As you are all aware, Cortney Niland has been sitting sandwiched in between Ann Morgan Lilly and Larry Romero for some time now because she refuses to sit in her assigned seat. There are many rumors as to what has transpired that has led to her refusing to take her seat. I have shared some of those with you. Because Oscar Leeser refuses to take control of council chambers, the situation continues to deteriorate. Not only is the seating issue a continuing issue for the electorate, because some of them are being disfranchised because their representative does not have the proper tools at her disposal, but now it appears that taxpayers are going to have to fund Niland’s childishness.
Let’s break this issue down into the facts that we know.
First and foremost, there is only one city representative that is not seating where she should be and that is Cortney Niland. This is a fact that as much as Niland’s primary useful idiot tries to distract with hyperbole of a modular dais and political intrigue it does not erase this simple fact. Niland is not seating where she is supposed to be.
The second issue that needs to be addressed is the allegation that there was some type of abusive behavior that led to Niland moving chairs. The fact is that all we know is that there was some type of altercation however; we have no details about the alleged altercation but much innuendo as to who was involved and what led to it. As with all rumors, it is important to look at the empirical evidence in an attempt to understand what has transpired.
You might remember from the ChucoLeaks emails that at one time Steve Ortega and Joyce Wilson intervened to broker an end to the feud between Susie Byrd and Cortney Niland. Did you notice who is feuding with other women on council?
We also know that last week, Oscar Leeser was forced to publicly admonish Cortney Niland for her condescending attitude towards city staff at city council. This, again, is a fact showing the likely culprit to the alleged altercation. As if this whole issue was not bad enough, in tomorrow’s city council agenda the city will likely incur a fee anywhere between $400 up to $7,000.
Clearly, the evidence points to one woman having an issue with others. Cortney Niland figures in all of the examples so far.
Item 16.4 in tomorrow’s city council agenda requests that a “discussion and action” be held in order for Ann Morgan Lilly to have a computer and a microphone set up on her desk at city council chambers. In David Karlsruher’s world, the dais was built modular for a simple expansion but unfortunately, for him the truth always has an annoying need to come out of hiding.
There is no back up material to the agenda item but the rumors are that the cost will be between $500 and $2,000. Whichever way city council votes to fund the installation of the equipment it comes from unfunded money the city council will spend out of your tax dollars because Cortney Niland refuses to take her assigned seat.
More important though is that Cortney Niland’s behavior needs to be addressed. Niland is forcing Ann Morgan Lilly, a senior citizen, to vacate her seat and request that the appropriate equipment be installed for her. Let us look at this through an example.
Let’s assume, for a moment, that Cortney Niland boards a Sun Metro bus that is full. Niland approaches Ann Morgan Lilly, who is seating in a seat and Niland demands that Ann Morgan Lilly relinquish her seat to Niland. Niland wants to take Lilly’s seat because Niland does not want to stand next to the riffraff, as she sees those not sitting, on the bus. Lilly, a senior citizen reluctantly complies and then proceeds to ask the bus driver to have another seat installed for her to use.
Wouldn’t anyone witnessing this exchange not consider this abuse of a senior citizen?
Forcing Ann Morgan Lilly to have to ask for the proper equipment because Niland refuses to take her assigned seat is the same as forcing Ann Morgan Lilly to give up her seat on the bus example.
As an elected official, Cortney Niland has a responsibility to behave like an adult and not incur additional expenses upon the taxpayers of the community. Instead, Cortney Niland is abusing a senior citizen simply because she refuses to sit on the seat – she was assigned.
Can you show me where in the charter it says they have to sit in any order or even at the dais?
Game, set, match. You can’t base your posts entirely on rules that don’t exist.
Why didn’t the mayor solve the problem by sliding everyone right one seat? Free solution
David, no so fast. It is irrelevant that the charter does not address seating requirements. What is relevant is that the taxpayers are being asked to pay for something just because Cortney Niland REFUSES to sit where her equipment is. Furthermore, for decades, her predecessors have sat at the assigned seat making the seating arrangement an accepted standard.
