Cabrera (Arellano) Alleges Corruption; Crowd Confused

Last night City Representative Michiel Noe had a community meeting regarding the new eastside regional park. The park, when completed, will be twice the size of Album park and will be the largest park in the city of El Paso.

There were about 100 constituents that attended the meeting.

While the constituents were there to see what the design and amenities of the park looked like, it appears that at least one constituent went to the meeting for a different purpose. Representative Noe's opponent Rosa Cabrera (Arellano) asked to speak and accused Representative Noe of corruption (video below).

But based on this Facebook post, it looks like Cabrera (Arellano) may have actually attended the event with the express purpose of having an audience.

Ms. Cabrera (Arellano) appeared to have been accompanied only by children to the meeting.

As you can see in this video, Cabrera (Arellano) took an opportunity to ask a question of Representative Noe during the meeting about how much land had been donated. She followed up with a question about streets, followed by an allegation of corruption.

Watch the video and then I'll explain in further detail.

It is interesting to note that the meeting took place within a school and was an official city meeting. As you saw in the video Representative Noe points that issue out and Cabrera (Arellano) likely opened the door to an official complaint for violating campaign rules. 

Also as you can see in the video, the crowd didn't react to her allegation of corruption. No one understood what exactly she was alleging was corrupt, so let me walk you through it. 

Cabrera (Arellano) asked Representative Noe a question about the developer and the land that was donated to the city for the park. The crowd didn't know this, but that was actually some political gamesmanship on the part of Cabrera (Arellano). She actually knew the answer to the question.

I noticed she posted this update to Facebook earlier in the meeting. 

She likes posting pictures of herself.

Once Representative Noe answered her question, she then asked if the city of El Paso was going to pay for the streets. Noe explained that streets (pavement actually because the plans don't call for any new streets for the park) would be paid for by the city because it would be within the park. Any streets made for the development are paid for by the developer because it is the responsibility of the developer.

Here's where things got confusing. Cabrera (Arellano) called that a "sweet deal".

So let me make sure we're all on the same page. The developer donated 92 acres of land that he could've developed or sold to the city of El Paso. Either way, he missed out on profit by donating the land to the tax payers. Then, on the land that he may develop in the future, he has to foot the bill for any streets he puts in.

And that is a "sweet deal"?

Maybe she meant for the tax payers, in which case I would agree. We got one sweet deal.

Cabrera (Arellano) repeated that it was a "sweet deal, and for me that's corruption".

Based on her comments in the video and in the Facebook post she appears to be alleging that some sort of exception was made for the developer. She never says what exception, but I think she meant the streets. Maybe she doesn't understand city policy but the city doesn't pay for streets in new development. That is the responsibility of the developer. The city has always paid for pavement and parking lots in parks. Like every other municipality in the country.

I don't know where she was going with the stuff about no more pocket parks, but I have other video where Representative Noe actually talks about pocket parks. I'll post that one later. But the point is, Cabrera (Arellano) from a campaign perspective, seems to be a little tone-deaf when it comes to the audience. Why would someone go into a community meeting, probably the largest I've ever seen for a city rep, where a fancy new voter-approved future park was being shown off and then turn around and be critical of the project?

I think that is also part of the reason the audience sat in stunned silence. Most of those people probably vote. They have a nice new shiny park on the way. Why would she go into that environment with that message looking for support? The whole thing was confusing.

Frankly the audience was far more interested in the beef between skaters and BMX'ers over park turf.

Regardless of your feelings on the park, leveling an allegation like corruption is very serious. This could be problematic for Cabrera (Arellano).