthy of participation.

𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥-𝗙𝗢𝗥-𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗠𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗢𝗙𝗙 "𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗦"

 

Only the loquacious Jerry McHale of the McHale Report would have the chutzpah to take a victory lap after just 2.3% of the county's registered voters participated in the recent runoff election, that is 5,288 out of 233,690.

Comparing himself and Juan Montoya to legendary ballplayers from yesteryear, the unabashed blogger-for-hire gives himself and Montoya pats on the back:

"Congrats, bro. You hit all four. For anyone who has any doubts about Juan Montoya, there's the proof. Back in the day opponents knew  you didn't fuck with Mays and McCovey or Mantle and Maris. 

These greats are long gone and we miss them, but at least we still have Montoya and McHale hitting third and fourth. It was a good night for the home team. 

Mighty Casey didn't strike out." 

McHale

Clearly, if the goal is greater participation in democracy locally, our paid-for bloggers are part of the problem, not the solution, adding to the apathy, distrust and low confidence among prospective voters while stifling qualified candidates from submitting their good names to the anticipated trashing they'll receive if they don't pay these clowns to write favorable stories.

As for the chairwoman of the local community college, she lost considerable credibility in the community.  She may enjoy board majority temporarily, but current and potential fellow trustees have clearly seen that crossing her will result with her employing paid-for political hacks to sully their reputations, not exactly a good environment to create consensus and work together for future growth.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗟 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗔 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗔𝗡 𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗧

 

To characterize the fighting between factions of the same cartel as Matamoros vs. Reynosa is an obvious oversimplification to grab your attention.

Reporting on these clashes, is the journalist "Chlor" of the legendary Borderland Beat website, his real name hidden and disguised to keep him from being placed on a "silver platter" to Los Zetas.

The more accurate headline actually used by BB, written in mixed English and Spanish, is even more confusing:  "ZETAS VIEJAS ESCUELA METROS GULF CARTEL FACTION OF REYNOSA VERSUS GROUP SCORPIONS GULF CARTEL FACTION OF MATAMOROS."

My best translation of that is that the old school Metros of the Gulf Cartel of Reynosa are fighting the Scorpions Group of the same Gulf Cartel of Matamoros.

Despite the recent murder at Brownsville's Central Public Library, the cities just north of the Rio Grande River in extreme south Texas are low-crime, peaceful places, almost oblivious to the bloodbath of the last ten years in Matamoros, Tamaulipas (population 603,000) and Reynosa, Tamaulipas (population 968,000), separated by only 57 miles, 90.2 kilometers from each other.

Much of the recent fighting between the two factions of the Gulf Cartel Zetas has been taking place in tiny San German, Tamaulipas, a small community whose population has declined in the last 20 years from 1,323 to 792, although the Matamoros faction now claims to have "pushed their way to the city limits of Reynosa."

In a BB(Borderland Beat) article dated June 15, 2024 an intense battle between EVE(Zeta Old School) of Reynosa and the Scorpions of Matamoros is described as taking place in San German during which a "monster" of the Scorpions of Matamoros stepped on a mine and caught on fire.  

Numerous BB commenters disagree on the final outcome between the warring factions from Matamoros and Reynosa.

"If CDN and Matamoros joined together against the Metros I'm pretty sure they would take Reynosa finally seems like there is a lot of unrest within Reynosa against primitos ties to Jalisco."

"They have been fighting for a year.  Each side lost a leader. . . El Kena of Matamoros, La Pawna, ZVE of Reynosa."

"Who took over for La Kena? Did they fracture more?  I haven't kept up."

"The boss is A.C. and the second in command is Scorpion 25 who took Kenas place.  He's fighting in S.L.P. (San Luis Potosi) against CJNG."

"I was wondering the same thing.  I think Ciego took the whee when La Kena got incarcerated.  Then, if I'm not mistaken Ciego got locked up as well.  Now, I have no idea who filled that spot."

"Titan 7"

"Zetas are multiplying at an alarming rate. . . the Zetas don't die guy is right."

"Zetas are growing exponentially quickly spreading and it's going under everyone's radar."

"That'll definitely impress Los Gabachos."

"Any cartel that will align to a cartel de CIA or cartel del DEA are safe. They should think about aligning to them."

"The .5 dead are CJNG.  CDS is killing them all over Mexico."

"Good point. Almost whole NE Tamaulipas is straight. . . . that is fucked up little bit for sicarios."

Terrain just south of Reynosa, Tamaulipas

𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙅𝙐𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙃 𝙁𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀~~~~~~~𝗔 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗩𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡, 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗡, 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦

From the editor: The article below is a compilation of details gleaned from BLACKPAST, wikipedia and other sources about someone Ron DeSantis would likely not want in the history books, a Black engineer and designer extraordaire from Houston, Texas, Frank Calvin Mann.

Frank Calvin Mann with the Waco Bi-Plane, 1929

Frank Calvin Mann was an engineer and designer who worked with entrepreneur and industrialist Howard R. Hughes on projects that included the Spruce Goose, at the time the largest airplane ever built.

Mann was born on November 22, 1908 in Houston, Texas, first displaying mechanical abilities as a child. When he was 11 years old, he was repairing cars around his neighborhood in Houston, but, as a teenager started repairing airplane engines and by age 20 designed and built several Model T cars. 

He graduated from Wheatly High School in Houston in 1926, then attended Prairie View A&M College, originally planning to become a teacher, but after one year he left the institution feeling he had learned all he could. 

Mann sought a school where he could study aeronautical and automotive engineering, studying both at the the University of Minnesota and UCLA, earning a degree in mechanical engineering.

After graduation, Mann moved to Compton, California where he became an independent engineer. 

In 1934, Howard Hughes hired Mann to work at Hughes Aircraft Company, where he worked intermittently over the next two decades, but he would also work as an independent contractor for Lockheed, Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers.

In 1935, when Mann learned of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, he decided to fly his own airplane to Ethiopia to help the country resist the invasion, joining small Ethiopian Air Force but when the Italians conquered Ethiopia in 1936, Mann escaped and returned to the United States.

In 1939 Mann was invited to Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama to become the primary civilian instructor of the Tuskegee Airmen in 1941, known as the Red Tails, an elite WWII bomber escort unit that took pride in the fact that they never lost a bomber or pilot they were escorting.

He left the program because the Air Force supplied the Tuskegee Airmen only "old World War I bi-plane crates," not the more modern aircraft white pilots flew.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mann

After the U.S. entered World War II, Mann became one of the aeronautical engineers chosen by the U.S. Army to strip excess weight from the Mitchell B-25 bombers Jimmy Doolittle and his squadron would use in their raid over Tokyo on April 18, 1942. 

From 1943 to 1945, Mann again worked for Howard Hughes in a program to re-arm bombers and fighters with 50-caliber machine guns that could fire up to 500 rounds per minute. 

Also, during the war Mann worked on the Hughes Flying Boat (the Spruce Goose), designed to carry troops to Europe but the war ended before the world’s largest airplane ever flew.

In 1948 Mann began a new career designing and building custom sports cars for Hollywood celebrities including Mickey Rooney, David Rose, and Herb Jefferies, also building a small fiberglass body sports car for a Walt Disney executive that became a prototype for the Chevrolet Corvette. 

In 1950 Mann built an aerodynamic car modeled on the F-86 Sabre Jet that he named Baby LeSabre. The car won Motor Trend Magazine’s "Best Sports Car of the Year Award at the Los Angeles Motorama.

During the 1960s, Mann worked in the" aerospace laboratories of Hughes Culver City. His work included several projects with NASA including the Surveyor Moon Exploration Unit that landed on the moon and sent the first pictures of the moon’s surface back to earth. 

He also worked on the early designs of the space shuttle as well as the Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft.

Mr. Mann at an older age

Mann retired in 1972 and moved back to Houston to care for his aging parents and open a small auto repair shop. 

Frank Calvin Mann died on November 22, 1992 at 84.

𝗜 𝗠𝗨𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗧 𝗛.𝗘.𝗕.

Small shopping carts in the row at the left

I'm likely a minimalist, not in art or music, but in my domain.

I respect an economic use of space.

Even my blog articles are generally short and succinct.

If all of the small shopping carts are taken at H.E.B., I go back onto the lot to rescue one from a cart corral.

