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AS TRUMP'S SHUTDOWN CONTINUES, LOCAL CASUALTIES; TSC ASSURES STUDENTS THEY WILL NOT GET DROPPED

January 16, 2019, 9:19 am
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"So, I will take the mantle," Trump said in December during a meeting with Democrats. "I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it."
By Juan Montoya

He works as a waiter in a local well-known restaurant and is a student in a local school (Texas Southmost College).

He is young, and the innocence and the optimism of youth is reflected in his face.

Related imageThis January, with only two days to go before the Spring semester begins, he was ready to pay for his tuition with a combination of grants and loans and with his part-time work.

But then came Trump's Shutdown of the government, and now he's been told by the college that the promised government assistance might be there.

"I have until the 18th of this month to pay for my tuition," he said as he removed the dishes from the table Tuesday. "If the government remain shutdown, I have to come up with $900 from somewhere if I want to continue in school."

For many local students, getting a crack at an education is a one-time deal. If you don't grab the brass ring now, the chance may never return. He know this very well and tells a customer he is working to get an education because it's the only way to get a future.

"Today, education is everything," he said. "Without it, there's nothing."

Upon hearing the student's predicament, TSC trustee Ruben Herrera assured the college's students that the board has committed to work with them and that all the program funding and grants are in place to insure that no students get shut out of attending classes.

"All of TSC's program funding is in place, including Pell grants and loans," he said. "In case that some students don't get the funding from the government they were expecting, TSC will defer tuition payments until the shutdown is over. We will not drop any students because of that. All our administrators know that and concerned students should get in touch with counselors to make sure they attend classes."

Polls say that the majority of the American people have taken Trump at his word and made the shutdown his, with most of the blame for it placed on Trump (55%) over the Democrats in Congress (32%).

This may come as some consolation for the Democrats and chagrin for Republicans, but for the student tending tables who is caught in the middle of the political fray that has shut down the government who is collecting taxes from his meager check and tips, it is meaningless.

"I will work another job if I have to," he says, resolutely. "But one way or another I'm going to finish my education."
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TREY MENDEZ LAYS OUT HIS MAYORAL ELECTION PLATFORM (CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO ENLARGE)

January 16, 2019, 10:49 am
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SALAZAR FEELS FOOTSTEPS, FACES TOUGH CINDY HINOJOSA

January 16, 2019, 11:23 am
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By Juan Montoya

Apparently feeling the footsteps of better qualified candidates behind her, 16-year Justice of the Peace Pct. 2, Place 1 incumbent Linda Salazar has started her fund raising more than a year ahead of the 2020 Democratic Party primary.

In a letter she sent out to local Democrats, Salazar asks for their vote and reminds them that "campaigns are expensive" and asks for "a generous donation to allow me to run a successful campaign."

Others may ask why Salazar is asking the public for money since she has averaged more than 600 weddings at $250 a pop over the last four years, raking in an estimated $150,000 in cash for her coffers. Under Texas law, JPs are allowed to keep any marriage fees they charge for themselves. All the county keeps is the $82 charged for the marriage license with the county clerk.

Never before had Salazar started campaigning so early. Is it because at least two challengers have already announced that they will challenge her stranglehold on the lucrative marriages racket that doubles as her JP office?

One, Fred Arias, touts his more than two decades of federal law enforcement experience as his major strength to replace Salazar.

The other, a more formidable opponent in the eyes of local political observers is Cynthia Mendiola- Hinojosa, originally from La Joya, and is an educated Latina woman who is a Criminal Science graduate, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and has a Master's Degree in Education, Guidance and Counseling.

She is currently the office manager for the Gilberto Hinojosa Law Firm, her husband and also Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party.

Hinojosa has over the years worked as Assistant Program Director at the La Esperanza Home for Boys, as a clinician there, and as a Parole Officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Parole Division.

Smart, energetic and a go-getter, she is also the past president of the Cameron County Texas Democratic Women. Her community involvement goes beyond positions with pay. She has also volunteered her time as board member of the Proyecto Juan Diego in Cameron Park ( 3rd term), is a board member of the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, recording secretary of the Catholic Daughters, Sacred Heart of Mary Court (2448), past board member of the Recovery Center of Cameron County, a Cameron County Democratic Party National Delegate,  and Chair for Cameron County Precinct 9.

Now can you see why Salazar, a throwback to the days when a chicken plate and a bottle of beer could get you a vote and win you elections, is running early and running scared?

Wouldn't you?
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ANOTHER HIGH. SPACEX MOVING MARS OPERATION HERE?

January 16, 2019, 2:47 pm
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(Ed.'s Note: Before we start getting measured for spacesuits for the trip to the planet Mars from Boca Chica, let's be clear-eyed on this latest pronunciamiento from eccentric billionaire and SpaceX owner Elon Musk. Musk told Brownsville and Texas officials that he needed them to close Boca Chica Beach periodically to launch satellites into suborbit starting in 2013. He also said there would be about 12 launches a year. 

