Today, the Paso del Norte Tejano Democrats sent a letter in opposition to the University Medical Center of El Paso’s (UMC) request for the issuance of up to $400 million in certificates of obligation. The Paso del Norte Tejano Democrats is a Democratic organization composed of about 100 active El Paso Democrats. As we reported, county commissioners voted on Monday to begin the process of issuing non-voter approved bonds.
Tejano Democrats joins several other local organizations like the El Paso Builders Association, the El Paso Apartment Association, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Service Employees International Union in strong opposition to the non-voter approved tax bonds. Several other groups have publicly opposed the bonds while several others are meeting with their memberships to issue official statements on the bonds.
This is in stark contrast to the President of the Eastside Democrats, Emma Acosta, who spoke in favor of UMC issuing non-voter approved bonds, that if approve by county commissioners will cost the city taxpayers over half-a-Billion dollars when interest is calculated. Joining Acosta was former El Paso Democratic Party chairwoman Dora Oaxaca, who also spoke in favor of issuing the bonds before county commissioners on Tuesday. Acosta, in addition to being president of the Eastside Democrats, is also an honorary Board Member of Bienvivir. Bienvivir is a senior health provider.
A Tejano organization official confirmed for El Paso News that only 10% of the Tejano Democrats who voted on the letter last night opposed sending it.
The Tejano letter admonishes the county judge and the county commissioners that the Tejano membership “strongly recommend that UMC take the issue to the voters.”
UMC’s CEO, Jacob Cintron was copied in the letter to the county judge and county commissioners.
This is a developing story, El Paso News will continue to report on developing events as we become aware of them.
Martín Paredes became a partner of Politico Campaigns, a political campaign management firm, in June 2022. The views and opinion expressed in our publication are those of Paredes and do not necessarily represent the views of the firm or its other partners. El Paso News is funded primarily by Paredes, in part by donations from readers and online advertisement. Politico Campaigns plays no role in our reporting. El Paso News has an open editorial policy encouraging any author to submit any article from any point of view for consideration to be published on El Paso News.
Democrats against spending, that’s a first!
That should tell you something. If democrats are against it, they must be paying some really high taxes.
@Flying Bacon NOBODY likes to have their taxes raised irrespective of political party. And all voters are in favor of spending when it benefits them personally.
If it is true that Certificates of Obligation are only to be used in emergency situations (is there an actual rule or precendent, or is it just the letter-writer’s opinion?), then this issue does need to go to the voters. The goals may be noble but there is certainly no emergency.