Home of Today's Common Sense

Published – Brownsville Herald 8/20/2006
“Truth – Honor and “The American Way”. These were the seeds of the “Boomer” belief system though they were not always followed faithfully. They were ideals that were strived for.
A widely touted part of “Today’s American Way” is the “rule of law” which is often pointed to as of supreme importance. Unfortunately, it is found important only when it is convenient.
As one example just look at the immigration debacle! Decades of political interference in existing law and regulation, as well as the ways laws were applied, has resulted in a supremely unworkable system that threatens the one most important job of government – that of ensuring peace and order. We have neither today. What do our Democratic-Republican rulers do about it? They find ways to enrich their friends with unworkable solutions such as a wall to nowhere on one side, and even more spending on things like government employment centers for temporary workers, more public programs to support an even bigger government in chosen congressional districts on the other side. The employment center in particular seems a bit ludicrous when we have 10 million or so “temporary workers and families” without any papers, that all but 5% or so, have found jobs, relocated from their place of origin to a place near the job and are pursuing happiness. They did all that without government interference. Could it be that these folks are demonstrating “The American Way” better than us natives?

Our rulers seem to have little interest in doing what is best for the folks like establishing an efficient immigration system that can process a legal application in weeks rather that ten or twelve years as is now the case. Instead, fearing that some faction or other might be inconvenienced or a particular constituency may not secures a big enough piece of the government pie, nothing is done and the rule of law develops another hole.
This approach to peace and order by “Rule of Law when convenient” pervades all levels of government including our counties and cities. In fact the approach is actually learned in local politics and then refined as the office holder becomes corrupted by more and more power.

Perhaps it is most obvious in the Cameron County political machine. On Sunday August 6 Mr. Dan Cavazos, the publisher of The Brownsville Herald brought focus on the culture of Cameron County politics and its state wide reputation in an editorial on Page One of the Viewpoints section. He cited an article in Texas Monthly by Cecilia Balli, a local lady with world quality talent, which described the realities of the political machine that bends rules and laws, passes out favors and largess to supporters and friends, and routinely pressures political workers and voters to tolerate criminal and ethical infractions so that the”in crowd” keeps on doing what they do. Law by Convenience!

This is the “American Way” we are teaching our neighbors, those that we encourage to be like us as well as the next generation now following us into public responsibility.

They are seeing a public so discouraged with the disregard the rulers have for their views that they stay home in droves from the polls.

We have a School Board that can not maintain a stable management team, and routinely interferes with employment and other policies that are properly the responsibility of the professional managers. Instead of a focus on overall educational policy much of the work of the board seems to be to find ways to spend money that benefits themselves, or their friends. One need only watch board meetings on TV and note the insightful inquiries by Mr. Munoz. One inquiry I took particular note to was relating to a comparison of work done relating to a parking lot versus the amount of work paid for, another was relating to the need for a replacement roof that was only recently done earlier – I still have yet to hear satisfactory answers.

Probably one of the more curious issues is the failure of BISD to publicly address any of the problems identified in the Strayhorn audit and report. It would lead me to believe that a policy of inefficiency is being promoted to facilitate questionable practices. The panel of individuals charged with the analysis and review has just faded off into oblivion. Was there a report?

I am also alarmed as to why a number of exemplary teachers with advanced degrees in needed areas such as ESL, Science and Special Education have felt the need to leave BISD. Could it be that the campaign promise of one of the Board members, to not hire “foreigners”, is being mandated, and if so what is a foreigner? Could that be someone with long blond hair and a “ski” at the end of his name, or a European or someone from San Francisco or possibly New York. At least two of the departure interviews filed in the last year with BISD Human Resources could lead to that conclusion.

Past practices at the Navigation District have also exhibited a board concerned with the spending of public funds and interfering in personnel practices in such a way that could be construed as benefiting friends and supporters.

Recent elections have changed the complexion of the leadership and resulted in securing an extraordinarily talented Port Director.

Things seem to be going positively as evidenced by a move by County Officials to attempt to seize the power and the largess relating to the needed truck bridge. Perhaps the Navigation District has chosen to take the necessary actions with the interests of the people at heart rather than the County Political Machine’s friends.

My only concern at the moment is in the propensity for board members to interfere in staff selections. Such actions could seriously disadvantage Mr. List’s ability to get his job done effectively and suggest that he is no longer supported.

I encourage everyone to attend the various meetings or watch them on TV, write letters telling of your views, get involved in the political party that reflects your view but most of all vote.