Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald 12/26/2004
I have been watching the news and opinions, relating to the way our public officials have wasted our tax money. The Brownsville Navigation District in particular popped to the top of the dubious list in Rosendo Garza’s letter to the editor- “Don’t throw good money after bad”!
As it happens, however there are many real folks that depend on the businesses and facilities that are part of “The Port”. I would like to see an amount of focus placed on how we might benefit from the information gained from the painful process.
The Navigation District suffered a great loss with the sudden departure of “Mr. B”. Not having, his understanding of public finance, the enormous personal resources he could bring to bear on the problems he faced, and his broad personal influence in the community and other parts of the government, will be felt for some time to come.
I was once told that the Chinese character for disaster is also the same as for opportunity. I would suggest that in this disaster, we take the opportunity to evaluate and define what the port business is, what the functions are and how we can best evolve an entity in a niche that will foster community and business growth while operating in an efficient and self sufficient manner. We need to know what we can do or offer that will inspire new business. More »

Published Brwonsville Herald 12/14/2004
When I checked my Web site in preparation for this column I noted, as you would expect, that taxes, education and taxes and education were the issues most read. Though not very surprising it is heartening to see that those issues are read and re-read more than twice as often as any other. Most folks are truly interested in seeing their children have more opportunities for education and the benefits that can result.
I submit that striving for better education is the one thing that we all can agree on; the problems begin however, with differing views in how the education is accomplished.
On one side, we are told that there is a crisis in education and only more tax money will solve it, on another we need alternatives to the present system so as to provide a choice and competition to the system to encourage accountability. Some blame the teachers for holding low expectations of certain groups of students, having a lack of ability to motivate students or worse; and others blame the parents for lack of interest and support in the educational process. I have often blamed the school administration for not adequately maintaining a good learning atmosphere. There may be some truth in all of these things but that is not the primary problem. More »