So far, six years later, not one rocket - not even a bottle rocket at New Year's - has been launched from the "only commercial vertical takeoff launch pad' in the United States. The latest manifestation of musk's Laika -and-pony show is a Buck Rogers retro-rocket sculpture SpaceX says it want to test for manned space flight to Mars. 

Where are the 600 jobs starting at $75,000 a year promised by Elon's rocket boosters? The only semi-firm commitment is a potential "launch and landing" test sometime in a month or more. Manned space flight to Mars from Boca Chica are nothing more than a pipe dream. There isn't even any running water out there. Given the euphoria at this latest pronouncement, it seems like Musk isn't the only one smoking wacky tobbacky.)

By Samantha Masunaga
Los Angeles Times
JAN 16, 2019 | 2:30 PM


A motorcyclist rides near the SpaceX prototype Starship hopper vehicle at Boca Chica Beach, Texas, on Jan. 12. (Miguel Roberts / Associated Press)


LOS ANGELES - In a reversal of a deal local officials had touted as a win for Los Angeles tech, SpaceX will no longer be developing and building its Mars spaceship and rocket booster system at the Port of Los Angeles. Instead, the work will be done in south Texas.

SpaceX said in a statement Wednesday that the decision was made to “streamline operations.”

SpaceX has completed assembly of a prototype of the Starship hopper vehicle at its Boca Chica facility in south Texas, where it also plans to conduct tests in which the prototype will launch and go up in the air briefly before returning to Earth.

Company Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the first of these tests could occur as soon as next month, though he hedged that “due to unforeseen issues” it could also happen two months from now.

A SpaceX spokesperson released a statement saying the Starship decision “does not impact our current manufacture, design, and launch operations in Hawthorne and Vandenberg Air Force Base” and that the company will “continue recovery operations of our reusable Falcon rockets and Dragon spacecraft at the Port of Los Angeles.”

Before the deal for Starship and Super Heavy booster development, SpaceX leased about eight acres at the Port of L.A. that it used for recovery of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters and Dragon capsules, which arrive at shore via droneships.

The new deal, approved last year, would have given SpaceX use of a 19-acre site on Terminal Island. A now-former SpaceX official told the L.A. Board of Harbor Commissioners last year that production and fabrication of the Mars rocket could begin in two to three years.

(So far there is no word about jobs coming to Boca Chica or whether any jobs will be created here.)

The move comes just days after SpaceX, saying it needed to get “leaner,” announced that it would lay off about 10% of the company’s more than 6,000 employees. About 577 employees in Hawthorne are affected, according to a state WARN Act notice dated Friday.

Though Port of L.A. officials are “disappointed that SpaceX will not be expanding their operations at the Port of Los Angeles, we are pleased that they will continue their recovery operations here,” spokesman Phillip Sanfield said in a statement.

Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino was told of the decision by company officials in a conference call late last week, said Branimir Kvartuc, a spokesman for the councilman.

In a tweet Wednesday morning, Buscaino said: “While I feel crushed about SpaceX pulling the Super Heavy out of the Port of L.A., I feel confident that other innovators will see the huge value they get in San Pedro.”

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said last year that SpaceX told the city of L.A. it preferred to build its Mars rocket and spaceship system close to its facility in Hawthorne. A port official told commissioners last year that SpaceX had also been looking at potential sites in Louisiana and Texas.

Other commercial space firms have operations in Texas. Blue Origin tests engines and its New Shepard rocket and capsule system at its west Texas facility, and SpaceX already has a rocket development facility in McGregor, about 18 miles west of Waco.
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JUST WHAT IS IT ABOUT "NO" YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND? AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF COMBING YOUR HAIR IN THE BATHROOM!

January 17, 2019, 8:48 am
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TIDBITS FROM THE TETREAU-DALE PHONE DIALOGUE

January 17, 2019, 9:39 am
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(Ed.'s Note: Unbeknownst to City of Brownsville District 2 Commissioner Jessica Tetreau, Interim Brownsville Police Dept. Chief David Dale was recording her phone call which he later used to file a complaint of her interfering with the police department. Dale did not use his phone to record, as it is heard ringing before he picked it up. The city released the recording to the Brownsville Herald. Here are a few telling bits of the conversation. Notice that Dale is noncommittal in his answers but manages to put in a plug for his candidacy for police chief.) 


 NEECE NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS CAN'T EVEN VOTE
                                     -----------------------------------------------------
TETREAU:  (Inaudible) sure that I get-- I was good for my office because I can't get service in my area. You know what I mean?

DALE:  Right.

Image result for BROWNSVILLE BICYCLE PATROL

TETREAU:  And downtown is, like,  saturated and overburdened.  Like let's be honest.  Ben doesn't even understand.  Those business owners don't  even live in his district.  Like most of them are not  even, you know, eligible voters.  Sucks to say that,  but it's true.

DALE: Laughing

TETREAU:  And so here he is bending  over backwards, and I get -- I was thinking "Because  I'm not on top of it and I'm letting all of this happen." Like, there's like very bad dumping in my  area.  We clean it up.  The next day it's there all  over again.

And I don't have any bicycle officers in  my area or any resources at all to help with it, and it  just sucks for me.

DALE:  Well, I mean, yeah.

