Tax Increases

August 25, 2013

The city just raised it’s property tax rate.  The owner of a home of average value ($124,000) will be charged $28.37 more this year.

The city also raised the environmental fee on your garbage bill $2 a month.  That adds $24 per year to our bills, putting the real increase at $52.37.

Did the city’s environmental costs double in one year?  According to the El Paso Times  the extra money will be used to support street sweeping, median maintenance, and the animal shelter.

This is a tax increase too.

Next

The hospital district is said to be considering a tax increase that will add another $28 to the tax bill on that $125 thousand dollar home.

Then we have the county that added $62 per year to the average home’s tax bill last year.  The county is said to be considering yet another increase this year to help with their “needs”.

And then

The Ysleta district just passed a $26 annual increase on their average sized home ($107,000).

It looks like the El Paso Independent School District will add $5 per month to the onslaught.

The El Paso Community College district is the last major taxer and is considering an 8% increase that would add $18 to our bills.

Not done yet

For the average home in the Ysleta district we are at about $125 per year in increases before the county piles on.

We deserve better

Brutus

1 Comment | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District | 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

Not acting like a sheep

August 18, 2013

One of the visitors to the round table the other day told us how he took some extra time and solved a problem.

It seems that a person from his dentist’s office called to cancel his appointment.  The next time the dentist could see this person was six weeks out.

Our patient explained that since the appointment was cancelled for the convenience of the office, it would be appropriate to have an appointment scheduled earlier.  The clerk refused.

The patient asked that the dentist be put on the phone.  That actually happened.  When the dentist learned what the situation was a more timely appointment was made.

There was a retired physician at the table.  He remarked that he used to call his office posing as a patient.  Much to his surprise he found out that he did not see patients after 3PM on Wednesdays.  He also learned that according to his office he would be out of town on days where he knew he would be in town.

The point here is that sometimes staff manipulates the bosses even in private business, just like what happens at the city.

In the case of a private business a timely call to the boss might straighten out an unacceptable situation.  I can’t make any promises with our local governments.

Eternal vigilance is the cost of liberty.

Cato

1 Comment | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Cato

Has anything changed?

July 14, 2013

The headline article in the Wednesday, May 22, 2013 edition of the El Paso Times was about school district spending per student.

The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) is the largest school district in the area.  The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently stripped the district’s elected board of trustees of their power and appointed a board of managers  to run the district.  We are told that this action was mostly the result of a horrible cheating scandal (by the employees, not the students) and the trustees not taking action and  being transparent in their dealings.  The new board has been tasked with rebuilding public confidence.

The Times talked with local school districts about the spending per student issue.  What did EPISD have to say?  “Officials at the EPISD were not available to comment” according to the Times article.  So much for transparency.

The Times was able to talk with the president of the newly appointed board of managers.  He was, until the latest election, a Texas state representative.  While in office he voted to cut $5.4 billion from the state education budget.  The Times chose not to mention that.  So much for transparency.

The $5.4 billion dollar cut may have been the right thing to do.  EPISD wastes money like a drunken sailor.  They have people on their central office staff that hinder teaching instead of helping it.  Ask any classroom teacher, but be prepared for an ear full.

One of the members of the new board of managers was appointed by the TEA as the conservator of the school district in August of 2012.  She had the power to overrule the board of trustees.  Have we seen any new action as a result of her position?  What is the district doing differently since she has been in control?  So much for action.  So much for transparency.

Now it appears that the City of El Paso wants to kick the EPISD central offices off the airport property that the district leases.  We are being told that it will cost $40 million to build new facilities.  If they are telling us that it will be $40 million what will the number really be?

