By G.F. McHale-Scully
From www.themchalereport.blogspot
He was once a baseball star for the Scorpions. He was once one of Dr. Julieta Garcia's minions when he served as a board member. He is telling la raza if they want to improve their lot in life, they need to travel to Texas State Technical College (TSTC) and learn to become welders, electricians, plumbers and the other skills if they want to work for the Port of Brownsville.
The Port, for reasons that defy explanation, has decided to exclude Texas Southmost College from the workforce training program even though one of Texas's oldest junior colleges already has the infrastructure for this undertaking at its International Technology Education & Commerce (ITEC) facility at the former Amigoland Mall complex.
"We are investing millions of dollars into ITEC," said TSC Board President Adela Garza who has fought as hard if not harder for the junior college than anyone in the region, her valiant efforts against overwhelming odds one of the reasons TSC still stands today.
"The Port hasn't even invited us to the table," argued an incredulous Garza. "It is Brownsville taxpayers who support the Port, yet their is a sympathy among certain Brownsville Navigation District (BND) administrators and board members to take our millions and invest them in Harlingen's Texas State Technical College (TSTC). This is an outrage."
![]()
Dr. Tony Zavaleta, Garza's colleague on the TSC board, describes this dastardly plot to undermine TSC and enrich TSTC as classic Brownsville politics where leadership has cut off their noses to spite their faces.
"This entire deal stinks to high heaven," bellowed an exasperated Zavaleta. "This is a project that will bring our entire community together with an impressive financial infusion into our city, but instead we have turncoats whose allegiance is to Harlingen rather than their home town. I don't understand the mentality."
On Wednesday the Port will possibly sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Texas A&M and TSTC that will give the latter the opportunity to prepare a workforce that could reach as many as 10,000 within the next decade. This lucrative contract will put millions in TSTC's coffers that should remain in Brownsville since local taxpayers support the Port to the tune of $3 million annually.
"I am against this project as it is presented," said Steve Guerra, the Port's board most forceful critic of the MOU. "Who is going to build the training facility that both Texas A&M and TSTC want established at the Port? The Port!!! I am totally against this arrangement. And why hasn't TSC been included in the negotiations? It's president and board members weren't even invited to the recent summit we hosted regarding this matter."
![]()
Veteran board member John Reed is leading the charge to select TSTC over TSC. He was born and raised in Brownsville, yet as a gringo he feels more at ease with the Harlingen crowd where the Anglo-American still rules and la raza is condemned to washing dishes and mowing lawns.
The Port, for reasons that defy explanation, has decided to exclude Texas Southmost College from the workforce training program even though one of Texas's oldest junior colleges already has the infrastructure for this undertaking at its International Technology Education & Commerce (ITEC) facility at the former Amigoland Mall complex.
"We are investing millions of dollars into ITEC," said TSC Board President Adela Garza who has fought as hard if not harder for the junior college than anyone in the region, her valiant efforts against overwhelming odds one of the reasons TSC still stands today.
"The Port hasn't even invited us to the table," argued an incredulous Garza. "It is Brownsville taxpayers who support the Port, yet their is a sympathy among certain Brownsville Navigation District (BND) administrators and board members to take our millions and invest them in Harlingen's Texas State Technical College (TSTC). This is an outrage."
Dr. Tony Zavaleta, Garza's colleague on the TSC board, describes this dastardly plot to undermine TSC and enrich TSTC as classic Brownsville politics where leadership has cut off their noses to spite their faces.
"This entire deal stinks to high heaven," bellowed an exasperated Zavaleta. "This is a project that will bring our entire community together with an impressive financial infusion into our city, but instead we have turncoats whose allegiance is to Harlingen rather than their home town. I don't understand the mentality."
On Wednesday the Port will possibly sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Texas A&M and TSTC that will give the latter the opportunity to prepare a workforce that could reach as many as 10,000 within the next decade. This lucrative contract will put millions in TSTC's coffers that should remain in Brownsville since local taxpayers support the Port to the tune of $3 million annually.
"I am against this project as it is presented," said Steve Guerra, the Port's board most forceful critic of the MOU. "Who is going to build the training facility that both Texas A&M and TSTC want established at the Port? The Port!!! I am totally against this arrangement. And why hasn't TSC been included in the negotiations? It's president and board members weren't even invited to the recent summit we hosted regarding this matter."
Veteran board member John Reed is leading the charge to select TSTC over TSC. He was born and raised in Brownsville, yet as a gringo he feels more at ease with the Harlingen crowd where the Anglo-American still rules and la raza is condemned to washing dishes and mowing lawns.
Reed is trying his best to convince fellow commissions Ralph Cowen, John Wood and Sergio Lopez that TSTC and Harlingen are more important to the port's future than TSC and Brownsville.
"Who is betraying Brownsville and why?" asked a respected pundit. "We are going to give our money to a stagnant junior college with barely 5000 students and a sorry record of achievement over TSC that has already eclipsed 7,000 students in a few short years and with the magnificent ITEC building at our disposal.
"What is wrong with our leadership? Are they being bought-and-sold in Brownsville's longtime compadre tradition? We pay for the Port to the tune of millions and have been investing in it for decades. TSC will not only do a better job for the Port than the poorly run TSTC, but we as individuals and institutions will dramatically improve both our standard and quality of living by keeping Brownsville and the junior college our top priorities."
"Who is betraying Brownsville and why?" asked a respected pundit. "We are going to give our money to a stagnant junior college with barely 5000 students and a sorry record of achievement over TSC that has already eclipsed 7,000 students in a few short years and with the magnificent ITEC building at our disposal.
"What is wrong with our leadership? Are they being bought-and-sold in Brownsville's longtime compadre tradition? We pay for the Port to the tune of millions and have been investing in it for decades. TSC will not only do a better job for the Port than the poorly run TSTC, but we as individuals and institutions will dramatically improve both our standard and quality of living by keeping Brownsville and the junior college our top priorities."