The huge cart that Howard E. Butt's heirs want you to fill up is too cavernous, too deep.  My few items would get lost in that bottomless pit!  They must think I'm a glutton, food addict or H.E.B. stockholder.

Also, when tiny houses first appeared over forty years ago, I fell in love with that concept: everything you need in 450 square feet or less.

We're currently living in a neighborhood with architecture I despise; complicated roof lines with odd angles, very nonsymmetrical, houses with bedrooms in another time zone.

One house, perhaps the most grotesque, has been "under construction" for over a decade, but still not finished.  

The original roof tiles and garage door panels now look old and weathered even though the house is still being built. 

In some ways that house represents everything I'm not.

𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗬𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬

 

Adela's Bloggers-for-Hire: Juan Montoya, Jerry McHale 

When two TSC trustees, J.J. De Leon and Eva Alejandro, refused to act like the obedient, subservient children of TSC Board Chair Adela Garza, she engaged the services of two unprincipled local bloggers, Jerry McHale and Juan Montoya, both bloggers-for-hire.

The monetized bloggers began to immediately hyperbolize the qualifications of two opposition candidates recruited by Adela Garza; Norma Lopez-Harris, a pharmacist with no education experience and Edward Camarillo, who, along with two siblings, had presided over the demise of Incarnate Word Academy, an institution that had lasted 140 years before Camarillo's ineffective stewardship.

While Eva Alejandro did not survive the primary, J.J. De Leon is still standing for the runoff with Camarillo.

Another Place 7 candidate, Hilda Silva, obviously not an Adela pawn, also remains.

Predictably, now Montoya and McHale, earning their keep, continued to trash J.J. De Leon, a TSC Trustee for six years, but also went after Hilda Silva, a woman with forty-four years of education experience. (There's no need to repeat all the bull excrement posted as Brownsvillians should know the drill.)

In another development, longtime educator Tony Zavaleta reportedly had a break with Board Chair Adela Garza.  While we have no idea if that's actually true, immediately, on cue, McHale and Montoya, began trashing, mocking, belittling Zavaleta, even claiming he was power hungry, desiring the role of board chair. (McHale runs an article calling Zavaleta and Silva "good German soldiers" and "hippocrites," misspelling the word hypocrites.)

Regrettably, there's more.

Evidently, TSC Trustee Alejandra Aldrete is not catering to every one of Adela Garza's whims.

Jerry????? (We "hear" Adela calling.)

McHale responds with a masterpiece, perhaps Pulitzer-worthy:  "AA(Alejandra Aldrete) CRAWLS UNDER THE SPERM SOILED SHEETS WITH TZ(Tony Zavaleta) and JJ(J.J. De Leon).

Classy, Jerry.  

Well, June 15 will come soon.  We'll know if Adela's replacement candidates, so vociferously supported by McHale and Montoya, will be on the board of trustees.

Yet, does Adela think the TSC Board of Trustees will be a harmonious, unified body after all the shenanigans? After all, country folk have a saying; "Don't poop in your own nest."

JUN

7

𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗭𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗬𝗟𝗩𝗜𝗔 𝗔𝗧𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 (𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗠: 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗨 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗢)

 

TSC Board Chair Adela Garza with longtime associate Sylvia Atkinson 

We've received a confirmed report that former BISD Trustee Sylvia Atkinson has completed her term at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, a minimum security facility for women, and transferred to a halfway house for convicts, the Geo Group Reality House, 5965 Frontage Road, Brownsville.

Geo Group Reality House

This constitutes a considerable reduction of Atkinson's 6-1/2 year sentence for bribery with an original release date of March 2026.

Atkinson was charged with accepting a $10,000 bribe to place an item on the BISD Board meeting agenda from someone commonly known as Rodrigo Moreno of Pink Ape Media. 

F.B.I. wiretaps monitored the duo of Atkinson and Garza making plans to solicit business from the Brownsville Independent School District.

A shadow company, "Sunshine Solutions," would receive money from those business deals, a company the duo were careful to list with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in Adela Garza's name, since Atkinson, as a member of the BISD Board of Trustees, could not legally profit from a contract with BISD.

Atkinson and Garza held long range plans way beyond BISD, already approaching Rio Hondo ISD with their telehealth company, but, in conversation, mentioning Garland, San Antonio and El Paso.

