Something missing

August 16, 2017

We are surprised that only one group (KVIA TV) reported the fact that YISD will receive $215 million to help pay for the $430 million bond issue that was approved.

KVIA wrote about and quoted the YISD superintendent:

De La Torre also pointed to additional state funding in the form of Existing Debt Allotment and Instructional Facilities Allotment.

“It’s a $430.5 million bond. But in terms of the burden to our community it’s a $215.25 million bond and that’s all they are being asked to pay for because the state is paying for the other half,” De La Torre said.”

As far as we can see the Times has not mentioned the $215 million.  They attributed the district’s tax decrease to:

District officials said the decrease is due to favorable market conditions during the bond sale and a slight increase in state funding for existing debt and for an allotment that helps offset the cost of building new instructional facilities.

In our neck of the woods $215 million in tax relief is worth writing about.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD–in the spotlight

June 21, 2017

The battle between two of our potential congressional candidates (the county judge and the president of the EPISD school board) is heating up.

We are beginning to see articles in the Times that shine light on problems relating to the EPISD superintendent and the board president.  It would be nice if these articles were the result of the Times doing good investigative reporting about our local governments.  Instead, it looks to us that the Times is trying to influence the upcoming election.  Without regard to their motivation, we are thankful for their coverage.

The latest article dealt with travel expenses racked up by the superintendent and the board president.  Evidently the superintendent and board president have been living it up while traveling on district business.

The Times informed us that the superintendent said he wasn’t familiar with state laws regarding government employee’s travel expenses.  What a shame.  They also told us that the superintendent has “severe health issues” and must travel in first-class on longer trips.  Try applying for a job at the district with “severe health issues”.

We can expect to hear more about this as teachers are being asked bear the brunt of the district’s financial problems.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

16 Comments | County Government, El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Changing Times

June 4, 2017

A knowledgeable reader reached out to us the other day and suggested that we are being too hard on the Times.

The reader was employed in the newspaper business many years ago.

He pointed out the difficult financial situation that the Times is in and how, with limited resources, it is hard for the Times to meet our expectations–ones that are based upon older economic and social situations.

He was of course right.

We argued that most of our discontent was with their meddling in the political arena.

As is the case in many discussions we were concerned about different things.

For our part we will endeavor to avoid writing about their functional failures as much as we have.

Unfortunately the Times has not figured out how to remain relevant.

We do feel that what they are doing now is making their situation worse.

Might they change course?

Brutus

8 Comments | El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Wrong and in plain sight

May 28, 2017

The Times printed a picture that showed political signs for both of the mayoral runoff candidates placed right in front of our county courthouse.

 

 

Placing the signs on public property is a violation of the intent of our state constitution:

[T]he Legislature shall have no power to authorize any county, city, town or other political corporation or subdivision of the State to lend its credit or to grant public money or thing of value in aid of, or to any individual, association or corporation whatsoever.

Does either one of the candidates care about the rules?

Is the Times deliberately ignoring the rules or don’t they have anyone left who cares about the public?

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | City government, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Political cat fight

May 25, 2017

We live in interesting times.

Our county judge and our EPISD school board president both seem to want to be our next United States congressman.

The Times has been pretty much hands off in regard to the situation over at EPISD.  That is up until now.

Word on the street is that the county judge’s operatives have decided to sick the Times on the school board president and the superintendent.  Unfortunately the situation at EPISD will give the Times a lot to write about.

Some say that the school superintendent and board president are toast.

The board president comes from the moneyed side of the power equation in El Paso.

Will we see her and her supporters now talking openly about the problems over at the county?  Will they put financial pressure on the Times?

Will the editor of the Times be caught in the middle?

Stay tuned.

We deserve better

Brutus

7 Comments | County Government, El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »