Ball park
Many of us are upset about the way the ball park happened.
We tore down city hall and the Insights science museum, have spent over $70 million dollars moving city functions, and have done nothing about replacing the museum.
We have sold $61 million worth of bonds for the ball park and are paying for other ball park related things through various city funds.
The voters of El Paso might have approved this but were never given a chance.
Bigger problem.
An even bigger problem for future El Paso taxpayers is the county approving $152 million to build three new health clinics and remodel parts of the county hospital.
Once again voters were not given a chance to consider this.
The county hospital district is going to build clinics with our money and will compete with private practice doctors. El Paso has fewer doctors per capita than other major cities, yet we are using taxpayer money to compete with them.
Then we will have the ongoing costs of maintaining these clinics. At the same time the nation is moving toward a system of universal coverage where the national government sees to it that everyone has health coverage.
Why are we building these clinics now? Why not wait a few years to see if the national program takes hold and then let the private sector and the national government handle this? Why the hurry?
Why are we taking on local debt when this has become a national issue?
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Regarding the clinics, I hate to use a cliche, but follow the money. That government money will eventually end up in someone else’s pocket. Figure out who will benefit from the construction and operation of these clinics and you’ll have at least part of the answer. Aside from money, it is empire building. Government officials in El Paso are no different than those in DC. They are building empires. Government jobs and spending in El Paso over the past 8-10 years have given us a false sense of security and strength. We think we’re smarter than we really are. The music will stop, there will be a price to be paid, and there will not be a rainy day fund. We’re not just living on the edge of Texas. We’re living on the edge financially.
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The new face of local government in El Paso is, “You can’t vote on it.” Obviously, not every little thing, but when the city or county is going to spend $150MM on a new toy, it seems to me that the people who are going to foot the bill should have a say in it by way of a yes/no ballot vote.
Since this will upset the applecarts of the empire builders and the Borderplex “usual suspects” who have grown fat on tax abatements and subsidies, don’t look for it to happen any time soon. I recall in 2003 that Joe Wardy ran on exactly this issue which was the city’s abuse of COs, that he believed should be put to a vote.
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Have you all seen what is currently on the road from Washington DC ???? I do not believe our local government is the problem.
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Not to mention the millions of dollars spent on the EPTimes and other venues we’re renting because of the move. Or better yet the destruction of a multimillion dollar city hall. Clearly we are at about $200,000,000.00 in total loss and revenue.
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