El Paso Politics

I was thinking about the stupid electronic communications ban that was a poorly planned reactionary public policy enacted by city council recently. And there's a big fat hole in the policy that needs to be addressed. Wearable technology. Smart watches for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about. Smart watches let you view your calendar, read your email, or even send and receive text messages. Right now council members have to turn in their cell phones to Richarda's easter box during the meeting. But your cell phone only has to be in range of your watch for you to send and receive messages. Most smart watches have an option set up for default replies. You can basically set it up to give you the option for just about any reply to a text message you want in addition to the default replies that already exist like "yes""no""brb"on my way""talk later" etc. So you could customize just about anything like this for example...

Let me tell you, there is no group of elected officials in this town that hate being questioned about anything more than judges. Anytime someone questions what they do one of two things happens, their heads explode in rage or they run and hide saying they are not available for comment. Thats bullshit, they work for us. Too many of them have forgotten that they work for us. What happened with Judge Mike Herrera, and the subsequent approval by Judge Patrick Garcia of public funds to be used to file motions on Herrera's behalf - essentially defending his actions - was found to be improper. Here is coverage from KVIA on that issue. Improper my ass, its complete and total bullshit. There was no reason that public funds should have ever been used to pay for an attorney to file motions on Herrera's behalf. Herrera can afford his own lawyer and should have paid for the attorney himself. He should pay that money back to the public. Frankly Judge Patrick Garcia should be held accountabl...

As expected the field of candidates for the District 2 race is now the size of a small kindergarten class. Prior to yesterday I think Tolbert was going to walk away without a run-off election because there weren't really any formidable opposition nor anyone that has any field experience. In fact, had one particular candidate not filed, it would probably still be the same scenario although having a lot of candidates in the race inherently makes it more difficult to win without a run-off, though not impossible. Cemelli De Aztlán joins Jim Tolbert as the real credible candidates in the race. She's raza, younger, and more liberal than Tolbert. The other candidates are basically one-issue candidates that don't really have a base, campaign money, or a grassroots infrastructure to be real competitive. Ultimately this comes down to Tolbert Vs. De Aztlán. If Cemelli can raise money, and I think the developers might look at her as a viable alternative to Tolbert, then this could get ...

The filing deadline for the race for District 2 to replace Larry Romero is quickly approaching. So far there are a few candidates in the race and I am normally not one who enjoys seeing a small kindergarten-size field of candidates for a race, but this is a different scenario. Turn-out is going to be really tiny, and so right now you have one candidate that has all the campaign talent behind him, Jim Tolbert. So if the election were held today he'd likely win without a run-off. And guess what? As the campaign goes forward that is more and more like to be the case with each passing day because none of the other candidates in the field have any real campaign talent behind them. Tolbert is a good guy, heart is in the right place, and he's a smart guy. But he shouldn't walk away from this campaign without a rigorous debate about the issues. The conversation needs to be more than conservation. It needs to be about a range of issues affecting the City of El Paso right now. And fr...

An event that was 5 years in the making finally became official last night at a small family event in the Lower Valley. County Commissioner Vince Perez proposed to long-time girlfriend and City Representative Claudia Ordaz at a family Easter gathering at the home of Perez's parents near Bel Air High School. Normally this would be the part were I would insert a video, or at the very least a picture of Perez making the proposal to Ordaz but truth be told, I went inside to grab another beer and when I came outside Perez's father and grandmother were clapping along with the rest of the family that was present. So I missed it. Perez and Ordaz started dating after Ordaz left Senator Shapleigh's Office to work with Congressman Reyes' Office. The First Couple of the Valley each represent portions of the Lower Valley and Eastside of the respective areas and have been dating for over 5 years. By the way, Ordaz said yes. There has been no official date set so far.

The City of El Paso has finally released information to me regarding my open records request. And what was released is a piece of work that only could happen at the City of El Paso. What was ultimately released was unresponsive to my request, included only 15 text messages, and was redacted so much it looked like a CIA document from the Cold War that was just recently declassified. This release crystalizes what is wrong with the people who demand "transparency" from their colleagues but clearly don't practice what they preach. This might take awhile so walk with me... The operative part of my request is as follows: "...Provide any and all communications and accompanying records of text messages on a public or private electronic communication device, between Representative Michiel Noe, Dora Oaxaca, Camilo Jimenez, and Representative Acosta pertaining to any and all city business, to include the Metropolitan Planning Organization and subcommittee work between February ...

