Save Jerry McHale: September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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AFTER BISD FACILITY CONSTRUCTION BINGE, THE CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST
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Sept. 28 â€" The Fitch Ratings Service downgraded $166.1 in unlimited tax (ULT) bonds, series 2001, 2005, and 2006 bonds to 'AA-' from 'AA': â€" $166.1 million unlimited tax (ULT) bonds, series 2001, 2005, and 2006. The Rating Outlook is revised to Stable. SECURITY The bonds are secured by an unlimited ad valorem property tax pledge. The bonds additionally carry a guarantee from the Texas Permanent School Fund (PSF), whose bond guaranty program is rated 'AAA' by Fitch. KEY RATING DRIVERS DIMINISHED FISCAL CUSHION: The key rating drivers supporting the downgrade to 'AA-' are the significantly diminished fiscal cushion of the district and limited ongoing budget flexibility. A projected fiscal 2012 surplus would arrest the trend of significant draws on fund balance. However, the current level of available reserves, which Fitch expects to remain below the district's formal target, together with limited revenue raising ability and mixed economic base is more consistent with the lower 'AA-' rating. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcLtROK4BNRUBJG55JpQFkb73JWVJMHMkvMpJSI-F_7UrDDbyom6zwc4mZdIymHPBqyF0yjlhRECSiM8fF0LU-DXLeyVMOZkq6P0Jdzx2tFsNTjZ-m_WcAUQOt9BgmgC2o3XyEdIIJOo/s1600/bisd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcLtROK4BNRUBJG55JpQFkb73JWVJMHMkvMpJSI-F_7UrDDbyom6zwc4mZdIymHPBqyF0yjlhRECSiM8fF0LU-DXLeyVMOZkq6P0Jdzx2tFsNTjZ-m_WcAUQOt9BgmgC2o3XyEdIIJOo/s320/bisd.jpg" width="320" /></a>FINANCES APPARENTLY STABILIZING: The Stable Outlook reflects positive steps the district has taken to return to budgetary balance, including management of state aid cuts in fiscal 2012 and adoption of a fiscal 2013 balanced budget. STABLE TAX BASE: The district's proximity to Mexico and an extensive and expanding transportation network support strong international trade activity. Tax base growth resumed in fiscal 2013 after being flat in the prior two years. WEAK SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS: District wealth levels are low, and the region suffers from structurally high unemployment and poverty rates. MANAGEABLE DEBT LOAD: Overall debt ratios are low to moderate due to generous state aid for debt service. The rate of amortization is average. FLAT ENROLLMENT: Current-year enrollment is flat after declining modestly in 2012, demonstrating the impact of charter-school competition. CREDIT PROFILE BUDGET FORECASTS MISSED THE MARK FROM 2009 - 2011 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fHoj1cc1Hjk_CGQFAeP_hIGHMbAIFzDR1HLs5bs_l5w_Dx04g0B5OQNCY491kElGpi_I5iXw_SkLAxyobk_QiFSD4QTIDnBEojiFHJkqRo6vjt8KbTvvGO6MV-rb7KF1RzgFg3uCDMA/s1600/vets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; height: 219px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 304px;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fHoj1cc1Hjk_CGQFAeP_hIGHMbAIFzDR1HLs5bs_l5w_Dx04g0B5OQNCY491kElGpi_I5iXw_SkLAxyobk_QiFSD4QTIDnBEojiFHJkqRo6vjt8KbTvvGO6MV-rb7KF1RzgFg3uCDMA/s320/vets.jpg" width="320" /></a>Declines in operating reserves in fiscal years 2009 - 2011 were largely to fund facility construction but were exacerbated by construction cost overruns, unplanned capital outlays, and over-budgeting of enrollment-driven state revenues. The net effect has been a cumulative 44% decline in general fund balance during this three-year period and a drop in the unrestricted general fund balance (the sum of committed, assigned, and unassigned per GASB 54) to $83.3 million or 19% of expenditures and transfers in fiscal 2011. While this level of reserves still provides a solid fiscal cushion, the declining trend is troubling and the budgetary fund balance is below the district's formal fund balance floor of 75 days of operating costs. Of concern to Fitch is the instability in the administrative team in recent years, which coincided with the trend of negative budget variances. In addition, in contrast to Fitch's prior understanding, the district lacks the ability to increase its operating tax rate without voter approval which limits budget flexibility. RETURN TO BUDGET BALANCE FORECAST IN 2012; OUTLOOK FOR 2013 UNCERTAIN The new management team, which has been in place since June 2011, is forecasting a modest operating surplus after transfers in fiscal 2012 (June 30 fiscal year), which is notable given that interim projections called for a $4 million draw-down on reserves to fund targeted campus improvements added to the budget. The original budget was trimmed to absorb a nearly $18 million reduction (6%) in state formula-funding; officials froze salaries and hiring and initiated an early retirement incentive to achieve measurable attrition savings, while also using $9 million in one-time federal aid. Management reports that tighter cost controls and ongoing attrition savings will yield a $600,000 surplus after transfers. This would keep the unrestricted portion of general fund balance at roughly $84 million or 19.0% of spending and transfers on a GAAP basis. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JWCx-WAZy4mf8HqWDE2VngGxx11JtFjmaPMvn2yOtQjrjpfdQDUdMieoyrOxrjqg6xPo-AMu28BVyx_deT3tL7LUd4oGBST380yNS_56fvPi1icKq9jzow_1xU6HhXphXDpilYNq32s/s1600/breeden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JWCx-WAZy4mf8HqWDE2VngGxx11JtFjmaPMvn2yOtQjrjpfdQDUdMieoyrOxrjqg6xPo-AMu28BVyx_deT3tL7LUd4oGBST380yNS_56fvPi1icKq9jzow_1xU6HhXphXDpilYNq32s/s320/breeden.jpg" width="320" /></a>The $423.7 million 2013 budget was balanced due to a stabilizing revenue picture, as gains in local funding from climbing AV and modestly improved state revenues more than offset the loss of one-time federal funds. Spending is up 5.7% from the 2011 budget to absorb a one-time staff retention payment, costs associated with the opening of three new campuses, and expansion of a federally-reimbursed school breakfast program. However, an unbudgeted lawsuit settlement ($700,000 net cost to the district) was just recently paid from general fund resources. Average daily attendance, which is a key revenue driver, remains flat in 2013 after declining modestly last year due to charter-school competition. Management expects a level enrollment trend for the near-term, but further enrollment declines could also pressure operating revenues. MANAGEABLE DEBT BURDEN DUE TO GENEROUS STATE DEBT SERVICE AID The state currently supports about 67% of the district's debt. As a result of the generous state support and pay-go capital spending practices, direct debt levels and the debt burden on the budget are very low; overall debt is low to moderate at $1,629 per capita and 4.9% of market value. The district issued $41.2 million in limited tax qualified school construction bonds (QSCBs) in 2009 and 2010 to complete several new campuses and make district-wide facility improvements, but has no ULT authorization and no current plans to issue new debt. The QSCBs are paid from general fund moneys and could have a modestly adverse impact on the budget if the federal sequestration were to reduce the subsidies, a situation Fitch is continuing to monitor. Pension costs are statutorily determined by the state and were a low 1.3% of 2011 spending as most of the cost belonged to the state. ECONOMC HUB OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY Brownsville is the population and economic center of the expanding lower Rio Grande Valley. The area economy is largely driven by manufacturing reflecting its location across from Matamoros, Mexico and extensive transportation network (including the Port of Brownsville). The city's low cost of living and doing business support continued economic growth, and a growing healthcare and education sector, including a branch of the University of Texas, contributes to the stability of the region. The potential for prolonged manufacturing stress coupled with the shortcomings of a relatively low-skilled labor force and vulnerabilities in Mexico's economic outlook are concerns inherent to Fitch. Growth in the district's tax base accelerated in fiscal 2013 after stalling in the prior two years; TAV has averaged 1% annual gains from fiscal years 2008 to 2012 but climbed 3% in fiscal 2013 to $4.8 billion. Typical for the border area, the city's unemployment rate is high (12.3% in July 2012) and income levels are very low.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-2891041840317253073?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/after-bisd-facility-construction-binge.html

