Children’s hospital fate being discussed

January 16, 2018

There has been considerable speculation about the financial fate of our children’s hospital lately.

At the November 14, 2017 meeting of the county hospital’s board of managers there was supposed to be a financial report from the new children’s hospital chief executive officer.

The presentation was postponed to the December board meeting in order to give the new chief executive officer time before having to make the report.

The video of the December 12, 2017 board meeting is not available on the county hospital’s web site.  The November and January videos are however.

Is this an oversight or are they trying to avoid making the children’s hospital financial situation known to the public?

Our former county judge is campaigning to become our local congressional representative.  She was one of the main champions of the bond issue that build the children’s hospital.  Is she being protected on this?

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | County Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD–something is in the air

January 15, 2018

Word on the street is that the Tuesday, January 16, 2018 EPISD board of trustees meeting (or special meeting–they will have both) will be heated.

Fireworks may be a better term.

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Sales tax rules

January 14, 2018

This comes from the Texas legislative council web page:

The sales and use tax (referred to herein as “sales tax”) imposed on most taxable goods and
services consists of a state sales and use tax and a local sales and use tax. The state sales tax rate is
6.25 percent of the sales price of taxable goods and services, and this rate is uniformly applied to
taxable retail transactions throughout the state. Local jurisdictions, including cities, counties, and
some special districts, may also impose a local sales tax after voter approval, but the sum of all local
sales taxes may not exceed two percent anywhere in the state. The maximum sales tax paid on a
taxable item anywhere in Texas is 8.25 percent.

The imposition of a local sales tax must be approved by the voters residing in the jurisdiction in
which the sales tax is to be imposed. Local sales tax revenues can be used for a variety of purposes,
including general fund purposes, property tax relief, health care for the indigent, crime control,
economic development, support of public libraries, emergency services, street maintenance, and
support of public transit. Because of the variety in local sales tax options, not all Texans pay an 8.25
percent sales tax. Some might pay only a 6.75 percent rate; others might pay a 7.75 or 8.0 percent
sales tax rate, depending on where they purchase a taxable item. This variation reflects the different
kinds of services and levels of services approved by the voters to be funded by local sales taxes.
Cities may levy a local sales tax of up to two percent; counties, up to two percent; transit
authorities, up to one percent; and special districts, up to two percent. State law governs the order in
which these taxes take effect, so as not to exceed the two percent cap on the sum of all local sales
taxes at any location in the state.

In our case 1.5% goes to the city general fund and .5% goes to Sun Metro.

We deserve better

Brutus

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

Help for those who cannot see

January 13, 2018

If anyone out there knows anyone in the shampoo business please forward this to them:

Would you please mark your containers so that those of us who do not wear eyeglasses in the shower can tell the difference between the shampoo and the conditioner?

You might consider putting a big “C” on the conditioner bottle.  Maybe the “C” could go on the top of the cap.

A big “S” on the shampoo bottle would be nice too.

We deserve better

Brutus

7 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD–payments

January 12, 2018
This came in from a reader: 
 
Checks written by the EPISD to Temple Mount Sinai.  These checks were supposed to be paying for a rental room at the Temple for EPISD staff development.  From Check register EPISD web site.
 
Question:  Why in the world would the EPISD need to rent a room, they have more space than they could ever use.
 
1030032
5/17/2013
Temple Mount Sinai
$2,000.00
1045010
5/22/2014
Temple Mount Sinai
$2,000.00
1057980
6/5/2015
Temple Mount Sinai
$2,000.00
1071214
5/26/2016
Temple Mount Sinai
$2,000.00
1084642
5/12/2017
Temple Mount Sinai
$2,000.00
Paper Check

****************************************

Brutus

15 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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