Despite the Inept "Brownsville Herald," Brownsville Voters "Euphoric" After "Kicking Ass," Blocking Outside Interloper from Controlling Elections

Brownsville's electorate is sometimes accused of being a body of "low information" voters because they elect and re-elect those who steal from them, use taxpayer money to enrich their cronies, give away taxpayer assets and stealthily sign ill-advised exorbitant utility deals. 

These same lard-ass politicos  ride annually in convertibles and on flat bed trucks during Charro Days to the applause of the masses, uneducated because the Brownsville Herald, English or Spanish edition, does not monitor the misdeeds of local politicos, unless something goes to trial and is unavoidable.

The Brownsville Herald even played its normal pussified, cheerleader role when Mike Hernandez III, a car dealer from Dallas tossed a reported $140,000 to influence the TSC and Brownsville Navigation District elections.  Not only did the "Herald" not make that report, it simply parroted the platitudes on the OP 10.33 website in its articles.  Since when does an outsider throwing that much money at local elections not raise red flags?  If any city in the United States needs a newspaper, it is Brownsville, reportedly the country's poorest. 

Before the local paper said one word about Mike Hernandez III, the local bloggers had identified the man behind the cryptic OP 10.33 billboards, reported on his ties with local corruption and identified clearly the candidates he was supporting financially.  Near election eve, the "Herald" did a front page story on Mike Hernandez III touring the historic El Jardin Hotel and deciding NOT to buy and restore it.  How many get that kind of coverage for NOT doing something?  LOL!  

But, what if the local blogging community misjudged Mike Hernandez III?  What if he REALLY wanted to do good things FOR Brownsville and we screwed it up?  In the words of blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, Hernandez election night proclamation tells us ALL we need to know about the car salesman turned king maker:  

"We supported one candidate from TSC(meaning Trey Mendez) and he won."

This statement from Mike Hernandez III is total bull shit. He initially supported his OP 10.33 secretary, Beatriz Hockaday, to run against Trey Mendez for TSC trustee.  Multiple birdies spoke into his ear, possibly including Carlos Marin, explaining that Hockaday could not defeat Mendez.  

MH.III also chose not to mention his obvious financial support for Ed Rivera and Raul Villanueva, yet their faces are prominently displayed on his OP 10.33 billboards, pushing them for the Brownsville Navigation District. Daniel Pizana also got Mike Hernandez money in his TSC trustee run.  So, in spite of all the self-righteous platitudes expressed on the OP 10.33 website, we learn that Mike Hernandez III is, among other things, a liar.

The 2016 TSC and BND elections may have taught us a couple things.  The absolute, unequivocal rejection of ALL of the OP 10.33 candidates shows that Brownsville voters do not appreciate outside interference in their elections. The election results may also be evidence that SOMEBODY reads the local blogs.

Brownsville voters seem almost giddy after kicking OP 10.33 ass.  Note this comment received from a TSC official:  

"Jim, we still haven't come down from our cloud after this win.  Good things happen when we are united.  This election reminds me of the Fly Frontera fiasco."

Dr. Tony Zavaleta, involved in a runoff with Evelyn Cantu for TSC Trustee, Place 3, added this comment to our article reporting the OP 10.33 defeats:

"Rock on Jim.  Viva Brownsville."  Zavaleta used the term "carpetbaggers" in describing the OP. 10.33 group.

Alonzo Cantu, Owner of Lone Star Bank and
Huge Construction Company in McAllen

"Did Carlos Marin simply panic?" was another observation, made privately by a local policy guy trying to figure out why Marin would willingly "share" control with Mike Hernandez III.

One theory is that Lone Star Bank owner, Alonzo Cantu, the so-called "Godfather of McAllen," is looking at options in Brownsville for development.

As one commenter explained:  

"McAllen has been developed to a high degree with property pricing pretty stable, not leaving much room for a huge profit.  Mr. Cantu views Brownsville as underdeveloped with higher risk/reward possibilities.  

A regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, as opposed to the current Brownsville MPO, might open the door for Cantu to play a leadership role in development in and around Brownsville. If and when a regional MPO is formed, Tony Martinez and Mark Lund will have a voice at the table, but not be at the table's head.   This is why Martinez is so opposed to a regional MPO."
Obviously, it's not just the "little people" who are worried about outside "interference."

Daniel Pizaña Proclaims "Mandate" Despite Ass-Whooping in TSC Trustee Race

The Brownsville Observer

Losing candidate Daniel Pizaña may consider changing his name to Daniel Piñata after the drubbing he took in his quest for TSC Trustee, Place 5. The kid does not see it that way, despite losing to Ruben
Herrera by 3053 votes, 4711 to 1658.(Even OP 10.33 secretary, Beatriz Hockaday, who didn't campaign at all, got more votes than Pizaña with 2109.)

With youthful exuberance, young Daniel acts as if he actually won and received a mandate from the voters. Notice the post-election spin on his Facebook page:

First of all, Daniel, how does your support or lack of it show the community is ready for "change," when you were not running against an incumbent?

Way to keep your chin up, Daniel, but if you do try for public office again, you may want to rethink ties to Carlos Marin, the face of corruption, backdoor deals and election manipulation in Brownsville. 

Tony Juarez Hitches Ride on Titanic(OP 10.33)

Another extremely  poor performer in the TSC trustee races was Antonio (Tony) Juarez, who was initially supported by Adela Garza, Trey Mendez, etc., but inexplicably switched allegiances in an attempt to ride OP 10.33 to glorious victory.  Juarez received a pitiful 1097 votes after hitching a ride on the Titanic. 

Evelyn Cantu with buddy, Sylvia Garza-Perez

The lone survivor of the OP 10.33 disaster is Evelyn Cantu, who faces Dr. Tony Zavaleta in a runoff for TSC Trustee, Place 3.   You may not recognize Cantu in the pic on the left as her aqua/blue campaign signs around town feature a more youthful, attractive  image.

Brownsville Dodges Bullet from Car Salesman Mike Hernandez III

Mike Hernandez III, Surveying El Jardin Hotel
(Photo by Miguel Roberts, Brownsville Herald)

The consultant car salesman Mike Hernandez III engaged to research the viability of buying the historic El Jardin Hotel told him it would not be a profitable venture. Unfortunately, Hernandez used a different, less trustworthy guru while seeking advice about steering Brownsville's political scene.  Mike sought advice from Ambiotec's Carlos Marin, the last fox any responsible chicken farmer would want guarding their hen house.

Marin conned Hernandez into throwing money at the Texas Southmost College and Brownsville Navigational District 2016 elections.  The master plan likely sold by Marin, was that huge, huge greenbacks could be made by controlling development at the Port of Brownsville and the so-called FM 550 corridor as well as influencing the job training programs at the community college.  

Carlos Marin, the Man Who Sucks Brownsville's Blood

United Brownsville, a loose affiliation of elitists, have been salivating about the possibilities in this corridor for several years. Carlos Marin, while guarding Brownsville's hen house as a Brownsville Economic Development Council member, "helped" vet a $454,000 "study" that was approved and rubber stamped by the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.  Later, an additional $180,000 in taxpayer monies were turned over to Jacobs Engineering, who had hired Carlos Marin's favorite little puppet, Oscar Garcia, Jr., as Project Engineer, for phase 1 to "implement" the study.  

No one traced where those hard-earned tax dollars, in the country's poorest city, ended up.  The city has nothing to show for the $634,000 spent on the study and phase 1 of its implementation or the $900,000 originally spent on the Imagine Brownsville plan, penned by Carlos Marin, pushed by Eddie Trevino, now sitting, all dusty, on city shelves, like an out-of-date comic book.  If Carlos Marin told Mike Hernandez III we were suckers, he had the hard evidence.

