The Banker (at Bankers Anonymous), a San Antonio ISD parent, recently blogged about SAISD Board President Ed Garza‘s real estate deals. “A Review of SAISD President Ed Garza’s Real Estate Deals”, Bankers Anonymous, June 6, 2013; my earlier post.
After the blog post came out, Garza reached out to The Banker and sat down for an interview. Garza corrected The Banker on an important figure: the house at 139 North Street sold for only $43,000, a much more reasonable number for a burned-out house than the $156,250 that The Banker had earlier reported. “Ed Garza responds – on Real Estate”, Bankers Anonymous, June 17, 2013. The blog post includes transcribed excerpts from the interview, which I recommend reading to get a feel for how Garza’s mind works and how he saw these real estate deals.
Garza also went beyond real estate to talk about his contracting gigs with VIA Metropolitan Transit. “Ed Garza responds – On Contracting with VIA”, Bankers Anonymous, June 17, 2013. Background: in 2011, SAISD awarded a project management contract (for 2010 bond construction projects) to MuñozJacobs, a partnership that includes Muñoz & Company, an architecture firm led by Henry R. Muñoz III, who is also chairman of VIA. E.g., “Hiring outsiders was SAISD’s costlier option”, Karisa King & Lindsay Kastner, San Antonio Express-News, January 27, 2013.
Despite the corrections and clarifications, The Banker’s purpose is still valid:
My goal with Bankers Anonymous is to make finance and financial transactions more accessible to the public. This matters particularly when it comes to evaluating public officials’ actions in the public and private business sphere.