City Rep Acosta seems to have now resigned to the fact that her political career after this term is essentially over. Why else would she double-down the ridiculous agenda item that she put forward at the last meeting? So now she wants city council to take up a discussion that hopefully doesn't actually violate the Texas Open Meetings laws and will allow the city to push for state legislation that will essentially ask them to change the law to allow for things that are already allowed for. This is because Acosta is trying to recover some sense of credibility in all of this and is trying to make something out of nothing here. Which is the real problem. The agenda isn't for that purpose. But as a practical matter it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't fix a problem what exists and it doesn't fix a problem that doesn't already have a solution. And really the biggest thing it does is draw attention to the hypocrisy of Acosta's effort. Acosta never had an issue with...

Eight years ago when there was a contested primary involving Hillary Clinton and most of the supporters who were at the convention Saturday, it was a screw job of epic proportions. The Hillary delegation was rude, ugly, mean-spirited, and unethical. Luckily they got what was coming to them at the state convention and everything that was wrong at the County convention was fixed at the state convention. Saturday's convention was a completely different story. I could write all day long about it the short of it was that it was actually pretty well-run and smooth, compared to conventions in the past. Most of the people that attended that had never been to a convention before and probably thought it was a big cluster-fuck. It wasn't. It may have seemed chaotic but most of the convention work was done early with the exception of nominations committee. But that wasn't even their fault. There was a problem with the fact that the state party sent them forms that were missing a key el...

Everyone seems to have taken their turn writing about Marisa Marquez lately and I have basically refrained. I refrained because the Times piece basically said everything that needs to be said. Sure, she dispatched her lapdog to write several pieces defending her or drawing a false equivalency to other elected officials that dabble in consulting. Interestingly Emma Acosta's name wasn't mentioned. She also is a 'consultant'. The reality is they are different from Marquez because they aren't lobbying subordinate levels of government and if were a big deal then you'd hear experts and colleagues calling them out on it like you do Marquez. But you don't. Because it isn't. However, I want to be totally clear about something. I don't think Marquez is breaking the law or committing a crime. That is the important take away from all of this. What should be a crime, is the fact that people actually pay Forma Group, the firm she's now a major player in. I...

The City of El Paso is really starting to get on my nerves with their little games. I can only imagine the crap that goes on with average El Pasoans who don't have a platform to air some of this crap out. So time to shine a little like on the crap the City is pulling. Nearly every time I file an open records request, not matter how clear the language, they send me a clarification letter. For those of you keeping score at home, its a request they send to clarify something that is unclear in the letter and it essentially buys the City 10 more days from the day you respond. If you respond. If you don't, then they are off the hook. So here is the letter I received from the City. Stick around for my response at the bottom: This was my response (I have a screenshot of it at the end but I thought I'd paste the text here to make it easier to read): Ms. Leyva, Please consider this email a response to the attached letter regarding your request for clarification. I thank you for bring...

With all the attention on Tommy Gonzalez at the city, I think a lot of people are missing some major issues with the city's lawyer, Sylvia Firth. I realize that we are in Lent at all, but the Mayor's effort to pull a Pontius Pilot with Firth didn't go unnoticed. At the start of the meeting he engages in an effort to imply that Firth doesn't have the power to remove something from the agenda, namely Acosta and Oaxaca's punitive response to my open records request, and she deeply bellows into the microphone that she can't discriminate against any member of council that wants to put something on the agenda. Uh, thats bullshit. The attorney's job is to protect the legal position of the city and ensure council is complying with the law. That is her MAIN purpose for existing. Lets press pause for a moment and rewind a bit. Remember text-gate? Back them the rest of council was wanting to burn Ordaz at the stake for all the text messages that were released. Really t...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2016 FOI Foundation of Texas joins Attorney General’s Office in El Paso Open Government Seminar AUSTIN _ The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will host an Open Government Seminar in El Paso in May featuring training in the state’s public meetings and public records laws. The non-profit FOI Foundation, in cooperation with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office, will offer the one-day seminar on Tuesday, May 10. It is designed for government employees, journalists, attorneys and members of the general public who want to learn more about the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act. “This seminar highlighting Texas’ open government laws helps to inform citizens of their rights and responsibilities as they participate in our democracy,” said Kelley Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.  Supporting the FOI Foundation as sponsors of the seminar are the El Paso Times and the law firm Wind...

