As some of you know, I was traveling back home to Orlando from El Paso yesterday. I got home past midnight and, therefore, today I am just going to share a few quick observations about what I saw yesterday in El Paso.
Although, I understand that Interstate 10 (I-10) is undergoing some repaving and upgrades, I was sad to experience the significant deteriorated streets on both I-10 and the streets on the west side of town. They are in bad shape, but hey you all have ballpark.
I also got to see the new digs for city council ever since they demolished city hall to make room for the ballpark. I still do not believe the ballpark was a good investment for the city so I realize my comments will betray that feeling. However, the city council chambers does not represent, in my opinion, the 17th largest city in the nation. It is what it is, a building that was refurbished to make way for the city council chambers.
Clearly, it is not a building that was designed for government offices. To me, they look like temporary quarters which only means that taxpayers will soon be paying to build another palace for an official to plaster their name on.
I realize it was Tuesday morning but downtown El Paso seemed empty. Not sure if it was the time, day or downtown is just not as busy as I remember it.
The ballpark, from the outside, just didn’t seem all that exciting. I took some pictures from the gates and it looked small to me. I am not a baseball fan so I have nothing to compare it to, but I did attend a few Cohen Stadium games and I just wasn’t impressed with the El Paso Chihuahuas baseball field. Does this betray my disgust of the fleecing of the taxpayers? Probably, but nonetheless, I wasn’t impressed.
Tomorrow, I am going back on my blog routine. You can expect a write up about the El Paso Children’s Hospital.
It was nice to have the opportunity to see some of you. I got to spend some time with some wonderful friends. I look forward to seeing those of you that I didn’t get to meet with next time I am in town.
Martin, it doesn’t take much to realize that city council and the county commissioners have legacy as a priority not improvement of the city.,
Citizens complaints of the state of deterioration of the infrastructure falls on deaf ears. They’d rather tax and spend on gaudy decorations, a block park that in two years of renovation should have been a real “Central Park”. Then you have that idiotic idea that tourists will flock to El Paso to ride a trolley when trollies are known to be money deficits. But then one shouldn’t be surprised as the government entities in this area have a record of sinking money into money losers. The stadium is still losing money and to fill in, they give away tickets.
It’s good that you witnessed first hand the stupidity of the elected officials in El Paso. A failed city and county in the making along with self awarded titles of success with claims that the titles were earned and legit. There’s a sucker born every minute.
The AAA team has been a success if the attendance numbers are any indication. But I think you are right that the halo effect for DTEP is nil. One reason is that most people here work out of a pick-up truck, at least in the private sector, and city employees report to their jobs at 7AM. This isn’t a demographic that is going to party after a game during the week.
Success? While the city subdizes the stadium?
I-10 is not the City’s responsibility.
Love,
Me
and the owners buy all the remaining tickets to call it a sell out
Jerry K, look up video on the Chihuahuas’ own website. Every video, except for those around 4th of July etc, show rows and rows of empty seats.