El Paso Politics

For being the highest-rated television station in town, KINT doesn't get the love it should around here. They are the only local television news station that covers 100% local news. Yes I work for Entravision, but I'm not saying that to be a company man, I just dig local news and they give the most depth to local news coverage on television. We have a new reporter here named David Stout. The El Paso Times reports that he replaced long-time reporter Luis Villagrana. He actually is replacing Pedro Villagrana. Come on news partners, get the names right! Especially since Pedro has been a fixture in this town for years. The Luis that works here is our sports guy, Luis Zuniga. As far as I know he's not being replaced, especially considering how many people watch him for World Cup updates! But then again, I'm low-man on the totem pole around here so I'd be the last to know. Kidding, don't read anything in to that.

OFA Volunteers - Get Fired Up at our 4th of July Celebration at the Chamizal! Greetings! In its July/August 2010 issue, Men's Health Magazine ranked El Paso as the 99th out of 100 cities its size in its "Most Patriotic Cities" in the country. You and I know this is not an accurate description of El Paso. Volunteers like you and me have had a great time serving, engaging and changing our community. That is why we invite you to join EP OFA to celebrate our country's birthday at one of the largest community event venues this summer. Music Under the Stars at the Chamizal Memorial Park. We will have a booth where we will be able to register park attendees to vote and obtain voter pledge cards for the November elections. Our goal is to get 250 voter registrations and pledges and we think we can do it with 25 volunteers who register or pledge 10 people each. We can do it...I know we can. If you are deputized to register people to vote make sure join us. Even if yo...

Personally, I’m a little sick of Senator Shapleigh’s antics. I’ve invited him to come on my show to talk about a range of issues, but he never returned my calls. I think the Senator has been a bit of a hypocrite on several issues, but his latest crusade against Dr. Garcia of the El Paso Independent School District is in my opinion, a dangerous precedent. I listened to Shapleigh when he went on Paul’s show to hear him try to defend his attack against Garcia. I was listening to hear what his argument was going to be and I was listening to see how long it would take him to throw in a few words in Spanish. Sorry, but it’s so condescending when he does that and sounds as contrived and saccharine as a losing candidate congratulating the victor on election night. Before we go on, let me be clear about one thing. I don’t have a problem with the Senator being against the TRE. The problem I have is with a lame duck Senator saying he wouldn’t support the TRE until EPISD got rid of Garcia. What t...

A source close to the case tells me that Judge Regina Arditti herself signed a receipt for the legal file for her case from Joe Spencer more than a month ago. As reported in the El Paso Times by Diana Washington Valdez, attorneys for Arditti claim they have not received the file from Joe Spencer, Arditti's former attorney in the matter. My source says that there is a receipt that is signed by Arditti showing she took possesion of Spencer's copy of the file around a month ago. If memory serves the visiting judge District Court Judge Thomas Franklin Lee of Hondo, Texas, talked about resetting the case in order to give the defense team time to go over the case so it is unlikely that this potential revelation will have an impact on the case.

I hear people say that Theresa Caballero is such a great lawyer. They are apologists for her behavior and attempt to rationalize it by saying that they might not agree with her tactics, but she’s a good lawyer. Many would debate that. For example, as I have previously written, Theresa Caballero received a pretty good thumping from a federal court judge a while back. Well , Caballero subpoenaed around 15 people for a simple hearing in the Arditti case. The attorneys that represent each of the people subpoenaed made motions to quash. In layman’s terms, the attorneys were asking the judge to excuse their clients from the legal proceeding because they didn’t have anything to do with the case. The judge agreed and granted ALL of the motions to quash. What that means is that Theresa Caballero and Stuart Leeds lost nearly every single motion they put before the court. Apologists for Caballero and Leeds might find that one a bitter pill to swallow, but the bottom line is that they lost at ever...

I’m not a legal expert, but I have some observations from the proceeding. First, I thought the County Attorney’s lawyer (sorry, I didn’t get any names) was pretty good in court and effectively conveyed his points. He showed poise, confidence, strength, and a command of the law. The District Attorney’s lawyer… not so much. He seemed timid, soft spoken, and unsure of himself. He had the law on his side and won his points, but I thought he could’ve been stronger and more confident. I was impressed by Judge Arditti. She seemed like she’s taking an active role in her defense. By now you probably know that I pay attention to greetings, body language, and expressions. My observation was there were a couple of times in the hearing that Arditti seemed frustrated with Leeds and Caballero. What I’m interested in watching is if this case becomes about yet another one of Caballero’s crusades involving conspiracy theories, personal vendettas, smear campaigns, and sensationalism at the expense of Ard...

