El Paso Times subscription costs

March 17, 2019

This came in from a loyal reader:

 

Got my subscription [for the El Paso Times)] renewal  invoice in the mail yesterday:  $469.20.

 

I called the 800 number and spoke to JV.  He thanked me for being a long time subscriber (he insisted he was in El Paso, but sounded a lot like he was in Calcutta).  I said that I hoped the bill was for a five-year renewal period, but he replied that it was only for a year.

 

I pointed out that I paid $260 in 2016, $261 in 2017, and $330 in 2018.  I then asked to speak to someone with authority.

 

After a short pause to check, JV told me that he will send a new invoice for $336.

 

Candidly, the main reason I subscribe to the Times is that they deliver my Wall Street Journal.

9 Comments | El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Your turn

March 16, 2019

It’s Saturday so it’s your turn.

Brutus

20 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD–Hiding their plans

March 15, 2019

We have predicted several times that EPISD will have to raise their interest and sinking fund tax rate next year in order to pay for the bonds that the voters approved.

When the voters approved the “penny swap” in the last election they took ten cents per hundred off of the interest and sinking fund tax rate and switched it to the operations and maintenance tax rate.

That moved the operations and maintenance rate to the highest allowed by the state.  They cannot increase it without the state legislature changing the law.  That maximum is $1.17 per hundred dollars of valuation.

It also shrank the amount collected for bond repayment below the amount needed with our current debt.  We wrote about this in EPISD–will they get caught?

On the March 7, 2019 special board meeting agenda item 1.c was listed as “2019-2020 Debt Service Fund Projections“.

We’ve been waiting for this so we clicked on the link for the backup material that would explain what they are thinking of doing.

This is what we got:

They don’t want us to know, especially before the May elections.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

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

UTEP president

March 14, 2019

There has been some criticism of the University of Texas board of regents’ selection for the presidency of UTEP, evidently coming from members of some gay communities.

I don’t know what discretion the president of UTEP will have over sexual preference issues at the school.

I can only imagine that at the first sign of perceived discrimination she will be faced with a lawsuit.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

22 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD–district 6

March 13, 2019

Some citizens have raised a concern about the residency facts relating to a candidate for EPISD’s district 6 seat.

The candidate, Mr. Freddy Khlayel-Avalos, seems to have a significant history of involvement with several community causes and might prove to be a dedicated board member.

His voter registration shows his home to be at his parent’s house on Canyon Run (district 6).

He owns a house on Centennial (district 6) that he may be renting out.

He shows his mailing address to be on Silver Springs in an apartment complex (district 7).

We invite him to clarify the situation for us.  We don’t want someone who appears to be a good candidate to lose votes because of misunderstandings about his residence.

We deserve better

Brutus

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

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