Well city council is having another one of their special meetings (they have these meetings at a different time and place than regular city council meetings–that way they have less public participation) Monday, July 23, 2018.
Why?
Do you remember the twenty million dollar children’s museum that we approved with the 2012 quality of life bonds?
Well this meeting is being held so that city council can approve spending $40 million dollars on it.
That’s right
In round numbers they got us to approve the $20 million and now they are going to double it.
How?
It’s simple. They plan to issue certificates of obligation to pay for the doubling. The voters don’t have to approve certificates of obligation.
This looks like just plain thievery to me.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
I thought $10 million of the additional money was supposed to be raised by the foundation now managing that project.
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The managing foundation will see that the money goes to the right people and companies, the ones who play ball.
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No, the EPCF hired a consulting firm which asserted that $60 million was necessary to build a “world-class” museum, and the EPCF said anything less would be “failure.” So the inital $20 million gets doubled by the city with voter-free certificates and then another $20 million has to be raised.
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and if the foundation doesn’t raise the other $20 million, taxpayers will once again be asked to pick up the tab
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$60 Million . . . now we are approaching the TOTAL price initially set-told the Ballpark would cost.
Have you been to the Ballpark and see how BIG it is ?
Does El Paso need the World’s Biggest & Best Children’s Museum ?
And “Downtown” even ?
More homes to be destroyed in Downtown to make way for such a thing while it is so crowded down there ?
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While I do not think we need a world class children’s museum in El Paso, no homes will be destroyed to build it. The site is a former bus maintenance facility and the bus company vacated it several years ago. The city has already purchased that property which is immediately behind the art museum and across from the convention center.
I am angry with EPCF for falling into the trap set by the consultant for a “bigger and better” museum. I thought they were smarter than that.
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YES, I am mystified and angered by the simplistic acceptance that if this consulting firm says the price has to be $60million then that’s what we have to do. No real explanation for this has ever been offered. EPCF did great work saving the Plaza Theater among other things and has generally been a voice of reason. Something happened here.
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EPCF already has pledges for the additional 10 million but it’s not enough. They want MORE.
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The thing I don’t understand is why the entire $40 million overage can’t be underwritten by corporate donors. In the fundraising world this is a no brainer. EP is 85% Hispanic, socioeconomically is fairly poor and it will benefit kids’ education. Tech companies should be lining up to support. Same for defense contractors with ties to Ft Bliss. Companies wanting to sell to Hispanic demographic should also be on this bandwagon–from an advertising standpoint–contributing to something por los ninos is great PR. This is the ultimate “feel good” project in corporate social responsibility because it puts something that is actually needed in a place where it will do some good. The fact the foundation expects EP taxpayers to instead ante up $20 million more makes me question whether they are qualified to manage a project of this scale. It seems to me a truly qualified foundation (instead of a group of EP insiders creating jobs for themselves) would be able to raise this amount of money without much effort. Instead, we are adding taxpayer debt without even trying to make that initial outreach.
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anything for downtown
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1. it was a “downtown” QOL project; it cannot be built in another location without taking it back to the voters
2. museums belong downtown
3. we don’t need / cannot afford to fund the dream of an out-of-town consultant and the Community Foundation; if they’re looking for another home run project such as the Plaza Theater, this isn’t it; stick to a budget
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Tax, waste, spend, tax some more. INCREASE, inflate, fabricate Property “Values”. Inherent CORRUPTION with these people . Nothing is ever enough for THEM. That’s just El Taxo PUBLIC Corruption. THEY don’t REPRESENT US. THEY only TAKE from US, REPRESENT themselves and whatever they can stuff in their pockets.
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It’s no surprise that no one at city hall is talking publicly about the cost to operate a $60 million museum versus the cost to operate a $20 million museum; just like they hid the fact that taxpayers would have to subsidize the operating costs of the ballpark. Has the city shared an updated profit/loss pro forma?
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Supposedly the Foundation is supposed to be covering 2/3 of the operating costs saving the City $1 million per year and enabling the COs to be paid off in 20 years according to KVIA. Suspect that is more fuzzy math.
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I’m just appalled at the way this was done. I’m disappointed that no entity, state, federal, or otherwise, has stepped in to investigate all these shenanigans. I suspect there is much more we don’t and never may know about the unseen and unknown behind closed door deal making and screwing over of the tax-payer, or at least those who actually do pay taxes. Shame on KVIA for believing the fuzzy math. Have they already forgotten the ballpark? If there was any doubt in my mind about how to vote for the city council and mayor pay raise, it is gone now! The El Paso city council, Mayor, central appraisal, and EPISD are slowly but surely bankrupting the city and taking El Paso home owners down with them. Just like Baltimore, Detroit, and Newark. Shame!
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Inherent Public corruption. Hide, lie, deny, deceive the PEOPLE. That’s just El Taxo. THEY did it with THEIR baseball field, THEY do it with EVERYTHING. NEVER vote for Bonds, ANYTHING THEY put up.
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You got that right mate. Just like the EPISD money El Paso voted for a couple years ago. And they just come back for more so the EPISD big-whigs can fly around spending our money on plane tickets, rental cars, and hotels. Check it out. I challenge KVIA or some other so called news organization to actually really investigate this stuff. I doubt they will, because there is to much cross-pollination in this town.
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Well that’s because any “Legal, Judicial, Police authorities” in El Taxo don’t see nuthin, don’t hear nuthin, don’t do nuthin, on PUBLIC corruption or POLITICIANS. Always has to be the F.B.I. or State, Texas Rangers. Just like EPISD.: Public Corruption is just the local “Pass-time” here. IGNORED.
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Issuing new debt to supplement QOL bond projects without voter approval is unlawful. The 2012 QOL bond came with a specific price tag and now it is being raised by fiat. This requires a legal challenge from a citizen or group of citizens with the resources and determination to see it through to its conclusion.
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