TETREAU:  (Inaudible) and, two, it's  not safe to be riding -- like, I wouldn't ride my bike to Wal-Mart at night.  I wouldn't ride my bike to the  Stripes across Boca Chica at night, much less, like, let my husband go or anybody else. So I just thought it was like a crazy idea, an over-saturation, and here we go again, Ben  Neece trying to be the sheriff in town and the rest of us -- like, my district has to pay for it.
                   
                       TETREAU RAGS ON CASA DEL NYLON, CAMERAS, DOWNTOWN
                                         -------------------------------------------------

Image result for CASA DEL NYLON TETREAU:  Like make sure the infrastructure is like good, and we have no money because we bought cameras.  You know, so it just like really gets on my nerves that the poorest people always  have to pay for these pet projects.

And I'm just done with the downtown. Like a few years ago we had a $3 million  dollar award from AEP and John Villarreal dumped the entire thing into market square.

So there went $3 million.  Now, $2.5 in the Casa Nylon, now 500,000 in  the cameras. Like it doesn't -- they're not going to fix the problems that are there. Like little by little we'll do it, but not with big money dumps like that.

DALE:  Right.
                       
                       MOTORCYCLE COPS ARE REALLY USED AS MONEY MAKERS
                                         ------------------------------------------------------
Image result for MOTORCYCLE COPS, BROWNSVILLE TEXAS DALE:  So it's -- and we're short several, you know, in that area, you know, so it's - resources aren't -- like I said, it's not unlimited. We work.  We manage, you know, and we pull from here. But when you pull from there, well, then  something has to give because, well, you're taking  somebody else's resources, you know.

 Like the motorcycle division, if I have to supplement patrol, well, then they're not generating money for the city because every hour that they work on the streets, they basically generate about $500 worth of citations. In reality that transfers to about $250 after warnings and time credits served and -- or judges just issuing out dismiss cases.  It's usually half that.

TETREAU:  (Inaudible)

DALE:  Yes, but when you take them away and you give them some other assignments, that's what's -- the revenue is being lost.

                         DALE POLITICKING WITH TETREAU, THEN FILES COMPLAINT
                                   ---------------------------------------------------------------


 TETREAU:  Now -- now your role in chief, you're going to understand the dynamic of, like, seven commission members and having to (inaudible).  I always feel so bad for Michael and -         

DALE:  Well, you know -

TETREAU:  You have it -- Charlie (Cabler, former city manager) knew the politics of it.

DALE: Yeah, yeah, right.  Well, I told the -- you know, the chief, I mean, because, yeah, as your commander, you only have one boss, right?  And it's the chief.

But if you happen to get into that position, well, you have multiple chiefs.  It's not just one chief.  You know, you have -- you have eight bosses, you know.

Every -- you know. So -- and, yeah, well, that's just the way it is, you know, because everybody has got a responsibility and you're elected, you know, to cover your district, and they've got needs, you know, so you're their voice.  If you don't say anything, who will, you know?

                          THIS IS YOUR BRAIN, THIS IS NEECE'S BRAIN ON WEED
                                         ------------------------------------------------------------
TETRAU: The problem child of us is Ben because, if you don't do what he wants, he destroys you, like, you know, perjury this -- just like he's freaking nuts.

Image result for THI IS YOUR BRAIN ON WEEDDALE:  Yeah.

TETREAU:  (Inaudible) should not smoke weed.  That's bad for you so -

DALE: (Laughing)

 FEMALE VOICE:  It fries your brain.  But it's just hard for me to work with somebody that, you know, is so erratic.  Like I don't understand where he comes from.

                                     AND THE PLUG BY DALE TO BE CHIEF OF POLICE
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------
TETREAU: But, anyways, you're doing a good job.  I just recommend that, like -- because the decision is coming up very soon, make sure you keep all of your commissioners very happy and -       
DALE:  Yes.

TETREAU -- talk to them and keep them in the loop and show them the, you know, the overall statistics of the city and how you're going to fix it and what your plans are.  Like think big and make sure you impress them.

DALE:  Right.  Well, I hope so. (Laughing)  That's the game plan anyway, you know.         

TETREAU:  Yeah.

DALE:  We'll see what the score is, you know.
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LITTLE MUSIC MAKERS FROM EL JARDIN ELEMENTARY IN 1931

January 17, 2019, 11:11 am
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(Ed.'s Note: One of our readers sent us this photo of the 1931 El Jardin Elementary mejicanito band. It was the bad old times when when racism was the norm and there was nothing wrong with separate but equal doctrine. Did you know any of these kids growing up?)
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THE SAD,BUT TRUE, LOVE STORY OF A BROWNSVILLE MAN

January 17, 2019, 11:30 am
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Image result for DEATH BY FORGETFULNESS

By Linda Forse


There was once a man
who lived all alone.
His wife had Alzheimers
and lived in a home.

Little by little
her memory waned
until his wife knew
neither the man nor his name.

The bills for her care
continued to rise,
yet this man loved her;
she was the world in his eyes.

He wanted the best
for his once-loving wife,
so he decided right then
to take his own life.

