Forgetting your place

April 24, 2013

I wrote this back in December 2012 and forgot to publish it.  I still think it is relevant.

I read the guest column written by one of our city representatives and printed in the El Paso Times Sunday (Dec. 9, 2012).

I agree with much of what she wrote but was taken back by her closing paragraph. She wrote “These negative, personal attacks and unfounded allegations must stop.”

Firstly I wonder who she thinks she is. She works for us. We should tell her what to do, not vice/versa. Evidently she thinks that she is in charge and that of course is a large part of our problem with the current, temporary, city government.

Beyond that, I would like to suggest that the people in city government stop calling us citizens “crazies” and “amateurs” as has recently happened. Our government is founded on citizens who are “amateurs” in government affairs electing our representatives. Most of us think that our elected representatives should be “amateurs” and not professional politicians.

Lastly, it would be more appropriate for the city representative to caution the city staff and the other representatives to be more respectful of the citizens and each other. They have unfortunately been saying disparaging things about each other and the citizens. They are way out of line.

She should clean up her own house and then bite her tongue when wanting to criticize the citizenry.

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | City government, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by jcurrey

Are you kidding?

April 23, 2013

Just in time for the May elections a task force formed by our city manager will finish four billboards designed to make El Pasoans feel better about their city according to an article on the front page of The El Paso Times.  The message is a teaser, currently it reads “so, it’s good”.

I have a few suggestions that might be more helpful in making us feel better about our city:

Fix our roads

Build more parks and make the existing ones better

Replace the children’s science museum that was recently torn down

Let the voters vote on large financial matters that are discretionary in nature

Have elected officials that are honest and responsible to the citizens

Remind government employees that they work for the public, not vice versa

See to it that we do not have the 5th highest tax rate of America’s largest 100 cities.

I trust that the readers could add many more items to the list of things that would make us feel better about our city.

Billboards?

Actions speak louder than words.  Maybe those people of influence that are on the task force should work toward improving the quality of the citizen’s lives instead of those of their power group.

The group is spending $14,000.  I do not know whose money this is but would not be surprised if it turns out to be taxpayer’s.

Front page?

The El Paso Times saw fit to print an article on their front page about this facade.  Meanwhile the important issue at county commissioner’s court (Opening government) was relegated to the end of an article that was printed on page 3b and was barely discussed at that.

Muckraker

5 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Times, Open Government | Permalink
Posted by Muckraker

Serendipity

April 22, 2013

The El Paso Times is not pulling its punches.

Yesterday’s front page said it all.

Mr. Progressive Ortega’s continence dominated the front page, just below the Headlines, Mayoral Election.  Four other minor candidates are sitting in the background listening to his every word. Again just below the photo, Mr. Ortega is mentioned 6 times including his recent support of the Baseball stadium before any of the other candidates are named. Seven candidates were mentioned in 50 words or less before being relegated to page 9A. “Very convenient, my dear Watson“.

Seems the “Ortega for Mayor” and the El Paso Times offices are both at 500 W. Overland, all be it different suites, 250 and 150.  With all the vacancies Downtown, you would think a progressive….Stop with the Sherlock!!

Coincidence?

I’ve said enough. What do you think, Brutus?

M. T. Cicero

3 Comments | City government, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by M.T. Cicero

Fireworks

April 22, 2013

My good friend M. T. Cicero alerted us to  an article in El Diario the other day.  He used Google translation.  Just getting the article was an eye opener, El Diario will now become a source of news about El Paso for me.

I don’t think it would be fair to quote the article directly since Google was used to convert it to English.  It was in the April 18, 2013 edition if you want to read  it  yourself.

The reporter wrote about city council’s decision to close several streets as part of the ball park deal with the railroad.  Evidently school districts, neighbors, and other agencies were not informed by the city.  Government officials and citizens were interview and some of their concerns were discussed.

The manager of El Paso County Water Improvement District Number One spoke of the 532 water users who would evidently suffer because of these closings.

The Ysleta Independent School District (YISD)  learned of the situation from a third party, not from the city.  Students use the Cadwallader street crossing to go to and from Riverside High School.  YISD held an emergency meeting.  Also some 16-22 buses will have to be re-routed.

We don’t know how many others will be affected by the closings yet.

The article tied the closing of the crossings directly to the construction of the ball park and the parking lot east of the new city hall.  It pointed out that city council will be discussing (and probably taking action) on this next Tuesday at 8:30 AM in the downtown library.

We have been writing here about the closings.  Train wreck was our most recent article about them.

Once again the city is acting with disregard for the public.  It appears that there will be some opposition from other agencies at Tuesday’s meeting.

It’s about time.

One more thing.  According to the reporter the city did not return her calls.  Had it been a call from the city’s media outlet and real estate partner The El Paso Times I suspect the call would have been returned.

Let’s vote for a change and for change in May.

We deserve better

Brutus

Leave a Comment » | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

The week of April 21, 2013

April 22, 2013

Monday Brutus wrote Proposition 6, civil.  He did not express an opinion, hoping that someone would give us some information.

Tuesday  in No one will notice I criticized a Times article.  It failed to point out several things about the ball park bond debt.  Instead it acted more as a spokesman for the city, in my opinion.  Proposition 7, waiting for input by Brutus got a nice response from a civil service commission member.

Cato wrote about the hospital district bonds in Heal thyself pointing out that their financial situation is not good and that the bonds will increase our costs.  Then also on Wednesday Brutus wrote about Proposition 8 and once again pointed out that the ballot language was inconsistent with what the city web site says it means.  The civil service commissioner provided some more input in her comment.

Thursday saw Demolishing trust and Proposition 9 by Brutus.  Demolishing trust was an update about the real financial situation relative to the ball park and the moving of city hall.  Proposition 9 was the last of Brutus’ introductory posts about the proposed city charter amendments.

Cato wrote about one of the city manager’s emails in Stacking the votes.  She was attacking a citizen member of the civil service commission because he would not the way she wanted.  That was the only article Friday.

Then on Saturday Cato asked why members of our state legislative group are trying to take away our right to vote.  Another issue might be taken away from the voters was about how the voters of El Paso must currently approve any bailout contributions that would be made to the Fire and Policemen’s Pension Fund.  This legislation would give that power to city council.  Why would some of our state legislators want to do that to us?  Could it be the campaign support that Police and Fire give to them?  Then M. T. Cicero posted El Diario  an article about institutions not consulted by city council when they agreed to close the rail crossings and how El Diario was doing a better job covering what is happening than The El Paso Times is.

Lastly on Sunday Brutus wroteBall park clarification, explaining that he was not against the ball park but was against how it is being done.

Muckraker

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

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