Do as we say, not as we do

January 27, 2014

Last week the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA) board decided to stop selling their toll tags through a company commonly known as a payday lender.

This post is not in support of the payday lenders, particularly their shameful practices.  I hope that the state takes action to better regulate these businesses.

The CRRMA action seems rather hypocritical to me.  Toll tags are a luxury that people buy so that they can drive from one place to another faster than if they stay on roads that the common folk have to use.  I doubt that many people who have the money to buy these tags find themselves in a position where they need to get a payday loan.   I don’t see the harm of them going into these stores.

Toll lanes that are created to offer expedited travel seem to be something that are not designed to help poor people.  Quite the opposite.  Here we have the CRRMA itself essentially making money from an elitist program and then somehow tying that to sanctioning retail facilities that make money from poorer people.

Lottery

Texas has a lottery system that offers several gambling products.  Some people call lotteries “a tax on the stupid”.   Published information indicates that the chance of winning Texas Lotto is about one in 25 million.

Will we see Texas stop selling lottery products through convenience stores?  After all these stores sell products at much higher prices than one can find in supermarkets and discount stores.  Convenience stores also generally sell alcohol and cigarettes.  Maybe Texas should not sell it’s “morally just”  lottery tickets in these places that cater to the weaknesses of human flesh.

We deserve better

Brutus

1 Comment | City government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

When will they tell us the truth?

January 26, 2014

Carried over from last year there are at least two issues that citizens would like to know about.

First, our west side city representative was accused of threatening a city employee last October.  The Times wrote:

City Manager Joyce Wilson said all council members have to go through standard investigative procedures when allegations are raised against them.

“They are treated the same as any other citizen. An investigation takes place and the outcome is referred to the District Attorney,” she said in an email.

Standard?

How long does it take to investigate a he-said-she-said?  Is it our district attorney that is burying this or is it the city?  Either way we deserve to know.

El Paso suing Texas attorney general

While many may think that the email issue is over, many are not aware that El Paso is still suing the attorney general over his ruling.

Why?

What are they trying to hide and when will we find out?

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | City government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Double your pleasure

January 18, 2014

These slides from the city web site show us the cost of selling bonds instead of saving up our money and paying cash:

2013bTaxableBonds

2013aTaxExemptBonds

So far we have sold two types of bonds to finance the ball park.  We sold 30 year taxable bonds totaling $15,660,000 and 25 year tax exempt bonds totaling $45,125,000.

That comes to $60,785,000.

What will it cost us by the time we have paid them off?  The number comes to $137,286,965.10.

That means that we will actually pay more than 2.25 times what we financed.

Why can’t our governments develop a pay as we go strategy? We would get at least twice as much for our money.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | Ball park, City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

We’re number one

January 15, 2014

The fact that El Paso was once again ranked the safest large city in the nation was significant enough that the El Paso Times wrote about it on page one of section B.  I suppose the front page needs to be reserved for whatever issues the Times decides to promote.

We were also ranked as the best city in Texas in which to raise a family.

As for per animal lovers we were ranked number two.

In the “best cities for home buyers” we were ranked number four.

So if we are the safest major city in the nation and the best place in Texas to raise a family, what is our quality of life problem?

Is the quality of life drum being beaten to promote spending?

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | Ball park, City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Bring the senate in line

January 12, 2014

At the national level I would like to see us repeal the 17th amendment to our constitution.

At one time the states had a real voice in the national government.  Senators were appointed by their state legislatures.  If a senator wanted to be reappointed at the end of his term, he needed to be mindful of what his state wanted him to do at the national level.

The 17th amendment changed that and now senators are elected by the voters of their state.  A state legislature would have a much better chance of influencing  a senator who is off the reservation than would individual voters.

I wrote about this in Introduction, my first post to this blog.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Cato

2 Comments | Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Cato

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