The campaign finance reports due on January 15 have raised questions about how much Ricardo Samaniego reported spending on his campaign so early in the election. The incumbent does not have an opponent in the March Democratic primary. There are two Republican women running in the Republican ticket in March. The winner will go on […]
Posted inMilitary
No More Global Rules: What Would A US-México Armed Conflict Look Like in 2026?
With escalating tensions between México and the United States, questions about how a U.S.-México military conflict would look like have started to surface. Although it remains unlikely that a full-scale war breaks out between the countries, the growing threat of the Trump administration taking unilateral military action against drug cartels in México continues to grow […]
Posted inBorder
El Paso Home Builders Face Labor Shortages
Last year constructions jobs in El Paso experienced slow growth since recovering the job losses the economic sector experienced in 2024. Although the sector grew by around 1% in early 2025, workforce pressures from the government shutdown and immigration among other factors like high interest rates have slowed new construction in El Paso. Immigration raids […]
Posted inNews
El Paso Police Use Controversial Traffic Cameras Other Cities Are Cancelling For Privacy Concerns
Last Friday, the City of Flagstaff canceled its contract with Flock Safety after the city council voted unanimously to stop using the cameras. Flagstaff is the latest city to cancel its contract with the camera provider after questions have been raised about the lack of privacy the cameras impose on citizens. Supporters of the traffic […]
Posted inPolitics
Grumblings From Within the Party by the Removal of Veronica Escobar Challenger
As soon as the news that Veronica Escobar was challenging her opponent’s signatures to be on the ballot broke on Friday, the calls, texts and emails from some of El Paso’s Democratic Party officials started to come in. Many of these messages came from individuals that refused to speak to us about the attempted “coronation” […]
Posted inPolitics
The Story of the Backroom Deal to Coronate the Next Party Chair
The last day to file to run in the Texas Democratic primary was Monday and although few surprises emerged about the candidates running for office, a minor controversy erupted at the last minute which some have characterized as an attempt to “coronate” a new party chairman. By the time the dust settled, a candidate’s goal […]
Posted inPolitics
The Case For City/County Consolidation
Several attempts have been made in El Paso to look at consolidating services, but each failed as neither city elected officials nor county elected officials wanted to give up political power. The arguments against consolidation centered on reduced services with little in return for the taxpayers. But there is precedent to consolidation that works. For […]
Posted inCrime and Police
From Scandal to Nothing: A Reminder of How a Pledge To El Pasoans After a Corruption Scandal Meant Nothing
A guest editorial appeared in the El Paso Times on June 24, 2007. It was signed by 14 elected officials pledging to “rebuild public trust” by being ethical. The “Pledge to El Pasoans” (see below for the text of the pledge) disappeared from the public as quickly as it appeared. Except for a brief public […]
Posted inBorder
In the 1990’s Leaders Failed El Pasoans – These Are Five Steps They Could Have Taken To Make El Paso A Global Trade Leader – It’s Not Too Late
Beginning in the 1990’s El Paso’s leaders failed to realize that El Paso stood at the frontlines of the world’s largest economic block. This failure has led to El Paso’s chronic high property taxes and high levels of poverty. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is often blamed for El Paso’s lost manufacturing economy. […]
Posted inBorder
The El Paso Economic Development Scheme Missed Out on Growing Corporate Relocations Because of a Flawed Marketing Plan
Since 2022 Fortune 500 companies have left California and relocated their corporate headquarters to Texas. Chevron and Tesla are among the megacompanies moving to Texas. Those leaving California did so because of high taxes and an unfriendly business climate. Texas, because of its central location, tax friendly environment, proximity to trade with México and robust […]