The swindling of the Harlingen taxpayer continues with the unrelenting fervor on projects that will eventually collapse.
The latest folly to be pursued is the proposed rehabilitation of the 9-story slum tower known lately as the Baxter tower. In my opinion, this building should have never been bought by the city.
The building should have been condemned years ago and demolished. I did express this opinion at that time that it became vacant. I remember that a commission in Harlingen bought the building and the scam began.
Now, another person who has also been closely involved in the inner manipulation of public funds is aligned with a group intending to siphon more funds for this endeavor. Please spare me the shell game in trying to convince me that no funds will come from Harlingen taxpayers.
Whether they originate from Federal tax credits, federal grants, state grants, CDC grants, Section 8 or any other fancy title you choose, they are all derived from the precious incomes of working people.
We are the money tree for the ravenous politicians. Our family treasure roots of our life are drying up and the fruits intended for our grandchildren are quickly withering on the branches.
I note in the news article, that the proposal is for rental apartments for so-called young professionals.
Who in their right mind is going to rent next to a railway with locomotive horns sounding in the middle of the night as they do now?
By the way, what happened to the $18 million bond monies passed years ago to move the rails? The trains still block all of us at the most inopportune times. Section 8 also was mentioned. If this is true, this building will again be slum.
It has been rumored the dumpster tower is haunted. I can guarantee that it is. It is haunted by the ghosts of George Washington dollars floating, in the basement, hallways and elevator shafts of this building. They are howling in despair in the purgatory of waste and greed into which they were dumped by our elected officials.
May I put forth two recommendations to hopefully cut our losses? One is to hire a pyro firecracker demolition company to blow this monstrosity to rubble and haul it away. The second is to hire Pancho demolition co. (cheap) from Mexico which will salvage every brick and nail in 30 days and not break a single one. They will rebuild a palace in Mexico for their alcalde (mayor) with the materials.
Preserve history with pictures and stories in the archive of the city library and save our tax dollars or replace deteriorating basic infrastructure such as sewer, water lines, etc.
Elias Torres Harlingen
