El Paso Politics

I was saddened to hear of the passing of former El Paso County Judge  Alicia Chacón , una  mujer whose presence shaped this community long before many of us ever learned how to spell the word “politics.” Her loss feels heavy, not just because she was a public servant, but because she was a  Chicana  in every sense of the word - and that matters. Let me start with that key word:   CHICANO . People use the word loosely these days, like it’s just another cultural flavor.  But for those of us raised in activism, who marched, who organized, who spoke truth to power before it was Instagrammable,   Chicano  actually means something.  It means cultural pride stitched into your bones. It means political consciousness. It means you weren’t just around - you were fighting. So when I call someone a Chicana, understand this: It is the highest compliment I can give. And Doña Alicia Chacón earned it. A First in a City That Had Waited Too Long In a city that...

Some folks collect stamps. Some folks collect Funko Pops. Nico Dominguez? That vato collects election  losses . And let me tell you — he’s got the   premium ,   limited edition ,   holographic   set. At this point the guy’s campaign résumé looks like one of those CVS receipts that’s three feet longer than necessary and full of coupons nobody will ever use. But here he comes again, running for Justice of the Peace -  otra vez . I genuinely lost count of how many campaigns this man has launched, crashed, and burned. City council, school board, statewide office, Pope… I don’t know. If there was an election for  Official Guy Who Never Wins , he’d still come in second to Sam Morgan - who is now running as a Republican. Yes - Nico would lose to Sam Morgan - in the valley - with Sam Morgan running as a Republican... And I swear to God, Nico has that BlueChew energy - not in the sexy way, but in the   overly confident even though nothing actually wor...

So here we have State Rep. Mary González, County Commissioner Jackie Butler, and Sheriff Oscar Ugarte - three elected officials with titles long enough to sound important, but apparently with skin thinner than a gas station tortilla. Why? Because longtime Montana Vista activist Tina Silva didn’t support their political campaigns. And like mature, dignified public servants, what did they do? That’s right — they decided to hold a competing turkey giveaway targeted at the exact same families, in the exact same community, on the exact same day, at the exact same time as Silva’s 27-year tradition. That’s not coincidence. That’s not community spirit. That’s political chingaderas straight out of a middle-school playbook. This wasn’t about feeding people. This was about ego and payback. Meanwhile, the Real Activist Is Just Trying to Feed Her People Let’s talk about Tina. For 27 years — TWENTY-SEVEN — she has opened her home to feed Montana Vista families. Not an office. N...

I have been doing this a really long time. The better part of two decades. I have spent far too many hours in government meetings than I'd like to admit. Last night's city council meeting  in San Elizario was not the craziest government meeting I have ever been to - but it is a close second.  If you're wondering - a fist fight during a Socorro City Council meeting when Willie Gandara, Sr was the mayor is still first place - but this gave that meeting a run for its money.  Before we even get into the absolute circus of a meeting last night, let’s jump to the headline -  the Mayor of San Elizario is about to be formally censured , and council is referring his actions to law enforcement for potential violations of the law. Which, let’s be real, is mostly ceremonial since   an investigation is already happening . But hey - sometimes you gotta send the memo in triplicate for the gente in the cheap seats. And before the mayor’s paid social-media warriors, keyboard war...