His Social Security
and sale of their home
would pay for her care
when she was alone.

So no neighbor would find him
he devised a plan:
he would call 911
before he did himself in.

He would do it outside
where his wife used to garden;
no mess to clean up,
no stigma nor burden.

He then took his gun
and went outside to the yard;
one last look at the sun
and then he was gone.

When the cops came
they said, “What a man!
Considerate and selfless
to the very end.”
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ON THE EDUCATION OF GENDER EQUALITY

January 17, 2019, 12:43 pm
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Image result for farm girls operating tractors

We first learned about
Gender equality -

My sisters
And I -

When we saw Ohio farm girls
Driving the tractors

Like their dads and brothers
Cultivating the fields
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TONY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US? GIVE AWAY OUR $$$$

January 18, 2019, 9:41 am
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Image result for tony martinez, brownsville
By Juan Montoya
For some reason or other, politicians in Brownsville think that a conspicuous act of largess, the grand gesture, will divert attention from the obvious shortcoming of this city.

The naming of Brownsville as the poorest city in the United States set off a spate of acts designed to diver attention to the moniker and to blind the public to the obvious.

We became the city in the Guinness World Record with the most people dancing zumba, the city with the most kids with a fishing line in the brown waters of our resaca (Hooked for Life), and the city who has striven to give out subsidies to millionaires and wealthy corporations.

Take for example, the generosity of City of Brownsville Tony Martinez since he has been mayor. He now ants a third term in this this May's election. Why?

Who else, for example, would give out millions in subsidies and tax abatements (combined with the state) to billionaire Elon Musk? Who else would bend over backwards to give millions in real estate (including Southmost's Lincoln Park) and subsidies to the oil-and-gas wealthy University of Texas System so they could put their campus in downtown Brownsville?

And who else would pledge $350 million in cash (plus tax abatements) to Tenaska to build a $500 million natural gas, electric generating plant and be content to take one-fourth of the 800 MWs produced? That is, the Public Utility Board ratepayers would put up 70 percent of the cost and keep 25 percent of the energy produced (200 MWs).

And to add insult to injury, since 2013, the ratepayers have been stuck with a 35 percent increase in utility costs and the money they pay (estimated at more than $100 million) has continued to pile up at the PUB because Tenaska does not have customers to seel their 600 MWs because there is a glut of electricity on the grid.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, as it were, none of these efforts have come to fruition.

The UT System moved its main offices to Edinburg (UTRGV) and keeps a satellite office in Brownsville (UTRGV-Brownsville), the Tenaska plant won;t be built in the foreseeable future, and SpaceX hasn't launched one satellite when they pledged to have a blast off every month since 2013.

And don't get us going about jobs for local people. We're too busy giving away our meager resources to people and corporations that don't need it.
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FACING OUR PREJUDICES SQUARELY: WE'RE IN IT TOGETHER

January 19, 2019, 8:02 am
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Image result for THERE'S ROOM ON THIS LIFE BOAT FOR EVERYONE
"...Guerrero is working hard and he is part of a Matamoros network that slowly is becoming a political force in Brownsville. He is spending money in his quest to prevail. Hinojosa is compadres with new State Rep Alex Dominguez and he is a familiar face around the court house. Though neither is a household name, they are ambitious professionals and shouldn't be taken lightly."Jerry McHale

By Juan Montoya
If ever there was a dog whistle blown in this year's City of Brownsville Commission elections, it's Jerry blowing it above.

Almost sublimely, he is stirring the cauldron of prejudice and disdain that has been an omnipresent  factor in the relationship between residents of Brownsville and Matamoros. In some quarters in this city, there has always existed a deep contempt and scorn for people who were either born or live in our sister city.

They are the "other""del otro lado, "lotranos," mejcicles,"mojados," mojarras,""de la Popu," or other disparaging descriptions. In general, many local residents heap scorn upon our neighbors, never realizing that a lot of the people who lived and worked in Matamoros or northern Tamaulipas are American citizens who are part of a middle class and upper middle class - and even sometimes part of the wealthy elite -  who just happen to do business there.

The pity of it is that some of the most rabid anti-Mata people are often of a lower social, educational and economic level than the people they look down upon. It's reminiscent of the poor whites in the south whose prejudice made them blind to the fact that many times some of the blacks they looked down upon were often better educated and had a better station in life that they did despite their second-class status in that odious system.

And even though they may have been looked down upon by other whites for being "white trash," they took the false pride that at least they were not black. 

In many cases, these people from Mata had businesses there, attended schools here, St. Joseph's Academy, for example, and are entitled to participate in the political process because they were born in the United States.

Many people from Matamoros have a double nationality. They can live legally on either side. And we should welcome them here. After all, Matamros residents have a long history of contributing to our cultural and political life. Former Texas Secretary of State  and Cameron County Judge ( and before that county commissioner) Carlos Cascos is a Matamoros native who served our community admirably.

And the family of former county judge, Texas Secretary of State, and u.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza's family came from there. We're sure that there are many more examples of individuals who have contributed positively to our social, economic, educational, and political life.

