Believe it or not, we have the primary election for members of commissioners court and the county judge coming up March 4, 2014.
Then El Paso will elect three out of the five members of the court in November.
Three out of five gives us an opportunity to elect a panel that might govern the way we want them to.
Remember that our current court voted to spend over $150 million dollars for new medical clinics and remodeling part of the county hospital when the very future of health care and health care financing is uncertain. Doctors in private practice are upset over this. Voters wonder why we would spend this kind of money for county funded public health when the new national laws move us toward a situation where every person has health insurance.
Then there is talk of tearing down our county jail that was built in the 1980’s.
This week the county judge spoke of using money to fund a new county office building. It seems that she thinks that having county offices dispersed in multiple buildings is inefficient. We know that the city went in exactly the opposite direction last year. It tore down it’s centralized city hall and is in the process of remodeling buildings to house city functions.
More spending
It seems to me that the thing the two approaches have in common is the opportunity for local government to spend more money.
We see school districts, the city, and now maybe the county failing to maintain buildings and ultimately electing to tear them down.
What will the citizens do?
74% of those that showed up to vote in the city elections sent a message to reign in this nonsense.
Top of the list told us how El Paso has the fourth highest tax rate of the 50 biggest cities in the nation.
Can we afford more?
We have an opportunity to get people elected to get the county back on track. We need to get involved in the primary process and let the candidates know what we want them to do.
Eternal vigilance is the cost of liberty
Cato
elpasospeak 
And Commissioners Court is paying a consulting firm $250,000 to compare the cost of building a new jail with the cost of renovating the present one.
If you live in an old house that needs a plumbing or ac/heating overhaul, you do what’s needed in line what you can afford. But seldom is tearing a livable house down and building a new one considered an option — unless you have access to taxpayer money of course.
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“…unless you have access to taxpayer money of course…”
Or, unless the commissioners have access to funds from those who expect to benefit from this. Certainly not the prisoners.
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Get real. Don’t you crazies understand that our elected officials and local government employees are entitled to have the very best palaces for their little empires. Geez! They are entitled to spend our money however they see fit, especially if they can potentially direct the cost to some of those who helped put them in office. That’s what they’re there for. What you think doesn’t really matter. A position in government (or an elected official in one’s pocket) is a far greater entitlement than any social welfare program.
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Too bad this blog was not available 20 years ago to express disdain for the previous -most in federal prison or on the way-judges and commissioners who neglected their duties to care for county facilities and their upkeep…..By the way the County jail has the front of the building in back???
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