It’s Saturday.
What’s on your mind?
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak
City of El Paso debt=$2,670,400,000, county and school district debt=$1,600,000,000. Total $4.27 billion. Your share $19,350
It’s Saturday.
What’s on your mind?
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Supposedly, this means the extremely expensive arena that will benefit very few El Pasoans will likely be built. Personally, I don’t care that much about the neighborhood, in terms of its possible history. Hell, the entire area has been abandoned and empty for some years now. But, what is insane is the push to build something that was never voted on by the taxpayers, at a cost that will undoubtedly bankrupt this City. A brief report came out last night in the local ‘news,’ and here is the link to it.
https://kvia.com/news/2020/01/17/texas-supreme-court-hands-city-of-el-paso-victory-in-duranguito-case/
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While the City presses on with its “arena” plans (does anyone remember that we voted for IMPROVEMENTS to a multipurpose performing arts and entertainment center) the City is currently blasting ahead with the construction of the Mexican American Cultural Center in the Main Library downtown. We already get notices from the Symphony when there is a game in the ballpark, warning patrons to get downtown early in order to be able to find parking. Picture this a few years from now: There’s a game in the ballpark, and an event at the Plaza. And there’s an event in the “arena.” And there are lots of cool new bars in the neighborhood. There is no evening public transportation so you’ll have to drive. (Do I see more business for Uber?) Maybe even one of the festivals that take over part of downtown (oops, DwnTwn) is in full swing. How will anyone be able to get to the art or history museums, or the children’s museum that will also be dropped into downtown? What brilliant urban planning!
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I think the plan is to use UTEP’s parking and ride the trolley downtown, like you’d do in San Francisco.
That’s where the similarity ends.
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But you still have to drive to get to UTEP…no night bus service from anywhere to there!
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The main reason I no longer go to the Symphony is a bad parking experience when the ballpark was also having a game. Just wish the young hipsters that love the new downtown could fully cover the costs of their playground instead of expecting property owners with zero interest in downtown to pay more and more in property taxes.
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The city is already bankrupt. It just hasn’t declared it.
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The EPISD Strategic Action Plan comes due this year 2020. If you are looking for something to do for a couple of hours you might read the original Plan. It is a masterpiece of words and goals with very little opportunity for accountability and even less accomplishment. It is like the world’s best vacuum cleaner that does not have a motor.
Click to access EPISD2020StrategicPlan.pdf
But don’t despair the State has come out with a new date to look forward to. 2030 and it has something to do with 26 to 29-year-olds doing something. I did not even finish reading it as I know I will not be around by then. 🙂
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This is from a Board Meeting Dec. 17, 2019. Shows how education is changing.
Approval of National Science Foundation Computer Science for All (CSforAll) Grant: A ResearchÂPractice
Partnership for Developing Computational Thinking through Linguistically and Culturally Relevant Computer
Science Curriculum in Middle School (National Science Foundation  $149,669.00)
(To effectively help teachers use bilingual and culturally relevant tools to develop the computational
thinking skills of middle school students)
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“Linguistically and Culturally Relevant Computer”
Is that an Affirmative Action computer? Like the ones used to write the on board software for the 737 Max at Boeing?
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Anybody remember when Cabrera was trying to steer a contract to his friends to make sure Jacobs was doing their job right. Here is the ELP Times story. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2017/08/31/questions-swirl-around-episds-1-500-a-day-consultant/623852001/
Well, here is an award to the same people on the Dec 17th board meeting.
4. Award of School Closure/Facilities Assessment/Deferred Maintenance Update/Facility Use/Capital Improvements Strategic Planning Consulting Services RFQ #20¬001 (Administration Recommendation: AECOM Technical Services Inc.) (Budgeted Local Funds) (To provide a long term strategic plan to include the identification of and recommendations regarding school closures, facilities assessments, deferred maintenance, facilities’ use to include consideration for potential consolidations or additions to campuses, and long-range capital improvements to guide the District’s facilities needs for the next ten years)
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”
John Quincy Adams
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