As I have previously written many times before, the public policy is actually not Escobar’s but Ray Caballero’s scheme of artificially building an El Paso utopia by using taxes to prop up untenable public works and services. This is best exemplified by the El Paso Children’s Hospital. Unfortunately, the children’s hospital is just a minor part of the whole scheme. Remember that Caballero’s dream was to build a medically-based economy for El Paso in the hopes that El Paso would become the mecca for medical innovation and a tourist medicine destination. The fact that it makes no financial sense has not stopped them. Instead of building a financial economy on sound business models, Caballero and cohorts embarked on building facades of economic prosperity through taxation in the hopes that magically the medically-based economy would rise from the ashes of the failed economy of El Paso.
When Caballero was summarily dismissed from the City it did not stop the initial three amigos – Caballero, Rodriguez and Shapleigh – from pushing forth the agenda by encouraging like-minded people that they could incubate and prepare until they could be voted into office. They consolidated power and learned from their mistakes. The Community Scholars from where individuals like Jose Landeros emerge, was designed to pay wages to individuals while they waited for an opening for an elected office. Of course, the political office would have publicly-funded paychecks for them. Veronica Escobar raked in thousands of dollars at the Community Scholars until she could be elected into the County. Escobar is now the face of the troika – Caballero, Rodriguez and Shapleigh. Community Scholars was fundamentally funded through tax dollars.
As you know Jose Rodriguez is at the Texas Senate. Beto O’Rourke, another individual associated with the Community Scholars and Caballero, is in Congress. Recently there have been rumblings of a comeback by Eliot Shapleigh. Regardless of whether any of that is true, the scheme of raiding the tax coffers for the public policy agenda and the incubating of the stable of like-minded individuals until they can be elected is still ongoing. Look at where Jose Landeros draws his paycheck from today. Look at how he is being groomed and positioned for a political future.
In other words, the Veronica Escobar clan is building a stable of candidates to keep the public policy agenda moving forward.
When Susie Byrd termed out of office at the City, they had a setback when Jim Tolbert was outvoted by Larry Romero voters. Escobar lost access and a vote she controlled at the City.
Fast forward to yesterday and you can clearly see Veronica Escobar celebrating access to the city once again.
After Tolbert was sworn in yesterday, he thanked his family, AND Veronica Escobar and Susie Byrd, which were in attendance yesterday.
As you can clearly see, as demonstrated by yesterday’s events and Byrd’s election work on behalf of Tolbert, Escobar and her cohorts have learned from their mistakes and are back in full force getting their political stable back into the game.
If you thought the children’s hospital was an anomaly think again. The ballpark was just the beginning. Escobar may have control over the County but she lacks a fundamental tool, the ability to create new taxes or raise fees. She needs the city for that.
Remember, the ballpark, the children’s hospital, the trollies need one thing and that is your tax dollars. If you still don’t believe me, pierce into the details of the political schemes to take control of the jail and the court system. They are revenue generators and if the County executive government can take direct control of them they can divert tax dollars to where they want them to go.
Jim Tolbert may have the right intentions but the individuals that can sway his thinking put him into office. How do you think Tolbert will vote on controversial items that increase taxes or fees for the taxpayers of the community? I am sure it is clear to all of you.
Martin, you provide an important history lesson and accurate analysis of politics today in El Paso. Caballero’s Community Scholars planted the seeds of the current crop of politicians who control County politics and want gain control of the City again. Many El Pasoans see individual issues but do not know the whole picture, which you have described well. Caballero may live elsewhere but his legacy lives on in El Paso. The City District 2 seat is now back in the hands of this faction for one year but a serious candidate could come forward in the next year to challenge the Caballero Cabal.
I agree that understanding the Community Scholars link is important. But I question whether or not anyone can challenge that cartel. First, the money getting thrown around in council elections is far more than a non-cartel candidate can raise. I had hopes for Lesser, since he was rich enough to self-fund, but apparently his desire for consensus overrides his desire for common sense leadership. The Reyes cartel used to balance things, but Shapleigh did a good job of focusing law enforcement on their brand of corruption. I just don’t see how an honest, taxpayer-first candidate gets elected in this town unless they are prepared to outspend the crooks for a job that doesn’t pay well. And I just don’t see the sheep who vote here supporting a candidate who talks common sense.
Good points. It’s an uphill battle for the non-cartel candidate. Even if elected, a common sense candidate would be destroyed by the cartel.
for many the election of a Susie/Veronica candidate came a lot easier because of the extremely low voter turnout. Tolbert was the only candidate to work the neighborhoods, so saying that the cartel got the vote out isn’t a reality. i know that early on there were westsiders wondering into the district, canvasing for Tolbert. Those folks were met by non-English speaking homeowners, disengaged seniors, or doors that weren’t opened because the occupants were working, yes even on Saturday. Look as much as i’m pissed that Romero allowed himself to be branded and all he should’ve realized that there was a huge Susie/Veronica target on his back. He didn’t take that seriously and now he’s history. Tolbert is in for one year and a lot of damage can be done, but he has to deal with the experienced members and his initial interviews all carried the tone of “this council doesn’t know what it’s doing”, which will come back to bite him in the ass. I think district 2 will not have any support until the new election, plain and simple Tolbert could be a lame duck for striking out at the current members and mayor like he has. Martin, it would be great if you could find the quotes from his news conferences and interviews and remind the council what he said about them. I would also suggest that the Reyes camp, if there is still one, find a candidate who has lived in the district for a while, voted often, and can complete a sentence to run. If they don’t then they have put their tail between their legs and become toothless and given Susie/Veronica, et al, the keys to the kingdom.
Yes, absolutely. District 2 needs a candidate who is the cartel antidote which means 1) business friendly but not into corporate welfare (i.e. Ballpark or hotel tax abatements), 2) fiscally conservative (which most El Pasoans are, even though they don’t know it), 3) articulate in English and Spanish, 4) willing to walk the district when people are home. If the right person steps up, Tolbert is history.
If the right person steps up Jaime will annihilate him/her at the request of his masters.
Martin should post more pictures of Veronica and Susie with the perv. Like the one where Susie’s wrapped around him drinking a beer.
Very good post Martin and it’s true about Veronica putting people in offices across the county. She had Jaime run the elections for 3 candidates in the City of Socorro the current mayor Jesse Ruiz, the late Chito Bowling and the At large council member Rene Rodriguez (convicted felon). Eumor has Jaime ran Maya Sanchez and the San Eli Coty Council campaigns as well. They also have connections in the Montana Vista area, just ask Tina Sylva their hired gun.
Yes Martin, please post more pictures of Veronica and Susie with the perv. Anita needs maturation material.
Trash pickup was on schedule for district 2 this week. Thanks Jim, keep up the good work..