Martin Paredes, Useless Pendejo

Normally I don't write about the other bloggers because I'm the one they blog about. I lead, they follow. Thats the pecking order.

But every once in a while I find the need to comment on something and today that something is the crazy train that is Martin Paredes. Long ago he referred to be as a "useful idiot". Well if I'm a useful idiot, then Paredes is certainly a useless pendejo.

Martin Paredes talks, but never says anything.

Martin Paredes is a conspiracy theorist. I know a lot of Libertarians and so I know a crazy nut-ball conspiracy theorist when I see one. Even by Libertarian standards, Martin Paredes is out there. He's conspiracy theorist Rob Lowe. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he actually did think the government puts listening devices in cheese. And by government, I mean Veronica Escobar.

To hear Martin Paredes tell it, Veronica Escobar is part of a vast conspiracy that started years ago under former Mayor Ray Caballero. Actually to hear Paredes a whole log of people were allegedly involved in a conspiracy involving Mayor Caballero including people who were literally in diapers when he was the mayor.

Even Truthers and Birthers realized they had to come up with something that remotely resembles a rational and coherent thought. But not Martin Paredes. He makes a video and posts it on his blog proclaiming some sort of conspiracy but never articulates what the conspiracy is.

The video is of County Judge Veronica Escobar and Susie Byrd talking about how they along with Congressman O'Rourke, Senator Rodriguez, and Steve Ortega were working toward a "very important agenda".

Escobar says the agenda was about a vibrant downtown and excellent mass transit, about being competitive with other cities, and drawing talent, not losing it.

Thats a bad thing? Maybe Paredes would like El Paso to be an old backward thinking town that was content with mediocrity. Meanwhile, there is a new spirit in El Paso and people are actually excited about El Paso actually being on the road to fulfilling its potential.

But wait, it gets better. For dramatic impact, he shows the old city hall being torn down. Ooooooohhh.

The next screen says "What is next for their agenda?" Followed by "Can it be stopped?"

Well the crappy city hall building was replaced by a stadium that has been my nearly every mark, a success. It has been a big impact to downtown. More people will continue to visit the downtown area and contribute to our economy which will ultimately take some of the burden off of homeowners and put more of it on businesses. Families love and enjoy the ballpark. Its probably the best thing to happen to El Paso that I can remember.

So if that is their agenda (forget the fact that Escobar and Rodriguez didn't have any part of that city project) then I hope the answer to what is next for the agenda is something just as great, if not better than the ballpark.

As for can it be stopped?

Hell, based on how much better things are, I hope not! But just look at the score board Martin. You're out of touch with the people of El Paso.

Well Escobar says it best when she says "candidates running against good stuff, the community needs to reject that. Its up to the community to say, 'we still have a set goal. We're not there yet and we're not gonna let you drag us down.'"

And the voters have said just that. The group of leaders that are lumped in with Escobar have lost one election recently. The rest they have won and usually pretty handily.

Face it Paredes, the community happens to live that "agenda" they are pushing. They've had many opportunities to reject it at the ballot box and instead of rejecting that agenda, they have supported it and the leaders who are making important policy initiatives.

My favorite part is when he mentions the upcoming elections (None of the people mentioned in the video are on the ballot by the way) and that its time to "take back your city". He apparently channeled is inner Tea Party nut with the whole "we want our country back" sentiment. Take it back from who? Did it suddenly get invaded by a foreign country when no one was looking?

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This part is sort of a personal rant about Paredes and his silly little conspiracy theories. The other day self-describe "border blogger" who doesn't live anywhere near the Mexican border, alleged that I was part of some conspiracy having to do with the American flag design at the new Reyes Elementary School in Canutillo along with Woody Hunt.

Again, no proof was provided whatsoever. Apparently one of the voices in his head just came up with that idea. Or maybe the cheese whispered it to him.

Here are the facts. I wrote about the flag controversy before anyone else. I was, and am, pretty furious about it. I said Canutillo ISD better not back down and said that every veteran's organization in this town should raise holy hell if they do. I also said they should go a step further and bling the building out in red, white, and blue just to send a message.

Apparently because I didn't write about it again, Paredes jumps to some conclusion that I was basically flying air cover for Woody Hunt. First of all, I didn't even know Woody Hunt was the developer.

Not all of us are as cozy with those folks as Paredes is.

Second of all, I thought it was a homeowners association issue, not the developers.

Third of all, I DON'T KNOW WOODY HUNT. I never met the vato. Never been in the same room as him that I know of. The closest I get to Woody Hunt is passing some building named after him near Ysleta High School on my way to mass on Sunday.

I mention this because Paredes is a complete moron and because I get irritated when people challenge my patriotism. And trust me, when you allege that I back down from an issue because I'm flying air cover for a developer I've never met over a controversy having to do with the flag, you are absolutely challenging my patriotism.

I'm a veteran. I served my country and I'm patriotic. I volunteered for the Army on my birthday which happens to be the 4th of July. People who know me know that I stand for the national anthem no matter where I am when it plays. If I'm all alone at home watching a boxing match on tv and it comes on, I stand. I make my kids stand too. If I'm at a restaurant, bar, friends house, etc and I hear it, I stand. Most of the time, I'm the only one standing. And guess what? I don't care.

I stand for the flag. I stand for what I believe. Thats just how I was raised.

I care far more about the flag than I do a rich developer I've never met.

Unlike you, I'm not for sale vato.