"I'm the contact, but you have to be the face (of the company,)" Atkinson told Garza.

The pair were also recorded discussing potential ethical and contract problems and how to navigate around those issues.

"This may be wrong, but it's not illegal," Atkinson told Garza at one point.

In a recorded conversation, Atkinson and Garza agree that despite Garza being the "face" of the company, they would illegally split the commission.

One of the business deals involved iTutor, a service the duo pitched to BISD Assistant Superintendent Bertha Pena according to iTutor employee Yvette Ramos' trial testimony.

Surveillance photos show Garza and Atkinson outside the BISD Administration Building before a sales meeting to sell iTutor app to the district.

Atkinson was also charged with bid-rigging in a $25,000 computer pilot project at Rio Hondo ISD and campaign contribution violations for BISD in 2014.

Addendum: After posting this article, I received a call from a local attorney who provided evidence that Sylvia P. Atkinson is actually in a San Antonio Federal prison facility. . . .  

Hoping not to appear wishy-washy, I've received information from two additional sources indicating that Sylvia Atkinson is at the Brownsville facility I first mentioned.  RRM San Antonio has simply not updated their listings.  

Jim

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗘𝗥~~~~𝗧𝗦𝗖 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗭𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗦 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗗-𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦

 

𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧, 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛

 submitted by Rene Torres

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘~𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗦, 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝗝𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗔𝗛'𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗔𝗡'𝗧 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡

 

"What is it about a tsunami wave that CAN be predicted?" my 9th grade science teacher asked.

My arm extended nearly out of its socket, but Mr. McConnell ignored it, calling on everyone else first.

"OK, Barton, tell us," he finally said.

"The direction of wave energy from an earthquake," I responded, exhausted from holding up my arm.

As I thought later about the whole tsunami phenomenon, the first tiny fissure in my faith, credulity, belief in YHWH was forming, not viewing him as "dead" like Thomas Altizer, but as guilty of child endangerment at the very least.

Just like a mother or father who allows the hands of their two year old to slip out of their grasp into city traffic, a Gawd who's seen tsunamis develop a zillion times before, yet doesn't even shout out a warning to their earthly sons and daughters, is no Gawd of mine.

When two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints saw me emptying my apartment trash into a dumpster, the Holy Spirit moved them to ride there bicycles over to convert me. 

"Your God is Elohim," I told the two young men from Utah, dressed in short-sleeved white shirts and black pants.

They were surprised I knew about Joseph Smith, the angel Moroni, the golden tablets, Brigham Young, the Pearl of Great Price, all the basics of their religious heritage.

We talked three hours and they left on good terms. . . . . 

When I told them how tsunami waves make me feel about any religion's Almighty One, they were saddened, but had nothing to say beyond the common religious excuse about free will.

I've had similar discussions with the Amish, Jehovah's Witnesses and Brownsville's foremost religious expert, Roman Perez, but Ana told me not to bother the Buddhist monks walking along the roadway in identical orange gowns in the Philippines.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦-𝗙𝗢𝗥-𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗘

"

Juan Montoya, Jerry McHale

Our town's two monetized bloggers, Jerry McHale and Juan Montoya, would likely characterize themselves as independent journalists who happen to sell advertising on their respective blogs.

Montoya could actually make somewhat of a case for that characterization, running daily ads for Cyndi Hinojosa, Alex Begum, the Law Giant, Sofia Benavides and Luis Sorolla.

McHale's blog features no ads, but photos with clever headlines like "DR. NORMA & MR. ED STAY HIGH!!! FOES GO LOW!!!," "DELTA DAVE ENDORSES DR. NORMA & MR. ED!!," "FROM HEAVEN RUBEN WON'T LET TSC GO TO HELL!!! GO NORMA!!!" and "AS JULIETA'S LAPDOGS, TZ & HILDA SOLD OUT TSC!!!"

With the Brownsville Herald now reduced to the size of a greeting card and published out of town, locals turn to social media, blogs and possibly even a podcast for "news," making the efforts of our two bloggers-for-hire more influential than such operations might be in Des Moines, Las Vegas or Seattle. 

In an era in which Rupert Murdoch's Fox News paid out in excess of $787M for repeated lies and untruths, it's only exercizing due diligence to find out who's paying these two bloggers to write and that person's agenda.

