“The crowning imbecility of the Anglo-Saxon breed is its dumb belief in public office or an administrative position as the supreme honor for a man of intellect.”
E. T. Bell
Self importance
March 6, 2016
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City government, County Government, Federal Government, State Government | 
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Posted by Brutus
Late to the show
February 29, 2016Aren’t we lucky?
Our long time district attorney has stood on the sidelines while many of local politicos are convicted.
Now on the eve of an election where he has two opponents he has decided to ask a different agency to investigate some of the mess at the city.
Wow! Talk about firm action to protect the citizens!
Note that his office is not talking about investigating. He is asking someone else to do it.
We deserve better
Brutus
8 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
Another attempt to get more people to vote
February 26, 2016This came in from Xavier Miranda:
The upcoming election will impact a generation that has gone through 16 years of a crumbling public education system, as a result of the neoliberal reforms of No Child Left Behind, and Race to the Top. Insurmountable student-debt, 40 hour work weeks that result in substandard wages, and costly healthcare—these are few of the dim prospects our kids now face.
Our legacy to them is bleak. We see it in our dysfunctional two-party political system. We see it in the local District Attorney’s race, as evident by cases that have not been pursued, such as the alleged assault of a city employee by a former elected representative; or the suspect actions involving the ballpark and mayoral elections, which cost taxpayers an additional $22 million; or the shooting deaths of members of our community by our police department.
Rather than accept the status quo, folks from various generations are converging to make a difference. We see communities join in opposing exploitative deals such as theTrans-Pacific Partnership; we see neighborhood groups stand against corporations that expose school children to toxins; we see marginalized groups take a stand on global atrocities against immigrants;
What we don’t see is our community coming out to vote. The fact that there are 403,000 registered voters in El Paso, yet only 6% come out to vote, is proof of an eroding democracy. All the gerrymandering and voter suppression has been successful in disenfranchising communities. Our voice continues to go unheeded, but our direction comes from highly-compensated zealots who purport to uphold universal values, yet our foreclosures continue, guns become prominent in our state, our families are burdened by health costs, and our taxes are diverted to vanity projects.
Fortunately, there are individuals in our community that have assumed the responsibility of authentically voicing our concerns and our solutions. As with all matters political, we will not be able to find 100% agreement or compatibility, but given their journey to represent us, their nobility and sacrifice are eagerly welcomed.
A race of notable interest is the Texas State Board of Education, a non-paid office, that either can preserve or dismantle the concepts of democracy and pubic education. Unfortunately, political, financial, and ideological interests have established a stronghold in our state, which has resulted inTexas rating poorly on many education levels.
Typically our group is focused on issues, one of which has been education. Given that, it is requested that you consider Georgina Perez, an educator and social justice advocate, to represent El Paso on the Texas State Board of Education. Her path is lined with authentic advocacy and tangible results. Her message resonates within our community, as evident by the diverse support of school board members, union officials, and supportive elected officials.
Voting started on February 16, culminating with Super Tuesday on March 1. Voting information and polling sites can be accessed at this link: https://epcountyvotes.com/quick_links/early_voting
Please encourage family and friends to educate themselves on the issues and candidates, then bring them out to vote, please.
As the Texas elections have changed, information regarding the election process and subsequent county conventions will be forthcoming.
Regards,
Xavier Miranda
El Paso Grassroots
14 Comments | Ball park, City government, County Government, Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
More losses to come at our county hospital
February 19, 2016If things go as planned our county hospital only expects to lose $8.3 million next year.
Aren’t we lucky?
We deserve better
Brutus
6 Comments | County Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
Hospital making us sick
February 15, 2016The financial audit is in for our county hospital’s 2015 fiscal year.
They lost $76.8 million which is far better than the $141.1 million they lost the year before.
Luckily for them our property taxes gave them $68.6 million for maintenance and operations during that period. They also got $17.2 million for us in property taxes to be used to make debt service payments.
While the county hospital exists to help people get well, I think it is fair that these numbers make many of us sick.
We deserve better
Brutus
8 Comments | County Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
elpasospeak 
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