Much community discussion about Smart Growth has been ongoing in the community recently. Absent from the discussion is sustainability. San Francisco can be characterized as a city employing the principals of smart growth. It is a good case study of the sustainability of smart growth over a long period of time. I had the opportunity […]
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Texas Governor Right about Veto to Driving and Texting
Texas Governor Perry is absolutely correct in exercising his veto power over the driving and texting bill presented to him by the Texas Legislature. It comes down to the simple notion of personal responsibility. Unfortunately, many legislators are intent on protecting the community against itself in the mistaken belief that the government’s job is to […]
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Delegate versus Representative
There are two schools of thought when it comes to American Democracy, one is that representatives, whether city, county or national; are elected as “delegates” to represent the constituency or as “trustees” to speak for the constituency. As the domestic benefits issue continues to manifest itself in the community collective, it is important that El […]
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Epitome of Arrogance: Byrd, Cook, Quintana, O’Rourke and Ortega
On, Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Mayor John Cook, Representatives Susie Byrd, Rachel Quintana, Beto O’Rourke and Steve Ortega have decided that there is no place for Democracy in El Paso. In 2009, city council decided to extend domestic health benefits to unmarried couples. Shortly after that, a citizen driven referendum was initiated whereby citizens of […]
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Election Analysis: District 1
An analysis of the District 1 run-off election on June 11 between Ann Morgan Lilly and Lyda Ness Garcia has some interesting trends worth examining. District 1, generally tends to have a better educated and more affluent electorate than the rest of the city. Therefore, the notion that education and affluence plays a part in […]
Posted inNews Desk
City District 1 and 5 Election Results for 2011
Last Saturday, June 11, 2011 city voters in District 1 and 5 went out to vote for their representatives in a run off because a clear victor was not able to muster enough votes in these two districts in the May elections. District 1 had an incumbent defending her ability to lead the district for […]
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Commentary: Fearless leader John Cook makes matters worse
Regardless of one’s stance on the issue of the partner benefits for the city of El Paso, the important thing to note is that the ultimate decision lies with the electorate of El Paso and not the mayor. Last Tuesday, Cook decided that he knows what is right. Unfortunately in his quest for sainthood, Cook […]
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Analysis: Political Posturing in the mayoral race
Although still a couple of years to go until the city’s next mayoral race, political posturing is starting to materialize as to whom the contenders might be. The nexus driving the posturing within the city’s political circles is the perceived re-materialization of the Ray Caballero centric politics of the “progressive” mentality of reinventing the city […]
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Domestic Partner Benefits back on Agenda: Possible city subterfuge?
The partner benefits issue is back at city council. On tomorrow’s city council (June 7, 2011) agenda, item 8F, “an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 017456”, was put on the agenda by Mayor John Cook. Ordinance No. 017456 is the result of a November 2, 2010 election where El Paso voters voted to eliminate health care […]
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It’s more than siestas, a few facts about Mexico
Having grown up in Mexico and spending time in other countries like the United States, among others, invariably the joke about Mexico would always center on the notion that we are nothing more than campesinos taking siestas under the nopal every day. Mexico is much more than that and to help dispel some misconceptions about […]