It didn’t take long after I first arrived in El Paso that I realized something was different about the city. It was very Mexican but not Mexican at all. I know, it doesn’t make sense and it didn’t make sense at first. Cd. Juárez dominates El Paso in population and in its economy but most… Read More What A 1964 Book Teaches Us About the Origins of the Glass Beach Study
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, except when it interferes with the intended nefarious agenda of a powerful group. If you are in El Paso, you have likely been keeping an eye on the community’s attempt to build an Hispanic or Mexican-American cultural center. You are also likely aware that there is a court… Read More The Hispanic Cultural Center Solution
As I posted yesterday, many readers are concerned about two specific topics. The first is that I have been blogging about Donald Trump. The second is that some readers feel like I have been ignoring the arena issue. Yesterday I addressed the Donald Trump controversy. Today, I’d like to address the proposed arena. Yes, I… Read More The El Paso Arena and Why Have Waited So Long to Write About It
Around 2000, when Ray Caballero rode into office, he began to lay down the framework for a prosperous El Paso through redevelopment focused around the city’s core – downtown. What Caballero, and his cohorts, like Susie Byrd and Veronica Escobar, were hoping you didn’t realize is that the utopia they were hoping to build excluded… Read More The El Paso BorderPlex Scheme
All those that argued that Stephanie Townsend Allala’s quest for government transparency was wrong owe her an apology. This is especially true of the El Paso Times masquerading as a newspaper who did not understand that allowing the Steve Ortega’s of the world to hide government records through legal subterfuge goes against the very fabric… Read More Stephanie Townsend Allala is Owed an Apology
It is a funny thing that the more things change the more they stay the same. Today city council is going to embark on the city’s latest fiasco by appointing a city board to oversee the development of a Latino/Hispanic/Mexican-American/And God Knows What Other Name It’s Going To Get Cultural Center. The conversation is an… Read More The Hispanic Cultural Center Isn’t For Mexicans
The ongoing bathroom debacle at the San Jacinto Park clearly demonstrates a dysfunctional El Paso city government. As if the fact that restrooms aren’t important enough for the focal point of the much-touted downtown revitalization project the excuses after excuses mounted by the dysfunctional city council betrays the utter stupidity that drives city government. The… Read More City Incompetence on Display with San Jacinto
A frequent reader in the legal profession pointed me to a potential issue involving various Hunt companies and El Paso real estate dealings. Other than buying and selling a few homes in the last few years, I do not know much about the complexity of the laws surrounding real estate transactions. What makes it even… Read More Hunt and Real Estate Transactions
“There is something in the air.” A conspiracy was created in 2000 to drive El Paso into bankruptcy. It is the public policy agenda that is driving El Paso into bankruptcy. As promised earlier this year I am going to start making more use of other multimedia materials. As such, today I bring you the… Read More The It’s All Good El Paso Conspiracy
Politicians are known for contorting themselves into so many positions on a political issue that in no time they are so twisted out of shape that a pretzel looks straight compared to them. Last Tuesday, city council in their continued pandering for public attention once again took up the San Jacinto bathroom issue. As is… Read More The San Jacinto Bathroom
Much has been said and written about the overwhelming voter support for the 2012 Quality of Life bonds. The local newspaper’s editorials love to point out how the voters voted for the projects that are leading to higher taxes being imposed on the taxpayers of the community. Last week when I wrote about the land… Read More Westside Pool, How Your Money Gets Played
The recent public debacle between city council and the city attorney’s office led me to file open records requests asking for information for amounts paid to outside law firms for legal work for the city. As expected, the largest expenditure paid by the taxpayers to outside law firms involves the issue regarding emails and open… Read More City Payments to Outside Law Firms
One of the things I have noticed through the years is that by the time an issue comes to the attention of the community much activity has transpired behind the scenes. Many times the behind the scenes actions are created and managed by political operatives in order to control the outcome of a certain public… Read More Anatomy of a Public Perception Manipulation Campaign