Are you now agreeing that you LIED when you wrote that the dais was built to be easily expanded by writing that the mayor could easily solve this by requiring everyone to shift one seat right? If it were so easy to expand the dais, as you write, then there wouldn’t be the controversy about spending money to add the necessary technology for the connections. I fully expect you to argue that the cost is either because someone is out to get Niland or because some technology company is trying to make a buck. Bottom line, you lied about the expandability of the dais in an attempt to protect Niland. Unfortunately, for you the truth inconveniently surfaces to prove you lied yet again.
As to your comment that everyone shift one seat right only shows how desperately you are trying to protect Cortney Niland. Shifting everyone one seat to the right completely ignores the fundamental problem with the whole fact that Cortney Niland is at the CENTER of the problem. To be crystal clear for you to grasp the problem, Niland is seated in the WRONG seat because she wants to be queen bee and does not have the education to understand that her job is to represent the citizens of El Paso not to look down upon them as mere servants for her needs.
First it was an issue with Susie Byrd, then it was Lily Limon and now the mayor has called her out publicly, not to mention her condescending attitude towards city employees and the taxpayers of the city. Clearly, the problem is Cortney Niland.
But I understand, you have your marching orders and you have very little to work with since it is Niland you are trying to protect. I actually feel bad for you because I know deep down inside you wish it was anyone else but Niland.
Martin
Martin –
you are the only who claims the dais isn’t made for expansion. Everybody else has agreed that it is in fact designed to seat 11 with equal space for all. The costs associated are as follows
1. Computer and monitor = at a minimum $300
2. Microphone = at a minimum $100
3. Electronic voter module = $100
4. Internal labor for this gets charged at $50 an hour – we’re looking at about four or five hours of wiring and getting the voting module programmed.
The cost is not to structurally modify the dais. All the pieces are in place, holes drilled and ready to go. They are simply placing the equipment there.
So, I guess you’re wrong there.
You know, Limon could just behave and not run off everyone who sits next to her and there would be no problem. You don’t seem to understand that your assertion that tradition equals law. That isn’t so. There’s nothing in the charter saying where they must sit or that they even must have access to a microphone, computer or electronic voting device.
As for Byrd… they didn’t sit next to each other. And if you knew anything about Susie Byrd, you’d know she fought with even her own friends on council on certain issues. Neither Byrd nor Niland asked to be moved. I don’t get your point on that.
I should make it clear – city IT staff will be placing computer etc. it’s an everyday thing that happens and is charged back to departments for the work. You’re in IT stuff, you know how this billed internally.
You couldn’t make this up. EL Paso is so low class.
It’s funny how 2 people who don’t live in El Paso are arguing about what is happening in El Paso CIty CONcil. I try not to stay up on the fraud and scandal that goes on with this city, but Niland is a disgusting creature, and, we, the taxpayers, should force these kind of people in their place. All these people are supposed to SERVE the public, and that has gone many decades ago. Sit wherever the hell you want, cause most of the public would rather not see the existence of the city and county of El Paso ever again. Look at the assumed public voting rate. Over 80% of people don’t even vote, because many already recognize the fraud and deceit that comes from these public corporations, especially with voting. The public doesn’t have time to deal with the criminal behavior that goes on with the city and county of El Paso, because many actually have to work to keep their property that the city and county are drooling to steal.
You’ve gone over the cliff with this headline Paredes… It’s well documented that Limon berated Niland, then Anne agreed to switch spots so Niland could concentrate during meetings..then Anne had the same problem with Limon that Niland had…Limon can’t stop spanglishing admonishments under her breath during meetings thus ignoring statesman like decorum on the dais. Limon has now driven away two reps away from her due to Limons actions in meetings. Word on the street is Ordaz will move next to the district 1 spot and shift Limon to the end with Carl Robinson next to her as a buffer. Thus isolating her intolerable behavior next to a rep who is hard of hearing and doesn’t understand Spanglish. The title of this piece really speaks volumes of your agenda…considering no one reads you past the first few sentences..you title Niland as abusing the elderly…yet Anne Morgan moved due to abuse by Limon after Niland moved for the same reason. You really are a special kind of stupid…and I don’t expect this post to be posted since you’ve censured others I’ve heard from whose comments weren’t posted either. You only allow what you want to be posted which discredits you and your blog… I’ve copied this post…if you don’t post it I’ll repost on all the others as proof of your censorship.
I have to agree with “Well” Martin. I read your blog usually daily, comment rarely even though I don’t agree with it.
