STEALTH MARTINEZ AND CAVALRY TO THE RESCUE AGAINST MEANY TSC; TERCERO STANDS TOUGH, FACES ONSLAUGHT

By Juan Montoya

Just as the Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz appeared on the scene and thrust progress down his countrymen's throats whether they wanted it or not, Da Stealth Mayor Tony Martinez has appeared with his "tecnicos" in tow promising a rejuvenated downtown, a cooperative UT System, and promises to "nudge" Texas Southmost College into its traditional pose as a pliant taxing district.

And even though the Dallas-based "nonprofit" Brownsville Community Workshop group of Martinez's tecnicos under the direction of Brent Brown fastidiously stayed away from th UTB-TSC separation issue, it became clear that the community college board's decision not to sell its real estate has turned it into the bogeyman and has become the common ground for the unification of the City of Brownsville (United Brownsville, actually), the UT System, and the core of opponents to TSC's decision.

There has been talk of UTB moving part of its campus into downtown Brownsville and that has enticed Martinez and his United Brownsville tenants at the Cueto Building to use the bait to lurre support for the idea. On its face, it is the right thing to do. In fact, it has been the right thing to do al along. But it wasn't until deadbeat UT System (it still owes the taxpayers of the TSC district more than $12 million in back rent), was sent packing that UT started looking for alternate quarters.

Now the issue is framed thusly:: TSC kicked out UT after 20 years of subsidizing it to the tune of cash transfers totalling some $1 billion and the UT System ended up some $12 million in arrears in rent. And instead of the "higher education village" the UT System promised, we ended up with a dismally-performing academic entity that ranks near the bottom of other institutions throughout the United States.

Now, the concept has been fashioned by the Dallas-based "tecnicos" into a modern day "knowledge community," a kind of variation of the same theme.

Martinez said he is ready to do the heavy lifting when UTB and the City of Brownsville think the time has come for push to become shove on TSC.

"I suspect that we're going to have to have a little bit of trading going on in order to make this plan work," he told the local daily. "We're going to have to have communication and dialogue between them. There's going to have to be a little give and take."

Either "To Have or not to Have" Martinez doesn't realize it, or he is "imagining" that he is unaware that the voters in the last election elected candidates handily that stated outright that they were opposed to any giveaway or "trading" of the 75-year-old community asset known as TSC.

Brown, of Dallas, and Martinez – as the UT System has chronically done – said time was "of the essence" and pointed to a looming Aug. 22 UT System Regent meeting as a deadline for TSC to act.

"My understanding is that around the 22nd of August the UT System will decide to stay in downtown Brownsville or leave downtown."  

Either way, TSC President Lily Tercero was taking it with a grain of salt, bless her soul.
She pointed out that UT System's "higher education village" was pinned on the assumption that TSC would sell them the land upon which to build it. Martinez also hinted that "something will have to give" to make the "knowledge community" scheme being pushed today work as well.

But, noting that the college district also includes the city of Los Fresnos and Port Isabel, the college president said the district also has an obligation to them, making its service area larger than the Brownsville city limits.

Tercero said: "Remember, we're in the partnership until 2015, and so we thought 'Why make the decision now? Let's wait,'" she said. "We'll lease you the space you need. Everything you need and if you need more you let us know and we'll work with you until we both get going...We're a part of the city and we want the best for this community."