Giving Away the Ending in the Title

Many people received an email yesterday stating that County Attorney Rodriguez would be holding a press conference today (Sunday).  Well, hell here's the body of the email.

FIVE TERM EL PASO COUNTY ATTORNEY JOSE RODRIGUEZ WILL ANNOUNCE HIS POLITICAL PLANS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR 1 PM TOMORROW SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2009 AT CAFE MAYAPAN, 2000 TEXAS AVE.

Rodriguez expected to declare his intentions regarding Senate seat left open by Eliot Shapleigh's retirement.

The suspense was killing me when I first received the email.  I anguished for minutes over whether or not this press conference would be a declaration for office, or "thanks but not thanks" speech.

And then I saw where the email came from - rodriguezforsenate@......  I left out the domain name because I'm not sure they want it spammed from this blog. 

I guess he's running.  Why would you get that kind of email address if you weren't.

I find it interesting that he decided to announce at Cafe Mayapan.  There's a lot to that move that just smells of El Paso's handout culture.  Once again, a candidate's first move is to champion those who don't and can't instead of those who can and do.  Would it kill a politician to use Ft. Bliss as a back drop or the headquarters of a local business that employs thousands of El Pasoans?

By making your announcement at a place like Cafe Mayapan, you're saying, "I'm going to throw the public's tax dollars at yet another non-profit boondoggle that does nothing other than pay an executive director way too much to accomplish the task of begging." More of the same...

Comments

[Serious]

Just for fun, let's come up with some alternatives to his announcing site:

UTEP College of Business/Teaching/Engineering,etc.,
Any High/Middle/Elementary School
A state Park
A Starbucks
Any Construction Site Downtown
An Interstate Overpass
An Interstate Off Ramp with the homeless
El Paso History Museum
A border crossing

You get the idea

[Some Perspective]

David,

I like your blog and think it adds something fresh and different from the others, keep it up! I do want to say that I think you're reading way into Mr. Rodriguez's decision to announce at Mayapan. Have you been there before? Do you even know what the facility offers? It's a great backdrop for anyone to use- stage, restaurant, ample parking. Sometimes people choose places for practicle purposes and not necessarily to send some underlying message.

[Sin Fin]

That's great for Jose but how can he run an effective campaign and still do his job as County Attorney? I read his article today but I got to agree with the other guy Leeds, if you want something you should step down from getting a county tax payer pay check and go after your dream. Keeping one foot in the door while trying to put the other foot somewhere else just seems plain unethical. I know that the County Attorney's Office is a launching pad to political dreams and aspirations, but having the tax payers continue to pay your salary until you get it doesn't seem right. I hope the ethics committee really does stop that pratice with both the County Attorney and District Attorney employees.

[gabe]

perspective, mayapan still doesnt pay their bills very well and owes people all over town. bad place to go to announce, no matter what facilities they have there.