On Monday, January 27, 2014 County Judge Candidate Eddie Holguin told the El Paso Times masquerading as a newspaper; thanks but no thanks for the invitation to participate in the paper’s candidate endorsements. This should come as no surprise to anyone following local politics as the paper has demonstrated a bias towards candidates that show independence from certain political factions.
In an open letter to the editor, Eddie Holguin thanked the paper “for the invitation to participate” in their “candidate endorsement interviews”. Holguin continues; “Regrettably, it has been increasingly obvious that your newspaper continues to slant stories and editorials to manipulate public opinion to support specific candidates”. Eddie Holguin details examples of the paper’s inability to pursue journalistic integrity by writing that the paper uses “misleading headlines”, publishes “incomplete stories” and “distorts quotes”. He adds that “exaggeration seem to be the order of the day”.
Holguin continues, “I will not accept your invitation to sit through an editorial board interview”.
He writes that his “record over the last 9 years is solid and clear evidence” of his “commitment to putting taxpayers first”. He then adds;
“Sadly, I feel all I can expect from you (El Paso Times) is that my words will be taken out of context if not distorted completely, my policy positions will be trivialized and then ridiculed by your editors.” Adding that his “efforts to defend taxpayers” and his “advocacy for fiscal prudence will be buried by shameless propaganda” for the paper’s endorsee.
He continues that it would “be a great disservice” to the community for him to “enable and otherwise legitimate the farce”.
Although the paper would like the community to believe that its endorsements are relevant, the fact is that the electorate now recognizes that the paper is nothing more than a spokesperson for those in power. Last year, during the mayoral elections the paper published an editorial endorsement of Steve Ortega.
Even after it was clear the electorate wasn’t drinking the Steve Ortega Kool-Aid, the paper, in the June 2, 2013 editorial, wrote that it believes that Steve Ortega will “listen to the complaints that many El Pasoans are raising about the process (ballpark), bring more people in to the conversation about the city’s future”, and “continue” the city’s progress. This is the same Steve Ortega that is still suing to keep city-related business emails secret from the electorate. This is the same Steve Ortega that was resoundingly beaten by Oscar Leeser in one of the most lopsided politician versus non-politician elections ever held.
I’m sure the paper continues to argue that the purchase of its building by Steve Ortega’s cohorts on city council had nothing to do with his endorsement. Just as I’m also sure that the fact that the paper shared a building with the Ortega Campaign was also a coincidence.
Either way, I think it is a smart political strategy by the Holguin Campaign not to give credibility to the local paper by participating in a flawed process. As a matter of fact, it is shrewd as the paper has a history of endorsing those who come up short at the polls.
“Adding that his ‘efforts to defend taxpayers’”…by renting $25,000 Christmas lights from a company in Indiana. What a fiscal steward.
Henry, Eddie told my listeners on the air that only $21,000 was spent on that fiasco that was only up for 21 days and closed a few days before Christmas. So yeah, a grand a day for a couple of stings of lights. Let’s elect Eddie!
The Times is basically the mouthpiece for Hunt and Foster and their whores in city hall.
It appears Mr. Holguin has thrown in the towel. Looking beyond the Christmas Lights fiasco now we are paying for a special election because he decided he wants to run for a position he is not going to campaign for. Granted there is one other vote a judicial race on the same ballot, but this is were common sense needs to be adhered. Have that Judge race decided until the next general race. Seriously like the outcome of that vote will speed up our court system any further. Looks like Mr. Holguin is a camera hungry. He just wanted his named mentioned county wide. This poor me and my district attitude is unacceptable. I wish I lived in that district to run. He claims 9 years of service of by saying NO to everything but accepts the credit for what exactly. He plays the Dan Haggerty role on council now. He votes NO on everything, knowing its going to pass just to say, I voted no to increasing your taxes, but where is my share my district deserves these items. I want a better quality of life for my constituents buy I don’t want to pay for it. You people with the all the money give it to my district, oh and by the way I will say NO to you all the way and bash you all the way claiming you raise taxes on us without voter approval.
rotten peppers, what really is surprising is that the times is more of a mouthpiece than the inc. and the inc. is basically owned by hunt and the pdng.
I also noticed that the Newspaper Tree “donate” page has a large banner on top touting the Hunt Family Foundation.