I have the advantage of spending a large part of my day on the internet as part of my job and that means I get to spend a lot of time on the internet. I was on the air the other day when I saw the story break on The El Paso Times regarding the summons of Mayor Cook and City Manager Joyce Wilson to the court house to testify in a court case involving a client of Theresa Caballero. I read the short blurb of the story on the El Paso Times website, but I also saw a piece on the story on ABC 7’s website as well. The story on ABC-7, written by reporter Maria Garcia, was much more developed, while the Times just had a small blurb. We are talking about two types of media, print versus television. The Times’ story won’t be printed until tomorrow, while the television stations will be able to get the report out to viewers in at least three broadcasts before the Times’ story is even seen. The Times has the advantage of being more thorough in the story because they don’t have the limitations of t...

A group of nearly 300 activists protested the recent shooting of a Juarez teenager by a Border Patrol Agent. I conducted an interview with Fernando Garcia, the Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights on the incident and the protest event.

The USA lost to Ghana, but I'm proud of how well they played. We did well and have nothing to hang our heads in shame about. This one's for you TEAM USA Orale Mexico, your turn tomorrow. Vamos Mexico!

I was driving around town this morning and I saw a group of young people dressed in cap and gown walking down the street so I pulled over to find out why.

Two things I absolutely love from childhood, a parade and a circus. Lucky us, El Paso will have that soon. A source over at the County says that Theresa Caballero has, or intends to, subpoena an interesting list of prominent El Pasoans in the nepotism case involving her client, Judge Regina Arditti. Here is a partial list of people that have been, or may be, subpoenaed: District Attorney Jaime Esparza Amy Lujan, Esparza’s secretary Venessa Ocegueda Secretary’s sister Alberto Ocegueda Jim Callan, Asst. D.A. who ran against Judge Arditti in the Democratic Party Primary Jennifer Callan, Spouse of Jim and Assistant City Attorney Chris Antcliff, Judge of the 168th, and former opponent of Arditti in general election Jesus “Chuy” Reyes, brother of Congressman Reyes Joe Spencer Deanna Spencer, employee of the DA’s office And several others. This should be lots of fun. Can’t wait to cover it.

Like many of you out there, the summons of the Mayor and the City Manager in to an El Paso County Court over a criminal case involving a defendant who is represented by Theresa Caballero left me scratching my head wondering one thing. Why? There has got to be a reason that Judge Rangel agreed to summon the Mayor and City Manager to court. I can’t figure out what it is, but there has to be a reason. No one does something for no reason, especially someone as smart as a judge. I’ve done my best to try to try to puzzle this together and here’s what I’ve boiled things down to: (again, this is my opinion only) Theory #1- Judge Rangel might have felt that it was the right thing to do in the interest of justice. (Don’t laugh, it could happen…) Theory #2 – Judge Rangel might have been intimidated by Caballero. Theory #3 – Judge Rangel might have figured that if she didn’t allow it to happen that Caballero would try to use that in a possible appeal. No judge likes to have their cases turned over...

The El Paso Times has been accused of selective enforcement when it comes to negative comments surrounding certain people in town. That being said, I thought I was draw everyone's attention to the comments on this piece . It will be interesting to see how long of a shelf life they have...

Mayor John Cook and City Manager Joyce Wilson had to leave the regularly scheduled City Council meeting to attend court proceeding in the court of Judge Bonnie Rangel. The case involves Oscar Marquez who is accused of allegedly assaulting a Public Servant, which is a 3rd Degree Felony according to the El Paso County website. The attorney of record in the case is Theresa Caballero. The story was broken by El Paso Times reporter Marty Schladen. Courthouse rumor is that Caballero had the mayor and city manager summoned to court in order to hear testimony regarding the incident because in their official capacity as Mayor and City Manager, the two oversee the actions of the El Paso Police Department. A well-placed source in the County tells me that Caballero's client is accused of assaulting a member of the El Paso Police Department. COMMENTARY: Everyone knows that City Council meets on Tuesday. Judge Rangel allowed this move on the part of Caballero to interrupt a regularly-scheduled ...

Don Williams is a candidate for State Democratic Executive Committeeman and this was his address to the El Paso Young Democrats last night.

What do ya know? Looks like Judge Regina Arditti has a hearing coming up this week. Court records indicate that it is a pre-trial conference set for 1:30pm on Friday in Judge Bramblett's Court. What a coincidence! Remember my prediction...

The criticisms of the El Paso Times are growing louder and louder regarding coverage of certain issues near and dear Theresa Caballero and many point to the alleged relationship with the Times Metro Editor Milan Simonich. Today's edition featured an interesting piece about the cases involving City Reps Carl Robinson and Rachel Quintana. I'm just throwing my own personal opinion out there on this one (opinion only), but it wouldn't surprise me if in the next couple of days there was a piece in the Times that talks about Judge Regina Arditti, who is being represented by Theresa Caballero. I'll bet (again, just my opinion) that there will be some discussion about how long Quintana's case is taking and how quickly Arditti's case is going forward. Which is interesting because Caballero also represented Quintana. What will be more interesting is if they start getting criticism over whether their coverage will be slanted in a way that potentially benefits Caballero...

The Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Rosalio Munoz is hanging up his robe today at Commissioner's Court. A source tells me that the JP was spending a lot of time in California and has cited, "family and health" reasons. More to follow as I gather info.

Word on the street in The El Paso Times is raising the price on their daily paper to .75, which is something the experimented with previously. I hope it is as successful this time as it was last time.

If the World Cup isn't exciting to you...you just aren't living!

I wrote last week about The El Paso Times’ newest star in the line-up, Marty Schladen. We talked about the fact that there were details that were left out of reporting on the El Paso County Commissioner’s Court meeting that I thought were important to the news story. If you don’t remember the piece, scroll down to find “Marty’s Dilema”. In this piece , Schladen doesn’t mention why PD Clara Hernandez said that the El Paso Times is biased, but says that Hernandez “detailed no factual errors, and she didn’t respond for comment after Monday’s meeting.” That’s something else he left out of his story, the fact that Hernandez, and I’m paraphrasing here, said her office will only answer questions from the El Paso Times via email because she wants to make sure that her office is accurately quoted. But nonetheless, he’s right; she didn’t detail any factual errors. Though I think the way he wrote the piece could give the reader the impression that she couldn’t site factual errors. I’m sure the P...

Lord Brownfield had gone underground for a while but has come back with a vengeance. The frequent poster on The Strelz Forum, which has now birthed several bloggers, including Yours Truly, who was known for voluminous posts filled with humor and sarcasm has struck out on his own. You can find his blog here . I've also included it in my blog roll at the bottom of my website. Frankly, it was about time. “Brownie” as he is known in the Strelz circle, usually writes long pieces that take time to sit and digest and don’t really lend themselves to the quick-fire exchanges in the Strelz forum. As you can see in his most recent posts, he’s learning how to use multimedia and the Force is definitely strong with him. He came out with guns blazing making fun of, well, everyone! I haven’t laughed that hard reading a local blog since the El Paso Times bought out the El Paso Fake News Blogs in a bloody hostile take-over that is rumored to have cost the El Paso Times dozens of dollars. (I know, I ...

The City of El Paso has decided to throw a bone to the people of the Lower Valley. Apparently parts of the city are going to get fancy new shading for their bus stops, which is a good thing, especially considering its been hotter than, well a ride on the city bus when the AC breaks down. The part of town with the highest ridership is the Lower Valley. That’s where Sun Metro makes its money. There were no plans to give the bus stops in the Valley any new shading. The City recognized an injustice and decided to put on their super hero capes and step in to save the day. It’s good to know the City has an innate sense of right and wrong. The City, in their infinite benevolence has decided to correct the situation by ensuring that the Valley will get its pick of the finest left-over shades the city has to offer, ones that are being replaced by the shiny new ones in other parts of town.

Seriously Captain Obvious, just who do you think you are kidding? In case you missed it, check out Milan’s column in Sunday’s edition of the El Paso Times. He writes about the medical examiner’s important role. TC won’t shut up about the Medical Examiner and last week’s meeting of Commissioner’s Court featured some comments by Public Defender Clara Hernandez that alluded to a long rumored relationship between Milan Simonich and Theresa Caballero, as reported by the El Paso Inc . And now you wrote on article about the issue she can’t stop talking about? I just think people should know how they roll over at the El Paso Times. Actually not all of the people at the El Paso Times, because most of the people there are ethical, hardworking journalists and it would be unfair to paint them with a broad brush. Normally, in a sentence like the one I’m about to write, I’d use the word allegedly over and over to make sure I’m clear about what I’m saying. I don’t need to in this one. This is how Mil...

I don’t want to pick on the new guy, so I’ll be tactful here. Hell, who am I kidding, let’s just rip the band aid off. My question is this, is Marty Schladen of the El Paso Times not reporting county business accurately or is it being edited that way? Bear with me, because this is complicated and might take a while. He’s in a tough position. He’s the new guy in town. He has two beats, the City and County. That used to be covered by two reporters and now is covered by one. I’m sure there is a part of him that wants to please his boss, Milan Simonich. In a piece in the El Paso Inc. there is an allegation of an alleged relationship between Simonich and TC. I read a piece in the El Paso Times written by Marty Schladen where he gives a recap of a confrontation between County Judge Anthony Cobos and the Public Defender Clara Hernandez . She had taken issue with the fact that Judge Cobos said he’d lost faith in her performance. The apparent catalyst of the conversation was an article writte...