We now have representatives of this group on the city commission, the Brownsville Navigation District, and who have been appointed to various boards. 

Given the situation we're in that this city's traditional leadership has brought us to, it couldn't be any worse. It's nowhere but up.

Up until the current times of insecurity, they had no need to get involved in politics here. In fact, they were involved in politics in Matamoros and Tamaulipas and had become part of the ruling elite there. But northern Mexico's version of Ireland's "The Troubles" has forced this group to come back home. Instead of disparaging them, we should welcome their participation in our civic life. 

Mexican capital is the driving force in Brownsville. Ask any Realtor. The real money in Brownsville is capital that has come from across the river fleeing the extortion of  of La Maña, our own border version of Italy's "Black Hand" and the savagery of bloodthirsty cartels.

They bring an entrepreneurial spirit that has been missing locally. The restaurants, businesses, and new development that used to flourish in Matamoros are flourishing here as a result, a good thing for this poor community.

Yeah, some are haughty, demanding, and authoritative, but that is a carryover from the social relations that exist in Mexico. The demarcation between the haves and the have-nots is much more marked there as is the established social status. It's just a matter of time before they get culturally acclimatized to our customs and traditions of individual rights and social equality.

These people re not going to stand in line for housing, food stamps, or welfare checks, regardless of  local chauvinists' wishful thinking. They're here to do business. 

And, let not forget that the only reason Jerry's first stab at being a soccer coach at Porter High School was a success was because of kids from Matamros. Let him tell you in is own words.

"I returned to teaching in 1980 at Porter High School. I was teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and the vast majority were students from Matamoros. They were an ostracized group. They must have reminded the Brownsville Mexican-Americans of their roots who apparently didn't care to recall their humble origins. If you didn't speak English, you were an inferior beings."

Just as the talent of these kids put the Brownsville Independent School District on the state and national maps as a soccer powerhouse, let's hope that the entrepreneurial spirit and the civic engagement of this group entering politics regenerates our social and cultural life.

In fact, we should encourage the other groups among u - the Korean community, the African community, those from the Middle East and Asia and the Indian subcontinent - to join us in the voting booth and on the ballot. After all, politics makes the world go round.

 No one group has a monopoly on civic engagement or political leadership. We should welcome them all. After all, our local citizens participation rates are dismal. We say the more the merrier.
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TRUMP: "EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WALLS WORK..."

January 19, 2019, 8:07 am
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WHAT'S REALLY BEHIND THE BISD BOUNDARIES EXPANSION?

January 20, 2019, 12:11 pm
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By Juan Montoya

Remember the hare-brained suggestion by Texas Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. to consolidate all of the school districts in Cameron County into one governed by the largest one, the Brownsville Independent School District?

Image result for sen. eddie lucio jr., rrunrrunThat idea, once county districts got wind of it, sank like a lead balloon and Eddie ran for cover blaming one of his staff members for introducing it "prematurely."

Now Lucio is backpedaling again after the BISD passed a resolution asking that the BISD boundaries be expanded to conform with the city limits of Brownsville. The board asked that Lusio and new District 37 State Rep. Alex Dominguez push the bill thriugh the Senate and House this legislative session.

The first to complain was the Los Fresnos ISD who said that at least three of its schools would be inside the Brownville city limits and they didn't like it.

Now it's the San Benito ISD which is giving the idea a thumbs down.

Lucio, as he is wont to do, has now come out defending the Los Fresnos ISD and saying the issue should be "studied" more closely before any bills are introduced.

But the move north, say some political watchers and Anti-LNG advocates, is that if the other part of the BISD expansion plan – the area of Cameron County south of the Port of Brownsville channel up to the Gulf of Mexico – is approved, it opens up the debate of tax abatements for those companies. At least one, Anova, has a lease agreement with the port for land south of the channel.

Port Isabel ISD, the towns of Laguna Vista and South Padre Island and other taxing entities and districts there, have turned down proposals and passed resolutions against the tax abatements for those companies. Virtually all of the Port of Brownsville and the land south of the channel falls within the boundaries of the Point Isabel ISD.

But if even this small part of the school district realingnment goes through, it will be up to the BISD, not the PI ISD to decide whether it will grant Anova the abatements it so dearly would love to have.

We're not talking peanuts here. Those abatements could mean millions of dollars in taxes to these companies, and a heft contribution to our state senator.

And as we have come to know him and Lucio III so well, they will hold their noses to stave off the stench to deposit their checks in their contribution accounts.
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NO, WE DON'T GET TIRED OF REMEMBERING DR. KING

January 20, 2019, 12:26 pm
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(Our regular four readers will recognize our annual tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King. We include it today so that or growing readership – now seven – will read it for the first time. In Brownsville, our community has been divided by the use of the "N" word by an elected official in a  private setting, of the continued presence of a rock commemorating the Confederate, slave-owning "heritage" in Washington Park, and the rise of nationalist Nazi worshipers across the country. It is fitting we remember a man of peace.)


"Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked 'round and he's gone."
"Abraham, Martin and John"
written by Dick Holler and first recorded by Dion

By Juan Montoya
There was in our home a black and white photograph of the Rev. Martin Luther King in a pensive pose, a slight sheen on his wide forehead and his hand covering the lower portion of his face in introspection.
My kids invariably asked me who he was once they reached an age of curiosity of the world around them.
My stock answer was that the picture was of a man – now dead – who spent his life fighting for all people to have the same rights everyone else did. That included blacks, browns, yellows, reds, poor whites and all shades in between.
Image result for martin luther king, letter from birmingham jail, rrunrrunThat framed photograph dates back to the days I used to publish a weekly with the late state representative Henry Sanchez. We were doing a piece on the anniversary of his death and the celebration of the national holiday and we needed a good picture. We found one in the possession of then-Brownsville Navigation District commissioner Evelon Dale. She loaned us the photo – dedicated to her by a federal judge, I believe – and we used it in our next edition.
We held on to the photo intending to return it to Evelon, but things got in the way, like Henry's death, elections, etc., Every time I ran into Evelon I remember the photo and always remind myself that I would return it the first chance I got. In fact, just this past year, I ran into her and returned it. Thank you, Evelon. She has since passed away, too. Peace be with them all.
Many friends asked me about the photo and asked why I don't have one of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Cesar Chavez, Emiliano Zapata, or even Che, instead of the good reverend. You know, something Latin.
Those of us who grew up in the tumultuous 60s and 70s are children of the whirlwind of history. We went through the Cuban missile crisis, the threat of nuclear destruction of the planet, the assassination of John Kennedy, his brother Robert, the advent of the transistor radio, the Beatles and Stones, the moon landing, and Mighty Rock and Roll.
We also experienced an upturning social upheaval as the nation struggled to come to grips with a devastating war (Vietnam) that touched our barrios and rent the social fabric and public opinion. We had the various splinters in the black community with the likes of the Black Panthers, Malcom X, and, of course, Martin.

His adherence to the principle of nonviolence set him in an island apart in a sea of turmoil with half the world at war, the Peace Movement, Malcom's call for black liberation "by any means necessary," a brash heavyweight boxing champion of the world who changed his name from Cassius Clay to Mohammad Ali refusing to join the Army saying that "No Viet Cong ever called me ni--er," the burning of draft cards, and the revelations of the Pentagon Papers that the Vietnam war had, after all, been an unnecessary one.
Image result for bull connor's dogsAnd here came Martin leading protests using a middle-aged and diminutive Rosa Parks fighting to simply sit in front of a bus, blacks getting beaten by Bull Connor's deputies, chewed up by police dogs and assaulted with water cannons just for asking for the right to seat at a lunch counter or to register to vote.
And we saw the backlash from the status quo with jailings, beatings, drummed up charges and FBI harassment and surveillance. Little black girls died in the bombing of Baptist churches. Supporters of the civil rights movement were kidnapped, tortured, and murdered in back country roads in the South by hoodlums of the KKK.
King's answer to that violence against his people was unbelievable.


"Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."–Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community


“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”–Strength to Love


“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”–Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”–Letter from Birmingham Jail

“I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” –Letter from Birmingham Jail


“I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.”–Detroit


“We have been repeatedly faced with a cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same school room.”–Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam


For this, he was shot April 4, 1968 in Memphis by a sniper who no one believed was acting alone. 
Related image
We had lost a great voice of reason in the world and as we headed into the 1970s, there was no one left to take up his mantle. Bobby Kennedy was next for the assassin's bullet and it took Richard Nixon to pull us, bloody and angry, from the Vietnam quagmire. Some of us still haven't been able to emerge from that abyss. 

In trying to assuage the loss, we have stumbled blindly into other useless wars that have drained our blood and treasure. Will there be another one like Martin who will step in and make us see reason now that he's gone?
We didn't know it then, but we had lived and experienced the existence of one of mankind's greatest orators and a purveyor of peace.
Have a happy birthday Martin. And thank you.
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EMERGENCY BILL TO AID SHUTDOWN WORKERS IN WORKS

January 20, 2019, 1:42 pm
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By Juan Montoya

Federal workers affected by the federal government shutdown in Cameron County - and across Texas - may be granted relief from becoming delinquent on their their property taxes due January 31 thanks to an emergency bill being proposed by the the county's legislative delegation and suggested by Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre.

The   bill is now being considered by Gov. Greg Abbott's office who may agree to submit if for emergency consideration to the legislature now in session.
Image result for TONY YZAGUIRRE
Yzaguirre, in a letter dated January 18 addressed to State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. and state representatives for District 38 Eddie Lucio III and District 37 Alex Dominguez, is urging them to submit an emergency bill to assist federal workers affected by the now-30 day shutdown by mending the delinquency tax exemption clause to cover them until the shutdown ends.

"This office has received several calls from Federal workers that have been affected by the Federal
Government shutdown regarding their ability to pay their 2018 property taxes which will become delinquent if not paid by January 31, 2019," Yzaguirre wrote.

"Any 2018 taxes which become delinquent on February 1, 2019 will accrue a 7% penalty and interest if paid in February, a 9% penalty and interest if paid in March, and will continue to accumulate additional penalties and interest so on and so forth until paid," the letter states.

