“You are short sighted. When the new board gets in you will regret this.” – TPA
The year was 2004. The TPA was Houston based. The group was a South Texas school district located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
A local, politically connected broker demanded the TPA cut him in on the school district, making him co-broker along with the originating broker who had placed the case with the TPA.
“Tell him he has until April 6 to cut me in for $20,000 or I’ll have it put on the next school board meeting agenda to have him fired by assigning me Agent of Record” was his message to the TPA.
This broker was politically powerful. He knew how to play South Texas politics. He was good at it. He could bring more business including large school districts and the TPA knew it. The TPA’s loyalty was to the one who could bring the most business. Greed was whetted and it was irresistible. Ethics be damned.
“You better take this deal” said the TPA. “If not, you are short sighted. When the new board gets in a few weeks from now you will regret this. Robert, one of the board members on Bob’s side doesn’t like you and is driving this. He wants you out. Bob has three board members on his side. He needs four. He says he can get one more through Noemi, another board member who says she can bring in the extra vote needed for a majority. If not he’s already greased the wheels and is assured, he will succeed after the next school board election.”
The Superintendent when approached by the current Broker of Record admitted he was aware of the political shenanigans. “This is extortion, and the Texas Attorney General should be made aware of this! It’s illegal and I’m ready to fight!”
The Broker of Record advised the TPA the political waters forecast a turbulent storm ahead, sinking ships seeking safe harbors. “The superintendent is pissed. He is going to bring this to a head and have it placed on the agenda himself at the next board meeting. He said Bob’s board member is out of control and he’s going to talk to him.”
In an abrupt turnabout the TPA says “By the time Bob pays taxes and pays everyone off this is not going to be profitable to Bob. At the end of it all he would only get about $5,000 for the whole thing. I’ll call Bob and advise him to back off.”
What the TPA and his new Best-Friend-Broker didn’t know was there was to be a surprise waiting for them had they prevailed.
This is a true story. The details are accurate, memorialized in notes taken at the time. Those records reside in boxes stored in a barn in Dewitt County, Texas.
