Is It Time to Put Down a Rabid Junk Yard Dog?

Let's see if he got this right:

Former mayor Pat Ahumada responds in today's edition to a 3-week old editorial that rightly criticized his caustic, antagonistic tactics to divide the PUB board. Here are some of his howls:

"...it appears I have become the issue by those who refused to abide by City Charter Article 6, Section 1(c), which prohibits ex-officio Eddie Treviño from voting on appointments to PUB, which has lead to the present divisiveness. The charter clearly states the six commissioners make the appointments..."

Wrong, Mr. Ahumada. You became the issue by your own behavior. In the online version of Article VI, Sec.1(c) states:

The board shall be composed of six members. The mayor of the City of Brownsville shall ex officio be one of the members of the board. The remaining members of the board shall be appointed by a majority of all five city commissioners of the City of Brownsville...

Five city commissioners. That's little "c", not big "C", see? As in, members of the city commission. There were five members of the city commission before single-member districts came about (now there are seven). The mayor could vote on PUB issues then, why not now? This is a dead issue. Even your fellow PUB Board member, Cris Valadez is satisfied with existing AG opinions on it.

Next we have:

"Article 6-1(f) mandates an election for chairman and vice chairman be held, which was not done."

Wrong, again. As anyone can see, elections WERE attempted on January, 31st. They resulted in a tie. Board counsel stated what happens when there's a tie, officers keep their positions. What's more, at the March 9th special meeting and after several tie votes (including one nomination/than nay vote by the same person!), officers were elected.

Then, this:

"Yes, legal fees were incurred because the ex officio and two other board members refused to abide by the charter and rules, but this legal proceeding was not about who will be president of the board, but about adhering to laws... To ignore them is to allow people like Cadriel and Hernandez who think they are above the law to represent a select few at our expense."

Strike 3. You're disingenuousness is appalling, sir. Money, both rate-payers' and tax-payers', was spent precisely to force a change in officers. And when exactly were Mr. Cadriel and Mr. Hernandez serving on PUB? I missed that one.

Finally:

"As per Treviño’s financial adviser, an additional 20 percent rate increase could be implemented if we are hit with a disaster like Florida..."

Oh, but we were hit with a disaster, on December 7th last year, in fact. Hurricane Pat, as I think people refer to it. I'm curious to know how our rates will be impacted with your time-and-resource-wasting diatribes?

May 7th, folks. That's when we hold accountable the public officials responsible for unleashing these rabid dogs onto the public.