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SALINAS, HERALD, LOWER SPACEX EXPECTATIONS,
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â€œThat should remind all of us that we canâ€™t solely rely on geographic location as an advantage over other states,â€ he said. â€œItâ€™s going to take a lot more to land this project.â€ Brownsville Economic Development Council guru Gilbert Salinas with his eco-develop translation of "mochense mas" commenting on news that Space Florida was acquiring 150 acres as an enticement to lure a certain rocket launching firm which shall remain unnamed there. By Juan Montoya Suddenly, Cameron County's  geographic location isn't that hot of a selling point, according to BEDC's Gilbert Salinas, who has used it to illustrate the "slingshot" effect on rockets because we're supposedly "nearer to the equator" than other sites, notably Florida. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xZf6uKlyPWl-1x-XQDqAq7j5ErAcNVJeAKa7UOZvIjos7ueXIWASZgd_nbUdipplhZglr6K-JHtD0c40fy4DVztfBP-ZjWddxxR6u8qUmq7yDdg3mSl8ttVihX3m-vQUxjfC84tVRO4/s1600/sal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xZf6uKlyPWl-1x-XQDqAq7j5ErAcNVJeAKa7UOZvIjos7ueXIWASZgd_nbUdipplhZglr6K-JHtD0c40fy4DVztfBP-ZjWddxxR6u8qUmq7yDdg3mSl8ttVihX3m-vQUxjfC84tVRO4/s1600/sal.png" /></a>But now that Emma Perez-TreviÃ±o has revealed that Floridaâ€™s Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who chairs the Space Florida Board that seeks to entice space-tech industries wrote September 20 to NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood letting them know the entity was seeking 150 acres to offer SpaceX to move their launch pad there. Of course, no one in Florida admitted that the state had SpaceX in their sights, but it stands to reason that with Elon Musk's company slated to perform at least 12 commercial launches, and the resupply of the International Space Station â€" the majority from Cape Canaveral â€" it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two logarithms together.  Emma said that The Valley Morning Star secured the letter from Carroll to the state of Florida. Carroll enlisted the cooperation of the two officials to facilitate Space Floridaâ€™s purchase of the 150 acres. It is obvious that the "geographic advantage" of being closer to the Equator that has been hailed as giving South Texas an edge over its rivals (Florida and Puerto Rico) was a mirage. We have pointed out here that the last time we looked at the map, the location of the competing site in Puerto Rico is closer to the equator. In fact, Cape Canaveral, the other competitor, is less than three degrees in latitude than Brownsville (25.9014 to 28.4556) , a negligible difference. So much for geographic advantage. Now, we know that a lot of people locally â€" including Salinas â€" have hitched their wagons to the SpaceX star. We have stated in the past on this blog, and SpaceX officials themselves have said, that their company is not planning going to launch staellites for NASA from Boca Chica. Neither will there be manned space flights taking off from the salt flats by Koepernick Shores. All that hoopla has been fueled by the rah-rah boys over at BEDC, members of the city commission, and Hizzonor Da Mayor Tony Martinez. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00pbtt_sxXTbhVpbR7Zok5cjOEO1A6XdzrygY1uX_w4H54TXRB6mmRRNy-_wSpQYItCPYH4AG3lLbi1p7FPpj0PmzZJOJtRbCSmiEBvcmrtljzThNK5C9byPK4QL9LWAbBEjfIuSEJUA/s1600/aspacex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00pbtt_sxXTbhVpbR7Zok5cjOEO1A6XdzrygY1uX_w4H54TXRB6mmRRNy-_wSpQYItCPYH4AG3lLbi1p7FPpj0PmzZJOJtRbCSmiEBvcmrtljzThNK5C9byPK4QL9LWAbBEjfIuSEJUA/s1600/aspacex.jpg" /></a>City commissioner Jessica Tetrau-Kalifa even showed up dressed in matching SpaceX blue with her son in a darling SpaceX jumpsuit at the FAA hearing (read cheerleading session) held at the ITEC building in the old Amigoland Mall lobby. It heartens us to see that some critical thinking has replaced the cheerleading in the local press. The geographic location mantra has been bandied about ever since BEDC unleashed their "Honk if you love SpaceX or be prepared to get run over" campaign on the local populace. At first, Salinas even said that the Boca Chica site would be used to launch flights to the ISS, but has notedly deleted that claim from his latest presentations. What else could he do? When Steven Davis, SpaceX's Director of Advanced Projects, came to Brownsville, he told us that the company was not going to use the Boca Chica site for any such thing. He knew that the FAA would not allow any space launches that included a trajectory over populated land masses. Any launch from South Texas, by necessity, would have to be aimed at at least a 42-degree trajectory that would take a the rocket over Corpus Christi or Houston and the Midwest. Even the satellite launches SpaceX is contemplating would require some nifty engineering because the flight path of any launches from here will have to go over populated land masses. Can you guess which ones? How about Florida, our competition. And Cuba, too. Given that requirement, very few people think that the launches are possible, although Davis â€" bless his heart â€" said that SpaceX engineers had the skill to "thread the needle" through the "Florida-Cuba" gate. In a document put together by NASA and the Dept, of Defense numbered MT 61-109546 and tittled "Joint Report on Facilities and Resources Required at Launch Site to Support NASA Manned Lunar Program" authored by personnel of both entities, Brownsville was one of eight sites being considered for the launches. Other sites included the White sands Missile range, Cape Canaveral (on-shore), Cumberland Island (Ga.), Brownsville, Cape Canaveral (off-shore), Hawaii, Mayaguana and Christmas Island. Granted, that the size of the lunar mission operation would have to be much bigger than the commercial launch zone envisioned by the promoters of the SpaceX site, yet there are some issues associated that have not changed much in the past 51 years since the initial search was being conducted. The hangup with Brownsville, beside the costs, was the flyover over populated land masses. Florida boosters are not only enticing SpaceX with the 150 acres of real estate next to Cape Canaveral where the firm is already performing launches, but we have also learned that they have raised the ante to close to $10 million in incentives. Now Salinas and his boss Jason Hilts are looking skyward to the suddenly-quiet Texas Governor's Office for a little hand (una manita)to match the bid. Gone are the assurances that Musk favors the Boca Chica site as Salinas claimed because "it's a Texas thing." It is obvious that millionaires like Musk look at the bottom line and seek the most they can squeeze out of potential bidders, Texas or anyone else. So what was once hailed as a sure thing now rates a statement from the news article that "The site in Cameron County has been said to be the lead contender for the project." That is a very telling quote because the identity of the speaker of the above statement is not mentioned. It "has been said." Salinas has outdone himself on the SpaceX project hype. Even after SpaceX officials denied contemplating the launching of manned missions from Boca Chica, the temptation to say it remains possible was just too tempting for him to pass up. "Now that the shuttle program is history and the way has been cleared for private space transport â€" with SpaceX leading the way â€" NASA has more time to spend on exploring Mars and beyond. â€œWhatâ€™s funny is that Elon Musk wants to do the same thing,â€ Salinas said. â€œItâ€™s just a matter of who you think is going to get there first. Imagine, if we could do that from here.â€ All we can conclude from that is that Mr. Salinas has a very expensive imagination. Imagine that.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-5988664181315753698?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/salinas-herald-lower-spacex-expectations.html