A reader, who claims to work for our court system, shared some insight in that regard earlier today:

"Jim, yes, politiqueros are still a factor in deciding who win elections, but other officials also play a role.  Adela Garza has been grooming Juan Montoya for many years, recently buying his daughter a new wardrobe for college.  She is dirty, Jim.  I don't know what she pays McHale or Mario Saenz but neither work for free."

An ad for two replacement candidates for TSC Trustee that incredibly appeared on TSC Board Chair Adela Garza's Facebook page

Now, if the above comment is accurate, it might explain why Montoya and McHale have been relentlessly promoting the two replacement candidates Adela Garza advertised on her Facebook page while denigrating the candidates they're running against.

“Money talks, but power screams.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗦, 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘, 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬

Juan Montoya

One of our local bloggers-for-hire, Juan Montoya,  recently eulogized a lady he referred to as a "politiquera del barrio," then proceeded in his next article to do the work of a politiquero, trashing Hilda Silva, candidate for the TSC Board of Trustees as a "yes-gal," a "water-carrier" for former UT-Brownsville president, Julieta Garcia.

Hilda Silva, Candidate for TSC Trustee with 44 years in education

The monetized blogger returns again and again to the UTB-TSC spit of 15 years ago to summon righteous indignation to fuel his posts, with his likely patron having a role in that separation.

Then, without drawing a single breath, the blogger-for-hire, politiquero, if you will, trashes those getting in the way of TSC's board chair Adela Garza's apparent attempt to manipulate and control that board.

Dr. Tony Zavaleta

Even highly respected TSC Trustee Tony Zavaleta is now described by Montoya as wanting to "destroy" TSC like "fox in the henhouse."

Blogger Jerry McHale

Currently joining Montoya in promoting the TSC board chair's handpicked replacement candidates while trashing Silva and Zalaveta, is monetized blogger Jerry Mchale, now forming a blogging double team with a consistent modus operandi.

First, Juan pens a hit piece trashing Silva and Zavaleta, then Jerry reposts that same article on his blog, followed by pictures and catchy titles.  That's been the formula during early voting, likely intensifying before election day June 15.

Actually, there's not a dime's worth of difference between the old ladies and men who've collected mail-in votes from disinterested locals in their paid-for work for unscrupulous candidates and bloggers who trash candidates for money.

Both contribute to our local climate of distrust, apathy and disinterest in voting, with a recent election garnering only 4.79% of our county's 220,000 registered voters.

Why vote when your vote is cancelled out by politiqueras harvesting mail-in votes and the available information about candidates is tainted by "journalists" employed by politicos to trash their opponents, calling them "stooges," "traitors," "cockroaches" or "yes-gals?"

If the registered voters of Brownsville, Cameron County remain unenthused about participatory democracy, Norma Hernandez, Margarita Ozuna, Amadeo Rodriguez, Herminia Becerra, Joey Lopez, Jerry McHale and Juan Montoya bear nearly equal responsibility.

 

𝗠𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗡𝗢: 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗘𝗥, 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗧, 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥~𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗬𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥

 By Rene Torres

Mike Pizano today

Mike Pizano is an old school barber that started his trade in 1984 at the tender age of twenty-five, introduced to the business of barbering by his father, Rodolfo "Rudy" Pizano. 

Tutoring his son was a good proposition that led Mike to become a role model in his profession as Rudy established his barbershop at 437 West Jefferson in 1979.

The shop remains in the same location where Mike faithfully attends to his customers today.

The building is not adorned with luxurious comfort, fancy lighting or modern furniture, but instead you are greeted by an inviting and highly skilled barber.  

Mike is saturated with positive energy and works fast but with precision, always considering your likes and dislikes. Others should be inspired to emulate his approach.

And for that moment that you are in the chair—you can also escape from your daily woes. 

How does he do that, you might ask?

By the fact that he knows his customers personally and at an instant  can start a friendly conversation about your family and/or friends that will lift your spirits.

Mike is endowed with the ability to make you feel and look good, using the most amazing machine in the world, the human hand, manipulating the tools of the trade like a well-tuned conductor.

