"YES, WE HAD A GOOD TIME AT TASTE OF LA FRONTERA!"

COWEN AND GUERRERO GET A SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION

John Cowen, Jr.

Two otherwise likable candidates for City Commissioner At Large "A" were disappointing in their public speaking performances at their respective meet and greets.

John Cowen, Jr., a Notre Dame University graduate, magna cum laude(good grades), following a long-winded introduction from his Uncle Ralph Cowen, essentially pulled out a sheet of notebook paper from his back pocket, read one side, flipped it over and read us the other side.

Young Cowen's words were rendered inaudible by Cobblehead's acoustics and background noise.  There was no audience contact, passion or oratory skills, but something more resembling a grade school book report, reluctantly and sheepishly presented.

Carlos Guerrero, also running for City Commissioner At Large "A," fared no better.  At Mi Pueblito Restaurant, a week after Cowen's meet and greet, Guerrero stood up in front of friends and supporters, uttered an opening sentence, then got stage fright, forgetting his words.  The forgiving crowd, recognizing Carlos' predicament, applauded, as if to say:  "It's OK.  It happens to the best of us."

Both men have an opportunity for redemption as they are scheduled to make a joint appearance on the Whine and Cheez podcast at Angelita's Casa de Cafe on February 17.  Ismael Hernandez, an attorney sharing an office with State Representative Alex Dominguez, has also been invited.

Why does it matter if a city commissioner candidate has public speaking skills?  

Well, is it likely one could publicly argue points on an agenda at a city commission meeting or be persuasive enough to create consensus or deal with constituents when they have great difficulty giving a 5 minute speech in front of relatives, friends and supporters?

We look forward to seeing John and Carlos February 17, hopefully along with Ismael Hernandez.  

Brownsville will be watching. 

CONFIDENT LONGORIA SKIPS THE PODCAST~WILLIAM GARZA FALTERS, GALONSKY SHINES!

Commissioner Ricardo Longoria, Jr. 

Rick, that is, City Commmissioner Ricardo Longoria, Jr.,  smiles from ear to ear thinking about his three opponents in the District 1 City Commissioner race.

"This will be a breeze!" he must think to himself with only William Garza, Nurith Galonsky and Michael Rodriguez standing in the way of his fifth term as city commissioner.

Certainly, Longoria felt no urgency to appear on Erasmo Castro's Whine and Cheez podcast held each Sunday at 1:30 PM at Angelita's Casa de Cafe, instead sending this explanatory email:

Ricardo Longoria <ricardo@cob.us>
Wed 1/23/2019 12:54 PM

Jim Barton,

Please accept this email denying your request to appear as a guest on your show. Mr. Castro serves as a member of the Browns

 ville ISD School Board and is technically one of my bosses. I do not wish to engage Mr. Castro in any way as it may hinder my employment with BISD. When he was a private citizen and or candidate I would offer suggestions and comments, but as one of my "Bosses," I would rather not take part in such a forum. Many thanks!!

William Garza

Two of Rick's opponents did participate in Sunday's podcast, William Garza and Nurith Galonsky.

Since his one term on the city commission ended in 1991, William Garza has run for public office ten times, losing each race.  

Not particularly keen on introspection, William trudges on, perhaps not even aware that his incredible explanation for being discovered by police totally nude in 1998 at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and South Padre Island Highway lacks credibility.

So does his silly notion, carefully outlined on Sunday's livestream, that he could live with his wife at 212 Ebony in District 3, but claim the address of a relative at 654 Hortencia to run for City Commissioner in District 1.

It doesn't work that way William.  That sort of reasoning makes a joke of the whole process as anyone in town could simply claim the address of a friend or relative to run for any district they chose.   

William Garza, Erasmo Castro, Jim Barton, Nurith Galonsky
at the Whine and Cheez Podcast at Angelita's Casa de Cafe

Much more formidable an opponent for the incumbent Longoria is Nurith Galonsky currently serving on the Brownsville Public Utilities Board with a stint on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.

After listening to William Garza lace his speech with Spanish phrases, Galonsky cut loose a sentence or two of native speaker quality espanol, followed up by a cognizant discussion of District 1 issues.

First-time candidate Michael Rodriguez, also running for City Commissioner, District 1, has previously shared his platform on the podcast.  

PODCAST SET FOR 1:30 PM FROM ANGELITA'S CASA DE CAFE!

Erasmo Castro's Whine with Cheez podcast will be livestreamed as usual from Angelita's Casa de Cafe on Boca Chica Blvd. at 1:30 PM.  

Today's guests are William Garza and Nurith Galonsky, both candidates for City Commissioner, District 1.  The incumbent, Ricardo Longoria, Jr. was approached about appearing, but declined.  Michael Rodriguez, also running for the position, has already appeared on the show.

Viewers can tune in live by connecting on Erasmo Castro or Jim Barton's Facebook page and submit questions or observations using the comment feature. 

