BIG MONEY IN BISD ELECTION FOR BIG JOE, LOPEZ By Juan Montoya Dont look now. but the Big Money is going to be funneled in from outside Brownsville to take over the board of the Brownsville Independent School District. Confidential sources tell us that the biggest beneficiary of the money to come in under the Valley Political Action Committee will be nine other than former BISD trustee and Athletic Director Joe Rodriguez. An indirect beneficiary of the push to take over the district is trustee Cesar Lopez, who was appointed last August to the board to replace Christina Saavedra. Where is this money coming from and why? Our sources tell us that Rodriguez is agreeable to help award the wind-damage insurance contract to a firm associated with Steve Mostyn, a Houston personal injury lawyer specializing in hurricane lawsuits. Mostyn is said to have become extremely wealthy off the losses of others in the wake of damaging storms. Campaign reports indicate that Mostyns money has been funneled to candidates and causes that help his law firm Those in the know say that the linchpin in the arrangement is BISD legal counsel Baltazar Salazar, who is the go-between to funnel the money to candidates who will protect his position with the district at $240,000 a year. One of the firms that has benefited most when Salazar took over the position last April 2013 was none other than the law firm of Colvin, Chaney, Saenz and Rodriguez. Tony Rodriguez, one of the partners in that lawfirm is Joe Rodriguezs son. Since Salazar took over as the BISDs legal counsel, he has hired the law firm to defend the boards majority, himself, and the district administration from to the tune of $193,000 and counting. The other firm, Williams, Birnberg and Anderson is assisting Colvin, Chaney, Saenz and Rodriguez with the same lawsuit because Salazar decided that two pairs of eyes are better than one. They have also gotten a piece of the BISDs legal pie to the tune of $192,759. With all this money to be made defending the district, its litte wonder that these firms will court the candidates they deem to be favorable to keep the gravy train going. In fact, candidate Lopez had a campaign function to announce his candidacy at the firms office on 13th Street and Van Buren, the old county jail. A prominent guest at the Lopez affair was Coach Rodriguez. The office also houses the law firm of Mayor Tony Martinez. Texans for Public Education, Texas Forward Committee, and the Valley Political Action Committee were all established by Mostyn in 2010 to allow him to contribute to individual candidates without voters knowing directly that the money was coming from him. These guys are definitely in the Big Leagues of campaign contributions and king making, as is evidenced in the graph tracking Mostyns contributions to various candidates and causes. We have also learned that Mostyns money was used to hire Miguel Mike Carrera, of Carrera Communications, to orchestrate the takeover. Carrera, a McAllen consultant who is listed on most political campaign expense reports in Hidalgo County races has managed numerous Valley campaigns. Joe Rodriguezs opponents in his race are Shriley Bowman and Mary Rey. Rey was said to have been encouraged to jump in that race to split the female vote. Lopez is running against Lucy Longoria, Juan Pacheco, and Roland Guerra. Valley Political Action Committee is ubiquitously housed at the UPS Store on Price Road. The Texas Ethics Commission lists the principal at the Valley PAC as Jonathon David Gins at 1474 W. Price Rd., Ste. 7, Box 426. The TEC lists its starting date as June 25, 2010. With all these pieces in place, local residents would do well to scrutinize the campaign expense reports of the candidates to see who gets money from where. The BISDs $524 million budge is a lucrative one for vendors and providers. Legal firms compete fiercely for its business as do vendors of everything from insurance of all types to computers and school supplies. Will the Big Money behind Baltazar Salazar and Joe Rodriguez decide the outcome of this years elections? If Salazar manages to keep a majority on the board, expect the goodies to continue flowing his way and to his friends.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 18:54:42 +0000
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