Help support other governments during the holiday season

December 26, 2013

The December 16, 2013 Times editorial urged the approval of a transportation plan.  Again the Times advocates higher local taxes instead of more effective representation at the state and feral levels.

El Pasoans are being taxed to pay for facilities that should be paid for by the state and the Times recognizes the situation.  From the Times editorial:

No one likes to pay additional taxes or fees. And in this case, it can be justifiably argued that El Paso County vehicle owners are getting stuck with a tab that should be picked up by other governments.

But El Paso has serious traffic congestion issues that are getting worse by the day. That leaves local leadership with two choices — complaining about the failure of others, or taking control of our own destiny.

Whining is not much of a strategy. The results of the bold but controversial choice made by Commissioners Court will become evident today, as the 16 mobility projects are outlined at the Commissioners Court meeting.

Border administration

This year El Paso’s city council voted to create a fund with our local money to pay overtime for U. S. government employees in an effort to improve bridge crossing times.  Many parts of our country suffer from river flooding and hurricanes regularly and get extraordinary assistance from the feds,  yet somehow immigration has become a feral issue but needs to be paid for by local citizens.

Even university systems

The separately funded Texas Tech system leased our train station for  one dollar a year from the benevolent citizens of El Paso.  That was in addition to the Albert Fall mansion that we rebuilt with city funds and then gave to the university for another dollar a year.

Go local

If we have to raise taxes, can’t we at least spend the money on something that we are clearly responsible for — like local roads?

We deserve better

Brutus

8 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Times, Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Red tape — a U.S. government product

December 15, 2013

Princeton university is having a problem with meningitis B.

They wanted to use a vaccine to help stop the spread.  The one they found is not licensed for use in the United States yet but is licensed in Canada and Europe.

Princeton asked our licensing agency, the Food and Drug Administration for permission to use the foreign vaccine.  The FDA gave permission.

What does that say about our licensing procedure?

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Shut up and eat kid

December 4, 2013

The Times ran an article the other day about how the Canutillo Independent School District is trying to increase participation in their free breakfast program.

They must be having problems giving away their free food.

The district benefits from federal funding for the meals.  They also receive more federal assistance with technology purchases when a higher percentage of the students eat the free breakfasts.  If not enough kids can be counted in the government give-away the district does not get as much money for their high-tech egos.

Self reliance discouraged

A district official was quoted as saying “Some of them eat at home…”.  Heaven forbid!

She went on to say “… some of them get here early enough, but they just want to go and play with their friends.”  Imagine that.

Government for all

The district’s solution is the Grab and Go Breakfast program.  The students are given a breakfast bag as they enter the school.  According to the article the students “can eat healthy breakfast foods while they are on their way to class or during the first few minutes of class”.

I guess eating trumps learning.  Maybe in the future they can serve a buffet lunch during fourth period and then maybe have happy hour at the end of the day.

The district should probably plan to buy some more garbage cans.

Taking the cake

One mother was quoted this way “Sometimes we come late because there is a lot of traffic, so I don’t get to bring them to breakfast.  So this has been really helpful for me and the kids because I know they are eating.”

That darn traffic!  Without the government helping me I might have had to get up earlier and do part of my mothering job.

Those kids deserve better

Brutus

12 Comments | Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Disenfranchised and disappointed

November 30, 2013

Ball park

Many of us are upset about the way the ball park happened.

We tore down city hall and the Insights science museum, have spent over $70 million dollars moving city functions, and have done nothing about replacing the museum.

We have sold $61 million worth of bonds for the ball park and are paying for other ball park related things through various city funds.

The voters of El Paso might have approved this but were never given a chance.

Bigger problem.

An even bigger problem for future El Paso taxpayers is the county approving $152 million to build three new health clinics and remodel parts of the county hospital.

Once again voters were not given a chance to consider this.

The county hospital district is going to build clinics with our money and will compete with private practice doctors.  El Paso has fewer doctors per capita than other major cities, yet we are using taxpayer money to compete with them.

Then we will have the ongoing costs of maintaining these clinics.  At the same time the nation is moving toward a system of universal coverage where the national government sees to it that everyone has health coverage.

Why are we building these clinics now?  Why not wait a few years to see if the national program takes hold and then let the private sector and the national government handle this?  Why the hurry?

Why are we taking on local debt when this has become a national issue?

We deserve better

Brutus

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

El Paso county hospital in the future

November 3, 2013

With universal healthcare as one of the stated goals of the current administration I wonder why we will need a county hospital in the future.

Maybe there is a good reason for El Paso county taxpayers to be funding $150 million for new clinics.

I don’t see one.

We deserve better

Brutus

6 Comments | County Government, Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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