and NICK RYAN
Special to The Tribune
HARLINGEN, Texas - That local brouhaha spotlighting City Commissioner Kori Marra's business acumen centered on unpaid employee payroll taxes. It caught the eyes and ears of many residents here. And the criticism that quickly went Ms. Marra's way when the news surfaced wasn't only about sloppy office administration. Many said it went to her character.
Commissioner Marra offered little other info, such as whether the amount paid was the original amount owed, or whether it represented a settlement after months of pursuit by the IRS. In situations like this one, antsy politicians hesitate before giving constituents a full accounting of the mess.
Ms. Marra knows elected officials have a duty to be frank and honest on things to do with character. Owing back taxes is a killer for anyone having high political aspirations. Here, perhaps because Harlingen is a small, unsophisticated town, she has largely received a pass on the matter.
Interestingly, nothing has come from her colleagues on the commission. Nothing from her ally Mayor Chris Boswell, and nothing from her critics, such as Commissioner Robert Leftwich.
City Commissioner Marra's business is not in either of those categories, but she is an elected official. And that places her in a higher scrutiny category. Without transparency and honesty, there can be no effective governance. Without it, what you have is a person masquerading as a leader...
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41 comments:
She is no leader. Amateur is the right word for her. Pay your taxes! I know she has, but she needs to be reminded. good story.
Wow, Ryan and Klement, really layed the story out in the pasture. Korry is no more than a desperate woman, with no values.
The word at the coffee shop, or I should say, the question was, "why is she still in office." And why is the retirement center which is part of VMC so generous with the Commish?? It is coming out of the bag. Conflict of interest maybe???
The mayor is keeping silent, because he has his own problems, wasn't he trying to take control of a bank in San Benito??? He to has baggae. Typical Harlingen, they get elected into those positions to see how to scam the tax-payers.
Good article, Ryan and Klement should be commended. In small communities like Harlingen, Santa Rosa, and Brownsville, the old guard take, take and take some more, and as Ryan and Klement wrote, some citizens are just to out of touch, it is laughable.
Agree, look at all the problems they are having in Brownsville TSC. They can't get rid of Juliet Garcia. This woman makes around $368.000 a year, and graduates about 16% of the people who enroll. TSC/UTB have one of the highest tution fees in the state. Browsnville is just a corrupted as our neihbors to the North. At least the Harlingen citizens are complaining or writing comments on the blogs. And now have formed PAC'S, But Brownsville!!! yep, they are comatosed.
Kori Marra will herself decide that politics is not for her. she has not one bone in her body interested in doing good for the community. Or that's what it seems like anyway. Get with it, girl. Execllent story!
great writing and it gets to he point. nice, real nice. The Trib always on the job. We expect it, tho.
Harlingen's leaders set the example. Don't they? Appears not!
The atmosphere in Harligen mandates tha blogs expose corruption among politicos. How does $199.486.oo for an acre sound. IN Harlingen!!!! Well you tell me, if someone isn't making a killing of the tax-payers, nothing but white people and one or two Oreos. Putisi#$#mos, bastardos.
Thank you, Mr. Editor for keeping the Harlingen issues on your blog. Jerry's Blog, I don't know about that journalist, maybe he is infatuated by the Commish, after all the word around the coffee shops and the blogs, she bends the elbows frequently. And Jerry, well, he is to old, he wants to be liked, just an observation.
Leftwich will be mayor if he starts exposing corruption now! he can't wait and let people bring him the goods. He stands to win big if he plays his cards right. It's about the people, folks!
MARRA has no one to blame but herself. She is not a leader and never will be. sorry, but that's obvious to me.
Kori Marra hasn't made much of her crazy noise lately. Maybe the novelty of being in politics has worn off her. Let's hope!
Leftwich can win, but he has to start planning now. Work the neighborhoods and be visible. Come out for the good and against the bad. Be seen. He has a shot.
From what I've seen in him, Robert Leftwich doesn't have the fire for a revolution. He may also be a go-along kind of elected official. But we'll see. Maybe he has it in him to work for change. Being mayor may inspire him. Pero veremos.
Chris Boswell is finished as is Korri Marra, I hate to say this, but at the coffee shop, Jerry Prep, Joey Trevino and Guz Ruiz are getting criticism.
But look what we had before, and then the Lizzard working deals with his compadres.
$199.000 an acre in Harlingen, not even the Gran Wizard of the KKK in Alabama can afford it.
Well the poor ignorant injuns that live in Harlingen, payed the piper, I hear, some of the old guard, got some action from the land sell. God I hope not, that is all we need.
Bien dijo un viejito at al casuelas, this people in Harlingen, estan bien pendejos. $4.000.000 dollars for 22 acres. Damn, that is better than the lotto. I bet the land was classified as farm land, prior to the sell. Mendigos!!!