By my count, today marks day 7 of the we'll-have-the-plazita-open-in-ten-days boast from the City of El Paso. So only three days to go and we can all (finally) enjoy the plazita again right? Just kidding, no one actually believes a sentence from the City of El Paso that starts with, "We expect completion of the project to be..." You know what we should do while we are waiting for the plazita to be done? Watch cat videos!

Events that have transpired over the last few days involving two judges underscore exactly why it is so important to vote in elections. Judge Mike Herrera and Municipal Court Judge and current Court of Appeals candidate Maria Ramirez are text book examples of what happens when judges have no scrutiny and almost no opponents. Ramirez was featured in the El Paso Times lately for an event that ultimately led to three citations, two of which where dismissed in exchange for pleading guilty to one. Ramirez attempts to explain it away by saying its a ticket and everyone has gotten a ticket. Maybe, but it was actually a Class C misdemeanor. I have been raked over the coals for a misdemeanor so I know how bad it can get. But the reality is that most people aren't running for a court of appeals job either. But the ticket isn't the issue, its the events surrounding the issue. It was an altercation at the federal court house involving security. Ramirez let her emotions get away from her an...

I saw something over the weekend that blew my mind. Democrats sit down for this one. The El Paso County Sheriff's Officer's Association - a labor organization - endorsed a Republican for Sheriff. The boys at the EPSOA are notorious for making bad political decisions. They almost always back the losers in political campaigns. They recently supported a guy against Commissioner Vince Perez that didn't even live in the precinct he was trying to run in. That was a major face-plant for the EPSOA because they were careless in their endorsement. At least in the past when they endorsed a candidate, even a terrible one like Dora Oaxaca, you could at least understand why. Dora and Marrufo, the head of the union at the time, went to Socorro High together. But their decisions lately, despite not having Marrufo in charge anymore, defy logic. Lets set aside the Quintanilla endorsement. Lets chalk it up to old-fashioned payback. But endorsing a Republican is not only stupid, its an embarra...

I've been skeptical of Iliana Holguin as the chair of the Democratic Party for a while. But last night on ABC 7 Xtra she blew away the chair of the El Paso Republican Party. I don't think I've ever seen a chair of the Party that could so eloquently debate an opponent. She clearly outclassed Telles. Actually, let me be more accurate...she gave him a beat down. I got the impression that Telles is a Trump supporter and he spent the entire time on the show defending Trump while Holguin very methodically laid out the case of why he's bad for America. Telles seems to forget that even El Paso Republicans have rejected Trump. He came in third behind Rubio and Cruz. So tip of the hat to Holguin, job well done.

I don't know what it is about Constables that make them think they are generals of small Central American countries but a lot of them have egos like Manuel Noriega. At the county today there is an agenda item to basically let Oscar Ugarte take office several months early. And it's a pointless and unnecessary item that does nothing but serve ego. There is zero practical need for Ugarte to assume office early. It's a false sense of urgency. Sure he's a great guy and all but that is beside the point. He's a Constable, it's not a mission-critical office that requires him to assume it early.  And seriously, he really needs to stop invoking the name of Robert White after every sentence. It's tacky.  Ugarte should just wait to take office in January like every other elected official. It sets a bad precedent. Now every elected official that doesn't have an opponent in November will be asking the court to take office early. Commissioners should delete this item.

Joe Olvera was a friend and mentor. I, like many people, was saddened to hear of his passing and have struggled to put the words together that would be a fitting tribute to Joe. We became friends several years ago when he sent me an email about something I'd written. I was surprised he even knew I existed and truth be told, a little star struck. He had the voice that a vato like me could only aspire to, but never achieve. The highest compliment I can pay a man like Joe is to call him exactly what he was, a Chicano. Most of you reading this don't understand what that means. Sure, you're probably familiar with the term, or consider it a label with either good or bad connotations. But only a few actually know what it  means  to be a Chicano. When someone calls themself a Chicano, it's more than an ethnic identifier. It's a political badge of courage. When you call yourself a Chicano it means you are politically active and culturally proud. It means you have shed the yo...

