The folks over at Mock El Paso Times published a link to this email the other day.
Property theft
The email chain shows a city representative openly colluding with the city manager to use code enforcement to pressure a property owner into donating the property to the city.
“Code enforcement is working! Apparently a run-down piece of property that would be great for the MCA and Texas Tech is being donated by the owner because the city has cited him for several violations in recent months. Keep up the great work. Hopefully we can get more of these dilapidated properties into good hands …”
The city representative goes on to mention another property she has her eye on. She tells the city manager about being rebuffed by the owner and asks the city manager if code enforcement “has been out there”.
The city manager responds “…I don’t want to show up right away or he will complain we are harassing him to get his building. I’ll send them out a little later.”
Selective enforcement
Council passed a new ordinance that makes economic conditions harder for building owners that own empty or even partially empty buildings.
Now we see why.
If the building needs work that does not get done, assess a fine. Condemn the building. Have it torn down.
Don’t steal it.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Curious how the El Paso Times and Bob “I won an award so now I am important look at me look at me” Moore , those great celebrators of “SUNSHINE WEK” and all the transparency that goes with it, fail time and time again to shed a little sunshine on the released documents that are posted over there at Chucoleaks. They also fail to shed any sunshine on the ongoing waste of your money that is called the Email coverup lawsuit. How much money now has the city spent on keeping us from seeing some emails from Steve Ortega?
The Times thinks sunshine and transparency is important on low hanging fruit like Lorenzo Garcia and the EPISD. When it comes to sunshine and transparency with their buddies in City hall and the PDN group, who are their masters, not so much.
That being said, El Paso INC, KFOX, KDBC, KTSM (KVIA doesn’t count because they are humping the same legs that Bob Moore is humping) could do the city a big service by bringing this to light.
Sunshine, on my shoulder makes me happy…
Sunshine, in my eyes can make me cry…
LikeLike
media? how about the DA or the TX AG or the FBI! How is this possible and allowed to happen in this country? It’s an outrage and a government abuse of power at its worst!
LikeLike
Even though KVIA believes that they can also manipulate the news, the people of El Paso know the truth behind all the manipulation and corruption, it is no rocket science. KVIA tries very hard to make corruption from our City officials look like its a positive contribution to El Paso.
LikeLike
We have a new verb to describe property to be confiscated for commercial (not public) purposes: “Nilandized.”
LikeLike
If you wonder who Niland is working for, just check the long list of developers and Med Center players who funded her campaign, including one who provided the space for her campaign offices under questionable circumstances. http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_17995661
The wealth of Niland’s contributors is a key reason for her unbridled arrogance. She apparently thinks their money and power ensure her success as long as she does their bidding. She learned nothing from Steve-O’s mayoral run. Or maybe she did. Perhaps she is doing everything she can for her special interest pals while she is still in office, so that they will reward her with a payday in the private sector after her current term is complete.
LikeLike
those emails are absolutely awful and show how wilson and niland are trying top screw over people. texas tech school of denistry ? now is that why they want jefferson high school ?
LikeLike
Not too long ago the city was unloading most of its properties because, apparently, the related expenses and headaches were becoming a burden. Volar Center was one nonprofit that had to move out and find a new home after the property on Viscount was being “unloaded” at the time. So now the city doesn’t mind accepting dilapidated, out-of-code properties because they’ve got the point and shoot ( Niland points and Wilson shoots) machinery in place that’s ready to sock it to the taxpayers to pay the makeover costs and convenientlymove in some city department. They couldn’t fix up city hall, but they can fix up a host of other buildings. These two gals are good examples of that “power corrupts” saying.
LikeLike
The El Paso Times practices selective reporting. It finds one horse and beats it to death and then looks for another safe one to whip. It focuses on the school district problems to keep up the appearance of being a serious journalistic institution. It doesn’t want to take on issues like the one shown here because that would put them directly in conflict with the power brokers and financial players who they now serve and glorify.
To paraphrase Einstein, by remaining silent on critical issues, the Times is guilty of complicity. With regard to Niland and Wilson, legal and prosecutorial action should be taken.
LikeLike
I wonder what ever happened to that Times reported that was hanging around here a few months back..he sure is quiet. Why isn’t he defending his paper’s honor?
Oh wait, there has to be something to defend.
LikeLike
Now maybe we have an idea why the Gateway Hotel closing was handled so badly, leaving some of the city’s most vulnerable residents out on the street without notice and without their belongings. That event was staged with lots of scripted media coverage so that the true motives of the city puppets and puppeteers would be overlooked. If the Gateway was as bad as city officials stated to the media, they should have taken action earlier and done so in a way that did not instantly put poor people out on the street. Meanwhile, Joyce and Courtney were able to enjoy all the coverage from the comfort of their plush Westside homes.
LikeLike
So, now I understand how the city views code enforcement — it’s a way to get property the city wants. In the meantime, all kinds of properties are in violation of codes that go unaddressed because the city doesn’t want the property. (To give my city rep credit, code violations in my neighborhood have been addressed quickly lately if reported.)
LikeLike
The dentistry school site is not known to me, so without more information I have to assume that code enforcement was a tool of intimidation to get the owner to give up his land.
To play devil’s advocate though, you might feel differently if you’ve seen some of the properties around the medical school. Some of those are in such bad shape that complying with city ordinances (which, incidentally, all of us have to do) would literally cost more than they’re worth. We’re not talking just trash and weeds – some of those properties are mini-junk yards with lots of potential for illegal storage of hazardous materials. Also, if the City did acquire the property (it’s a two-year old email, after all), they would have been obligated to clean it up. In this case, the property would have passed to the state, who runs the medical school, who would then be responsible for any cleanup.
But again, I don’t know specifically about that site. As someone who used to do this kind of work, I’m very familiar with the process.
The other site mentioned at the corner of Cypress and Piedras? It was recently purchased by the City for a rec center/library combo. Paid nearly $1.6 million with Quality of Life bond money.
I guess the City can’t even do intimidation right.
That is the truth. But you guys probably knew that.
Carlos
LikeLike