The secret sauce
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Wonder what they put in the barbecue sauce at Bud’s Pitmaster BBQ?
You know, that barbecue place that got that plum contract to serve food at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
I bet it’s a family secret.
But, since taxpayers own George R. Brown Convention Center, I’m sure you know just how much money Bud’s must pay every month just for the right to have such a captivated clientele.
Don’t know? Neither did we. Under the Turner Administration it’s some kind of state secret.
We’re not kidding.
Houston First runs the GRB and they’re now asking the Texas Attorney General to keep the government contract with Bud’s a secret.
Wait. It gets better.
The folks who run our city don’t even think you have a right to see if Bud’s even pays rent. Seriously. It’s another trade secret, even though it’s your money.
Houston First, Chairman of the Board is David Mincberg. He was the Mayor’s Finance Chairman when he ran for office, so you can guess why he has that gig. Does he really think Houstonians don’t deserve to know who gets food concessions and who doesn’t?
By the way, did we mention Bud’s is owned by Theldon Branch III, a good buddy of the Mayors. Branch is on the Port Commission. He was part of a deal with lobbyist Darryl Carter, another Turner buddy, to get a piece of the lucrative airport concession deal.
So was Cindy Clifford, who chaired the Mayor’s inaugural ball.
We could on and on…
Talk about the Mayor’s goddaughter getting a consultant contract on the new train, or his daughter getting a lucrative contract for a proposed new community college.
“But barbecue secrets, really. The Mayor should call his political appointees at Houston First and order transparency for the menu for a change, but he won’t” said Wayne Dolcefino of Dolcefino Consulting. “Houston First is already acting like a political slush fund, so why should we be surprised they think knowing how much money we are making back from all these restaurant real estate deals is a trade secret.”
Want to hear something else funny. Mayor Turner authored the Texas Public Information Act. Wonder if he read it first?
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