In 2012, he was recognized as one of the most outstanding barbers in the region, receiving the “Top Choice Award” by the Brownsville Herald. 

Mike's Barber Shop, 437 West Jefferson

Mike was also featured in 2007, in the book titled “Barberia, Barbershops of the Borderlands."

He is one of a kind—but no different than most barbers that provide “Barber Shop Talk Therapy.” if you know what I mean!

Allow me to close with a quote from Grover Cleveland: 

"A truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the fact that honor lies in honest toil."

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝟭𝟵𝟬𝟴

 submitted by Rene Torres

"𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗬 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦, 𝗡𝗢 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜 𝗦𝗔𝗬 𝗦𝗢!!!" 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗔 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗔 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝟵𝟱~~~𝗥𝗜𝗣!!!

 

The lady above, Herminia Becerra, who passed away today at age 95, using a walker at the Brownsville Public Library a few years ago, was a reluctant photo subject, obviously knowing I was not a big fan of the politiquera vote harvesting system.

Just before giving me her backside, Ms. Becerra, sometimes called the "Queen of the Politiqueras," told me "For fifty years, no one wins unless I say so."

The walker she's pushing carried signs for Mary Esther Garcia, Joe Rivera, Erin Garcia, Alex Dominguez and Juan Magallanes, familiar politicos in Brownsville, Cameron County.

Herminia with Margarita Ozuna

While fewer than 10% typically bother to vote in our community, most of the homes on and adjacent to Western Boulevard where Herminia lived are labeled EVBM by the Cameron County Election Department, signifying Early Voter Ballot Mailed.

It was almost certainly Herminia Becerra who picked up these votes, likely for a pan dulce or small financial offering, while we heard years ago that Ernie and Norma Hernandez gifted Herminia a gold ring with a small diamond.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗗, 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗗𝗗𝗬 𝗥𝗜𝗢 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘

The Red, White and Blue…For the first time in this region, the American Flag Stood tall along the muddy Rio Grande

By Rene Torres

The United States was not celebrating any victory and/or giant milestone but the beginning of a new era for this region.

In March of 1846, General Zachary Taylor and his army landed in Point Isabel in boats that were described by early newspapers as “peculiar.”

Their march continued to Brownsville, and at one o’clock on the afternoon of March 28, 1846, the red, white and blue flew for the first time in this region. The flag was tied to a mesquite tree on the north bank of the Rio Grande.

Documents belonging to Mrs. Lillian Weems of Harlingen indicated that it was a calm day when the American flag was hoisted near the present site of old Fort Brown.

The 8th U.S. Infantry band was there, playing the “Star Spangled Banner”—another indication that the Americans were here to stay.

The flag listlessly fluttered from its mesquite limb, and occasionally dipped its cloth into the muddy Rio Grande.

As for Captain W.S. Henry, this historical moment did not have enough pageantry. Captain Henry asserts in his explanation of this occasion— “that the troops should have been paraded under arms and that a national salute should have proclaimed in tones of thunder.”

As the American flag took its place on top of a hastily constructed flagpole—the English cross of St. George and the French and Spanish colors were displayed from the consulates in Matamoros.

The Mexican commander complained against the raising of the American flag, asserting it indicated taking possession from which there could be no retreat.

Allow me to close with the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes:

“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One nation, evermore!”

Note: Remember as you look at your flag, which is the symbol of your nation, that it is Red because of human sacrifice, that it has blue to it because some were true blue—true blue, that it has white in it because some wove into it the white shining purity of their lives. And the stars are there because of the great hope in the hearts of many for a greater, holier, and noble America.

(National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution pamphlet)

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗥𝗧~𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗟-𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘

 submitted by Rene Torres

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗗 "𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥"

BPD's Ruby Ann Perez named "Best Female Entertainer of the Year" at 6th Annual All-Star Music Awards

𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗦𝗖 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗜𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗩𝗔𝗥𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗕𝗬 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦

 

Juan Montoya/Jim Barton some years ago at a long-time downtown establishment

Rather than unravel some comments from Juan Montoya's June 7, 2024 posting on El Rrun Rrun, my preferred approach is to get at the crux of the current turmoil on the TSC Board of Trustees.

Board chair Adela Garza initiated the tumult by recruiting two replacement candidates for current trustees Eva Alejandro and J.J. De Leon.