We have a TEA appointed board of managers.  So be it.  They need to get to work and fix the district.  They need to tell us what they are doing.  They need to fix public confidence.  They need to work with the city to avoid spending $40 million when what money they do have should be spent on educating the children.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty

Cato

2 Comments | City government, El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times, State Government, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Cato

Elementary school rankings

July 13, 2013

Our elementary schools were ranked by Children at Risk this way:

Campus School District RANK 2013 STATE LETTER GRADE
Bonham El El Paso ISD 36 A
Cielo Vista El El Paso ISD 90 A
Mesita El El Paso ISD 109 A
Vilas El El Paso ISD 169 A
Eastwood Heights El Ysleta ISD 274 A
Marguerite J Lundy El El Paso ISD 323 A
Aoy El El Paso ISD 331 A
Bradley El El Paso ISD 341 A
Zach White El El Paso ISD 361 A
Milam El El Paso ISD 419 B
Mitzi Bond Elementary El Paso ISD 463 B
Logan El El Paso ISD 487 B
Green El El Paso ISD 505 B
Ysleta El Ysleta ISD 506 B
Loma Terrace El Ysleta ISD 523 B
William C Herrera El El Paso ISD 530 B
Edgemere El Ysleta ISD 538 B
Mission Valley El Ysleta ISD 547 B
Alicia R Chacon Ysleta ISD 588 B
Hillside El El Paso ISD 593 B
Collins El El Paso ISD 601 B
Moreno El El Paso ISD 605 B
Zavala El El Paso ISD 659 B
Western Hills El El Paso ISD 668 B
Nixon El El Paso ISD 686 B
Mesa Vista El Ysleta ISD 750 B
North Loop El Ysleta ISD 776 B
Lancaster El Ysleta ISD 785 B
Guerrero El El Paso ISD 790 B
Kohlberg El El Paso ISD 792 B
Tippin Elementary El Paso ISD 799 B
Putnam El El Paso ISD 808 B
Escontrias El Socorro ISD 818 B
Macarthur El-Int El Paso ISD 832 B
Marian Manor El Ysleta ISD 853 B
Glen Cove El Ysleta ISD 855 B
Coldwell El El Paso ISD 936 B
Fannin El El Paso ISD 948 B
Bill Childress El Canutillo ISD 955 B
Presa El Ysleta ISD 974 B
Lamar El El Paso ISD 1006 B
Del Norte Heights El Ysleta ISD 1029 B
Burleson El El Paso ISD 1037 B
Loma Verde Socorro ISD 1044 B
Vista Del Sol El Socorro ISD 1065 B
Newman El El Paso ISD 1078 B
Dowell El El Paso ISD 1159 B
Alfonso Borrego Sr Elementary San Elizario ISD 1235 B
Jose H Damian El Canutillo ISD 1254 B
Le Barron Park El Ysleta ISD 1273 B
Desertaire El Ysleta ISD 1298 B
Cayuga El Cayuga ISD 1310 B
Ramona El Ysleta ISD 1312 B
Parkland El Ysleta ISD 1327 B
Canutillo Elementary School Canutillo ISD 1337 B
Tom Lea Jr El El Paso ISD 1364 B
Park El El Paso ISD 1381 B
Clendenin El El Paso ISD 1382 B
Elkhart Int Elkhart ISD 1384 B
Douglass El El Paso ISD 1386 B
Scotsdale El Ysleta ISD 1389 B
Barron El El Paso ISD 1416 B
Vista Hills El Ysleta ISD 1434 B
Schuster El El Paso ISD 1467 B
Sageland El Ysleta ISD 1483 B
Johnson El El Paso ISD 1530 B
Crockett El El Paso ISD 1532 B
Robbin E L Washington El Ysleta ISD 1547 B
Dr Sue A Shook School Socorro ISD 1575 B
Tornillo Int Tornillo ISD 1580 B
H R Moye El El Paso ISD 1612 B
Thomas Manor El Ysleta ISD 1623 B
Hacienda Heights El Ysleta ISD 1674 B
