It shouldn’t surprise us that some of our city officials have difficulty telling the same story:
City council is considering slapping a city sales tax on our electricity and natural gas purchases.
What for?
The city’s chief financial officer was recently quoted in a Times article saying:
Cortinas said reimposing the tax would generate about $3 million for El Paso that would go toward funding Fire Department equipment and vehicle replacement.
“We thought this was the right opportunity to make sure we don’t fall behind on replacing our fire equipment,” Cortinas said.
Another story
The city representative for district one (west side) wrote this in his recent weekly message:
In regards towards the proposed Utility Sales Tax, it would create 3million a year that could be dedicated specifically for street resurfacing of which there is currently no dedicated source of funding for street resurfacing by our city.
Whatever
Maybe we should ask some other city officials.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Chances are it will be used for neither. I love that they keep mentioning that people want roads, police/fire and parks based on their highly unpublicized survey. The reality is that the survey forced you to make three choices. My choices were roads and fire/police. But since the form wouldn’t submit with just two, I also checked parks. The survey should have allowed folks to pick one or more. I wonder how many people picked a third choice they didn’t care about because of the pick three requirement.
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The survey results are garbage. Their surveys are never conducted using accepted research methodologies.
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We could ask the same questions about the $10 the City, County ADDS to the State Vehicle Registration Fee. Where does all that go? Thought it was to repair streets. And the Storm Water Fee, Rain-Falling-off-The-Roof-TAX?? Thought that was to PREVENT flood damage. Where does it ALL go?? A giant slush fund, campaign funds, “Back Pockets”?? The City, County is BILLIONS$$$ in debt and no way to pay it, except to beg, steal every dime THEY can from US. It’s useless to ask these people anything, any question. Like EPISD, the Texas Rangers, F.B.I. has to ask the questions.
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The International Bridge fees/tolls used to be dedicated for street
resurfacing and repairs.
Under which incompetent administration did that change?
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I think it was a combo of Cook and Leeser.
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This sales tax is like the tax on the water utility to lay pipes in our streets. It is no different than you charging yourself to park your car in your garage, a pass thru. I wrote to Dist #1 Rep (can never recall how to spell his name) and said it was cowardly of CC to do this like it was cowardly to levy the water utility fee. Just have the cajones to ‘fess up to a tax increase.
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Looks like it will go into a General Fund and help pay for the ballpark fiasco.
Money goes into bank accounts with no special name on them.
Its just . . . Money in the bank to spend.
(On bonds and interest on money ALREADY borrowed.)
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Just unaccounted for MONEY in the big slush-fund dumpster at City Hall. Kind of like the almost BILLION$$ Bond, some voters gave Cabrera at EPISD. A scam, a Con, the fleecing of “Us stupid, ignorant peons”.
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I hope there are no FIRES or POTHOLES in the meantime…
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Oh you think the increases in your property taxes or the sales tax on your utilities or the $3 on your water bill for street maintenance is going to hurt. Wait till you find out about the big raise City Council is planning on giving the City Manager. For all of his great work on raising your taxes. This will be the biggest slap in the face to taxpayers ever. Thank you Dee Margo.
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Margo is no different than all the other politicians, Public Officials in El Taxo. THEY are only out for whatever THEY can get, TAKE from US. Then THEY hire all these carpet baggers from OUT of TOWN, like Cabrera at EPISD, the City Manager and blow off HALF-MILLION$$$ salaries on them. NO Teacher, school official HERE has the INTELLIGENCE, ability to do that “Bench-warmer,Position”?? Exorbitant giveaway’s that the WORKING people, taxpayers of El Taxo cannot afford, but have NO vote, NO Representation, nothing to say about any of it. The Public Corruption, the fleecing of US “Stupid , ignorant peons”, by inherent public corruption in El Taxo.
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In fairness, the city manager doesn’t raise taxes. It’s your elected representatives. They often even add spending to the staff’s proposed budget.
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“In fairness”?? WHO, WHAT do they Represent?? Certainly not the taxpayers, homeowners. Maybe it’s the OTHER people businesses, entities that pay them, own them, buy them? City Manager MAYBE don’t “Increase taxes”. He just tells the Mayor, City Hall minions how much he wants and THEY take it from US. Just like Cabrera and the school board.
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