Loans from SBA are still available

Editor:

Your article, "SBA cuts may affect Dolly loans" (Sept. 16) was inaccurate and could discourage disaster victims from seeking U.S. Small Business Administration assistance to rebuild their homes and businesses.

The article's premise - that SBA budget issues could hamper response to Hurricane Dolly - is flat wrong. SBA's disaster assistance program has consistently received full funding through a combination of annual appropriations and supplemental funding. It has never slowed or been constrained by funding issues. On the contrary, disaster funding fluctuates annually in line with major disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Moreover, since the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, SBA's disaster loan process has been completely re-engineered: technology has been upgraded, internal operations restructured, and a reserve of customer service representatives, loan officers, field inspectors and support staff has been created. Applicants today receive compassionate service and a rapid response. In the aftermath of the Midwest floods this summer, SBA processed applications in an average of 10 days and approved nearly $354.3 million in disaster loans.

SBA is well prepared to quickly and efficiently handle a surge of loan applications from this year's storms, including Dolly. There are more than 2,000 trained and experienced individuals who can staff up our disaster field offices within 48 hours notice. We are fully funded and encourage disaster survivors to use our resources on the road to recovery.

Steven G. Smith

Chief of the Executive Office of Disaster Strategic Planning and Operations

U.S. Small Business Administration

Washington, D.C.

Via the Internet

Officials' response is not satisfactory

Editor:

I am a resident of the Mariposa Ranch Subdivision, off of White Ranch Road, between La Feria and Harlingen. I am writing this letter on behalf of my neighbors and myself.

We in this subdivision would like to remind the elected officials of Cameron County that they were elected to office "for the people, by the people." Lately, however, it has occurred to us that they must have forgotten that little detail.

We in Mariposa Ranch are all hard-working professionals. We are nurses, state troopers, Border Patrol agents, electricians and many other professions. We work hard day in and day out for our paychecks to feed our families, pay our bills and maintain our homes. However, in the past two years (since many of the officials have taken office) we have been literally fighting them regarding the flooding that has occurred in our subdivision.

First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Edna Tamayo's office, in particular Mike Vasquez, for working quickly to help alleviate our flooding situation. It was greatly appreciated. With that said, Ms. Tamayo and County Judge Carlos Cascos need to realize that they are our elected officials, and by fighting us over the last two years they have made extensive enemies within our subdivision and with our families as well.

As stated above we all work hard for our homes and families, so where do they all get the nerve to tell us in the community that in order to solve the flooding situation, we need to invest in our own pumps? How in the name of God do they expect us who have lost our homes twice in two years (the first was Memorial Day Weekend 2007) and spent in excess of $80,000 to rebuild and repair our homes, to fork out the money for pumps that cost $30,000 apiece? We were told by the county surveyor that we need three.

As it is, we were just beginning to recover from the flooding in 2007; then Dolly hit and here we go again, after we were told that the problem was fixed.

What happened to the $25 million that FEMA gave them? Where is it being spent? We have asked for those statements and have been denied access. We, as their ticket to re-election, have a right to know where the money is going and how they are spending it.

Lastly, as a message to Judge Cascos and Ms. Tamayo, you wanted this job, you asked that we elect you; Judge Cascos, you were elected after switching parties, might I add, so I say if you can't take the criticism, get out of office.

We know this is a big problem, but who approved this and others to be built without proper drainage? The county did!

In addition, Judge Cascos told us that this is not his problem because he was in office when the "colonia was built." I have news for you: this is not a colonia, we are hard-working, blue- and white-collar citizens. How dare you? This is your problem now, and you have to answer for it because that is your job as our elected official. It was Ernesto Hinojosa who gave the OK for the subdivision to be built, and then he did not go back and inspect it assuming it was done right, and despite what you have told us, we all know that he is still the Cameron County engineer working out of San Benito.

Let me also tell you that you will continue to answer for it until the problem is fixed or you are out of office, then it will be the next guy's or gal's problem (we will gladly settle for either). Know that we will not just go away, we want this problem fixed ASAP. We have worked too hard to have you all throw our dreams down the toilet.

Hinelda Sauceda

La Feria

Via the Internet

ARCC provides unique learning

Editor:

We want to thank The Brownsville Herald for the interest you have shown in the Arecibo Remote Command Center. This fully operational command center, developed at the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, allows Brownsville students to take control of some of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world from the campus of the University of Texas at Brownsville.

The ARCC program, together with the CGWA, has also created an Astronomy Academy that, for the last four summers, has trained high school students in astronomy and astrophysics. Last March the National Science Foundation granted the ARCC program more than $1 million for scholarships in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics at UTB, thus creating the ARCC Scholars Program. The first generation of ARCC Scholars began school this fall. We appreciate The Brownsville Herald reporting this amazing opportunity to the community.