But, something strange happened in these bought and paid for elections.  Brownsville did not vote as know-it-alls Mike H. and Carlos M. suggested.  

Even beer-bellied Ralph Cowen got his dander up and kicked OP 10.33 ass in the BND elections!  

Citrus Gardens Project survivor Ruben Herrera rolled over Marin/Hernandez pretty boy Daniel Pizana and Laguna Vista resident Ed "Harvard" Rivera lost his BND bid handily to Tito Lopez.

"Money talks, but it can't sing and dance and it can't walk."

John Mayers tribute to Prince on Snapchat

Prince - Purple Rain (Tribute by 7-year-old Marel Hidalgo)

Will the Bumbling, Fumbling Mike Hernandez III Learn from his Mistakes?

Mike Hernandez III Touring El Jardin Hotel
(photo by Miguel Roberts, Brownsville Herald)

Perhaps Mike Hernandez III next foray into Brownsville politics will be wiser, more skillful, less obnoxious and offensive. Perhaps.

Mike's initial effort to skew elections at the Brownsville Navigational District and in the Texas Southmost College trustee election has simply been a public relations disaster littered with rookie mistakes likely fueled by bad advice.

Our January 5, 2016 blog article revealed Hernandez to be a successful car dealer in Dallas. We quoted in totality platitudes from his OP 10.33 Facebook page promising to "support only candidates, regardless of party affiliation, who show proven results generating funds from the prospective government agencies in their purview and to support new candidates who show the ability to do so. Also, to STRONGLY oppose any candidate who does not."

These giddy words, innocuous at face value, suddenly became malignant with the revelation that OP 10.33 had hired none other than Brownsville nemesis Carlos Marin, who has for years played city boards to pour coin into his engineering business, Ambiotec, Inc. and also pledged to gift United Brownsville $2,000,000. These obvious red flags proved Mike Hernandez to be out of his element.

OP 10.33 Puppets, Ed Rivera & Raul Villanueva

After all the hype, OP 10.33 hitched their wagons to Harvard graduate Ed Rivera and banker Raul Villanueva.  Rivera, despite a nice paper resume', has been ineffective as a TSC trustee and rarely said a peep in his brief tenure on the Airport Advisory Board.  Villanueva, apparently, is a public service virgin.

In financially backing Rivera and Villanueva, Mike Hernandez is attempting to unseat longtime BND board members Ralph Cowen and Tito Lopez.  None of the candidates have spoken with any clarity on the elephant in the room, LNG.  A decade or so from now, the Port of Brownsville may be littered with a super structural and chemical cleanup they cannot afford, from a number of abandoned LNG sites. 

TSC Trustee Candidate Daniel Pizana

In the TSC trustee race, Hernandez' dog in the fight is young Daniel Pizana who is running against Ruben Herrera. Nena and I were invited to Pizana's outdoor event at Adolio's by both Francisco Rendon and Rene Torres, although we saw neither of the former TSC trustees there. When I mentioned to Pizana that Nena would like to videotape his remarks to the group, Daniel offered that he was a bit "camera shy." We still stuck around long enough to see former BISD trustee and Chinese motorscooter salesman Pat Lehmann take a seat at the head of the table.  TSC trustee candidate Antonio Juarez and frequent candidate Don De Leon also attended.

I can't help myself. .have to post Prince at Montreux, Switzerland Jazz Festival 2009

TSC Needs Dr. Tony Zavaleta, Trey Mendez and Ruben Herrera

Prince playing 'Summertime' at Soundcheck, Koshien, Hyogo Prefecture (1...

Prince Bass Solo

Brownsville/South Padre Island Airport to Double-Down on Boca Chica Fence After Numerous Accidents

Sesha S. Vorrey, Interim Director of Aviation,
Gives Power Point to Airport Advisory Board

Like death and taxes, there is that inevitable crash by a vehicle heading south on Minnesota Avenue through the northern fence of the Brownsville/South Padre Island Airport along Boca Chica Blvd.  Whether inebriated, texting or simply not paying attention, a driver finds the nose of his car or truck through the chain link airport fence.  