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REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR IN WORLD WAR I?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh0-ICubrQiIqVhKVA1vpR9GA_lzhCIFjRK20FS6VT4SZOglXy-VHG-qxV6k-k_aZbHB7WruVcJiKPWCQ5vF8j9fLGm7BOYBlfC-LPu9gPJaagIBGzZ9jaRZxgz2WKpXiCkT0Ii_DviI/s1600/P1020225.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh0-ICubrQiIqVhKVA1vpR9GA_lzhCIFjRK20FS6VT4SZOglXy-VHG-qxV6k-k_aZbHB7WruVcJiKPWCQ5vF8j9fLGm7BOYBlfC-LPu9gPJaagIBGzZ9jaRZxgz2WKpXiCkT0Ii_DviI/s320/P1020225.JPG" /></a> By Juan Montoya Call us sticklers for details or just a bunch of nitpickers, but we just couldn't help but notice that there might be a teeny, weenie mistake on the Junior League map of Wars of the 20-21 Centuries. The map is located on the backside of the wall of the Veterans Memorial Park off Cenetral Blvd. next to the Central Public Library. The legend on the left bears the list of wars that the United States has been involved in like WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Freedom, etc. An icon, for example a gray circle signifies that battles of the First World War took place in the different spots on the map. Europe, for example, is filled with gold stars that depicts where the major battle took place in WWII.If you look closely at the string of islands off the Pacific side of the United States, you'll notice what looks like Hawaii. However, instead of a gold star signifying it was the scene of a battle in WWII (Remember Pearl Harbor), it has a graqy spot marking it as a battle of WWI. Now, after a a cursory search on the Internet, we found that the U.S annexed Hawaii before WWI in 1898 but did not make it a state at that time. The Hawaiian monarchy was afraid of European dominance in their islands, so in 1875 King Kamahama III placed his kingdom under U.S protection and allowed the U.S to established military bases on Oahu. In 1873 sugar became an intrest so once again the U.S. overthrew Queen Liliuokalani for their intrests. In 1900 Hawaii was granted the right to self governance and continued to be a U.S. territory with govenship held by the monarchy for over 60 years. It wasn't untill after WWII in 1959 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor that Hawaii was signed as the 50th state. Now, nowhere did we find that any WWI battles ever took place in Hawaii, but in fact, Hawaiians did serve with British and U.S. armies.The Territorial War Commission estimated that over 10,000 men and women served overseas as soldiers and sailors. They were also Red Cross workers, ambulance drivers and missionaries. They patroled the harbors, entertained troops and bought war bonds. But, alas, no WWI battles were ever fought in Hawaii. Was the notation of these battles a simple oversight? Or can a Junior League member please set us straight?   <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-7404073901354517027?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/remember-pearl-harbor-in-world-war-i.html

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â™¥ â™¥ BFFs â™¥ â™¥
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTW6vSITIWPsKkuoumenechNTUUwraeokw7C-5ABOqNzfhdx4yznexCezVkondI1Y33NIxoZkp7-rPSbvx12qxSj75nPV5C7w_m3nM35QWWqjDHKxZUK84IeatQYJVIOHOhAmNk200oIK/s1600/bff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTW6vSITIWPsKkuoumenechNTUUwraeokw7C-5ABOqNzfhdx4yznexCezVkondI1Y33NIxoZkp7-rPSbvx12qxSj75nPV5C7w_m3nM35QWWqjDHKxZUK84IeatQYJVIOHOhAmNk200oIK/s400/bff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Rick congratulates his BFF Charlie on his Turd Place showing in the recent valleycentral.com poll.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7460924536583987444-8997923795881558037?l=brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://brownsvillenoise.blogspot.com/2011/03/bffs.html