Last Friday, August 29, KVIA published an unattributed report on city losses for the ballpark. The report titled “First downtown ballpark season showing losses for city” points out that the taxpayers are going to have to pay “about half a million dollars”, according to early numbers. The fact that the taxpayers have to pony up… Read More KVIA Report on City Losses for Ballpark
It started out as a simple question – who pays the most in property taxes in El Paso. I wanted to analyze the top property owners, both commercial and residential, to see how the burden of property taxes is distributed among the taxpayers of the city. Although I thought it would be a simple exercise… Read More El Paso Top Commercial Property Taxpayers
The discussion on taxes and fees disguised as taxes have been the focus of community discussion the last few months as a result of the sobering fact that city and county revenues are not enough to pay for the public agenda that is being led by Veronica Escobar and cohorts. The city implemented a fee… Read More City Manager and Taxes
As I analyzed the campaign contributions in the Claudia Ordaz race, I wondered how the makeup of the city council would change. As many of you know, I believe there is a public policy agenda being driven by a select group of individuals. I also believe that one of the byproducts of the public policy… Read More Influence Peddling of the Current City Council
As you all know, the State of Texas makes it a crime to knowingly accept a campaign donation from a corporation. Texas Title 15, Chapter 253 prohibits corporations from making contributions to political candidates. The state statue states that violating this prohibition “is a felony of the third degree”. In reviewing Claudia Ordaz’ campaign disclosure… Read More Did Claudia Ordaz Violate Election Law?
I have written numerous times about how the current public policy agenda is being perpetuated upon El Paso is the result of influence peddling through campaign contributions. Although I am not able to prove it, it is my belief that candidates are being groomed, incubated and funded to run for office in order to have… Read More Who is Paying Claudia Ordaz?
In yesterday’s Diario de El Paso there was an article by Karla Guevara Walton where she details how Jane Shang, one of the city’s deputy city manager has been put on administrative leave since June 1, 2014. You might remember that Shane was at the center of the controversy involving the streetcar restoration project where… Read More City Paying Employee to Stay Home
Yesterday I shared with you the finances of the Children’s Hospital. Many of you have noticed that the public rhetoric is shrouded in secrecy. Although UMC is a publicly funded organization accountable to the taxpayer, the fact remains that many of the facts regarding the hospital are wrapped in attorney-client privilege and behind closed-door meetings.… Read More The Politics of the Children’s Hospital
Just when you might have thought that city council would get a respite from the ballpark and Lincoln Center controversies two items on today’s city council agenda could bring everything to a boil. Lily Limon has added the two items to today’s agenda. The good thing is that the agenda seems devoid of any other… Read More Lincoln Center and Ballpark On Agenda Today
Last Tuesday’s city council meeting in regards to the Lincoln Center is a case study on how the gentrification of El Paso is the public policy agenda of those in power. I have written numerous times before about how Ray Caballero started the gentrification by pushing forward a fantastical central parks fantasy that intended to… Read More Lincoln Center and the Continued Gentrification of El Paso
As expected, yesterday’s city council debate over the Lincoln Center was contentious and brought out the ongoing debate about the gentrification of the city and the undercurrent of racism that some perceive to exist. Even Jose Rodriguez alluded to the racism undercurrent while debating with Cortney Niland the merits of Eddie Holguin’s motion. The meeting… Read More The Lincoln Center City Council Debate
The problem with serving a master is that eventually the truth reveals itself no matter how much someone tries to keep it a secret. Ann Morgan Lilly, Cortney Niland and Michiel Noe revealed the masters they are serving during the city’s emergency meeting last week to stop the demolition of the Lincoln Center. As you… Read More Serving Master: Morgan-Lilly, Niland and Noe
Regardless of what side you are on the issue there is no question that the most recent controversial thing in El Paso has been the ballpark. The largest point of contention has been the destruction of the city hall building. Yet, the horde behind the fiasco that is the ballpark has decided to rub some… Read More We Get No Respect: City Hall Grill
How is it that those involved in the ballpark debacle seem to be able to land lucrative jobs in government work even after bungling their previous job? Last week, the city announced the appointment of Veronica Soto as the new Community Development Director. The city issued a press release announcing the appointment. I immediately posted… Read More Veronica Soto’s Appointment: Bungle One Job and Get Another?