She’s shown her brilliance yet again. She’s managed to get headlines, grab attention, and take people’s focus off of the issue at hand. I have to give her credit. Only TC could make something like this happen. She completely took the attention away from her client, Judge Regina Arditti and the charges leveled against her, and put the focus on TC’s political rivals. All the while spinning a tale that included an alleged affair, an alleged secret love child, a medical examiner, and more conspiracies than Watergate and the Iran-Contra Affair combined. I’ve been spit-balling for days trying to figure out how the hell she does it. What’s worse is I now expect it to happen and it still catches me by surprise. It’s almost like it’s the 80’s all over again and its fourth and goal. The Fridge comes in to the huddle and you just know the ball is coming right behind him. Everyone in the stadium knows it’s coming and even if you stack the line, the Bears are scoring. And then I figured it out. Th...

I'm shocked by this press release. I'm cutting and pasting here, directly from JOP! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE El Paso, Texas - June 7, 2010 - This is in response to the news that a group of residents is lobbying Rep. Eddie Holguin to run in the State Rep. 76 slot in November. Jaime O. Perez (R) County Judge Candidate welcomed the news. A candidate of the caliber of Eddie Holguin Jr. is needed to represent the lower valley. His non-partisan voting history and his fiscal conservatism makes him a natural fit for the tea partiers. Perez said, "I think Repubicans will respect the fact a blue dog Democrat is close enough to their valuesto vote for him. This is particularly so, since there is no Republican in that race." Warmest Regards, Jaime O. Perez (R) County Judge 2011 www.americans4liberty.blogspot.com 915-694-8617

On Monday the El Paso County Commissioner’s Court signed the deed to the land needed for a new Port of Entry in the Lower Valley. I’m going to get a little cynical here, so let me say the important stuff first. Overall, this is a good thing for the Lower Valley. The economic impact will be huge and it will create jobs, which is good because based on last year’s numbers, REDCO sure isn’t creating any! It’s good to see the community that is in most need of the jobs and economic development will finally be getting it. Kudos to Commissioner Gandara for spearheading the project and all the people involved. I’d name them, but Commissioner Gandara spent more than an hour thanking everyone, saying he considers them a close friend, saying he can’t say enough about them (then proving it), and then awarded them all with plaques that look like they were made by tombstone maker in his spare time. Seriously, everyone without a camera and a mike in the room was given an award. I thought I was at my k...

Maybe she’s enrolled in the Eliot Shapleigh School of Lame Ducks Struggling for Relevancy (I hear she sits next to Paul Moreno in class) or something, but State Rep Norma Chavez was apparently in great form yesterday at the El Paso County Courthouse. According to Sammy C, Chavez was trying to get Sammy kicked out of Commissioner Gandara’s office. I know what you’re thinking, why is a State Rep even sticking her nose in the operations of a County Commissioner’s office? I think there are two reasons. One, because I think she’s used to being in charge and in control. Maybw its a Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland kind of thing? After so many years in office, getting used to the idea of going back to one of us regular people is probably hard to deal with. The other reason I think is because I’ve been critical of Representative Chavez. I’m betting she’s pissed and from what I’ve observed, she holds a grudge (so do I) and will be mad for a long time. Sorry, not my problem. I calls em like I se...

This is a video of Fungi Mungle playing in El Paso, Texas at the Alfresco Fridays event. Despite record heat, an organizer told me that Friday might have been a record crowd. Enjoy the video, there is even a rare sighting of the Lioness.

(The following piece is my opinion and my opinion only. It is based entirely on my good faith belief.) That’s a quote. And that’s how she rolls. I’m sick and tired of Theresa Caballero. I’m sick and tired of everyone being afraid of her. I’m sick and tired of her saying and doing anything she wants and no one calls her on her shit. Let me make this clear to you, her, and everyone else reading: I don’t fear her. In my opinion Caballero tries to bully and intimidate people in town that don’t agree with her or are critical of her. I believe that if you express a critique or opposition to her, she will apply pressure in order to silence you. I will not succumb to that pressure. I will not be intimidated. This part isn’t opinion, its fact: Theresa Caballero has made multiple calls to management complaining about me. Her latest call was earlier today. She left a voicemail that said in part, “…shut him up…”. Many people have told me that they fear her in any capacity of power because of situ...

An unopposed motion to delay the trial until next March was granted by Judge Frank Montalvo in the public corruption case involving District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez and Luther Jones. I’m not a big shot lawyer like Theresa Caballero and Stuart Leeds, but they said something on yesterday’s edition of El Paso on the Move with Paul Strelzin that I found pretty interesting. I’m paraphrasing here but essentially they said that the delay doesn’t bode well for the prosecution because of the delay and that if they had their case together they wouldn’t need a delay. Before you all start nodding in agreement, let me point something out. It was the defense teams that requested the delay and the reason the requested the delay is because there is a large quantity of evidence including phone calls, emails, text messages, and computer files. The real threat to the prosecution’s case, and this is something Caballero and Leeds didn’t mention, is the fact that there is a case in front of the Supreme Court ...