As usual, the local English media does not completely inform the community about the ongoing issues at city hall. Even issues that are controversial and important to the community go unreported because the local reporters are too lazy to sit through the city representatives’ meeting to properly inform the taxpayers. Last Tuesday, September 10, 2013, city hall held an atypical short meeting. As short as it was there were some important issues discussed.
The incompetent local reporters covered those items that they were told to cover, or were predisposed to cover because they had prepared for it from last week’s published city council agenda. But, because they are too lazy, or incompetent, to sit through all of the city hall meeting they either missed an important item or didn’t comprehend that it was an issue important to many El Pasoans.
The issue? Joyce Wilson’s future at the city.
During the call to the public, local resident and community activist Sal Gomez pointed out the local scuttlebutt in regards to the rumor that the Oscar Leeser was going to extend Joyce Wilson’s contract at the city. Many of you have either head the rumor or have seen the rumor online. The fact that the rumor exists makes the subject important to the community and therefore a competent news media would be reporting on it.
Gomez stated that Leeser would “eventually offer” a contract extension to Joyce Wilson. To that, Oscar Leeser responded; “I have not discussed an extension” with Wilson and that “there will be no discussion for extensions”.
There it was plain as light, the mayor is going on the record to state unequivocally that the rumor is false and that no discussions have been held with Joyce Wilson and that he has no plans to extend her contract.
Did any in the media catch this much less report on it? I couldn’t find any reference to it on any of the media’s websites. Since the media either missed this important issue or didn’t comprehend its importance here is the rest of the story.
In a meeting on October 3, 2013 that will be open to the public, city council is slated to put together a strategic plan for the city, where one of the major topics will be conducting a search for a new city manager.
According to Leeser, Wilson’s contract with the city gives the city 120 days before her contracts expires to let her know they will not be extending the contract. If the city does not take that step, Wilson’s contract will automatically extend.
During the exchange with Gomez, Oscar Leeser added; “we will do a national, local and city hall search that will be open and transparent.”
Wilson’s contract is set to expire next year in September. By opening up the process in October and beginning the search for her replacement the city would have enough time to notify Joyce Wilson that her contract would not be renewed before the automatic renewal clause sets in. The controversy surrounding the city’s first city manager cannot be understated. For the local media to ignore Joyce Wilson’s future in El Paso is not only reprehensible but it also cements rumors unto the community consciousness that further erodes confidence in the local government.
The lack of timely and comprehensive reporting from the local media on issues that consume the community is made worse by the fact that the local reporters do not even have to attend the city council meeting to report the events. If someone like me can keep abreast of the meeting 1,700 miles away how come a local reporter cannot also partake of the technology to inform the community?
The only reason I can conclude is because they are either too incompetent, or too lazy to understand what journalism is supposed to be about.
And this is why El Paso corruption continues to drive the local agenda.