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Brownsville Noise

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Brownsville Noise

Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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GALLUP: RURAL WHITES PREFER AHMADINEJAD TO OBAMA
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By <a href="http://www.theonion.com/">http://www.theonion.com</a> CHARLESTON, WVâ€"According to the results of a Gallup poll released Monday, the overwhelming majority of rural white Americans said they would rather vote for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than U.S. president Barack Obama. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gN39_Y1E-MFif6t_3OgCQmGh5ZkcrDrBSPpsrLTtXuNqyxocYSlMsYKxS_fU-yVC11wYyK5xw64Uy3XGhcDYjECFq8xviEqhaNWPOXDghl6ZMmlslYyxhEStyUCG8_ygNSdDiRhzOYQ/s1600/obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gN39_Y1E-MFif6t_3OgCQmGh5ZkcrDrBSPpsrLTtXuNqyxocYSlMsYKxS_fU-yVC11wYyK5xw64Uy3XGhcDYjECFq8xviEqhaNWPOXDghl6ZMmlslYyxhEStyUCG8_ygNSdDiRhzOYQ/s200/obama.jpg" width="200" /></a> â€œI like him better,â€ said West Virginia resident Dale Swiderski, who, along with 77 percent of rural Caucasian voters, confirmed he would much rather go to a baseball game or have a beer with Ahmadinejad, a man who has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and has had numerous political prisoners executed, than spend time with Obama. â€œHe takes national defense seriously, and heâ€™d never let some gay protesters tell him how to run his country like Obama does.â€ According to the same Gallup poll, 60 percent of rural whites said they at least respected that Ahmadinejad doesnâ€™t try to hide the fact that heâ€™s Muslim. For more on this story: Please visit our Iranian subsidiary organization Fars.<img src="http://www.theonion.com/static/onion/img/icons/terminator.gif" />                                                  __________________________________ Florida To Experiment With New 600-Lever Voting Machines <div class="meta" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px !important; padding: 0px 22px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; zoom: 1;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="345" id="29700" name="onsite" scrolling="no" src="http://www.theonion.com/video_embed/?id=29700&autoplay=false&source=inline" style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 10px;" width="635"></iframe> </div>MIAMIâ€"Responding to widespread criticism of voting procedures that have plagued the state since the 2000 election, the Florida Elections Commission announced Thursday its plan to experiment with new 600-lever voting machines. The 22-foot-tall, 11-foot-wide steam-powered machines, which Florida officials are hailing as â€œthe future of voting,â€ each feature more than 45 separate panels of levers, along with an intricate series of valves, knobs, cranks, pumps, and switches, all reportedly designed to help ease the electoral process and ensure accurate balloting this November. â€œWe hope these advances will allow Floridians to go to the polls this fall fully confident their votes will be counted,â€ said Elections Commission general counsel Tim Conner, explaining the â€œcompletely intuitiveâ€ machineryâ€™s use of diagonally, vertically, and horizontally shifting levers, as well as 270 separate pistons designed to ensure chads are fully punched. â€œVoters simply place their ballot in the machine; enter their name, address, and social security number using the corresponding alphanumeric lever panels at the top; and then maneuver the remaining 564 levers to select a candidate.â€ â€œAnd just to guarantee there is no confusion, voters will reconfirm each selection by repeating the 80 required steps using a second panel of levers on the machineâ€™s side,â€ Conner added. â€œThe whole system is designed to get voters in and out of the booth in no more than four hours.â€ <img src="http://o.onionstatic.com/images/18/18233/original/250.jpg?8844" /> Each voter will also be given a 2,200-page instruction manual in case they have trouble operating the machine.Upon entering a polling place, each Floridian will reportedly be handed a 2,200-page instructional manual, the first 410 pages of which are devoted to teaching users how to start up the machine by operating a hand crank at the back and using the side valves to unbolt its 18 security locksâ€"as well as step-by-step instructions on how to engage the pulley system that closes the boothâ€™s curtain. â€œSome of the levers are naturally a bit rusted and may require some extra jiggling, but other than that the process should be pretty straightforward if you read the manual,â€ said the machineâ€™s inventor, Mason Reid, who went on to describe the series of pedals that voters must operate with their feet at all times to ensure the pistons and cylinders are adequately sprayed with coolant. â€œEvery 10 minutes or so, voters will have to remember to go around back and pour more water in the boiler tank to ensure the steam engine stays operational. And then every hour, of course, theyâ€™ll need to shovel more coal in the firebox.â€ â€œWeâ€™re also keeping a ladder nearby in case a bird gets caught in the smokestack and the voter needs to climb up to get it out,â€ Reid added. â€œHappens from time to time.â€ According to early reports, Florida voters are being asked to bring a crowbar, a screwdriver, and tweezers to their polling place for a section of the process that requires them to crawl underneath the machineâ€™s base and pry open a panel containing the 83 tiny switches necessary to print the final ballot. Officials also noted that any minor voter errors at any point could be â€œeasily remediedâ€ by pulling a green lever right at the front of the machine that allows users to restart the process altogether. Prototypes of the new device were used in seven Tallahassee-area voting precincts for this Januaryâ€™s Republican primary, and the Elections Commission deemed the experiment â€œlargely successful.â€ â€œThe process got a little confusing when I had to manually shift the oscillating cylinders inside the engine during Stage 12 of the process, but at the end of the day Iâ€™m glad to have voted,â€ 79-year-old Tallahassee resident Angela Stern said. â€œIâ€™m pretty sure I voted.â€ Despite the fire that burned down a polling site after one of the trial machines overheated, officials said they are thrilled to see the how Floridians take to the new process this fall. â€œUltimately, the system is designed so that no matter who youâ€™re voting for, you have a very simple 90 to 450 levers that will allow you to properly select your candidate,â€ Conner said. â€œOf course, if you decide to vote straight-ticket Republican, you can, alternatively, just hit the large red button right in the center of the machine and move on with your day.â€<img src="http://www.theonion.com/static/onion/img/icons/terminator.gif" /> __________________________________ Office Cheering On Employee Going For 32-Minute Nonstop Work Streak <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAqDjNtbD8VzJBvFl5FgvAs1TEOi_hCfgJckIdUX7nw8IT-4XVdtwqWAhvucBmH9OmFaabyvocxxTeNCFbv0LQ3aTZpiG8ZnaaFwCb-r-QQDkn98g3yNUpqMasCTpugQKb3KNgSzhFns/s1600/work.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAqDjNtbD8VzJBvFl5FgvAs1TEOi_hCfgJckIdUX7nw8IT-4XVdtwqWAhvucBmH9OmFaabyvocxxTeNCFbv0LQ3aTZpiG8ZnaaFwCb-r-QQDkn98g3yNUpqMasCTpugQKb3KNgSzhFns/s320/work.jpg" /></a> NEW YORK -- Holding up signs and roaring with applause, employees at Accenture Management Consultants dropped their work Tuesday morning to cheer on coworker James Conrad as he shattered company records by going for a 32-minute non-stop work streak, sources reported. â€œGo! Go! Go! Go!â€ coworkers chanted in unison as Conrad answered emails, analyzed data, and managed client accounts for the 19th straight minute without walking around the office, eating, or checking movie trailers on YouTube. â€œCan he go for 20? He did it! Twenty minutes of unbroken productivity and counting!â€ At the 22-minute mark, an exhausted Conrad was moments away from checking his Facebook account but was buoyed again by the cheers of his colleagues. UPDATE: Conrad's streak officially ended at the 32-minute mark when he took out his phone to post â€œBusy day at the officeâ€ on his Twitter account.<img src="http://www.theonion.com/static/onion/img/icons/terminator.gif" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-1203331126423407704?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/gallup-rural-whites-prefer-ahmadinejad.html