"As the elected tax assessor-collector of this county I feel it is my responsibility to find a way to somehow assist these individuals that have not been paid since the federal shutdown began. Payments of property taxes are not dictated by current events or even natural disasters.

"I am hereby requesting that Governor Greg Abbott declare this issue an emergency and allow our legislature to create a joint bill to address this issue to assist these individuals statewide; this office would appreciate your assistance on this matter," the letter states.

Specifically, the amendment to the section dealing with exemptions to tax delinquency states that personnel of the Armed Forces who are moved, called  to active duty or affected by other events beyond their control addresses the shutdown specifically.

It states: 

h) The delinquency date for tax year 2018 for a person considered to be affected by subsection h-1 of
this code is postponed to the first day of the next month after the end of the Federal Government
Shutdown that will provide a period of at least 21 days for the payment of taxes before delinquent.
(1)
This section only applies if the owner of the real property is employed by the federal
government and has not been paid their federal salary since the federal shutdown began on
December 21, 2018. This section also applies if the owner of the real property contracts with
the federal government and the federal shutdown has caused them to lose a substantial
portion of their income, as determined by the county tax assessor or collector. The county tax
assessor or collector may require the individual taxpayer to produce whatever proof the tax
assessor or collector determines necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
(2)
Nothing in this section may be construed to mean that real property taxes and assessments are
not still due on receipt of the tax bill.
(3)
This bill takes effect upon approval by the Governor. If penalties have been added before the
effective date of this, the county tax assessor or collector shall adjust the penalties in
conformity with the provisions of this bill. If penalties have been paid before the effective date
of this act, the taxpayer is entitled to a refund of penalties paid

h) The delinquency date for tax year 2018 for a person considered to be affected by subsection h-1 of
this code is postponed to the first day of the next month after the end of the Federal Government
Shutdown that will provide a period of at least 21 days for the payment of taxes before delinquent.
he taxpayer is entitled to a refund of penalties paid.

Yzaguirre says the response from the Cameron County delegation has been enthusiastic and that all three will co-sponsor the emergency bill. He says that the initial from the governor's office has been very positive and that action is already underway to change the law to assist the federal workers affected.

"There are a lot of federal workers in Cameron County because we're on the border  We have FBI, DEA, ICE, Border Patrol, TSA, the federal courts, Dept, of Agriculture employees, you name it," Yzaguirre said. "That's true throughout Texas and if it goes through, it will assist federal workers and some contractors all across the state."

It is ironic that Yzaguirre thought of assisting federal employees given the fact that he was the target of an investigation directed by Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz called "Dirty Deeds" in which he was targeted by the DEA, FBI and a whole other number of federal agencies for alleged  criminal activities in the tax office. He was acquitted of all charges by a jury in Nueces County.

"I'm not even thinking about that," he answered. "The fact is that our fellow citizens, our federal employees, should not bear this additional burden that could even result in them named in a lawsuit  by our delinquent tax attorneys through no fault of their own.' 
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AT-LARGE "A" CANDIDATE GUERRERO HOLDS MEET AND GREET

January 21, 2019, 12:50 pm
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NEW PCT. 1 COUNTY WAREHOUSE TO BE DEDICATED FRIDAY

January 23, 2019, 5:53 am
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Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Anyone who worked for Cameron County or for Precinct One from the late 1960s to as late as 2006 , had to have met the late Anastacio Gaitan Guillen.

Guillen, who came from the old Road and Bridge school of county road crew experience, died in 2008. On Friday Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides will host a groundbreaking for the dedication of a new warehouse named in Guillen's honor

In those 40-odd year of working for he county, he established a tradition of hard work, political savvy and a knowledge of the county road system unequaled in Cameron County.

With his trademark baseball cap and stubborn hard-work demeanor, he schooled several generations of county employees under his care.

Now, following the 2001 unanimous dedication by the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court of a resolution naming the new Precinct 1 Public Works Brownsville Warehouse in his honor, a ceremony to do so will be held 10 a.m. Friday (January 25) at the site of the new structure.

The new building is located at 2050 S. Browne Ave., across from the Pedro "Pete" Benavides County Park. Estimated cost of the state-of-the-art structure was approved at $1.357 million.

In his 40-plus years of service to county residents, Guillen served under the following Pct. 1 Commissioners: Tony Tamayo, Johnny Cavazos, Ted Hunt, D.J. Lerma, Lucino Rosenbaum, Pete Benavides and Sofia Benavides.

After retiring, he owned and operated 20 acres of farmland some of which he later developed into Guillen Cemetery on Boca Chica Road just past Browne Road.

He was also a longtime parishioner of Christ the King Catholic Church where he was involved with Valley Interfaith. His name will be affixed to the new building in honor and recognition of his long time service to the residents of Cameron County.

Guillen was born in McNeil, Texas on April 27, 1923. As a young boy his family moved to Valle Hermoso, Tamps., Mexico where he met and married his wife, Angela Chavira, from Olivia, Texas. He and his wife moved to Brownsville more than 50 years ago where they raised their family of 11 children. Many are teachers and professionals of which he would proudly talk about if given a chance.

