City Council will take up the proposed baseball stadium on Tuesday, June 26 at City Council Chambers. You must sign up to speak by 8:30 am (Colonial Rule)

Baseball in "FOSTERVILLE"!!

The El Paso City Council will meet Tuesday, June 26, beginning at 9 AM, City Council Chambers Downtown.

On the agenda for discussion is the public funding for a $50 million dollar baseball stadium for the privately owned Triple A team being purchased by “Billionaires for Progressives" (BFP) - the Hunts and the Fosters. A new colonial rule by the BFP controlled City Council, is that you must sign in by 8:30 to speak (I don't know how they do that, restrict people from speaking but they will do anything to limit public debate – unheard of in state government public hearings).

The El Paso Times has already taken a position on the issue by posting an editorial in favor which means they have more information than they have shared with their readers. (I am editing a long blog on that in a bit).

I am not going to support a bond that isn't inclusive and where public funds are not fairly distributed.  Historically, South of the Freeway and the Lower Valley always get short changed in projects funded by public bonds.  In addition, bond monies usually get hijacked and redirected to other projects when no one is watching. In addition, City Council recently gave Lincoln Center back to Texas DoT and my understanding is that Lincoln Center is being considered for a health clinic and there are rumored conversations being coordinated by the office of State Senator Jose Rodriguez regarding some sort of Lincoln Community Center being part of the public use.  (I’ll believe it when I see it). Meanwhile, the infrastructure South of the Freeway corrodes everywhere else other than the property around the medical school.

If you are interested in voicing your opinion on this (for or against) you must go to this emergency meeting.  It is an emergency because the “Big Boys” have to seal their purchase of the baseball team with the condition that we the taxpayers build them a “fancy shmancy” stadium with an equally fancy “owners box” that you and I will never see.

Date:  Tuesday July 26

Where:  City Council Chambers, 2^nd Floor

Time:  To speak you must sign up by 8:30 am

Expect to be there a long time.  The strategy utilized by the powerful elites when trying to pass a controversial agenda item that has to do with taxpayers publicly funding a private enterprise, is to “wait-out the opposition”.  So pack a lunch!

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From EDITOR back to REPORTER: El Paso Times Editor goes ROGUE to Report Voting SURGE!! (?)

The El Paso Times Editor Bob Moore has decided to go “reporter” and he personally posted an article he wrote for the newspaper. Awwww how special!  

He calls the 2012 Early Vote a “surge” in his headline: “Early voting surges 47%: Democratic congressional primary draws the most attention”.  Que cute! 

I mean really, where was he in 2008 when the TSUNAMI hit El Paso the election year that the “PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY” reported a RECORD Democratic turn-out and there was MINIMAL REPUBLICAN crossover vote.  Why?  Because the R’s were in their own McCain Primary, happily awaiting ringside for the Demo’s to duke it out and determine who would finally be the Democratic Nominee for President.  The 2008 Primary Election in Texas was not just a SURGE it was a literal Tsunami not just here in El Paso but across the nation (do you remember that election Bob?  Have you ever voted in a Democratic Primary?).

I was uniquely involved in that campaign as I was the first Latina in the state (the first elected official in the state and I believe the first Latino elected official in the nation) endorsing President Barack Obama (then just a US Senator and candidate for president).  It was a tough place to be considering that El Paso, Texas, the largest international Border City with Mexico in the nation, is/was a CLINTON TOWN!! 

Precinct Conventions in every precinct in El Paso reported real SURGES in voter turnout where dozens of people, in fact some precincts recorded over 100 participants (as was my personal Precinct), in Precincts where normally 1 or 2 people show up at the Precinct Convention. So this year’s turnout is to be expected and not really a SURGE from last year.  And this SURGE in voter turnout is not “headline” news Bob, it is very common.  It is what political consultants distinguish between turnout for a “gubernatorial” year or “presidential” year and consultants adjust projections based on these very different Primary years.  These are simple terms Bob you should learn for next Primary when it will be a “gubernatorial” year and a substantially lower voter turnout year.

I don’t know that I like your “rogue” methods going from “Editor” and back to “reporter” in this particular election.  It doesn’t speak well of your reporters and may cause readers to see this as your lack of trust of their journalistic capacity. Or it can be interpreted as your reporter’s “mutiny” to your rogue methods of serving as managing editor and injecting yourself as “reporter for the day” when you see fit. It is very interesting to watch and read, to say the least.

I don’t recall Tom Fenton, Don Flores or Chris Lopez as “Editors” EVER writing a story in the El Paso Times as the “reporter” much less a story in a partisan political race.  You have clearly demonstrated your insistence of putting tabloid reporting methods first in order to sell newspapers and you have demonstrated your lack of neutrality in the 16^th Congressional race.  This is very unfortunate for your readership but I am sure you will have your colleagues nominate you for awards to cover your very exposed nalgas!

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Review: "Reyes Works" Super Bowl Ad - I give it 5 STARS!!

REYES WORKS SUPERBOWL AD from Silvestre Reyes on Vimeo.

The El Paso Times wrote a campaign "fact checking" story on the commercial of Congressman Silvestre Reyes that was released during the half time of the most watched Superbowl in history. From a political campaign perspective the "Reyes Works" Superbowl Campaign Ad was 5 STARS!! 

Morris Pittle knocked it out of the park! The audience for the release was tremendous, especially for an old school football town like ours. The setting takes place throughout El Paso with an experienced senior member of congress, simply taking a drive through his congressional district in an American made Ford pick-up truck. Pittle seized the opportunity to ingrain into the minds of El Paso voters the running theme of the campaign "Reyes Works" and it works!! 

The congressman drives through his district with a calm and elder statesman look, camera shot moves to the steering wheel (message - the congressman is in control) with his wedding band (message - devoted husband, happily married man), drives the levees (message 2006 flood), drives UTEP (message - higher education), waves to everyday construction workers (love this), drives Spaghetti Bowl (message - transportation infrastructure), drives up Reynolds with the message of the medical school but the background shot is of the CHILDRENS HOSPITAL (clever Pittle), circles Paisano green project (message - "I'm a greenie too"), drives at night to the Plaza Theatre (message - supporter of the arts), and through Fort Bliss (message - biggest economic engine for El Paso) and references the construction of the new veteran hospital with a cool shot of the mountains (message is clearly to all veterans and military), shows a clear shot of the Missions (message - TO THE LOWER VALLEY) and closes with the water desalination project which is soooooooooo progressive as we are pioneers of water desalination in the nation.  This message was about trusting your congressman and here's why, Reyes works!  Demonstrates proven and trusted leadership.That's the message. The 60 second spot has his wife, and ends with the congressman at a cafe, just like you and me! 

Target market is the Democratic base, military voters which are conservative, but has enough for environmentalist, artsy "Plaza" type folks (Downtown crown jewel), ends with WATER....LA AGUA...who can live without water.  And....the ad ran during half time (good call Pittle)!

5 STARS FOR THE "Reyes Works" ad and Pittle's Pack.  (Oh yea, I will be reviewing political  ads I find interesting).

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