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Brownsville Noise

Friday, September 28, 2012

Brownsville Noise

Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
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SHOULD THE GANG OF $4 TRUSTEE-DEFENDANTS BE SUED TO PAY FOR UNAUTHORIZED FEDERAL APPEAL?
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By Juan Montoya Ever since May 1, lawyers for the Brownsville Independent School District have been waiting for a response from Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez, Rolando Aguilar and Joe Colunga. That's the day that a majority on the school board that included Catalina Presas-Garcia, Lucy Longoria, Dr. Christina Saavedra, and Enrique Escobedo passed an action item directing the district to seek reimbursement for the cost of appealing a federal judge's summary judgement in the Antonio Juarez lawsuit. The action item passed by them on May 1 reads: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvuuwiAubwnspvf-5rUfdceoYryYiHzGT3Bek4nG1uHdO0sx0Hb_I_vTk_vNMLEFrFZB659yY7uojzIit42-7FZMZYd6NUXS9j8LngC7__N698dUZTj55mtew-3ZlBLEzbgZC6ElpCaY/s1600/Brownsville-ISD-Ruben-Cortez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvuuwiAubwnspvf-5rUfdceoYryYiHzGT3Bek4nG1uHdO0sx0Hb_I_vTk_vNMLEFrFZB659yY7uojzIit42-7FZMZYd6NUXS9j8LngC7__N698dUZTj55mtew-3ZlBLEzbgZC6ElpCaY/s200/Brownsville-ISD-Ruben-Cortez.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKS4DjZ1CHrX7zb858m2kLUoFNeMCXA6FjKpjtVUwKgtZgskolDvMZt6kUNn0d246F_W9IyKS-BK9C3fdGP4Hthm9y4OQ5qjuhrUalUZF9I1CD03tYMDAPh2Qzsvt4ft88khyjxd__b8/s1600/rick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKS4DjZ1CHrX7zb858m2kLUoFNeMCXA6FjKpjtVUwKgtZgskolDvMZt6kUNn0d246F_W9IyKS-BK9C3fdGP4Hthm9y4OQ5qjuhrUalUZF9I1CD03tYMDAPh2Qzsvt4ft88khyjxd__b8/s320/rick.jpg" width="153" /></a>"Move that the district seek reimbursement from the individual defendants in the Juarez lawsuit for all fees and costs incurred by the BISD or its insurer, at that time it was ACE Insurance, for actions taken by the BISD attorneys in the lawsuit to appeal the trial court's summary judgement order taken without the board's consent." Juarez,  the former Chief Executive Officer of the BISD, was terminated from his position after he made a recommendation that a company not represented by agent of record Johnny Cavazos be awarded the district's Stop-Loss insurance contract. When Juarez made his recommendation, the majority then on the BISD board pressured him to file a grievance against then-superintendent Hector Gonzales that would allege the superintendent had forced him to make the wrong recommendation so they could use it a justification to terminate him as well. Juarez instead went to the FBI and reported his refusal to engage in the conspiracy to rig the insurance contract and to file the bogus grievance against Gonzales. As part of his complaint, Juarez also gave the FBI recordings made of former trustee Otis Powers which indicated that enough evidence existed that a conspiracy made up of the four trustee-defendants named in the case (Zayas, Cortez, Colunga and Aguilar) and others so that a jury trial could go forward. After federal judge Andrew Hanen issued his order and memorandum, the attorneys defending the four defendant-trustees and the district (Craig Vittitoe, etc) moved on their own to appeal Hanen's order to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. That court, in turn, upheld Hanen's order not to grant the defendants qualified immunity for their actions because the judges reasoned that their conduct might have been illegal. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCz_1eJzKI8KKsqgkjiAGGxHmCtTOaFb12hoBWRYDhNzo74OLwPoxXVlyPbPefDa-70UlJDuLflKhU9IHB2x1-6AZgsNUJmRqh4_HZbI1H3lygYgn4lIKtU1-Qa0SYWNkGwd8LjQG9H4/s1600/SchoolBoard_RolandoAguilar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCz_1eJzKI8KKsqgkjiAGGxHmCtTOaFb12hoBWRYDhNzo74OLwPoxXVlyPbPefDa-70UlJDuLflKhU9IHB2x1-6AZgsNUJmRqh4_HZbI1H3lygYgn4lIKtU1-Qa0SYWNkGwd8LjQG9H4/s200/SchoolBoard_RolandoAguilar.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOX9GIFZxCYYmg6DL4BPTPiGI3l17Iy6XIBos3v4Ztrjrz8ybb1BsIB2g0xkW1UDlOMVW2g3zG_FycWVqUonTn_fKlNWLQHR5jWWUsv9NFmTkvX2O6w0vI2VtG7_lYhFDu9TDPz7K9FU/s1600/colunga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOX9GIFZxCYYmg6DL4BPTPiGI3l17Iy6XIBos3v4Ztrjrz8ybb1BsIB2g0xkW1UDlOMVW2g3zG_FycWVqUonTn_fKlNWLQHR5jWWUsv9NFmTkvX2O6w0vI2VtG7_lYhFDu9TDPz7K9FU/s200/colunga.jpg" width="141" /></a>Undaunted at this judicial rebuff of their legal strategy, the trustee-defendants and Vittitoe appealed for a rehearing. That was denied by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals as well. There was just a slight hitch to this expensive legal strategy. Vittitoe and the trustee-defendants took that move on their own without going before the board. The new board majority discussed their concerns "that the attorney who represented both the board and the individuals at that time should not have proceeded with these filings without the board's consent..." The board passed the action item and on May 8, the four trustee-defendants were given notice by certified mail that "the request should be viewed as a request for the individual defendants repay this amount or that the insurer credit that amount as additional insurance coverage. The precise amount is in records presumably held by ACE as amounts paid by ACE to the law firm for this work to challenge the summary judgment order."  Since that demand letter was written back on May 8, the BISD has settled with Juarez and he has been rehired and a settlement paid. The district is continuing to seek repayment for the work done on the appeal without the board's consent. Just how much of the settlement with Juarez and Gonzales is made up by the unauthorized appeal has yet to be determined. The new majority â€" deciding that the $2.3 million that had been spent on legal costs on the cases before they even reached the trial stage was quite enough â€" decided to settle for its share of $700,000 in the $1.5 million settlement with both men and cut its losses. The BISD's attorneys told the board that since the federal courts had removed the qualified immunity from the four defendants, any damages to be paid would have to be paid by the district's reserve balance fund, and not by the insurance companies. Moreover, they were told there was a strong possibility the district would not prevail. Rather than exposing the BISD to potential multi-million losses that would cripple its finances, the board opted to settle with the men. It is now almost November, more than six months after the four defendant-trustees were sent the letter. So far, neither them nor their legal representatives have responded. Cortez is off and running for a position on the Texas School Board of Education, Colunga and Aguilar chose not to run for their positions, and Zayas is filing lawsuits on behalf of former AD Joe Rodriguez against BISD auditors. Apparently, these fine gentlemen find it easier to step away from the mess they created and leaving the taxpayers footing the bill and letting someone else clean it up.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-772880296154070145?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/should-gang-of-4-trustee-defendants-pay.html