We love the picture of the ARCC scholars you featured in your Aug. 20 article, "Re-inventing classrooms;" our goal in creating this program was to revolutionize approaches to education.

The ARCC program is an original project created by our team of experts at UTB's CGWA. This program was designed and developed with a team of researchers and educators including Matt Benacquista, Teviet Creighton, Andy Miller, Betsy Price, Richard Price, Willem Van Straten and Adrienne Zermeno, as well as students K.J. Lee, Rossina Miller and Kevin Stovall.

ARCC's innovative approach seamlessly integrates education into scientific research. Our goal is to inspire students to learn more about careers in astronomy and allow them to participate in research at major astronomical facilities. However, the ARCC program not only provides research opportunities for students in physics and astronomy, but also in computer science, math and engineering.

ARCC is showing such great promise that it is being replicated in whole or in part by other institutions throughout the world. We would like the community to know that such original, world-renowned and influential programs are being designed and developed here in Brownsville by outstanding and creative researchers.

We encourage anyone interested in learning more about the ARCC program and what it has to offer the students in our community to contact us at merlyn@phys.utb.edu.

Fredrick A. Jenet, Ph.D., director

Arecibo Remote Command Center

Brownsville

Brownsville lawyer's heart is in the right place

We've all seen him in local media. Whether he's defending a public official who has fallen from grace, a woman accused of murdering her husband, or a high school teacher accused of taking liberties with students, it is more than likely that the man walking beside the accused in these high-profile cases will be Brownsville lawyer Ernesto Gamez.

The son of a local construction contractor, Gamez was not born in the lap of luxury. Like most of us, he attended the local public schools and went on to get his law degree the old fashioned way: her earned it. For the past 25 years he has huddled around a large polished table at his Justice For All law office at 777 E. Harrison, often sporting comfortable hand-tooled cowboy boots as he and his associates devise strategies to defend their clients.

On more than one occasion his strategies have saved those accused of crimes from being executed by the state, and often his defense has allowed individuals to resume their lives after being dragged through the judicial system accused of some crime. More than once, he has faced the power of the state and federal governments in a courtroom on behalf of a lone individual and has seen them return to normal lives after the ordeal.

Just as he has labored to defend his clients, he has also gotten involved in bettering his community. Initially opposed to single-member districts, once it was a reality he has enthusiastically participated to elect those candidates he felt were straight and on the level about wanting to better our city. More importantly, at last count he had donated more than $100,000 to promising students to further their careers in the form of scholarships. Churches, worthy political candidates and community-aid organizations have been the beneficiaries of his generosity.

Those of us who were raised in the ranches and small towns of South Texas know what it is to love and protect the land where we grew up and matured. Over the years, Neto has invested his earnings to buy a spread out toward Falfurrias that he frequently visits with guests during hunting season. It's not by any means a dude ranch. It has a one-room hunting camp house with the basic necessities, a stove and a place to sleep. Like many of us country boys, he is right at home roughing it as he would be in his 15-room mansion.

In the years he has served on various boards and districts, Neto has kept the ideals of public service in the forefront. He served on the board of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corp. that oversaw projects that enhanced the attractiveness of the city of Brownsville. Now, as chairman of Cameron County Drainage District #1, his vision for a world-class water park complete with a seven-story cascade as its main attraction is in the planning stages.

Having been his client and knowing his determination in defense of what he believes is fair and just, I have no doubt that Neto will one day stand and cut the ribbon at its grand opening.

Even though he strives to follow his motto of "live and let live," Neto is not reluctant to ruffle a few feathers when it's necessary. Local developers will attest to that. Traditionally, the sign-off of the drainage district for subdivisions was pro forma. However, Neto| questioned several subdivisions that would cause runoff and possible flooding of the neighboring properties. He refused to sign off on them until some form of drainage controls, such as retention ponds, were built into the plans.

When the Port of Brownsville was still negotiating with Dannenbaum Engineering over the missing $21 million, Neto volunteered to petition a court for a restraining order to prevent the firm from filing its case in a Harris County courtroom hostile to the port's interests. He pleaded for the port commissioners to let him do it before it was too late. They didn't heed his warnings, and lo and behold, Dannenbaum filed even as they negotiated with port counsel. The rest is history.

As someone who has partnered in business enterprises with Neto and who has been the beneficiary of his considerable legal skills in local courts, I want to thank all the people who joined me in including Neto in your prayers and who were part of the outpouring of goodwill and support for his recovery.

Neto, you've come a long ways from the days when you could only dream of attending high school, college, and then coming back home to make Brownsville a better place. I don't know what conversation you had with St. Peter when you reached the Pearly Gates back in May, but apparently the good saint looked at his ledger and sent you back.