The new Anastacio Guillen Precinct 1 Public Works Building will be built on a 21-acre tract of land located at the intersection of California and Browne Road.

The building is 9,000 square feet and will house the Precinct #1 Public Works staff. It’s divided into two major functions: an Administrative Area consisting of an entry waiting lobby for visitors, staff offices, a meeting conference room/lounge, and building-mechanical spaces.

The second area is the crew vehicle storage bays which utilize some enclosed storage to protect large equipment, along with a wash bay for these vehicles.

This site also includes a parking area for visitors and employees. It also has a large lay-down area for public works stock materials with plenty of room for expansion.

The building utilizes a steel structure with metal studs and concrete masonry unit
(CMU) walls clad with grey and blue horizontal and vertical metal panels. The exposed steel columns and beams at the crew vehicle bays will be galvanized and have metal panel soffits to finish off the underside of the metal roof structure.

Guillen and the Pct. 1 road crews labored out of the existing Pct.1-Pct. 2 warehouses on 14th Street. But time has taken its toll on the building and the commissioners court passed a bond issue to construct new warehouses for all four precincts. The Pct. 2 warehouse was opened in late 2018 and the dedication was hosted by the former commissioner Alex Dominguez before he took office as the new Texas District 37 State Representative.
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A BROKEN MAN, IN A BROKEN LAND

January 23, 2019, 8:26 am
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We are the broken men
Surrounded by
Our broken dreams

Sitting on
this bank of sand

And some would say we're not to blame
But we know better

This nightmare  is
Without an end

We brought about  by
Our own hand

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HINOJOSA MAKES HIS PITCH FOR AT-LARGE "A" CITY SEAT

January 23, 2019, 12:56 pm
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Family and friends:

It is with great excitement and equal humility that I announce my candidacy for Brownsville City Commissioner at Large “A”.
I am a public servant, not a politician. And I think our city needs a change, needs a return to public service now more than ever.
As your City Commissioner I will focus on improving accessibility by scheduling weekly office hours to meet with you.
I will also hold regular town hall meetings in different parts of our city and engage you on your terms so you can hold me accountable.
I will work with city, school, county, state and federal officials to bring our vision for Brownsville to life.
I will keep a public calendar of all meetings regarding city business and detail who was present.
Finally, I make a very important guarantee; I will not benefit financially, either directly or indirectly, from my service as City Commissioner. I will take neither any unnecessary trips using city money nor will I accept any job related in any way to city business.
The shadow of corruption dies in the light of civic engagement. Together we can make this city the shinning beacon of The Rio Grande Valley, but I’m going to need your help and your vote.
For more information please contact me at ismael@hinojosa2019.com
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JERRY'S HOWLS OF INDIGNATION UNFAIR TO CANDIDATES

January 24, 2019, 7:38 am
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Chilean sea bass with white wine, dill and caper sauce


By Juan Montoya

One of our posts pointing out the antipathy of local Hispanics toward their southern brethren from across the river struck a nerve.

Our post dealt with the historical nature of the negative attitude some local Hispanics have against other Hispanics who live and work in Mexico but are American citizens and live here. We pointed out that some of those folks or their relatives are now running for local political office and welcomed it.

Blogger Jerry McHale identified City of Brownsville commissioner At-Large "A" candidate Carlos Guerrero as a member of the "Matamoros elite" who he said are trying to take over Brownsville. He also accused him of using the "race card" against another At-Large contender for the seat left vacant by commissioner Cesar de Leon, John Cowen. He even went as far as calling Guerrero a racist.

This is simplistic at best, and malicious at worst and doesn't become Jerry, a California transplant who happens to have an Irish background and just happens to be white. When they got here, they suffered a bit of discrimination from their fellow whites, too. When he arrived in Brownsville - as others have before him - he was welcomed by a tolerant populace.

We have searched high and low on Guerrero's Facebook page and campaign site and cannot find one reference to Cowen's race. In fact, Guerrero doesn't mention his opponents at all. Local attorney Ismael Hinojosa is also running in that race.

Our offensive post dealt with the  socioeconomic divide that has fostered a dislike by local Hispanics toward the "Mexican elite" who are now among us as a result of fleeing the violence and insecurity in Matamoros. This is not a supposition. One read of the comments to the post shows that antipathy is alive and well, unfortunately.

But Guerrero was born and raised in Brownsville, attended schools here, and over the past 24 years he claims he has provided over 500 jobs for his fellow Brownsville people through his company.

Before the knee-jerk howls of "racism" are emitted, please read my post again Jerry and show me where the issue of race is raised. It isn't. Accusing someone of being a racist and playing the "race card" is a serious issue. No one - except you - is doing it. It's not only highly unfair, but also dishonest on your part. https://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-post_19.html
Running for office - as you well know - is something not everyone undertakes for this very reason. We applaud Guerrero, Cowen and Hinojosa for offering their service to this city for the At-Large "A" position. This city badly needs new blood and leadership to make it a better community.

Stirring the pot to create a controversy for controversy's sake is not the way to help it progress.
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