The ongoing saga between the city and Stephanie Townsend Allala continues to cost the taxpayers of the community. As you all know the issue revolves around the city’s insistence that it has complied with the Texas Public Information laws by releasing all of the emails between city officials and Mountain Star officials in regards to… Read More Townsend-Allala Open Records is Proof that Democracy is Dead
Like other bloggers, I was intrigued by the Basic IDIQ award by city council last week. For many years I, and others have alleged that bidding on city contracts is driven by special interests and in some instances the award of contracts seems like they are part of a corrupt process. What caught our attention… Read More San Jacinto Park Project; the Beginning of Another Corruption Scandal?
Last week, city council awarded the San Jacinto Park project to a company named Basic IDIQ. From the commentary and the news media reports, it seems that there is some controversy involving Basic IDIQ’s significant price difference in bidding on the project. Tomorrow I’ll delve more into the possible significance of the award and the… Read More Who is Basic IDIQ?
One of things that has always bothered me about El Paso is the mentality that you have to be connected in order to remain in business. Professional business in El Paso is not about the best service or the best price rather it is about who you know and who’s wallet is being stuffed. Although… Read More Russell Vandenburg’s and TVO’s Condominiums In Foreclosure
Apparently I hit a nerve with some of you in regards to my post on Oscar Leeser canceling TVO’s real estate contact with the city. As usual your comments, suggestions and leads are not only useful but also much appreciated. As you already know through my Tweet on Tuesday, city council voted unanimously to terminate… Read More Russell Vandenburg Follow Up
Today’s city council meeting has an item on the agenda asking for the termination of a real estate management contract between the city and TVO North America. This item caught my attention because it was added to the agenda by Oscar Leeser and there is no back up material. It also appears to be calling… Read More Why Is Leeser Asking to Cancel TVO Contract?
Yesterday, September 30, 2013, Judge Orlinda Naranjo of the 419th District Court in Travis County ruled that Stephanie Townsend Allala can proceed with the depositions of Susie Byrd, Cortney Niland, Steve Ortega and Joyce Wilson. Judge Naranjo denied the city’s petition to quash the subpoenas. The judge also ruled that Joyce Wilson’s affidavit, attached to… Read More Steve Gets His Wish; Court Orders Deposition
I have been a critic of the local news media for too many years, more than I can count. Even with that, the latest malfeasance of the El Paso news media is such that I’m at a loss of words to express my disgust. Disgust is not even strong enough to describe the utter stomach-sickening… Read More The Malfeasance of the News Media
As most of you already know the city filed a series of motions on September 18, 2013. One of the motions filed by the city was one asking the judge to rule whether the court still has jurisdiction over the matter. According to the city, the city has already complied and done everything it can… Read More Court to Hear Email Scandal on Monday
With much self-serving faux indignation, the El Paso Times, the El Paso Inc., and KVIA offered commentary about the ouster of Leonard Goodman from the Downtown Management District. As I always write; follow the money and the motives suddenly become clear. Therefore let’s breakdown the motives behind the hypocrisy by identifying who made and is… Read More Hypocrisy Oozes from KVIA and Times
For years we have always heard how corruption in El Paso is rampant and the corruptors always seem to get away with it. Some celebrated when the much touted public corruption cases were launched in El Paso in 2004. Many celebrated as politicians and businessmen were handcuffed and led off to jail. And when the… Read More The Anatomy of the Corruption Con Job
As much as El Paso’s city government tries to create the illusion that it’s all good, the fact is that; “El Paso.It’s Not all good”. On one hand we are led to believe that the city is transparent and releasing all of the emails as requested by citizen activists, and then just as quick we… Read More Email Scandal: It’s Not All Good
I have been writing consistently about the people who are driving public policy in El Paso and how they have been relying on various levels of useful idiots to manipulate public perception with the help of an incompetent news media. The political undercurrent they create is designed to manipulate the electorate into voting into office those who… Read More The Motives of Useful Idiot David Karlsruher