Road Rage in Socorro
So when I see it, I want to do something about it.
It's happening in Socorro...again.
I'm acquiring more documents and maps but let me tell you what I've uncovered so far.
At least one city rep has been directing a particular staff member to push through road paving projects in what is alleged to be a personal benefit to himself.
This is similar to the movida Jesse Gandara pulled when he was in office where he and his supporters allegedly received driveways before other constituents.
The City of Socorro has been working on improving their infrastructure under the direction of Mayor Jesus Ruiz, Councilman at Large Rene Rodriguez, and Councilwoman Gloria Rodriguez. Under the previous Gandara administration they were focused on putting a ton of money into big parks, but hadn't taken care of the necessities first. So this administration has been working on the infrastructure. Not the most politically popular thing to do because people just bitch and moan about traffic during construction.
The Public Works Department for the City of Socorro has done about 30 streets so far during this years paving plan.
One city rep, Sergio Cox, has pushed through two paving projects that directly benefit property he owns.
Generally the way the streets are prioritized for paving in the county and other municipalities is based on the wear and tear of the street and the amount of traffic on the street. The streets with more traffic and in poorer condition are allocated the funds as a priority.
For example, if you want a street paved that isn't paved, generally what happens is a traffic study is done. A sensor is placed in the ground for a period of time to establish how much traffic flows through a given area over a period of time. That data is collected and analyzed to determine the cost-benefit of investing public resources into a paving project. So obviously the streets with more traffic have a greater need for paving. The streets with very little traffic, well there just isn't the public need to pave an area that gets little traffic.
BTW, if you're wondering about the conditions of the major roads in Socorro, most of them are state roads and belong to TxDOT.
But incredibly, one road that was pushed by Sergio Cox has only TWO properties on the road. It is going to be paved and provided an outlet that was basically just a make shift dirt road outlet previously.
What is the public benefit of paving a road with only TWO properties that front the road? Why the necessity to push the project through? Because Sergio Cox is one of the two property owners on that street.
Fray Olguin is a road that has several properties on it that has absolutely no paving on it. Its a dirt road and all the other roads around it are paved and when it rains, that road is in terrible condition for the residents. The city is trying to acquire some right-of-way to pave it, but it underscores the fact that there is real need in that community, but a road with only two properties on it, one of which is owned by a council member, represents that not only are there misplaced priorities, but real institutional reform needs to take place in order to prevent that kind of crap.
I'll post maps and some very interesting email exchanges on all of this soon. But someone needs to be asking some questions on behalf of the community.
The Public Works Department for the City of Socorro has done about 30 streets so far during this years paving plan.
One city rep, Sergio Cox, has pushed through two paving projects that directly benefit property he owns.
Generally the way the streets are prioritized for paving in the county and other municipalities is based on the wear and tear of the street and the amount of traffic on the street. The streets with more traffic and in poorer condition are allocated the funds as a priority.
For example, if you want a street paved that isn't paved, generally what happens is a traffic study is done. A sensor is placed in the ground for a period of time to establish how much traffic flows through a given area over a period of time. That data is collected and analyzed to determine the cost-benefit of investing public resources into a paving project. So obviously the streets with more traffic have a greater need for paving. The streets with very little traffic, well there just isn't the public need to pave an area that gets little traffic.
BTW, if you're wondering about the conditions of the major roads in Socorro, most of them are state roads and belong to TxDOT.
But incredibly, one road that was pushed by Sergio Cox has only TWO properties on the road. It is going to be paved and provided an outlet that was basically just a make shift dirt road outlet previously.
What is the public benefit of paving a road with only TWO properties that front the road? Why the necessity to push the project through? Because Sergio Cox is one of the two property owners on that street.
Fray Olguin is a road that has several properties on it that has absolutely no paving on it. Its a dirt road and all the other roads around it are paved and when it rains, that road is in terrible condition for the residents. The city is trying to acquire some right-of-way to pave it, but it underscores the fact that there is real need in that community, but a road with only two properties on it, one of which is owned by a council member, represents that not only are there misplaced priorities, but real institutional reform needs to take place in order to prevent that kind of crap.
I'll post maps and some very interesting email exchanges on all of this soon. But someone needs to be asking some questions on behalf of the community.
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