Something politically important happened yesterday at city hall but if you read the El Paso Times you won’t know about it. That is because Bob Moore selectively targets certain politicos, like Larry Romero and certain officials like Tommy Gonzalez, but protects others like Claudia Ordaz. It doesn’t matter what you believe about the Jose Landeros issue – whether it is a political ploy or an ethics problem – because the fact remains that the El Paso Times has chosen to keep its readers in the dark about it.
Here is what happened.
In an unusual move, Michiel Noe moved the reappointment of Jose Landeros to the City Planning Commission out of the consent agenda into the regular agenda yesterday. Historically, board appointments are voted in the consent agenda and very rarely is a board appointment moved out of the consent agenda. Much less frequently is a board appointment rejected by the city council. It is so rare that I can only remember two, or three appointments becoming controversial in the last five years. The other controversial appointment that I remember was Michiel Noe’s attempt to appoint Jaime Abeytia to the Hispanic Cultural Center Subcommittee last year. Noe removed the appointment request after I had pointed it out on my blog. Which is probably the reason Jaime Abytia is bellyaching about the Landeros appointment today. But I digress.
However, you look at it, the rejection by city council on a five-to-two vote, Limon and Ordaz being the only two votes in favor of the appointment of Jose Landers is politically newsworthy, important to the community and so rare that the context behind the rejection is important to know.
This is what the El Paso Times reported.
Sneaked in after the article about underage drinking, reporter, Elida S. Perez put in the following blurb about Landeros.
“The City Council denied reappointing Jose Landeros, who works for County Commissioner Vince Perez, to the City Planning Commission. City Rep. Claudia Ordaz made the nomination. Ordaz and Perez are engaged.” That’s it, that is all the local newspaper saw worthy to inform you about.
The first question you should ask yourself is whether the rejection of the appointment is newsworthy. Of course it is by the mere fact that the El Paso Times had a blurb about it in the “in other actions” section of the article it posted about underage drinking.
But more importantly, did you notice the lack of context? There are only two reasons that there is no context to the rejection of the appointment. Either the reporter, Perez, has no understanding of the background behind Landeros and Ordaz, or the reporter was ordered not to report on the controversial appointment. I have written numerous posts detailing the lack of journalistic ethics that Bob Moore routinely demonstrates. Moore is in the position to limit what the reporter reports on.
The important context, ignore by the paper, is the fact that Jose Landeros sat in city council chambers and coached Claudia Ordaz during a city council meeting via text messages.
Because reporting the text messages to the readership casts Claudia Ordaz in a negative light, the El Paso Times has chosen to ignore anything related to that episode. However, in sharp contrast, the El Paso Times has written numerous articles demanding the removal of Tommy Gonzalez as the city’s second city manager, although, as of today, no wrong doing by Gonzalez has been proven by the city’s ethics investigators, or by any law enforcement agency.
Yet, not a peep by the El Paso Times has been uttered in regards to Claudia Ordaz’ controversial text messaging between her and Jose Landeros. In the best light possible, the text messaging was inappropriate by a city official and at worst it was highly unethical. However, in Bob Moore’s world it merits keeping you in the dark about it.
This is the story that Bob Moore refuses to publish.
Great work Martin. I have trying to find reasons not to cancel the Times subscription. This just help decide what I should done long ago. Stop Delivery.
One reason I didn’t decide sooner is because it affects the delivery person’s income.
I believe Dr Noe is being controlled by the “Goverrnment Cheese” woman. No, we haven’t forgotten the comments that were published in an international magazine. She stated that government cheese was the reason El Pasoans love Chico’s Tacos. Thanks for the image builder !
Dr Noe’s repeated attempts to appoint members of the “guvmint cheese” gang to city council committees are so obvious. These nominees come with well known ethical issues. Why is that ? What has been promised, a future seat on the county commission ? The association should end political ambitions. Proof that a degree doesn’t change IQ scores.
Good bye Times and sorry to the delivery person. I can longer support biased news when we need real stories. All it takes is “report” the news not make them. This is one watch dog that is and has continued to accept the “steak”. The subscription rates may not make dent in the Times budget, by my cancellation. However, I suddenly feel cleaner. I wonder what it will take for the newspaper owners realize that a toothless dog shouldn’t be eating steak ?
One cannot report on character, truth, honest and integrity if they aren’t schooled in it! Not surprising.
Toothless, I’m confused. I thought he said Noe dropped Abeytia and blocked Landeros. So, is he repeatedly taking them out or putting them in. You said he’s putting them in!
Tom, you’re correct I was thinking of his previous nominations. My apologies to Dr Noe and other contributors.
I vote that Bob Moore told the reporter not to write the story.
Barbara should be honest about her relationship with Martin. She should also be honest about why she’s not allowed at party meetings anymore.
Gabby this is the first I’ve heard about not being allowed at party meetings. Was there just last week was elected as nominee to State Convention and asked to run for SREC! ThIs is how vicious rumors are started. I have one relationship and that’s with my husband and that’s been goi g on for over 45.5 years.
There is no impropriety of any sort between Barbara and Martin. Strictly comments about issues. To imply anything else is stupid and irresponsible.
Barbara is and has been active in the Republican Party.
In El Paso, Texas political, government and even professionally trained service(s) turn a blind eye to many an atrocity. Case in point the tragic consequence of the late Dentist Monica Yepez, DDS. Her story of the theft of her estate by a Lawyer who took advantage over her as the ward was criminal. The courts in El Paso tolerated this symbiotic rape and then cut her loose once the money dried up. Someone learned this somewhere else and brought it here see. People if they are truly from El Paso are kind, generous, thoughtful and overall good in nature. I have often wondered why people endeavor for political, government or professional service office only to become so corrupt in the process? The draconian and Machiavellian patterns of bloodletting amongst those elements that thief money quid pro quo corrupting a whole society is due to cognitive behavioral pathology. Just because you went to Harvard for example does not entitle one to membership into Boston’s Elite, no more than living on El Paso’s Westside making you now agreeable and acceptable. They all come back home to El Paso because this is only place that will allow them masking and hiding and stealing against those the very same people they grew up knowing. In El Paso you can hide from many a flaw you may have background wise and get with away with much. If you continue to tolerate current business practice in El Paso, Texas you are a despondent Quixote always battling your own ignorance’s, chasing your own tail and calling it “a good life?” Along comes an opportunity and then your absorbed into irrational and tragic action(s) and behavior(s) that set off national opinion that this town as a whole is bad, real bad. Accept go with the flow and your in. Oppose and try to change things and your now an outcast, irrational, esta loco “CRAZY” and the public buy this notation, accept injustice and thievery and then continue to bend over and request a Thank You may I have another please. El Paso is a “quien conoces” ONLY town because it keeps the crazies out and far left only to keep the rateros inside a socially acceptable and pathologically corrupt larvae inbreeding generations innocuous to treatment. El Paso’s disease is a cyclical pattern of fruit of the poison tree. A good and well-polished accomplished resume will NEVER get you inside for a job interview in El Paso-NEVER.
I use the El Paso Times for one reason and one reason only! I use the EP Times to line the bottom of my pet bird cage! It is excellent for absorbing sh*t like it is originally intended for!