Stanton El El Paso ISD 1716 B
Tierra Del Sol El Ysleta ISD 1742 B
Cooley El El Paso ISD 1812 B
Wm David Surratt El Clint ISD 1831 B
Beall El El Paso ISD 1847 C
Colin L Powell El El Paso ISD 1854 C
H D Hilley El Socorro ISD 1891 C
Howard Burnham El Burnham Wood Charter School Distri 1895 C
Cadwallader El Ysleta ISD 1906 C
La Fe Preparatory School La Fe Preparatory School 1920 C
Capistrano El Ysleta ISD 1947 C
North Star El Ysleta ISD 1976 C
Lujan-Chavez El Socorro ISD 2005 C
Whitaker El El Paso ISD 2021 C
Clardy El El Paso ISD 2057 C
Rusk El El Paso ISD 2069 C
Dolphin Terrace El Ysleta ISD 2078 C
Roberts El El Paso ISD 2089 C
Alta Vista El El Paso ISD 2095 C
Red Sands El Clint ISD 2099 C
Hughey El El Paso ISD 2106 C
Pasodale El Ysleta ISD 2159 C
Eastwood Knolls Ysleta ISD 2183 C
John Drugan School Socorro ISD 2192 C
Lee El El Paso ISD 2295 C
Pebble Hills El Ysleta ISD 2310 C
Bill Sybert School Socorro ISD 2315 C
Ernesto Serna School Socorro ISD 2331 C
South Loop El Ysleta ISD 2343 C
Paso Del Norte School Socorro ISD 2349 C
Cedar Grove El Ysleta ISD 2428 C
Helen Ball El Socorro ISD 2505 C
Constance Hulbert El Ysleta ISD 2510 C
Benito Martinez El Socorro ISD 2569 C
Myrtle Cooper El Socorro ISD 2572 C
Elfida Chavez El Socorro ISD 2582 C
Josefa L Sambrano El San Elizario ISD 2647 C
Travis El El Paso ISD 2703 C
L G Alarcon Elementary San Elizario ISD 2704 C
Sierra Vista El Socorro ISD 2738 C
Deanna Davenport El Canutillo ISD 2744 C
O’Shea Keleher El Socorro ISD 2756 C
East Point El Ysleta ISD 2794 C
Horizon Heights El Socorro ISD 2858 C
Crosby El El Paso ISD 2876 C
Jane A Hambric School Socorro ISD 3011 C
Sgt Roberto Ituarte Socorro ISD 3014 C
Bliss El El Paso ISD 3149 C
Chester E Jordan Socorro ISD 3156 C
Desert Wind El Socorro ISD 3173 C
Ascarate El Ysleta ISD 3233 C
Gonzalo And Sofia Garcia Elementar Canutillo ISD 3267 C
Hart El El Paso ISD 3271 C
Hueco El Socorro ISD 3384 C
Montana Vista El Clint ISD 3405 C
Harmony Science Acad (El Paso) Harmony Science Acad (El Paso) 3417 C
Hurshel Antwine School Socorro ISD 3438 C
Campestre El Socorro ISD 3461 C
Anthony El Anthony ISD 3488 C
Robert R Rojas El Socorro ISD 3715 D
Harmony School Of Innovation – El Harmony Science Academy (El Paso) 3849 D

Children at Risk indicates on their web site that they use the following criteria when ranking elementary schools:

  • STAAR Advanced Reading – 3rd Grade (10%)
  • STAAR Advanced Reading – 4th Grade (10%)
  • STAAR Advanced Math (10%)
  • Attendance Rate (10%)
  • Class Size, Grade 1 (5%)
  • Class Size, Grade 2 (5%)
  • Class Size, Grade 3 (5%)
  • Retention Rate, Grade 1 (2.5%)
  • Retention Rate, Grade 2 (2.5%)
  • Retention Rate, Grade 3 (2.5%)
  • Retention Rate, Grade 4 (2.5%)
  • Percent Economically Disadvantaged (20%)
  • Reading Gain/Loss (7.5%)
  • Math Gain/Loss (7.5%)

They ranked 4,059 schools.  Schools ranked 2,030 or above are thus in the bottom half of the state.

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Posted by Brutus

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