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LUIS DOES MEXICO D.F., CAMPAIGNS; WHERE'S CHUCK?
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By Juan Montoya After a brief hiatus following the break after the July 31 runoff for Cameron County District Attorney, Democratic contender Luis Saenz, a former DA, has come off the blocks with fundraisers, community get together, and a major career-building appearance before fellow prosecutors in Mexico City. Just yesterday we were at his well-attended Dinner on the Resaca Fundraiser off Alton Gloor Road between Cavazos Road and Dana Avenue. There's no question about it. He's off and running. His Republican opponent Chuck Mattingly, however, has been nowhere to be seen. Except for a few "I'm With Chuck" signs scattered sparingly throughout town, Chuck has apparently assumed a strategy of keeping a low profile to get elected in November. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcZjr3PPw0n8yUCJvcUFknWqV0oQpbrk73HLmTexXZjS40GzPHmSd3z-PyjMNEQtQcOzkg1qZOx8oa9esc6z1wbf7BGMTsT6lxUze3b9IFujaqmXB7UFxoKuur2gEBkR_2nV0ui7Bo34/s1600/luis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcZjr3PPw0n8yUCJvcUFknWqV0oQpbrk73HLmTexXZjS40GzPHmSd3z-PyjMNEQtQcOzkg1qZOx8oa9esc6z1wbf7BGMTsT6lxUze3b9IFujaqmXB7UFxoKuur2gEBkR_2nV0ui7Bo34/s400/luis.jpg" width="400" /></a>Followers of his campaign have to go to his website to find out what Chuck and whoever is with him are up to, apparently. Saenz, meanwhile, was again invited by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Embassy to Mexico City the week of September 17 through September 22, 2012 to serve as an instructor in a Chain of Custody Course for Mexican Prosecutors, Investigators and Technical Experts.  The course consisted of 75 students and involved lecturers and the execution of a mock search warrant investigation. Mexico, apparently, is seeking to modernize its system of dispensing justice and requested the that U.S. authorities recommend someone to introduce its justice system personnel to the finer points of prosecution. "It was an honor to assist the country of Mexico as it seeks to modernize its criminal justice system and to represent Cameron County in such a historic endeavor in Mexico City," Saenz writes on his website. As the campaign gears up, the fact checkers have told us that at least one claim that Mattingly makes on his website is dubious. They say that his claim that he has been putting on his web page gives the mistaken impression that Mattingly has been putting criminals away for the better part of 20 years. They point out that when Saenz came into office, he hired Chuck. Saenz lost after just two years and Yolanda De Leon did not hireMattingly to remain on board. Eight years later, Armando Villalobos beat De Leon and Chuck was on board again. His claim, they say, that "Since 1996, Chuck has sent criminals to prison..." leaves the false impression that he has been a DA for the better part of two decades. In fact, they say, he was hired by Villalobos in 2004 until now, about eight years plus the two or so he was hired by Luis, and not the 20 years he would like you to believe. The candidates have survived their parties' primaries but as the last 40 days of the campaign bear down on us, expect this spat to get even hotter. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-2732413095420758777?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/luis-does-mexico-df-campaigns-wheres.html