EXCITING GUESTS LINED UP FOR "WHINE AND CHEEZ" PODCAST AT ANGELITA'S CASA DE CAFE

Former Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez Set for 2/3/19 Show

Erasmo Castro's Whine and Cheez podcast has become a great vehicle for politicians and citizens to share their views with an increasingly large internet audience.

UPCOMING SHOWS

January 27, 2019

District 1 City Commissioner Candidates Nurith Galonsky and William Garza.  Ricardo Longoria, Jr. was also invited, but declined.

February 3, 2019

Former Brownsville Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez

February 10, 2019

Blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, Blogger Jerry McHale(invited)

February 17, 2019

City Commissioner At Large "A" Candidates

John Cowen

Carlos Guerrero

Ismael Hernandez(invited)

TREY MENDEZ COMMANDS OVERFLOW CROWD AT COBBLEHEADS FOR CAMPAIGN KICKOFF!

Trey Mendez

After a heartfelt, but straightforward introduction by TSC Board Chairman Adela Garza, mayoral candidate Trey Mendez told what seemed to be the largest crowd ever at Cobbleheads Bar and Grill Thursday night about his drive to "make Brownsville what it should be, the crown jewel of the Rio Grande Valley."

The contrasts between Mendez and his likely two opponents, the already declared former city manager, Charlie Cabler, and, most likely, the incumbent, Tony Martinez, are readily apparent.

The easily approachable Mendez has not only executed a successful business plan downtown, as well as several remodels of historic buildings, but has carefully nurtured our community college back to financial, enrollment and academic health.

Trey, Comparing his Stature with
Blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes

If you view the large settlement a jury awarded to former TSC President Lily Tercero as a blot on Trey's record, consider that it's under appeal and many who've followed this process carefully agree with the termination.

Trey's declared opponent, Charlie Cabler, a City of Brownsville employee/administrator for 39 years, is, by all accounts, a good ol'boy, benefiting from and enabling the city's longheld compadrismo tradition.  Many feel Cabler had an opportunity to lift the city and failed.

Incumbent Martinez, described by one city commissioner as an "evil genius," has worked the system to his own advantage for 8 years, never feeling as if he owes taxpayers an explanation for any of his backdoor moves.  His original theme, "Believe in Brownsville," now has a hollow ring.

BCIC SELECTS NEW OFFICERS, BUT ALSO VIOLATES SPIRIT OF TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT

While the Texas Open Meetings Act mandates that citizens be allowed to attend city commission meetings, workshops and city board meetings, the benefit of such attendance is negated if those meetings are not audible and those same citizens leave the meeting with nothing of substance about the detailed workings of local government.

That is essentially the situation attending the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation meeting at noon today in the City of Brownsville City Commission chambers.  The meeting was inaudible, thus not, in reality, "open to the public."

As the only audience member not there to ask for money, I had little leverage to ask that board members utilize the black metallic objects positioned in front of them like some sort of weird table decor.

Considering the chamber's weak sound system, a meeting participant has to treat that device like their favorite ice cream cone, positioning it close to their lips.  IF A BOARD MEMBER CANNOT HEAR HIS OR HEAR VOICE CLEARLY OVER THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM, THE AUDIENCE CANNOT HEAR YOU EITHER.

Only BCIC board member Omar Hernandez consistently utilized the microphone.  Commissioner and board member Ben Neece never got within a foot of his mic.  Member Felicia Fruia-Edge made casual asides to members on each side of her, but was totally oblivious to the audio system.

Marco Ochoa, after his selection as board chair, initially made an effort to speak into the microphone, then, as the meeting progressed, forgot about it.

Still, I gleaned a few points:  A resignation letter by outgoing BCIC Director Rebeca Castillo was posted on the video monitor and that resignation was accepted by unanimous vote.

In a secret 4-3 ballot, BCIC Outreach Director Josh Mejia was selected as Interim Director over Cory Pena.

A stated $15,000 request for repairs to the museum's fire alarm system that had been falsely-triggered, threatening the museum's collection, became a total request of $25,848 including recharging an empty cylinder and maintenance of the Cheetah Fire Alarm System.  Deyanira Ramirez, Interim BMFA Director, presented the request.(Adding sales tax, the request became $27,980.46.)

As I left the meeting, Tara Putegnat, Executive Director of the Brownsville Historical Association, was asking that $180,000 already allocated be repurposed or changed in scope from landscaping to air conditioning and fire suppression. 

TREY MENDEZ MEET AND GREET TONIGHT AT COBBLEHEADS! 5:30 PM TO 8:00 PM

WIGHTMAN, NEECE AGREE: RENE DE COSS SHOULD NOT HAVE BOTH JOBS!

From the editor: Not unlike the rarity of a total eclipse of the sun, two Brownsville luminaries, City Commissioner Ben Neece and blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, seldom see exactly eye to eye.