A close and trusted friend suggested yesterday that I approach Edward Camarillo at a forum to see if he'd admit to being recruited by Adela, but there was no need for that as Garza had blatantly posted advertisements for both Norma Lopez-Harris and Camarillo on her Facebook page. (When have you ever observed such a heavyhanded move by a board chair?)

Consider that Adela Garza, in seeking candidates to run against De Leon, was openly opposing a six year veteran on the board and, in doing the same with respect to Eva Alejandro, was betraying a 40 year friendship, while seeking a replacement for a board member with 53 years in education. (How would replacing Alejandro with a pharmacist with no experience in education benefit the board? How would replacing De Leon with a man who, along with two siblings, oversaw the crumbling of Incarnate Word Academy, an institution that had survived for 140 years before being run by three Camarillo siblings, benefit the board?)

To put it bluntly and honestly, current board chair Adela Garza's surprising moves were not about bettering the TSC Board of Trustees, but about strengthening her grip and control of that board in the short term by replacing two veterans of education with two newbies that would willingly do her bidding.  Yes, it's that simple.

Before going further into this, let's define the role of board chair.  The board chair of almost any public board, including TSC, is not "the boss," not a CEO or overseer.

The role of the board chair is to, along with the president, create an agenda for meetings, incorporating agenda suggestions from individual board members.  

The board chair follows that agenda while conducting meetings, calling for votes, recognizing board members for comments or questions while moving the meeting along expeditiously.

Yet, in no way does the board chair have more authority than individual board members and, his or her vote counts the same as any other board member.

Also, by rule and protocol, the board chair position regularly rotates, typically annually.

The goal of any successful board should be a coming together, meeting of the minds by independent board members who coalesce for the common good.

In calling out Adela Garza's overtly unethical moves while board chair, this blogger was not endorsing or even "promoting" any candidates. (My last candidate endorsement occurred in 2010, not ending well, and I resolved to NEVER do that again.)

Montoya referred to me as "sanctimonious" for carefully pointing out the difference between his blog's method of operation and mine, but, actually, I was not positioning myself on higher moral ground, just explaining to readers why he and McHale write hit pieces describing opposition candidates as "overbearing," "stooges," "cockroaches," even "traitors," while I take a different approach, that of simply writing what I observe truthfully and honestly.

Something I've mentioned over the years is my appreciation at being corrected when I error factually as I'm actually eager to make that correction if needed.

𝘽𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙉 𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙀𝙎 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘼𝙎𝙔𝙇𝙐𝙈 𝘽𝘼𝙉 𝘼𝙏 𝙐𝙎-𝙈𝙀𝙓𝙄𝘾𝙊 𝘽𝙊𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍

President Joe Biden

From Borderland Beat/Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday instituted a broad asylum ban on migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, a major enforcement move in the run-up to November elections that will decide control of the White House.

Migrants caught crossing illegally could be quickly deported or turned back to Mexico under the measure, which will take effect just after midnight. There will be exceptions for unaccompanied children, people who face serious medical or safety threats and victims of trafficking, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

Biden, a Democrat, has toughened his approach to border security as immigration has emerged as a top issue for Americans in the run-up to Nov. 5 elections where he will face Republican Donald Trump, who made a hardline stance on immigration a centerpiece of his administration and vowed a wide-ranging crackdown if reelected.

Biden took office in 2021 vowing to reverse some of Trump's restrictive immigration policies but grappled with record levels of migrants caught crossing illegally, a trend that has strained U.S. border authorities and cities receiving new arrivals.

During a White House press conference explaining the proclamation, Biden said asylum access would remain available to migrants who registered for an appointment using an app known as CBP One or used other legal pathways instead of crossing illegally.

"This action will help us gain control of our border and restore order into the process," Biden said. "This ban will remain in place until the number of people trying to enter illegally is reduced to a level that our system can effectively manage."

Even as Biden rolled out new restrictions, he criticized Trump's most controversial policies, including separating migrant families at the border and comments that immigrants in the U.S. illegally were "poisoning the blood of our country."

"I will never demonize immigrants," Biden said.

When it comes to immigration policy, registered voters prefer Trump over Biden by a 17% margin, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in mid-May.