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Brownsville Noise

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Brownsville Noise

Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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TAKE 2! WOOD OUT, ERNIE, CASCOS DEAL SURVIVES
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By Juan Montoya The carefully-worked out deal between  Pct. 2 commissioner Ernie Hernandez's and Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos to replace former commissioner John Wood on the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority with Hernandez's  personal attorney Horacio Barrera barely survived a 3-2 vote this Thursday morning. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvJNhZq5fiogfDhHy0NSiIzGhrSR2VW_KDDnTQOt7Jj542QwCExKv9QEvffu2wiVJM8Rm1Srjch3JReJd8QsCq7CUwcV84Clhiax1zhyxGyG6dux2AK2lh34z5S1U1uWyuRom5P5Iygw/s1600/sophia1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvJNhZq5fiogfDhHy0NSiIzGhrSR2VW_KDDnTQOt7Jj542QwCExKv9QEvffu2wiVJM8Rm1Srjch3JReJd8QsCq7CUwcV84Clhiax1zhyxGyG6dux2AK2lh34z5S1U1uWyuRom5P5Iygw/s200/sophia1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x_8QNx9zUfL42JKohOysqC7v0VuEP2NtSpR9hHvCGxOn0JFmp1bPHIfxwuHcFTrBw7nd0Xt2eI2BW0kXtjxr4JBDs1JDi8yTxSuM6OlJ1Bkcwjkdzu8d6sbVV6PDxzjGf9NSdklHtwk/s1600/carlos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x_8QNx9zUfL42JKohOysqC7v0VuEP2NtSpR9hHvCGxOn0JFmp1bPHIfxwuHcFTrBw7nd0Xt2eI2BW0kXtjxr4JBDs1JDi8yTxSuM6OlJ1Bkcwjkdzu8d6sbVV6PDxzjGf9NSdklHtwk/s200/carlos.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ostensibly placed as an agenda item by Hernandez with the tacit approval of Cascos, it was supposed to cover the reappointment of Mark Esparza and the appointment of Horacio Barrera to replace Wood at the CCRMA. Barrera, as you will remember, was the attorney who defended his daughter Erin Hernandez Garcia from the voter fraud lawsuit filed against her by her opponent Yolanda Begum. That brought forth some consideration that perhaps appointing someone close to Hernandez and a longtime personal friend of Cascos might give some people the appearance of a conflict of interest. "In all  my years of service as a city and county commissioner, I have never seen it get so personal," protested Hernandez. "I can't believe that you would mention my daughter. That's really personal," only to be confronted by Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides on the issue. "Do you know how many times you have made things personal with me? Do you want me to tell you how many times?," Benavides asked him point blank. Ernie said nothing. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML2x6iJz3ND_ggo1NTH9hyphenhyphenIdZgFs6v52z6ZgpVbuxMbbRAVofNhyphenhyphenFRqoDbPxk3A8e6LWtkhpFsmqc7khtZ0p1_13-T3N1_9_yxXg2tkoifN0MpVAa2alhhSzfPyBOW211rksmbL6FJuo/s1600/DanSanchezPct4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML2x6iJz3ND_ggo1NTH9hyphenhyphenIdZgFs6v52z6ZgpVbuxMbbRAVofNhyphenhyphenFRqoDbPxk3A8e6LWtkhpFsmqc7khtZ0p1_13-T3N1_9_yxXg2tkoifN0MpVAa2alhhSzfPyBOW211rksmbL6FJuo/s1600/DanSanchezPct4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsoPcuy0r8i4rnEzlGWPKdFtLjjSl6eYNe17_NYW2SGOZV7t6e7D0-8utpIoIIUzj6Vui2VJ5QcnpaCJE-sl7QwEpu8C8PArokFtT9gXQ7iEWl9SjuwvqmOOM0K0FdxK5AsynbkzLZlk/s1600/Ernie_Hernandez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsoPcuy0r8i4rnEzlGWPKdFtLjjSl6eYNe17_NYW2SGOZV7t6e7D0-8utpIoIIUzj6Vui2VJ5QcnpaCJE-sl7QwEpu8C8PArokFtT9gXQ7iEWl9SjuwvqmOOM0K0FdxK5AsynbkzLZlk/s1600/Ernie_Hernandez.jpg" /></a>Pct. 4 commissioner Dan Sanchez asked why the commissioners court was even thinking about replacing Wood, a retiree who has attended each and every meeting and who is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable member on the CCRMA. "Mr. Barrera has a law practice," Sanchez said. "Everyone agrees that John has done a great job. Why do we need to replace him. If Mr. Barrera can't attend the meetings, then who is going to represent us?" The court's counsel said that even though there might not be a legal conflict of interest because Barrera was Hernandez's personal attorney and Cascos' friend, he said that the court should decide whether appointing him and replacing Wood would give the public the appearance that a conflict of interest did exist." <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbtT91kGC2RHyGvrugpbCQ6PLmypvQgb1pVPCZ-PpAR-FSscWwR68SEOGa1dc5Ex7M6IODuQHAto44bYs2Ws8Xndo9s36mLQPRmw_eiRRb-FVYch_b5iefOrBlzmr6y-ZGdMmCPj9UxE/s1600/david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbtT91kGC2RHyGvrugpbCQ6PLmypvQgb1pVPCZ-PpAR-FSscWwR68SEOGa1dc5Ex7M6IODuQHAto44bYs2Ws8Xndo9s36mLQPRmw_eiRRb-FVYch_b5iefOrBlzmr6y-ZGdMmCPj9UxE/s200/david.jpg" width="200" /></a>Cascos, who had lobbied for Barrera at the start of the discussion, was noticeable silent toward the end as the action got heated. Stymied, there was a motion to by Sanchez and a second by Benavides to table the item but it did not get a third vote. Pct. 4 commissioner David Garza then made a motion to accept the item and got a second and third from Cascos and Hernandez and Wood was replaced. "If I was Horacio, I'd think twice about accepting the appointment since you already know that you don't have the confidence of the entire commissioners court behind you," said a county employee present at the meeting. "I wonder what the payback will be for that vote." <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-2296464426604917770?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/take-2-wood-out-ernie-cascos-deal.html