"No more!" says Interim Director of Aviation Sesha S. Vorrey.  "We're constructing a secondary fence where Minnesota Avenue butts into Boca Chica Blvd."

"Well, that only took thirty years to figure out!" joked Airport Advisory Board secretary Chris Hughston.  "But, as fast as some of these cars are traveling, they may just go through both fences."

Director Vorrey stated that sand bags would be placed between the two fences to impede that eventuality.

Sesha S. Vorrey

Vorrey, the Interim Director of Aviation for the airport since the health-initiated retirement of former Director Larry Brown, monitored a power point slide presentation for the board at Tuesday's meeting of the Airport Advisory Board.

The largest project, the 'strengthening and lengthening of the airport runway, to be completed within 60 months, will cost $83,000,000, including the purchase of land and homes for the necessary real estate.

While the ultimate goals is 12,000 feet of runway, the project could include a phase at 10,000 feet.  

A project rehabilitating Runway Bravo and the West Ramp at a cost of $9,000,000 is nearly complete, while a project to construct a cargo hangar for $2,500,000 is being sent back for new bids.  

A new terminal will be built in the current metered parking lot at a cost of $27,500, 000 with a completion date of November 2016.  Terminal improvements include Wi-Fi, a change machine and fiber optic cable.  

Financial reports indicate a decline in passenger travel and parking revenue, but a distinct surge in cargo transport.

Preacher Alex Resendez Exorcises Demons At Brownsville Public Library

Rev. Alex Resendez, D.D.

Three years ago Reverend Alex Resendez was moved to write the Brownsville Herald with proof that he had identified Barack Obama as the dreaded Antichrist.  

Resendez' "proof" was undeniable.  The name Barack Hussein Obama contains 18 letters and, as we all know, 6+6+6=18. If that factoid alone is not convincing enough, Resendez reminds us that Obama rides in a bulletproof limousine nicknamed "the beast." Heaven help us, boys and girls!  The reverend also accused our president of "mocking the Bible" and "blasphemes against the Sermon on the Mount."  

Today's Brownsville Herald published another warning letter from the loony preacher, warning of evil spirits at the Brownsville Public Library.  The reverend was actually attacked by those spirits and had to resort to theocratic warfare to rid himself of the menace.  The preacher has several other issues; someone running a "cheap online newspaper" using a library computer meant for our "schoolchildren" and women dressing in beachwear.  We reprint his letter to the editor:

Editor,

Our Brownsville Central Public Library is being abused and out of control.  

As I walked into the library recently, a man with evil spirits attacked me while walking next to one of the library managers.  I had to stop and rebuke his evil spirits in Jesus' mighty name, and then report it to the security man in charge of the library.[a security guard in charge?]

This security man said that all he could do was call the Brownsville police.  The man left before security could call for help.

Our children have no protection in an emergency in this library.  God help us all.

In this library there's this man running an online newspaper business; he should be told that these computers should be for out schoolchildren and for public use but not for a cheap newspaper.[a blogger?]  

This person and other people go there and talk so loud its sounds like a political debate. Young mothers take their kids and babies; it's so bad, its like a nursing home.[Did he mean nursery?]

Young girls think they are at the beach; they go dressed in short shorts and laugh so loud, it's very disturbing.

It's like a circus in this library.  Children are running playing hide-and-seek.  

How can the administration correct this library abuse without getting a lawsuit from these mothers with babies?  How can we fix this central library problem?  Who can help us?[mighty Jesus?]

We need our peaceful library back so people can go read books peacefully.  I hope someone can help bring back order and respect to this library.  

Rev. Alex Resendez
Brownsville

City Attorney Mark Sossi vs. Juan Montoya Defamation of Character Lawsuit Rescheduled for May 4 in 138th District Court