Jeremy Jordan & Consulting Conflicts

There's a climate change petition going around that might end up getting enough signatures to get on the ballot. While I agree with it in principle, I mean who doesn't want government at any level to address very obvious climate change issues affecting the plant, but I didn't sign the petition because I had a question about the language and a particular provision having to do with the fact that money apparently needs to be filtered through this new bureaucracy that appears to be part of the initiative. 

I tried to get someone to give me some clarity on the issue and I was ignored, so I didn't sign the petition. But thats neither here nor there. 

The utilities aren't in support of the effort and will likely hire a consultant to fight the initiative if they are successful in collecting enough signatures. 

Jeremy Jordan is running around town telling folks that he's got the gig. 

Word around the water coolers downtown is that there is no way in hell he's going to get the gig. Apparently there is a lot of apprehension about him because he hasn't won anything of significance in a long time, if ever. He's never taken on something like this previously, much less been successful. 

But the the biggest problem the important people have with him is the fact that there is a huge conflict of interest given his relationship with City Rep Cassandra Hernandez. No one wants to be the one to say it because she's largely protected because of some of her political alliances but the reality is that if anyone else were an elected official and their significant other were basically trading on their name and relationship the "powers that be" would be going ape shit. 

Real talk - the Jeremy Jordan / Cassandra Hernandez relationship should be a bigger issue than the kid gloves have been treating it with. They have a child together so there is obviously some extent to which they benefit from one another's income. Normally, no one would give a shit. But when one of them is a city rep - and therefore a member of the regulatory body of the utility companies in town - that is one really loud and obvious conflict of interest. 

Which is why despite his bragging around town about having the gig in the bag, he's probably the least likely to get the job. 

Let me reiterate the fact that if this were any other elected official in town, Jordan's political consulting with organizations that have a direct relationship with anything that falls under the purview of Cassandra Hernandez would lead the local news. 

There should be codified rules to deal with relationships like this. 

But also, one would expect an elected official to understand the perception and not just put the city or the people of El Paso in a compromised position. I can't believe someone has to actually say that aloud. 

There's no scenario where Jordan could work on behalf of any of the utilities because of his relationship with Hernandez, who is part of their regulatory body. Its just objectively wrong by any standard.

I don't know if its illegal, but its certainly unethical for a city representative's immediate family to benefit from income from a utility - whether its a PAC or not - while she's part of their regulatory body.

And this certainly isn't the only time he / they have apparently financially benefitted from their relationship. Jordan consulted for the police union while his wife is a city rep and no one in the media even bothered to question it. 

So environmental activists - he's the guy gunning to win the gig to kill your initiative.