Yet, with respect to the issue of Rene DeCoss serving as attorney for both the City of Brownsville AND the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, Wightman and Neece agree.

We raised the issue in yesterday's Brownsville Observer:

"We keep repeating that the entire point of creating 4A funding for economic development is to keep that exercise away from politics.  That is why we don't need city commissioners serving on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation,but also we don't need the City Attorney serving as the legal representative for BOTH the City of Brownsville AND the GBIC.  It's such an obvious conflict of interest.

That is the same gig Mark Sossi had and now, foolishly, those two assignments have been bestowed upon Rene De Coss.  Yes, now De Coss can pocket $5,000 per month from the GBIC, just as his predecessor did, but it's a bad idea."

Here is Neece's take on the matter:


Ben Neece January 23, 2019 at 10:31 PM

Now this should be noted by everyone. One of the biggest complaints against our former city attorney was conflicts of interest. In particular, that he was attorney for both GBIC and the City of Brownsville. Now you have these clowns doing the same thing by appointing our COB city attorney as the GBIC attorney. What exactly did Luis Hernandez do to be "terminated?" Enquiring minds should want to know. This is all that is wrong with Brownsville. Do we care anymore about ethics? How can a city attorney, who serves on an economic development corporation not have a conflict of interest, when dealing with city issues, e.g. CDCB vs. GBIC? What is heard in executive session for one entity cannot be disclosed to the other entity. How do you get around this? The elections are coming. Vote for people who will hold ethics foremost. Not like these clowns who serve their own interests, or even worse, the interests of special interest groups. Inform yourself. Be the force that determines who governs you. Register to vote, which I can do for you, and vote for ethical candidates. Don't be governed by amateurs.  

Now, Mr. Wightman's view:

BobbyWC January 23, 2019 at 4:55 PM


Sorry for the typing but I was having real bad tremors. On Rene Coss under the rules of Professional Conduct he cannot be the attorney for the city and GBIC. There is an inherent conflict of interest. Who does he side with The city of GBIC when they are in conflict.




Bobby WC

A FEW THINGS I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT IF I WAS REALLY A BLOGGER!

Ana During Christmas Eve Visit "To Bukidnon Province"
to Tell Her Father about "Us"

I've been fortunate to have two wonderful, strong women in my life, first Nena for 49+ years and now, Ana. 

While U.S. immigration has slowed somewhat in the last two years, we've carefully filed our I-129f and are hopeful.  

If declined, we have options.  I could easily live out my life in the Philippines, creating a new niche for myself, but the preference for both of us is creating a partnership here in the U.S.

Ana will fit in seamlessly if given that opportunity.

Ricardo Longoria, Jr.

I ran into Ricardo Longoria, Sr. at the Taste of La Frontera event.  Nice man.  We didn't talk about Rick, Jr's health, but I empathize.  My own son, just 46, is in a similar situation,  a weird realization for a father to absorb.

Meanwhile, the City Commission continues the idiotic practice of holding "the public is welcome" workshops in the tiny quarters of the City Manager's conference room with 5 or 6 spectator chairs!  Do these dumbasses not realize how non-inclusive that looks?  The damn microphones do not even work.  Mayor Martinez HAS to be smarter than that!  

City Manager Noel Bernal

Speaking of the City Manager, is anyone else getting impatient with Noel Bernal's "first 100 days of "creating a culture" of inter-departmental cooperation before one iota of his "vision" for the city is implemented?  

Brownsville needs newly appointed hotshots, making ten times the region's average salary, to hit the ground running.  Please, Noel!  Make new business permits easier now and pontificate later!(Hopefully, this very nice young man will soon realize this city needs results, not mere contemplation.)

City Attorney Rene De Coss

We keep repeating that the entire point of creating 4A funding for economic development is to keep that exercise away from politics.  That is why we don't need city commissioners serving on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, but also we don't need the City Attorney serving as the legal representative for BOTH the City of Brownsville AND the GBIC.  It's such an obvious conflict of interest.

That is the same gig Mark Sossi had and now, foolishly, those two assignments have been bestowed upon Rene De Coss.  Yes, now De Coss can pocket $5,000 per month from the GBIC, just as his predecessor did, but it's a bad idea.  

De Coss has done some real work, though.  He's already read through the city's expired Code of Ethics, giving recommendations for improvement to the commission.  That's more work in two weeks than Sossi did on the ethics code in half a decade or so.

BROWNSVILLE'S POWERFUL YOUNG MEN!

City Attorney Rene De Coss, GBIC Director Mario Losoya, Commissioner Ricardo Longoria, Jr., Steve Guerra, Port of Brownsville, GBIC, Pedro Cardenas, GBIC

CARLOS GUERRERO MEET AND GREET TONIGHT AT MI PUEBLITO RESTAURANT!

TASTE OF LA FRONTERA 2019 PICTURE GALLERY