EL RRUN RRUN
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/
---------------------------------------------------------------
MAYOR TO B'VILLE: PICK UP MY $29,000 TAB, COULD YA?
---------------------------------------------------------------
By<strong> Juan Montoya</strong><br />Even as the Brownsville City Commission is set to decide Tuesday whether to encumber city residents with $13.475 million in Certificates of Obligations without asking them, Mayor Tony Martinez â€" who should have been in the U.S. Navy the way he lavishly spends their money â€" is demanding that the city pay $29,000 for a "Better Communities" workshop he hosted.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshU7hHoKt8TkJhOrWc84Gh1rkHC9Ds868n1BvlbEniigGjbDu9aE_DpBpnXcNPWfOIdvXO08cBO26wOeeLZ32d7OFoiRRAQ1pO2q-38I3da4nHM6OvozLMT2_05FNeZ2_xTyoyysOHjI/s1600/drunken-sailors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshU7hHoKt8TkJhOrWc84Gh1rkHC9Ds868n1BvlbEniigGjbDu9aE_DpBpnXcNPWfOIdvXO08cBO26wOeeLZ32d7OFoiRRAQ1pO2q-38I3da4nHM6OvozLMT2_05FNeZ2_xTyoyysOHjI/s1600/drunken-sailors.png" /></a></div>Word has it that the mayor â€" at the behest of Carlos Marin, his mentor and confidante â€" had scores of visitors flown in and housed in local swank hotels for the high-priced workshop. When the bill came in and the piper had to be paid, it is said Martinez sent the bill to Finance Director Pete Gonzales with the order to "pay it."<br />We are gathering more information as we acquire it and go through the lengthy information request process, but some of the details are already leaking through the sieve-like city fabric.<br />We never believed, or imagined, that when Martinez came into office he would set about to do and undo as he wished without the consent of the governed. But as we watch his doings, we are now thoroughly convinced that he won't hesistate to spend lavishly as long as it's not his money.<br />We will release the details of this latest splurge as we acquire them.<br />An apology to sailors, at least drunken sailors spend their own moolah.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-1735486834520147950?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/12/mayor-to-bville-pick-up-my-29000-tab.html
---------------------------------------------------------------
WILL FIL JR. PAY THE CITY RENT? COMMISSIONERS WILL DECIDE THE 4TH WHEN THEY ENCUMBERS US WITH YET $13.475 MILLION MORE IN CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS
---------------------------------------------------------------
By <strong>Juan Montoya</strong><br />Only until after the Brownsville City Commission emerges from its executive session will the taxpayers of Brownsville know whether and how much newly-elected District 34 congressman Filemon Vela Jr. will be required to pay for his spacious new digs on the second floor of the Municipal Court.<br />The open secret that the city crews were already working on the facility prior to any agreement to give Vela a nice crib for his official duties have been known to city employees for more than two weeks. However, it wasn't until this Friday that the city's notice of the meeting and posted agenda that the public knew that the move had being contemplated.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfRcjulpmh9UKNgv-v5rp4yvY2li_WNYVNFeO_tIIVcJkizJ3K-WEYqa3Px50S686fBYe5uTpWTHD4zG5hIDal8M4zjAE9Rmgk4DVc-etWqewpKnCU_mhAVvyq0w2_ujxILRjx9zztas/s1600/tony.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/AVvXsEhrfRcjulpmh9UKNgv-v5rp4yvY2li_WNYVNFeO_tIIVcJkizJ3K-WEYqa3Px50S686fBYe5uTpWTHD4zG5hIDal8M4zjAE9Rmgk4DVc-etWqewpKnCU_mhAVvyq0w2_ujxILRjx9zztas/s200/tony.jpg" width="200" /></a>In the polemic debate that followed, the leak that Vela was going to be charged a token $1 fee per year as rent has been debated by those pro and con on the issue. However, until the commissioners emerge, the exact rates to be charged remain unknown. Will the commission bite the bullet and go along with the $1 idea or not? <br />The lease agreement rules issued by the congressional administrative counsel and included in the meeting package indicate that they must be reviewed by that office before payment (if any) is approved. Until then, the agreement between Fil and the city will not be binding.<br />The contract before the commissioners has been left blank. There is no specific rental amount mentioned, and no mention of what other services will be provided (how many reserved parking spaces, etc.). The decision on those matters will be left up to the commission and Hizzoner Tony Martinez. This blog has posted that inside city sources had indicate that Martinez will try to get the commission to agree on the $1 token rent rate. How successful he will be now that that information is out before the public will determine his powers of persuasion.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJdVO5B3jxuwamnzos2ueR-nz5-RJweF2Dc3Kp2vrYrM-Xfhh3pIePZfmM7Z3qKsy7vHqg5usishZi7i9GWPS0squ4IWGg3B_gdULB4fAp0FLOo_EPwTjxBwcLXPyQnUmNJXP3_fto7c/s1600/tax-debt-460x278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJdVO5B3jxuwamnzos2ueR-nz5-RJweF2Dc3Kp2vrYrM-Xfhh3pIePZfmM7Z3qKsy7vHqg5usishZi7i9GWPS0squ4IWGg3B_gdULB4fAp0FLOo_EPwTjxBwcLXPyQnUmNJXP3_fto7c/s320/tax-debt-460x278.jpg" width="320" /></a>However, be that as it may, there are other items on the Dec. 4 agenda that bear more scrutiny. Take for example, action items 11 and 12 that the commissioners will vote on whether to encumber yet another $13.475 million in new debt through the issuance of Certificates of Obligation based on property taxes and "certain surpluses" in the airport and landfill budgets.<br />The items do not include the purpose for the issuance of the $13.475 million, only that the commissioners approve the issuance and purchase of the bonds. Will the funds be used to purchase yet more real estate by the Mayor to entice the oil-and-gas rich University of Texas System to remain downtown as he has been doing for the past six or so months? Or is it for some other purpose?<br />Doubtless, Martinez will let us know what he is using our money for when it suits him. Until then, we are expected to continue to beloieve that his intentions are good. Or should we? <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6016803033174468094-6806053253319130672?l=rrunrrun.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
LINK: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2012/12/will-fil-jr-pay-city-rent-commissioners.html
RSS URL: http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
This email sponsored by:
1&1 Internet - 6 Months Free on new Hosting packages
http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=7538907
This email is a service of QuickThreads.com.
To manage your subscriptions, login here:
http://www.quickthreads.com/myaccount.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment