El Paso Politics

Alright, let’s talk about the El Paso Democratic Party endorsement process—because some of y’all are acting brand new, and it’s honestly adorable. First things first: candidates, please unclench your butt cheeks. The endorsement process is not the Vatican conclave. White smoke is not coming out of anyone’s chimenea. These endorsements are, at their core, a popularity contest—and I say that as someone who’s been in these rooms, counted these votes, and watched the same shocked Pikachu faces every cycle. It always kills me when candidates who are never around the Party suddenly feel personally victimized by the endorsement results. Like… my guy. My hermana. No one had ever seen or heard of you until you slapped “Candidate” on your Facebook bio. You didn’t come to meetings. You didn’t help with voter registration. You didn’t show up when the folding chairs were still warm. And now you’re stunned?  No mammes. Be serious. Let me break down the endorsement process for the rookies,...

Fictional Image Not Meant to depict any actual person. Well damn. When the Catholic Diocese of El Paso - yes, that Diocese, the one whose whole brand is forgiveness, patience, and eternal salvation - has to go to court and say, “Nah, this judge needs to step aside,” you know something is deeply, spiritually, judicially wrong. And just so we’re clear: this is now the second time I warned this community about a judge. And just like last time, people rolled their eyes, clutched their pearls, whispered “why is he being so divisive,” and waited for the facts to magically disappear. Spoiler alert: The facts did not disappear. Turns out I was right, again. Yesterday’s reporting confirms something I wrote last week - that El Paso District Judge Marlene Gonzalez is facing recusal efforts because of how she treats the most vulnerable people imaginable: unaccompanied immigrant children.  Children.  Alone.  Facing a system they don’t understand, in a language they may no...

On today’s episode of “The Audacity of These People,” the El Paso Water Utility - through the Public Service Board - decided the best possible moment to jack up water rates by more than 12% was the exact same day thousands of Northeast El Pasoans are still boiling water like it’s 1897. You can’t drink it. You can’t cook with it. Schools are scrambling. Businesses are bleeding.  But hey - shut up and pay more. Because… reasons. And just in case anyone thought they could ask questions about this mess before getting hit with the higher bill, surprise! A woman at the public meeting dared to demand answers and was promptly introduced to three full-sized police officers who piled on her like she was public enemy number one. The video shows her small, unarmed, and very much not resisting - unless asking inconvenient questions now qualifies as violent extremism. Now, to be fair - because accuracy matters - the mayor was there, and he was one of only two votes against the rate hike. Gold...

El Paso Family Court Judge Marlene Gonzalez is facing a formal effort to remove her from cases involving unaccompanied immigrant children, following allegations of what attorneys describe as a “pattern and practice of cruelty” toward some of the most vulnerable individuals appearing in her courtroom. The motion to recuse, filed by attorneys funded through Estrella del Paso, a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, asks that Judge Gonzalez be disqualified from all pending and future cases involving unaccompanied noncitizen minors. The document can be found at this link .  “Since she took office on January 1, 2021, Judge Marlene Gonzalez has engaged in a pattern and practice of cruelty towards unaccompanied noncitizen children who appear before her court,” the filing states, adding that the conduct “has escalated over the years.” According to the motion, Judge Gonzalez has repeatedly shamed minors in court, including accusing children of having “abandoned” their parents - ...