This is unfortunately old news but a knowledgeable reader thought it was worth posting:
https://www.texastribune.org/2016/08/05/lawmakers-eye-monstrous-loophole-keeps-contract-de/
There has been talk of the state legislature changing the law to close the loophole.
Let your state representative know how you feel about this.
Brutus
elpasospeak 
This just goes to prove that government is only half of our problem. The other half is some of the businesses that do business with government and control those in power. Here is another good example of where secrecy was used to deter public debate, same as they did with the ballpark process.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2017/09/21/el-paso-downtown-office-project-tax-incentives/683747001/
LikeLike
Businesses like Weststar ought to realize that part of the reason folks like me bank at a larger bank is the convenience of locations near where I live. I hate going downtown. I realize the progressives think that if they spent enough taxpayer money we’ll all flock there but honestly I think it becoming a place to avoid. It is laid out poorly to handle crowds and the trolleys will just add to that nightmare. I stopped going to symphony because of difficulty getting parking when ballgames were being played. To me it is a place to avoid.
LikeLike
People keep blaming “progressives” for all these projects that are being done to benefit “conservatives” like Hunt, Foster, Francis, et al. They’re the ones who keep insisting that taxpayers should subsidize their for-profit ventures.
LikeLike
It doesn’t change the fact that progressive politicians spent the money. And I don’t consider big donors who drink at the public trough conservatives. The original definition of conservative (before it was highjacked by social conservatives) was fiscal conservative—small government, less spending. The public private partnerships happening in El Paso are the polar opposite of that so labeling the donors that benefit from our Progressive Dem largess as Conservative is inaccurate.
LikeLike