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Brownsville Noise

Rrun Rrun

EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/

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HAS IT REALLY BEEN 17 YEARS SINCE HENRY DIED, AND KIKE WAS BORN?
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By Juan Montoya In Charro Days 1995, 17 short years ago, the birth of a new weekly alternative newspaper was in full gear. It was called Crossroads and featured as its publisher the late Texas State Rep. Henry Sanchez, originally from San Benito, but married to Maria Luisa Tijerina, originally from the Premont Tijerinas. Henry, who could have rested on his laurels of 12 years in the Legislature when he left it, instead dove into local politics. He helped local candidates like Mario Villarreal and Dan Reyna get elected to the board of directors of the Brownsville Navigation District, helped Gilberto Hinojosa in his fledgling campaign for county judge after Tony Garza left office to become Gov. George W. Bush's Secretaty of State, and charged the windmills in his quest to prevent Texas Southmost College from entering a "partnership" agreement with the University of Texas System. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1fKSKCMjlrwQeq7e8UiOfRF9IEr40bICcW3skTh09_la1zpwSPvrS9bsM-bnSMPYVe9tkBtH20st6tzglvwzJzPthUe-kY_1Q1DcIfhA0ZodN9mpkt8jEMMitrJdupr3ZuOtPmCqyTA/s1600/kike1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1fKSKCMjlrwQeq7e8UiOfRF9IEr40bICcW3skTh09_la1zpwSPvrS9bsM-bnSMPYVe9tkBtH20st6tzglvwzJzPthUe-kY_1Q1DcIfhA0ZodN9mpkt8jEMMitrJdupr3ZuOtPmCqyTA/s400/kike1.jpg" width="400" /></a>"There's no money coming from the state with this bill," he would say as he paced the small room that served as the Crossroads office. "The UT System is depending on the college district to fund the partnership and they aren't including it to share any of the money they get from oil and gas leases." At that time Henry led a lonely crusade against the behemoth political and financial interests arrayed behind Mary Rose Cardenas, Juliet Garcia, Michael Putegant and Rep. Rene Oliveira and Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. Having these forces arrayed against us and his newspaper made selling advertisements very difficult. He discovered that when he got to a potential client, they had already been discouraged by supporters of the Cardenas-Garcia clan. That didn't faze him. He and Maria Luisa delivered the rolled up Crossroads from his baby-blue Cadillac, often drawing shrill protests from some of Juliet's neighbors. He fumed when the Legislature passed special legislation to allow Juliet and her husband to purchase the president's home in the Rio Viejo section (25 Jacaranda). They borrowed the $175,000 to purchase the  home for that price despite the fact that taxpayers had paid for hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements before Garcia bought the house. The lender was none else than Fred Rusteberg, president of IBC, the mover and shaker behind the scenes locally. "Was this a reward for excluding the UT-Brownsville campus from participating for funding in the Permanent University Fund that funnels billions to the other UT and A&M campuses around Texas?," asked Henry. And he railed and told everyone within earshot that Garcia, Putegnat, Lucio, Oliveira, Cardenas and others there at the "partnership" origins were content to go along and continue to use TSC as a cash cow by keeping that taxing entity accumulating debt to build the facilities that now bear the prestigious UT logo. Non one listened to him. Now, 20 years later after the "partnership" was formed, conservative estimates place the community college's contribution to UTB as close to $1 billion (you read right Billion, with a B), and all the dire warnings that Henry was issuing back then have come true. I remember all this because at that time by better half was pregnant with our first born. That Charro Days, Henry, his Houston developer friend Floyd Dellinger, and myself, drove to South Padre Island from the Sombrero Fest to wind down a bit from the day's festivities and chores. Henry was ebullient. His information campaign against the "partnership" was bearing fruit. People were asking questions. That night was to be his last among us. A ruptured aorta took him as he sat on an easy chair in the kitchen of his family's condominium and we lost him. That Fall, in September 27 (17 years ago today), Jose Enrique was born. His name was Jose, for a brother of mine who died young in Houston, and Enrique for Henry, my friend and publisher of the Crossroads. To his credit, Kike, as we call him, is an outstanding student and an upright young man. Henry would have been proud of his namesake. It is said that only a fool gets paid in full in his lifetime. In Henry's case, his views on the partnership have been vindicated 100 times over. I don't know where Kike will decide to go to college after he is done with high school. But it would be poetic justice if he could start his college career at TSC once its a free-standing community college again and perhaps transfer to UT-B when it is also a free-standing four-year degree granting institution. It took us 20 years to realize your vision, Henry, but it is said that the wheels of the gods grind slowly. And a Happy Birthday to you, too, Kike.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-6950865944200201496?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/has-it-really-been-17-years-since-henry.html

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FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO WEDS BROWNSVILLE MD
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 By Juan Montoya Close friends of former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico have contacted El Rrun-Rrun and confirmed that Tony Garza, also a former Cameron County Judge, has married for a second time to a Brownsville native. But although initial reports indicated that his bride was â€" like him a a St. Joseph Academy grad â€" we have been corrected and learn that she was a Pace High School alum. Close friends have, on condition of anonymity, have informed us that the private ceremony took place in June, after which they spent three weeks traveling. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDjsKFGPMxaB3ZmRqnKxPU8JfkUwdWYYOPJULYA2VOABjApFP-TC4sp1gfsjCqd9fgyhpelTCB0q9CUSRqA7H6OwDz5NR3YsPaCmbUCd9kugOE-nX02zt2OkEtdKbP-Y9CQRXgZP5kPA/s1600/tony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDjsKFGPMxaB3ZmRqnKxPU8JfkUwdWYYOPJULYA2VOABjApFP-TC4sp1gfsjCqd9fgyhpelTCB0q9CUSRqA7H6OwDz5NR3YsPaCmbUCd9kugOE-nX02zt2OkEtdKbP-Y9CQRXgZP5kPA/s320/tony.jpg" width="320" /></a>The bride's name is Liz Beightler, formerly Atkinson. But as Garza likes to say, while he barely scraped through high school at St. Joe. ('77), she graduated a year later ('78) from Pace as that year's Valedictorian. She was also a state semi-finalist in tennis and voted most beautiful. They met that summer and dated while in college at UT-Austin. She studied Engineering. Tony studied Business. He likes to say that "she graduated 'summa cum laude', and he 'con summa dificultad'". They went their separate ways in 1980; she to be amongst the top students at her medical school. Tony to law school. According to their close friends, while, they hadn't spoken in nearly 3 decades, their reconnect later in their careers made them both very happy. She has three children and is widowed. Tony is divorced. They both have had full lives. Garza, formerly ambassador of the U.S. to that country, is practicing law in Mexico City as counsel with a New York based Law Firm. She has built a very successful medical practice here in Texas. They both plan doing what they're doing. Garza keeps an eye on the binational relationship between the US and Mexico. Here's a sampling from his website: "It's only every twelve years that the US and Mexico hold presidential elections in the same year. For me, living through and experiencing these two pivotal elections has been tremendously interesting, and with trade between the U.S. and Mexico surging up 17 percent in 2011 to a record $461 billion, our economic relationship has never been more integrated. In Mexico, expectations are high and the transition to the new administration is well underway. Incoming PRI President-Elect, Enrique PeÃ±a Nieto, who this month (took) a goodwill tour of Latin America, will be sworn into office December 1. "The good good are that Mexico has become the preferred centre of manufacturing for multinational companies looking to supply Americas and, increasingly, beyond. Today, Mexico exports more manufactured products than the rest of Latin America put together."  Felicidades Mr. and Mrs. Ambassador from all your friends in South Texas! To keep up with Tony, go to: <a avglschecked="1" href="http://www.tonygarza.com/" target="_blank">www.tonygarza.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-981554644372273604?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/09/former-us-ambassador-to-mexico-weds.html

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