Open government! that's what we need. Give us he info, City Hall! Hiding stuff works against all of us. Goddam we're getting ripped off.
that stuff needs to be investigated. Give the community the scoop. it smells, bro. Really smells.
Kori Marra will never talk to the press. the local news media has never held her feet to the fire. they have used kid's gloves to deal with her. we can't get over the hump when it comes to making these people understand they work for the people.
I hear, that people have to call the editor at the Valley Morning Star, to complain, because they don't publish letters. Some lady reported writing a letter, and was published 5 weeks late.
Pinche Valley Morning Star, it is bought.
I think Leftwich can do well as Mayor. Harlingen needs a honest Mayor, we don't need any more crooks.
Believe or Not, today was Sylvia Trevino's last day. I hear she is going to work in a little town of about 1200 people.
Sylvia was the Harlingen city Secretary, and like Marra she was a lighting rod.
The city Engineer also left today. He is going to work in Edinburgh.
Good by Sylvia, we are not going to miss you. So long, and believe me you are not coming back this time. Adios, Asta La Vista,
Gabe, and Paul Menzies should be next and then we will be okay. They have stayed way to long, time for them to leave Harlingen.
Woww, Commissioner Marra isn't speaking about her latest troubles. What happen drama queen?? The Alley cat bite your tongue???
Quiet day in town. Good job by Joe Rubio. Noticed Chapa had not posted anyhing about it. He's such a crybaby!
Chapa, gets 10 comments on 20 stories, right now he is getting comments because Jerry is out of town. But when the Trib and myleader post good articles, like always his blog goes dormant.
Chapa writes his own comments. Everybody knows that. He uses different names, the fool. You can tell. What a sorry man he must be.
Is The Trib ever going to get into the UT-B mess? Some people would like objective reporting on this matter. Think about it, Alcatraz.
Chaparron has been to silent maybe he is looking over his chiguagua, making sure it doesn't grow into a big dawg. Viejo cabesa de calabasa.
Chapa's commenters are three guys who have no idea how stupid they look blogging with that clown. Debrook, Canute and the moron Jake and Tony. It's not exactly a good read as to how the community is thinking. Plus he stole te census story from Channel 4, where his son works. Lazy-ass Mexican!
Juliet Garcia like the old board of trustees in Brownsville old guard.
The younger guard, or new members of the UTB/TSC board of trustees have voted to split the schools.
Juliet, you're old guard, and your days are counted. How do you justify a $38.000.00 dollar increase during this hard economic times. Corran a la pinche vieja.
Juliet come lately, like the people who fell from grace in Harlingen. Your day will come, and it might be sooner than you think, old guard, keep TSC stagnant, lowest graduating ratio, most expensive registration fees. Time to go, adios, good-by
Brownsville's colleges have a tough ride. Many of the students who go there should not even be in college. They have what is called dual-enrolment. Students who can't hack the classes at UT-B take classes at the lesser TSC. But i agree with Alcatraz, Brownville is lucky to have a college at all.
The newspaper in Brownsville has let the city down on the college story. Blogs are carrying the ball, but one of the bloggers is a disbarred lawyer another is a convicted DWI guy and the third is a guy apparently addicted to porno. Help!
yeah, brownsville's in trouble. bad politicians, man.
In Harlingen, like Browsnville, we had nothing but Gypsies, tramps and a few little thiefs, like Brownsville, Harlingen has a technical school with a bunch of empty buildings.
The blog operated by Juan Montoya, is pushing hard for changes, the Herald like the Valley Morning Star are in the pockets of the established politicians.
Pinches periodicos, bola de vendidos.
In Harlingen, the bloggers have been expressing their disappointment with the VMS, and things are coming around, very slowly I might add. Cabrones, buenos para nada.
Brownsville needs Political Action Committees. Two have sprung in Harlingen, HEAT, is for changes and open goverment, the other one is for the same old, same old.
HEAT is grassroots, local people with little influence. The other PAC, has members with money.
It doesn't matter, the results will be measured by the message and the amount of work. Heat is prepared to walk the streets. They are here and here to stay, according to Joe Rubio President.
Brownsville is a good town, it just needs better leadership. The Mayor needs to step it up and beautify the city. Fix up all those historic buildings.
I suspect like in Harlingen prior to this election, the damn city commission was looking out for themselves, para afuera vola de p*&*^tos. Vamonos.
To our good neighbors the South of Harlingen, we feel Brownsville's pain. Stick with the Tribune, this editor, can write some good articles. The editor of the Trib, is a professional writer.
He would do good as the editor, of the Herald or Valley Morning Star.
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