Last Sunday, Ali Razavi aka “Max Powers” published a letter from Jim Tolbert to Eric Fike, general manager of El Paso’s Ruth’s Chris Steak House. In the August 15, 2016 email, Tolbert wrote to Fike that he was “extremely disappointed” on not being invited to Ruth’s Chris by Fike. According to the letter, the Mayor and his staff was invited as well as the County Commissioners.
Obviously, Jim Tolbert felt slighted by not receiving an invitation to attend, or likely, for a free steak.
The problem is not the free steak but rather the corruption in the email by Tolbert.
First, the email was clearly sent to a private entity by Jim Tolbert acting on his official capacity as a city representative. Tolbert signed the email “representative” and added “District 2 City of El Paso”.
Tolbert also closed his email with, “As this news spreads to other City Council Representatives, it is hard to find anyone too supportive of Ruth’s Chris.”
As you can see, Jim Tolbert clearly threatened the restaurant chain. The restaurant needs the City’s goodwill to remain in business. The City controls the health inspectors and taxes the establishment via property taxes and water fees. An unfriendly City would be detrimental to the business.
Corruption is demanding a bribe for a favorable consideration. Tolbert is demanding a free steak in return for supporting the restaurant chain as a city representative.
There is a clear quid pro quo.
Unfortunately, nothing will come of it because, as I written numerous times before, there is a protected class in El Paso. Jim Tolbert belongs to that class because he was put into office by Susie Byrd and Veronica Escobar. As such, Jaime Esparza won’t even bother to look at the email that clearly insinuates a corrupt intent.
Without an investigation, the community will never know the truth.
That is how the corruption works in El Paso, a protected class that can admit corruption but get away with a “wink, wink, there is nothing to see here, move on.”