Can’t buy me love

October 6, 2013

Tuesday’s city council agenda has an item that proposes to extend the contracts that the city has with two local newspapers.

The city must by law publish certain things in a local newspaper.  This is a mandatory expense.

The proposed contract extensions are for two years and will cost us $225,000 per year.

Play nicely

The agenda item does not explain how the money will be split between the two publications.  That will be up to city staff.

Would the city punish a newspaper that was critical of the city administration?

I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

I do know you get what you pay for.

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | City government, El Paso Inc., El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

The Bridge

August 19, 2013

The publisher of El Paso Inc on Sunday opined about the “Bridge” series being seen on the  FX Channel.  It seems he feels it does not depict this City of El Paso in a good light.

The leading lady, Diane Kruger portrays an ELP Detective who has Aspergers syndrome, a particular form of the Autism spectrum which would make her unfit to serve on the El Paso PD.

So she can’t pass the physical and can’t survive the rigors of training?  I don’t see that.  Can’t pass the written exam about law enforcement, doesn’t seem right either.  She appears exceptionally bright.  What about the Americans for Disablities Act (ADA)?  Personally I like her character.  She does a great job depicting the Syndrome.  There are plenty like her in very responsible places, physicians, lawyers etc. probably even newspaper publishers.

The leading man, played by Damian Bilchir, is an honest Mexican policeman.  Hurrah!  He has a problem with fidelity to his wife.

Then there is the bad face put on the City.  Murder, crime, Infidelity, etc.  We can do better as Brutus often says.

I suggest a new series next season called the “The Real Face of El Paso”.  A Weekly drama about our fair (safe) City.

Let see,

Week One:”The School superintendent’s Mistresses ”  (talk about fidelity?)

Two: “What kind of Bribe is this?”

Three” The County Judge and his Cell mates”

Four:”Next time cash the checks Betty! damn it”

Five: “Dolores, why spend a half a million dollars on disabled kids”?

Six; “Let’s surprise them and level City Hall”

This series could last for years as the process continues.  We will make Albuquerque and “Breaking Bad” look like a Saturday kid’s show.

Sadly this is not far from the truth.  It’s hard for me to fathom that this has happened in plain view and probably will continue as pointed out in this and other blogs, the pols just don’t care what we think.

Well, for now, it  keeps Judge Frank busy.

2 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Inc., El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by M.T. Cicero

Another trick

August 2, 2013

The latest baseball park bond resolution from city council (sitting as the Downtown Development Corporation)  authorized the sale of $60.8 million of bonds at an interest rate not to exceed 5.75%.

You might remember that this is needed to finance our $50 million ball park that now is costing north of $64 million.

This article in El Paso Inc.  showed that the ball park costs are continuing to rise and that we should expect even more.

Creative financing

If I am wrong here I trust that someone will set me straight.

City staff explained that the $60.8 million of bonds will actually generate $64 million.  The extra $3.2 million will be used for contingencies — in other words they will spend it.  Even if they don’t we will pay interest on it.

How can they get away with $64 million when they were only allowed $60.8 million?  The answer is simple and sneaky.  Staff left some room in the amount of interest they can pay.  What they will do is pay more interest than would normally be necessary for this type of municipal bond.  In return they will get a $3.2 million dollar windfall.  Don’t worry, we can pay for it over time.  In fact they changed from a 25 year term to a 30 year term.  Quite simply they are using time and high interest rates thus raising the total cost to the community without being up front about it.

The article explained:

As for the new $64-million figure, Wilson said the sale of $60.8 million in municipal revenue bonds will actually generate an additional $3 million because they will be premium bonds. Those bonds will pay a higher interest rate, and investors will be willing to pay more

The city’s chief financial officer, Carmen Arrieta Candelaria, said the use of premium bonds is common when interest rates are too low to make conventional municipal bonds less attractive.

That last sentence does sound like the kind of nonsense that comes from this group.

Even more ominous is their admission that more issues will be coming up soon that will have to be taken to council.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | City government, El Paso Inc. | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Balk

June 2, 2013

This is strange.

Both El Paso Inc. and the El Paso Times made mention in their Sunday editions of  a deal between the city and the Diablos essentially paying the Diablos to go away.

The Times even went so far as to say that the item is on the city council agenda for Tuesday.  I went to look at the agenda.  I do not see the item.  I had someone else look.  Unless I missed it, the item is not on the agenda.

What happened?

Somehow both the Inc. and the Times got word of a deal in the making.  It was planned to happen Tuesday.  The item did not make it to the agenda.

Did someone at the city forget to register the item?  That’s possible given their general inability to get things right.  I doubt it though.

Did the massacre at last week’s city council meeting make the city think twice about risking further outcry before the upcoming runoff election?  That’s where my money is.

Sloppy

These people are unable to manage a press release, much less the city.  I will leave it to Brutus to handle the sordid financial details.

Muckraker

6 Comments | City government, El Paso Inc., El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Muckraker

Sardine school of architecture

May 12, 2013

This editorial in the El Paso Times once again shows who they are.

The piece gives credit to their favorite mayoral candidate for bringing a new school of architecture downtown with 500 students.

Let’s start with the fact that the city gave away 16,587 square feet of the Union Depot for 75 years.  Actually the taxpayers will get $1 per year for each of the next 75 years so he did get something for our property.  It does not take much of a salesman to get someone to move into a beautiful building  for free.

Then we have the fact that the Union Depot is not considered to be downtown by many of those over at the city — at least not when it does not suit them.

The editorial made it sound like 500 people would be eating lunch and revitalizing downtown every day.  The space involved is 16,587 square feet.  How many students can you get in that amount of space?

Maybe there should be an article about this.  Is Texas Tech going to build some more buildings to handle 500 people?  Have they invented a new system where they can pack lots of people in very little space?  Inquiring minds would like to know.

Then again the Times does not inquire when dealing with their masters.   They print what they are told to print.

Muckraker

2 Comments | City government, El Paso Inc., State Government | Permalink
Posted by Muckraker

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