(Ed.'s Note: After we ran Jim Barton's post on the monthly meeting of the greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation and the report on a new economic development plan for the organization, we received a divergent point of view from GBIC supporters. In the interest of fair play, we insert their comments in the Barton post for our seven readers' consideration.)
By Jim Barton
The Brownsville Observer Blog
The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation,frequently called locally by its acronym, the GBIC, should never be left alone without a babysitter.
Entrusted with skillfully using 4A funds, actually 1/4 cent of every taxable dollar spent in Brownsville, approximately $5 million annually, to promote economic development, the GBIC has time and time again proven itself gullible, easily conned, a baby with candy there for the taking, inexperienced and irresponsible, ripe for the taking by every snake oil salesman from Big D or the Capitol.
Notice just a few of the cons financed in whole or in part by the GBIC in recent years.
2009: $900,000 for the Imagine Brownsville Comprehensive Plan
(1. GBIC only funded in a very minor way the imagine Brownsville plan
2. Imagine Brownsville plan won the award for the best comprehensive in Texas the year it was completed.)
3. A number of initiatives m in the IB plan were implemented by entities that participated in putting the plan together and that have been a crucial part of moving the community forward including the cross valley power line; Resaca restoration; upgrading the Robindale wastewater plant; creating the BiNED cluster-based economic development strategy that’s become the cornerstone of the OP10.33 economic framework (light manufacturing, heavy manufacturing, hospitality and tourism) and recently became a committee of the LRGVDC; and the $1.5 million "All In" educational/career development grant to United Way among others.
2013: $454,592 for the Greater Brownsville Infrastructure and Development Plan
2014: $750,000 to Jacobs Engineering to "implement" the above infrastructure plan(partially funded)
(4. The Jacobs $750k study was never funded by anyone.)
What did Brownsville taxpayers receive for funding these ludicrous plans? Absolutely nothing. "Nought, nil, nada, nothing, zero, zilch and zip."
So, imagine my surprise walking into Thursday's GBIC meeting to hear yet another plan "presentation by TIP Strategies and McDaniel Strategy Ecosystems pertaining to the GBIC strategic planning process."
The plan was unveiled, somewhat clumsily on the big screen, with power point platitudes. As we got to pages 3 and 4, it was obvious the plan was not even for Brownsville, but for Fort Worth.(The two firms had sold a similar bill of goods to Fort Worth and had never even tailored the plan to Brownsville.)
(5. TIP strategies was pushed by John Cowen, Nurith Galonsky and Gilbert Salinas way before current CEO Mario Lozoya was hired.)
Finishing their presentation, the firm's threesome quickly exited through the city commission chamber doors, but I followed them out into the hall.
"Has GBIC already paid for this plan or is this just a presentation?" I asked.
"How much?" I asked.
"$120,000," was the response.
(6. TIP strategies has only started their data collection work and they have not been paid $120k.)
Mary Helen Flores of CAVA, who'd accompanied me to the meeting, then asked: "Do you guys know this plan wasn't even for Brownsville? It's for Fort Worth."
"Yeah. Sorry about that. We're going to change that."
Back in chambers, despite a quorum of 3, acting chairman Cesar De Leon called for a tabling of agenda items 7-15 until "all 5 of us are here." Missing from Thursday's meeting were board members Jessica Tetreau and John Cowen.
Mario Losoya, the GBIC's new administrator at an annual salary reportedly nearing $250,000, gave the "Administrator's Report," but his volume was so low we could only make out something about Brownsville not having enough skilled workers.