Yesterday, just before the Cameron County Commissioners' Court undertook the business in its agenda, the public comment session revealed a clever stratagem on behalf of county-judge elect Eddie Treviño, the former mayor of the City of Brownsville, the Friends of the West Rail Trail advocates, and the Cameron County Democratic Party.
Three speakers went before the commissioners and each urged them to "appoint" Treviño in the place of "unelected" county judge Pete Sepulveda.
Brownsville residents and West Rail Trail supporters Mike Sieffert, Katy Youker, and a Spanish-speaking woman from San Benito all asked the commissioners to replace Sepulveda with Treviño and mentioned the "huge" projects before the commissioners, including, of course, the West Rail Trail they say Treviño supports.
Sieffert said that since no one had filed as a write-in candidate for county judge and the filing period was over, the court should appoint Treviño.
Likewise, Yeuker said that Sepulveda being the county judge and also the executive director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority opened up the county to potential conflict of interest charges in its selection of transportation projects.
After that all had their say promoting the West Rail Trail, Brownsville resident – and now a candidate for the Brownsville Independent School Board – Robert Uresti took the bully podium and urged the commissioners not to place an agenda item for the creation of a hospital district to help fund the University of Texas Medical School.
"The University of Texas should fund it (the medical school) and you shouldn't place that burden on the backs of the taxpayers," he told them.
Then he attacked the idea of building a west rail bike-and-hike trail and said that not only should there be a thoroughfare on the west side, but also an East Loop to alleviate the heavy truck traffic carrying hazardous cargoes through the Southmost area.
"Southmost is suffering from the heavy traffic, too," he said.
As for the idea of a West Rail Trail, Uresti scoffed at the previous speakers and dared the commissioners to observe the use of the trails that exist after the spending of "millions and millions of dollars."
"They are not being used," he said. "Nobody, not even a dog is walking on them."
After Uresti made his comments and the court set to consider the rest of its agenda, the three pro-Treviño speakers made their way out of the courtroom accompanied by Cindy Hinojosa, wife of Gilbert Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party and a Treviño supporter.
"Imagine Uresti emerging as the voice of reason," said a court observer. "Unbelievable."