Council looks like they're about to put the Red Road extension back into the long-term plans for the valley. This means Mary Francis Keisling and friends are going to suffer a little thing we like to call a "hissy fit."
Expect that they will be circulating recall petitions next week. They have used the threats of recalls in the past to get what they want in the past - this exact issue as a matter of fact.
The level of crazy that is about to be paraded around town will be second to none.
Do not piss off old, rich white women with a lot of time on their hands.
Tsk tsk. You might take a ride out and view the area of potential expansion -- and what lies beyond, over the river. The expansion would benefit a cabal of business interests across the state line in New Mexico, and upper-class Caucasians in Texas (there is a neighborhood association behind this, in case you don't get over there much), at the expense of largely lower-and middle-class Hispanics who live along Redd Road and Gomez.
Some pols are singing the tune they've been taught by such interests -- thus the reintroduction of this proposal despite it meaning that hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax money went down the tubes (not that that happens much in El Paso).
Sad to see you're so quick to jump on the side of the expansionist crowd in town ("This means Mary Francis Keisling and friends are going to suffer a little thing we like to call a "hissy fit.")
Posted by: 4 Borders Pundit | October 06, 2009 at 06:15 PM
4 borders..
Here is a little newsflash for you and all the NIMBY's out there, You aren't the only ones that use the roads in your neighborhoods. You live in a large city that hundreds of thousands of people have the right to use.
You seem to forget about all the delivery and service people, the police, fire and ambulance, the maids and landscapers, postal workers, school bus drivers and other people that live on the eastside or NE have jobs on the westside or Santa Teresa and its quite possible that they commute thru or work in your neighborhoods 5-6 days a week and may in fact use those roads more frequently than many of those that live there.
The rest of the cities population shouldn't have to divert miles out of the way or negotiate congested and substandard width roads because you want to "keep the country aspect" of your neighborhood.
You don't have a leg to stand on in regard to the need for the expansion..its there NOW!
Can you imagine what its going to be like in 10-15 years if we continue to ignore the obvious growth in the area.
Think ahead people, spend the money at today's dollars not 2025 dollars.
Putting it off is incredibly irresponsible and financially unwise.
It's obvious that the vocal opposition in that area only have their own interests at heart and not the greater good of the community we all live in.
Posted by: Rob | October 06, 2009 at 08:49 PM
Rob:
The community I live in is mostly Hispanic and mostly lower-middle- and lower-class. The Redd Road expansion lowers quality of life for neighbors, cuts into property lines (some will have to be relocated when their property is bought up), brings noise and pollution, and still doesnt' address the nearly-empty Artcraft Road, which spills into the very area that the like of the Upper Valley Improvement association (a collective of upper-class mostly white people with poltical and business ties that people in my neighborhood could only dream of having) is trying to "improve" with the Redd Rd expansion. The fact is that 79932 is all not upper-class white hoity-toitys trying to keep the UV green. That's what RTJ seems to not comprehend -- nor, perhaps, you.
I might be more sympathetic to the city's naked attempt to generate more tax revenue (surely the prime consideration here) by this planning if the city weren't so idiotic in how it has spent what it has received in the past -- such as spending 3/4 million dollars on a traffic study whose recommendation it decided to ignore.
Mark my words -- the ethnic and economic diversity of the UV will haunt the city as it forges ahead because, once again, those who suffer will not be lilly-white.
Posted by: 4 Borders Pundit | October 07, 2009 at 05:13 PM
What does the economic or racial make up of any community have to do with this subject?
It doesn't!
Who cares what the income levels or racial cross section of that area is?
It's irrelevant!
People of EVERY RACE and income level will use the roads and yes it actually does improve the quality of life for the citizens of the community, even those living in the area.
Yes, some poor people may have to move, but some middle income and rich people will to. Nobody is being singled out and they will be paid for the property, nobody is taking it from them without compensation.
Has it occurred to you that the city purchasing property for this may actually be an economic boon the low income level property owners you seem to be so concerned with? It's quite possible they will then have the opportunity to improve the standard of living for themselves, that otherwise may never come if this project is rejected.
I don't know where you come from but increasing the tax base is a good thing for any community and we should be working towards that at every opportunity if we expect to improve and prosper.
Fact is our insufficient tax base is the very reason we have such high property taxes in El Paso!
Whats your alternative? everyone on food stamps and subsidized public housing?
Not for me pal..we need to do everything we can to improve the standard of living in this city for everyone not just select groups or neighborhoods.
I am with you on paying for overpriced studies for projects that anybody with half a brain could assess with simple observations and common sense.
Posted by: Rob | October 07, 2009 at 06:07 PM