We ran into Letty Perez-Garzoria, candidate for City of Brownsville District 4 who is challenging incumbent John Villarreal in the May elections.
But, unlike those who have counted her out of the running even before the campaign begun, Perez-Garzoria is showing anything but concession in this race. When we spoke to her she had just finished registering city residents to vote in the election. And, to demonstrate that she was unafraid to tread in the self-granted domain of Ernie and Norma Hernandez bastion – the BHA's High Rise on St. Charles – she said she had already been there to speak with residents.
"The politiqueras have them believing that if they vote for anyone else other than the candidates that the Herandezes want, they will lose their federal assistance," Perez-Garzoria said. "It is the same old politics of class entitlement and poverty that used to be used by Ray Roman in the past."
Perez-Garzoria is not shy about taking the silent Villarreal to task for doing and saying nothing as Mayor Martinez runs roughshod over the rest of the city commissioners and pushes forward the United Brownsville and UTBrownsville agenda at the expense of the city residents. She reserved her umbrage for the two commissioners running for reelection, Rose Gowen and Villarreal.
"We need people who will stand up for the taxpayers! Why? When did we elect leaders to go into the real estate business favoring all his (Tony) compadres? These two commissioners have been in lockstep with Martinez from the get go," she said.
"Who are the people on the city commission who seek re-election? The Tonyites ? Gowen and Villarreal ?? We don't need titeres (puppets). We need people who will stand up for the taxpayers! Why?"
She reserved special criticism for Villarreal who has been a cheerleader for Martinez's cozying up to millionaire Elon Musk of SpaceX as he seeks to squeeze even more millions in "incentives" from Brownsville, the BEDC, and the State of Texas in his bidding war with Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico.
"District 4 has it all," she said. "It has all the history, all the pioneer factor, all the social diversity , not to mention the amazing Texas Southmost Community College System since 1926 ( an Arnulfo Oliveira brainchild) , later enlarging it's capacities to include the U.T. System!"
"Why take away from this? Pick any of District 4's components and you will be in touch with her cultural , her historic beginnings, and the genuine warmth and hospitality of her good people! Why is Villarreal so concerned about giving the money from our poor community to space venture millionaires while our communities in District 4 fall to blight and are deteriorating before our very eyes? Ask John Villarreal: What on Earth have you done?"
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