What is it about Cortney Niland that Bobby (your boss) hates so much that he would require you to write a hit piece on her, and her alone weekly? What about the “fair and balanced” tact you preach about? Oh, that’s right, you’re just a useful idiot and your blog is bought and paid for. Never mind the fact that your character assassination of Niland has gone from policy driven to personal. You really are a special kind of stupid and like the post above mine, if you censor me I will repost this comment on all other blogs as proof of your censorship.
Just an FYI – Cortney isn’t sitting in her seat again today. she took the mayor’s seat! How will we ever survive??????
“Mike” and “Well”,
I try not to engage members who comment on my blog because I feel like my blog is my opportunity to comment on issues that I want to write about. I try to leave the comments section as an opportunity for readers, like yourselves, to express your opinion. I try not to, but occasionally I fail, on involving myself on replying to readers because I do not want to get into a battle of who has the last word. I want those who take the time to comment on my material to have the last word. I welcome all comments regardless of whether you agree with me or not. I rarely remove or censor comments and when I do modify a comment I clearly do it publicly so everyone is aware I modified the comment. I remove the language that I find offensive in comments and clearly post the date and time I modified the comment. I have removed about five comments and those were removed because they clearly were intended not to debate or express an opinion but to personally attack me. I obviously remove all SPAM from my blog.
Your comments remain on my blog not because of your threats but because you did not violate the standards that I apply to my blog. However, make no mistake, my blog is not a public service entity and as such, I am the only one that dictates what comments are allowed on my blog. If you want to express your disagreement with me, you are welcome to but leave the threats out of them.
Like a radio talk show host, a blogger’s success is measured by the readers that read the blog and involve themselves in disseminating and discussing the topics of the blog. Obviously, I hit a nerve with some of you.
Your cohorts attempt to insinuate that my motives for choosing the topics that I write on my blog about are somehow tied to some type of payment I receive for writing them clearly shows the insecurity within your group because you all have been using paid bloggers for years and feel that others must do as well.
Although I realize that for you and your cohorts the facts are just inconvenient obstacles, I will reiterate that my two largest clients in El Paso are the City of El Paso and the County of El Paso. How that translates into the topics I choose to write about, is beyond me but so be it because for you all it has never been about the facts.
In your group’s attempt to deflect the criticism I make about Cortney Niland you all choose to ignore the fact that I wrote a scathing blog about Lilly Limon’s vote to give $300,000 to Project Arriba. You can see the post at “El Paso: What’s another $250K Among Friends?” (http://elpasonews.org/2013/08/el-paso-whats-another-250k-among-friends/) Like Niland’s supporters, Limon’s supporters were just as angry with me. Of course, you do not know that I wrote that post or you choose to ignore it because your comments are, in my opinion, an attempt to protect Niland’s political future and not to engage in discussing the item. Again, facts are just inconvenient obstacles for you all.
I will continue to write about whatever topic I find interesting to comment about in my blog. The fact is that Cortney Niland represents the worst the city has to offer and thus she frequently finds herself a topic of discussion.
You are welcome to continue reading my blog and commenting on my topics. As long as you do not attempt to silence other commenters or post items that are clearly intended to harass then not only do I encourage you to express your opinions but I also encourage you spread the word about my blog. Leave the threats out of your posts and do not spread propaganda about my motives for writing when you clearly do not know what motivates me.
Martín
Propoganda is a two way street Martin. Look up the word “slander”.
While I would have chosen a different headline, the truth remains.
Well, are you suggesting Niland adheres to “statesman-like decorum”?! I almost fell out of my own chair and nearly landed near Rep. A.M.L. myself when I read that!
Martin….your title of the piece is what everyone here is criticizing…”Niland Abuses Senior Citizen”…. Come on man…you clearly have an agenda here.
WoW really shameless sensationalism here Martin… your twitter
Martín Paredes @martinparedes · Oct 10
Cortney Niland bullies a senior citizen. Incontrovertible details on Monday on my blog. #itsallgoodep #EPcity #elpaso http://elpasonews.org
GM. The truth will always hurt in this case. Who was pushed out of her seat? or relocated?
Well Well. There must no be very much activity on the other blogs for David K and Rotten Peppers to come into El Paso News. The problems is no one on City Council has ever had to deal with a person like Lilly. And Courtney just does not like her at all.