Double whammy

August 1, 2013

A few days ago one of our commenters asked one of us about the new radio system for the sheriff’s department.

You will remember that the city destroyed it’s 2008 radio system when it imploded city hall.  This article explained how the city chose to buy a new $20 million dollar radio system instead of moving the one they had.

My focus at the time was about how the rush to vacate the old city hall seemed to have made it impractical to move the multiple channel radio system one channel at a time, thus saving the equipment and our money.

Now the sheriff needs a new radio system like the city’s in order to be compatible with other agencies and to improve coverage.

The commenter asked a great question.  Could the old city system have been used by the sheriff?

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | City government, County Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Right on the head

July 10, 2013

This entry on refusethejuice.typepad.com does a fine job of explaining some of our problems in El Paso.  We need more jobs.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | City government, County Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Paying twice

July 8, 2013

Today’s county commissioners court agenda contemplates approving the hospital district  projects that the court approved $152 million in bonds for earlier this year, of course without asking the public.  Local physicians are furious over this.

Once again our local officials choose to tell us only part of the story.  Our two cents covered this in more detail.

Please remember that the CEO of the hospital has told us that the hospital is operating at a profit.  Then why is $29 million being allocated to remodel four floors of the old hospital?  The answer is simple — if the hospital had to pay for upkeep of the facility out of normal operating funds they would not be profitable.  All facilities, commercial and governmental, have to budget for periodic refreshing.  If operating revenues cannot pay for this, the facility is not profitable over the long term.

The  CEO also has told us that building the outpatient facilities will save us $17 million a year in operating costs at the hospital emergency room.  Will these savings be used to pay for the bonds?

If not, then we are paying for both the bonds and the $17 million annually that they will doubtless spend on something else.

We recently had a city election where the voters signaled what they feel about city government.  Was the county listening?

We deserve better

Brutus

2 Comments | County Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Independence every day

July 4, 2013

… That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their  just powers from the consent of the governed.  That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it …

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty

Cato

2 Comments | City government, County Government, Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Cato

Goose and gander

June 14, 2013

This November 12, 2008 article in the El Paso Times admonished our county commissioners to avoid making controversial decisions while in lame-duck status.

At the time some commissioners would be leaving office within 50 days.  The Times thought that controversial decisions should be left up to the new court.

This Tuesday city council will consider issuing $60.8 million in bonds instead of the $52.8 million that they approved for the  $50 million ball park a few weeks ago.

The new council will be sworn in June 23, 2013.  By my counting that means that this current bunch will have five days remaining in office when they vote on  this item.

It seems to me that the Times is being consistent here.  They give city council a free pass even when council’s actions are the most egregious.

It will be interesting to see what surfaces after the election and the exodus.

Muckraker

Leave a Comment » | City government, County Government, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Muckraker

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