"You've still got some work to do about that park," Peter probably said. Get cracking, counselor. We're all behind you.

Daniel Reyna lives in Brownsville.

Will reality sour Big Apple dreams?

For my eleventh birthday my grandmother bought me a big, glossy poster of Times Square in New York City. It showed the streets filled with zooming yellow taxis, colorful billboards that decorated the skyscrapers and the busy people cramming the sidewalks. Year after year, the poster hung above my bed reminding me of this enigmatic, faraway land. I became fascinated with the idea of living in a place that appeared to possess such movement and excitement. One day, I decided that when I grew up, I was going to move away and start fresh in the Big Apple.

My love affair with New York only grew throughout the years. I was able to explore my favorite city vicariously through movies and books. However, I never gave up on my dream to actually visit it myself.

When I was 15 I finally got my wish when my mother informed me we would be vacationing in New York City in just a few short weeks.

The moment I walked out of Pennsylvania Station and onto the crowded sidewalk of the city, it all hit me. The smell, the noise, the traffic, the buildings, the people, and the electricity in the air consumed me all at once. It was everything I thought it could be and more.

In that defining moment I realized this is where I belonged.

Every little facet of New York intrigued me: the vast amount of restaurants and shops, The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the different cultures, the museums and even the attitudes of the people. I walked the city's streets with ease and comfort. In an odd way, the city gave me a certain confidence I've never felt anywhere else. I gladly fell asleep to the sounds of ambulance sirens and the glow of neon lights that filled my room. The city could do no wrong in my wide-opened eyes. After five days, I returned to Texas and tucked the memory of New York City away, hoping one day I could call it home.

As college graduation looms in December, the question of where to work and live comes into play. Of course, my first choice is New York, although I'm not the mesmerized 15-year-old girl I was then. I still love the city, yet I am now aware of a world where student-loan bills, jobs and rent may worry one's mind.

Among 2008 post-college job seekers, 77 percent moved back home with their parents after graduation, which is up from 73 percent in 2007, according to a recent poll from Collegegrad.com.

This scary little fact definitely makes me nervous. Is it that hard to find a job, and are times so hard that you have to move back home? I start to question whether I'll have a difficult time finding work and making it on my own. I try to push the idea of curfew, feeding the cats and Sunday chores out of my mind. It is obvious the nation is in an economic downturn, which makes me reconsider fulfilling my lifelong dream and moving to New York.

The cost of living index there is 135.9. This is extremely high for a city considering the U.S. average is 100. That number makes me envision myself becoming a dog walker or eating a candy bar for dinner to cut costs.

One of my best friends, Dominique Folacci, 22, moved to New York City in August. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in May, and bunked with a friend until her determination landed her a job in advertising. She would call me at random times during her quest for a job, crying and disheartened. I wanted her to succeed so badly, because in a way, I felt if she could make it in the big city, then I could too. Dominique made me feel that much closer to achieving my goal.

"At times, I just wanted to give up," she said. "I was running out of money and patience. I'm glad I decided to stick with it, though. This is what I want and I'm willing to sacrifice. Right now I'm sleeping on an air mattress and don't have a TV. It's hard because the economy is so bad right now, so many places aren't hiring. If a company is in a hiring freeze, it doesn't matter how qualified you are. You have to give it all you got and really want to make it here."

After speaking with Dominique, I start to debate whether I'm willing to sacrifice numerous things just to say I live in New York City. I don't know if I could happily give up a bed or shopping or privacy or decent meals. My mother, once an avid supporter of her oldest daughter making it in the Big Apple, is somewhat wary now. She's not discouraging, but urges me to be realistic about my decision to move.

According to an analysis of Integrated Public Micro-Data Census sample, 1970 through 2005, the wages of New York women in their 20s with a college degree was $33, 616 in 2005.

This number has lingered in my head ever since I read it. I start to picture how my life could be if I did move to New York City, compared to living elsewhere. I would always wonder about the distant city that was so unattainable to me. I'd feel like a failure for not executing my childhood plan to start fresh, because I don't see New York City as just a location. To me, it's an amazing metropolis where dreams can come true and lives are changed; it's that eccentric place in my poster I always dreamed I'd find myself.

After careful consideration, I've decided to move to New York City after graduation. I start to think about how every time I've visited the city; I'm reminded of why I want to stay there. The lights, the exhilarating atmosphere and the breathtaking scenery flood my memory, and sway me to take a huge chance. I've decided that I am willing to sacrifice some things, because I truly do love you New York.

Cassandra Delgado is a Brownsville native who is studying journalism at Texas State University in San Marcos.