Some of the candidates for city council responded to the question that we posted on their FaceBook pages:
Cassandra Hernandez-Brown (district 3):
Brutus, I voted for a Downtown arena in 2012 and I support a DT arena. I will help to ensure that everyone is treated respectfully and fairly. If I can answer a specific question, I am happy to respond.
Jose Plasencia (district 4):
I currently oppose the location of the Arena, I do not believe we should be displacing a community. Also the cost on land acquisition will.cosy over $7 million, and as 3 homeowners have stated they will mot sell which The City would have to use eminent domain which could take years to settle and be a costly court battle. I would like to see the arena placed at Cohen for one it is city owned property in a very underutilized facility, it has easy access to roads, a beautiful view, and has a large amount of space. Knowing that is very unlikely I would support the Arena downtown in a more feasible location that doesn’t require the demolition of a community, there are many locations downtown that the arena can be built.
Apologies for my spelling I am using my phone.
Jud Burgess (district 2):
Hello Brutus. First thing I would try to do is find out if there is a way to revote on the arena altogether. I feel it is a colossal waste of taxpayer $, it will most assuredly not make any money, it will almost guaranteed end up costing us more to build (the baseball stadium went up 50%, from 50 mil to 75 mil), upkeep will cost, it is mainly a tool to fill hotel beds and enrich the power broker in DWNTWN. (see my proposed alternative plan that I’ve been spreading around. link below) I think most El Pasoans are getting wise now that the arena has been in suspended animation. Taxpayer remorse. If we were to find a legal way to put it up for a revote, either presenting a better alternative, like my world-class Latino Cultural Center and taxpayer savings idea, or simply to use the entirety or a portion of the 180 mil for EP infrastructure improvements which is what El Pasoans are all begging for, we can do away with it altogether. Everyone appears to be sticking their collective heads in the sand, not willing to admit this would be a fiscal failure of epic proportions if it gets built, whether it gets done in DWNTWN of Cohen Stadium. https://www.judburgessforelpaso.net/kill-arena-build-latino-cultural-center/
My $120 million idea that saves El Paso $60 million
The unpopular $180,000,000 arena that is quickly becoming a liability for most of El Paso needs to be reconsidered. I propose we consider challenging the arena concept with a much better option favoring the Latino Cultural Center and putting it up for a revote to all El Pasoans this May.
judburgessforelpaso.net
Chat Conversation End
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Jud, a Latino Cultural Center? The whole damn city is a Latino Cultural Center.
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I agree with Y Quel. We don’t need a Latino Cultural Center any more than we need a little used arena. Burgess does come closest to sounding like I would want in a city leader, but I’d really like to see a firm commitment to just shutting down the whole idea, and finding a way to get that money poured into our still crumbling streets.
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The arena needs to be downtown, El Paso and downtown El Paso need to be a destination hub like other major cities. The downtown arena is not “unpopular” as stated by my district 2 rep.
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It is very unpopular.
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Right there — you’ve got it. I would not vote for anyone who wants to pour money into a Latio Cultural Center. I would not vote for anyone who cannot see that if we must have an arena, it has to be downtown. Putting it a Cohen would be an even bigger waste of money.
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