As I wrote yesterday, if you are not looking closely you might be missing the ongoing cover up being perpetuated against you by some city officials. The most important scandal, the $22 million, is cleverly being hidden behind the “Luther Jonesing” of Larry Romero and of Tommy Gonzalez. “Luther Jonesing,” as I am using it here, is the notion of selectively targeting certain individuals over others for public scrutiny. Everyone is focused on the financial services contract and Larry Romero and ignoring the most important question, who was responsible for costing the taxpayers $22 million? No one wants to answer that question because the answer will make certain public figures very uncomfortable.
We know that Joyce Wilson withdrew the agenda posting authorizing the sale of the bonds. We know that Wilson did this for political reasons. She has stated that she was told to do so by certain city council members. What we do not know is whether this is true, and if so who were the officials that told her to do so.
The result is that it cost the city taxpayers $22 million and that city processes were bypassed for political reasons. Why don’t we know the names? Because a cover up is underway. Larry Romero is being “Luther Jonesed” and Tommy Gonzalez is being sacrificed to keep your attention away from who ordered the delay of the bond sale.
Look at who is driving the behind-closed door discussion of Tommy Gonzalez that is clearly an attempt to insinuate facts that we do not yet know. Cortney Niland was quoted by the newspaper as the one of the two officials that wanted the item posted on the agenda. Look at the picture above and you can see why this is likely.
Emma Acosta wants to run for mayor. Acosta understands that she needs to manage public perception. Acosta recently issued a statement asking that she be investigated for the contributions she received from Estrada Hinojosa for the Movies under the Stars in her district. Acosta event went so far as to ask that law enforcement investigate the contribution to her. Acosta is asking that she, herself, be investigated. The Movies under the Stars has been going on for a long time. It involves other city representative as well and each have involved public contributions. These are contributions that are regularly posted on the city agenda and are as transparent as any contribution can be.
Yet, Emma Acosta felt the need to ask to be investigated because she clearly understands that scapegoats are being created to protect certain individuals. She wants to run for mayor and understands that the public perception about the $1,000 needs to be put to bed right away. It protects her run for office and keeps her from being a scapegoat. Look at the picture above again and notice she is missing from it. Although she was instrumental in the passage of various city council votes for the ballpark fiasco she was not one of the drivers driving it. Acosta knows she could easily be targeted to protect certain individuals.
The Music under the Stars contributions should never have been an issue except when it is convenient to create an illusion of impropriety. Emma Acosta clearly understands this.
Look at the picture again and notice that Ann Morgan Lilly having being accused of assault twice was never subjected to the El Paso Times scrutiny that Larry Romero is under today. Why is that?
This simple fact leaves us questions that need to be asked but are being ignored:
Who are the city officials that asked Joyce Wilson to delay the sale of the bonds? Or, was it Joyce Wilson who unilaterally decided this? Notice how the officials are not asking this very important question, just like the El Paso Times?
Who are the city officials that were “displeased” with First Southwest? Notice that certain officials are referred to as being displeased but no one has publicly named them. Larry Romero refers to colleagues as being displeased with First Southwest but refuses to name names. I am yet to see any reporter ask him this very important question, who are these people? All I have seen is the news media outlets allowing him to make the statement that others also wanted a change in the financial services contract but no one, to my knowledge, has asked him point blank to name names.
Is it because everyone knows who the names are but know better than to name them? Or is it because there are no other names and it is Larry Romero who wanted the change?
Regardless, the fact remains that these very important questions are not being asked. As a matter of fact, you are all being distracted by insinuations of closed doors reprimands of Tommy Gonzalez and the continued spotlight on Larry Romero.
To be clear, Tommy Gonzalez’ activities need to be scrutinized. However, to hold a closed door meeting insinuating facts that do not yet exist is a cover up. Larry Romero is at least involved in questionable activities but the spotlight on him betrays selective targeting of questionable practices to avoid exposing others.
If officials really wanted to expose corruption, they would demand answers to all of the questions and not to just a few. Tomorrow I’ll show you another player in the cover up.
