(This is part 4 of a 5-part series) Infamously and very smugly, Joyce Wilson referred to those that opposed the ballpark as “crazies.” Every corruption needs an individual to work through the bureaucracy in order for the corruption to succeed. Joyce Wilson was the instrumental tool that navigated the destruction of city hall, the building of a public building to allow private individuals to make money and the single most important element, keeping the secrets. Without Joyce Wilson, the ballpark would be nonexistent today.
All corruptors have their perfect useful idiots and Joyce Wilson was the perfect instrument to get the ballpark rammed down the throats of the taxpayers. Like all useful idiots, Wilson is disposable when they are needed to protect the true instigators. Joyce Wilson clearly understands this and this is why she has marshalled her attorney to protect her from being the scapegoat that she has become.
Like all useful idiots and like most political criminals, it is not the crime that does them in but the cover ups. Joyce Wilson is not naming names because that is the only thing she has in her arsenal to keep her from the liability she is facing.
It is this liability that is threatening the whole public corruption because it is all related.
Joyce Wilson argues that nothing “was done wrong” but refuses to name names.
Why?
It is simple, naming names exposes the corruption and as such, she cannot argue that nothing was done wrong.
Those that have nothing to hide have no problem naming names. If they are hiding something, then they fully understand that they are criminally liable. Threatening to sic the lawyers is a tried and true reaction to those who know that criminal prosecution is only one honest district attorney away, or a district attorney that wants to keep their job during a contested election.
Make no mistake, the only reason Jaime Esparza asked the Texas Rangers to investigate is because he is in contested political race. By calling in the Texas Rangers, Esparza gets to wash his hands of the while mess while arguing that it is not him prosecuting Joyce Wilson, Tommy Gonzalez or Larry Romero.
The simple truth is that Joyce Wilson has a choice to make. She can tell the taxpayers who corruptly cost them $20+ millions or she can fall on her sword and keep mum.
Many or holding their collective breaths today wondering if Joyce Wilson will continue to protect them or not because the fact is that the delay of the bonds carry civil and possibly criminal liabilities.
Wilson has demanded that Ross Fisher retract the statement that he included in his report pointing out that Joyce Wilson was refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Fisher retorted that his statement was accurate. What you should note in the Wilson comments is that Wilson wants everyone to move on.
“There is nothing to see here” is what she is hoping to trick the taxpayers into thinking. Wilson has argued that the City should be focusing on its current issues and not on her time as the city manager. First she wants to distract by threatening legal measures. Wilson then wants everyone to move on. Obviously she is trying to get you to believe that the real serious problems are in the current city officials.
The current city council is obviously in turmoil and they have their own problems. However, their problems do not compare to the destruction of city hall and the additional cost of about $20 some millions for political reasons.
This is the crux of the problem and where the corruption can be demonstrated. A public policy decision was made without city council publicly voting on it. The public policy decision was made because of the mayoral election. And more importantly, the public policy decision was made at the cost of $20+ millions to the taxpayers.
Isn’t that what the El Paso Times has been accusing Larry Romero and Tommy Gonzalez of? Isn’t that why Bob Moore demanded the resignation of Tommy Gonzalez?
Then why hasn’t Bob Moore demanded that Joyce Wilson answer for her actions as forcefully as he has demanded that Gonzalez be fired?
Because Joyce Wilson would expose the underlining corruption of the ballpark fiasco and Tommy Gonzalez is just an easy scapegoat to distract the taxpayers with.
How romantic, she refuses to kiss and tell. Or is it the tradition of Omertà ? Was the Workforce job part of the deal ? So strange that despite the many years of shady practices and slick spin by the previous director, he managed to stay. Then suddenly he is fired and Wilson is hired.
Why is she not heeding Susie’s pleading that she reveal the identities of the participants ? Why is it one member of the council waiting for a final report before making a statement? Ortega immediately stated he wasn’t involved. Why did the former mayor state that he never had a discussion with Wilson about the bonds? Some council members have said nothing and why haven’t the council members stepped up and explained their participation ? Is it because there are outside players involved ? Are there notes, memos, files that documents the bond discussion ? How did the Times manage to get such a great deal on their property ? Surely some one can find files about the building before it was renovated and determine the true value. Why did the former mayor previously state the old city hall was in pretty good shape and a few window repairs would make it ship shape ? Who made the decision that city hall was beyond repair, the files ? Maintenance records ? Why the sudden building of parking garages before the stadium was built? Why the codes swat teams raiding downtown buildings ? The same explanation every time, “beyond repair”. Who was responsible for maintenance ? There are many more unanswered questions. They need to start interviews with the previous administration and this one. Seize all files, subpoena, offer immunity to the small fish. And when they’re done, start with the hospital deal and clinics.
By the way, it’s a lot more than 20 million in bonds. Factor in the demolition of city hall, moving, contracts, renovations, leasing of space for relocated offices, payment for the stadium, building a new city hall. Of course, no one was talk about that. They’re focused on a lousy $1200 that went unreported. And the famous childish response “I don’t want to talk about it and can’t we just forget about it”. Those with children know that’s a red flag for “guilty”.
You talkin ta me
Here the deal with the last CEO Reyes that they just cannot explain away. Reyes was the CFO of the work force before he became the CEO. Under his term as CFO two file cabinets of finical records just magical disappeared. Even the local FBI office can’t figure out where they went.Rumors and it is just rumor has it they ended up in a hole in the desert.
Then Reyes was give the job of CEO of the work force. It was more than proven that fraud, waste and abuse was going on under his watch but no one would do anything about. In fact El Paso politicians flow air cover to protect Reyes when in was under heavy fire for this fact. In fact the current County Judge and Mayor Cook among others publicly came out in support of the great job Reyes was doing when the fact showed otherwise.Oh if anyone wish to challenge me on this I have the records to back it up.
After all of this with Reyes suddenly Wilson is out at the City and Reyes is kicked out of the Work Force as it’s CEO and Wilson was give the position of CEO of the workforce..
Now rumor has it and once again it is only word on the street that Reyes was forced out real quick to make room for Wilson under the threat of prosecution.
Oh and guess who the government liaison for years for the work force to the city who had very close personal ties with?
“If” true that Reyes was quickly remove under threats of prosecution for Wilson then it more than support the long standing belief among many of collusion by El Paso politicians to protect Reyes from any criminal prosecution. You can put money if El Paso politicians would go to the wall to protect the likes of Reyes then Wilson wasn’t any greater challenge to do the same.
Cindy Ramirez, reporting in the El Paso Times on July 27, 2012, quoted then city manager Joyce Wilson as saying, “The perception is that there was no transparency, and that is absolutely not true,” said Wilson, who added that the possibility of a baseball team and a new stadium had been discussed for about two years. “I believe it’s the most extensive analysis anyone has ever done on any project in the city.”
Wilson’s definition of transparency was that everyone who needed to know about it knew about it. That just did not include the people slated to pay for it 🙂
I read somewhere that she has stake in the building that the city is using as city hall, so the city pays her rent every month.
It could also be that Wilson is leveraging those names and information in hopes of getting a plea deal or even immunity from prosecution in exchange for her testimony in court.
Does anyone not believe that Wilson took her orders from Mountain Star and Joshua Hunt may have told her to delay the sale to help Steve ? They had 50k in campaign donations that were delayed showing up until after the election. Why not this ?