According to documents recently made public, long-time family court Judge Mike Herrera who presides over the 383rd Judicial District Court, was reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Follow this link for the document . According to the documents, Judge Herrera filed for divorce from his wife in 2012 and was made aware that the case was assigned to the court he presides over the very day that it was filed. The documents go on to say that Judge Herrera allowed the case to remain in his court for several months. Herrera says in the document that he did so because he didn't want the case to go forward. In a rather interesting quote coming from a family court judge, Herrera said, I did not care to place my family in the same position as other litigants find themselves, in conflicts and court hearings, which, for the most part only benefit the attorneys financially. It is really sad and embarrassing to see the reputation of some of the litigants being dragged in the mud...

Representative Acosta has had mayoral aspirations for quite some time now. And for quite some time that has basically been a pipe dream. She never really had the support for that aspiration in the community. Anyone who thinks what little support she had still exists are probably the same people who believe that she wasn't aiming the now-infamous agenda item at me. As someone who has seen a lot of politics in this county, I figured that the train-wreck was going to stop at the posting of the agenda item. I figured Acosta and Dora had the skill set to gauge public reaction and would realize the error of their ways and very quietly delete the item. Just kidding, I knew Dora didn't have that skill set. She has made a career out of being completely disconnected with the views of the community. But I figured Acosta did. But there are several things Acosta said during the meeting that I want to draw attention to because when elected officials say things that aren't true its import...

A new candidate has filed for District 2, Angel Del Torro. I have never heard of him before and so I only have a few details. To my knowledge he's not a guy that has been around political circles and I don't recall him being at city hall for anything noteworthy but a lot of people go to city hall so that doesn't really mean anything. He's from the Austin area and is a retired Financial Analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank. He's in his late 60's. More details as I get to know him. Del Toro joins Jim Tolbert and David Nevarez as candidates that have formally announced their candidacy for the seat left vacant by City Rep Larry Romero who has resigned due to health issues relating to a stroke. Mr. Romero is still under investigation for an alleged ethics code violation through a complaint filed by Tolbert.

I spoke yesterday at city hall against an agenda item that City Rep Emma Acosta put on the agenda that was not even a thinly veiled attempt to try to intimidate and impede me from accessing documents that are available to the public. I haven't written about it publicly sooner because I was saving my remarks for the public comment portion of the meeting. I felt it was better to show Acosta and Dora Oaxaca that no middle school playground tactic was going to work on me. But let me be clear, my anger about this item wasn't about me. I have plenty of people that talk bad about me. I've had plenty of people who have tried to intimidate me and push me around. Not sure why people haven't learned this yet, but that shit doesn't work on me. I have literally taken all that people can throw at me and I'm still here. So get it through your heads hater-nation, I'm not going anywhere. I've already weathered a rough storm with more negative press than a Gandara. I'...

The District Attorney's race is pending the results of counting of overseas ballots and provisional ballots. A source indicates that there were less than 50 ballots from overseas pending. The official results will be released at 5pm on the Elections Department website. Barring some strange statistical anomaly it it's unlikely the vote total will change. Meaning that there will be a run-off between Esparza and Rosales.

By every measure possible last night's biggest loser was Forma Group. A close second was the people of House District 75 that re-elected Mary Gonzalez. More on her later, but for now let's talk about Forma Group. For a very long time Forma Group has been the Donald Trump of political consultants. Didn't matter what they said or did, the people with deep pockets were still going to dump a bunch of money into them.  But the reality is that in the world of politics you are defined by you win-loss record and Forma was annihilated last night. All of their three major candidates not only loss, but they got their asses handed to them.  Despite a TON of money going to Forma Group, an entity that profited more from this election than anyone else in town, they only had one candidate even break 40%. When Chente Quintanilla is your highest performer you know you got issues.  Adolfo Lopez, who could ultimately live to fight another day in another office, was blown out by Lina Ortega. ...

Yesterday was Texas Independence Day. And some genius at the County Jail did this.   Flying the Texas flag upside down on any day is a major faux pax in the Lone Star State.  But doing it on Texas Independence Day is libel to get us kicked out of the state.

So let's see who carries more weight with voters. The Congressman and the Senator or the State Rep and the Mayor. Early voting numbers will be released after 7pm. If anyone is up more than 10% points it's probably going to stay that way.  Turnout looks low.