Refuse the Juice

Two Sides to Every Story - Finally

The El Paso Times got the statement from the security company and it doesn't match up at all with the story we heard from the five gay guys. (funny there's a famous burger joint in northern Virginia named "Five Guys" and it's an awesome place to go when you're done partying.)

The security company says their guy never told them to leave and that their behavior was textbook drunken idiocy that goes on after hours at a pig out place like Chico's.  I do give their statement some merit.

By now the security company has spoken with a lawyer.  Any lawyer worth his mustard would tell them that no matter what they do, don't put out a public statement that is a lie.  If this thing goes to court, and it will it looks like, that statement can be used against them and it completely dissolves their credibility.

If they had said nothing and publicly fired the security guard I'd be 100 percent on the side of the Fabulous Five.  That didn't happen and they obviously feel like they have some evidence to support their claims. We're talking security video, witnesses etc...

The fact that Chico's has said next to nothing specifically about the case shows me that they are putting their defense together methodically.  The family that owns Chico's has enough dough to bring in the biggest bad asses in crisis management in the country - I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't already done it.

Could that Fabulous Five had been drunk and dancing in the restaurant?  Sure.  We've all been there a time a two ourselves and I can tell you that my friends and I were asked to leave the Chico's on Montana about 11 years ago because we were being drunk idiots.  It may have saved our lives because as we were leaving a flotilla of cholos were just showing up to kick our asses.

Could the Fabulous Five had one member who wanted to make a federal case out of being asked to leave or even reprimanded for his behavior?  Sure.  We all have that drunk friend who starts screaming "I know my rights" the second anyone tell him to shut up and behave.  That's the friend who always ends up in the back of squad car after the cops warn him or her dozens of times to leave.  Don't pretend you don't know this guy or gal - you do.

As for the cop?  Give the guy a freaking break.  So he screwed up and said he could arrest them for something he couldn't actually arrest them for.  He didn't invent the law, he just quoted it.  And it's on the books still.  Lay off.

We love to pick on cops every chance we get.  However, when they come save our asses we're all of a sudden their best buddies and biggest fans.  In this case we're making a federal case out of something that was an honest mistake and no action was taken.  The Fabulous Five were not arrested for being gay and the security guards took no action to file a report etc... They were free to go sleep off their drinks and live to eat Chico's another day.

That cop and all the other cops in town don't approach disturbance and trespass calls like they are thenext big constitutional fight to taketo the Supreme Court.  I'm sure all they wanted to do was make sure the guards were happy and the Fabulous Five left the scene without incident.  God forbid they were busy and had to go catch some real bad guys out there or answer a call where a woman was getting beat by her drunk husband who skipped Chico's and went straight home for some fighting and sex. 

I think we are going to find that we jumped the gun here.  I hate to say it, but not all claims of discrimination are valid.  Drunken idiocy knows no sexual preference and if that's what was actually going on - then some apologies are to be made.

Heads on a Platter

I'm not talking about some kind of sick cartel stunt.  I'm talking about the mob justice we're seeing in relation to the Chico's Tacos saga. 

hmm... I don't like "Chico's Tacos saga" as a name for this crisis.  It is, after all, a crisis.  It's the biggest thing happening in El Paso right now.  In a few days there will be folks marching in the streets (there's already some protesting going on) and national news coverage.  Heads will be served up to the public on a platter.  Somebody is going to pay for this.

The easy thought here is "Taco-gate," but that's just too easy and expected.  I can't really think of something that rings for a name.  Your thoughts?

I have some book titles working:

Besos and Tacos - Innocence Lost Over a Double Order

Intestinal Discomfort, Civil Rights Violations and Other Reasons not to Eat at Chico's

Rolled Tacos and Gay Kisses - Mexican Recipes for Gay People by Chico's

Somebody is going to take it in the ass - How I Lost My Dream Job as a Security Guard at Chico's

I have to stop there because my mind is working toward offensive book titles and we don't need to fan the flames toward that gas can.

I talked to a city council person yesterday and we agreed that this could get ugly.  I also put forth my opinion that this shouldn't become the major topic of Tuesday's city council meeting.  I'm speaking on an agenda item and don't want to spend 10 hours down there while they have a one-sided fight about this. However, I am hoping to see some pissed off trannies.

Too bad I won't get my way... I expect an agenda item to pop up today. 

Let me warn everyone about something.  About the future.  About how we are going to look.

At some point an opposition to the gay supporters is going to rear its ugly head.  At some point the worst of what we have to offer is going to get in front of a camera and set us back 50 years.  I've done enough PR and political organizing my life to know that when issues like these come into public view, there's always an asshole too close to a microphone.  We will all lose and nobody will be a winner.

We stand to expose what I know is an ugly, nasty truth about our community. 

On another note... I think it needs to be said again because the people writing about this episode don't know the law very well.  I don't care how many signs you post saying you "have the right to refuse service to anyone," you can't actually do that by law.  You can not refuse service based on gender, race, sexual orientation etc. 

The sign should read "we have a right to refuse service to anyone we can prove in a court of law is hurting our business."

I'm finding out how dumb some people are in this city.  Just because you see a sign everywhere doesn't make it the law, or correct for that matter.  Repetition of wrong does not make it right. 

I'm so disjointed today... hungover, really.

Part of this whole story might be good for Chico's - the more you read about it, the more people crave it!

I also see this becoming an issue where race can come into play.  At some point people will rush to defend Chico's saying that an attack on Chico's is an attack on their heritage.  Don't believe me?  Let's bet.  I know this city so well it scares me. 

So much for the sign ordinance discussion!

There's only one man who can mend this situation.  There's only one hero we can call on to make this all go away - Alex Lozano! and his mustache!

The Mighty Chico's - Fallen Hero or Business as Usual?

The big news in tacos and sex these days is the gay couple kissing in Chico's Tacos the other night.  You can get the whole truth, nothing but the truth and a cool video of people eating Chico's Tacos HERE. (thanks NPT)

Unclear to me is whether it was the security guard who decided to kick the Smooching Sams out of the restaurant or was he instructed to by Chico's management.  I have a feeling that they can blame the guard and move on.  Then I also have a feeling that there will be more action on the issue by the gay community.  They have a right to intestinal discomfort and explosive diarrhea just like every other American so says our infrequently amended constitution.

I've already heard some people claim that the restaurant was within their right to kick them, or anyone else, out because of the oft seen sign that says "we have the right to refuse service to anyone."  It's a nice thought, but it's not constitutional.   Frankly, you can't refuse service to anyone unless you can prove their presence is hurting your business. 

I don't think the sight of Adam and Steve kissing is the thing most likely to deter people from eating Chico's.  It would be that big heaping glob of death they serve that would most likely hurt business.  Of course, the five cholos in the corner with tear drops tattooed to their faces for each of their murders tends to deter folks as well.

If you want the skinny on the "right to refuse service" signs, you can click HERE.

Bottom line - Chico's couldn't legally kick them out without proving they were hurting business.  If 100 customers refused to enter and order because the ambiguously gay duo all of a sudden became unambiguous, they then could kick them out.  I still think the law is not on the famous Chico's Tacos side here.

So what's going to happen to Chico's popularity with the yippies here in town who swear it's the coolest thing ever and that our tourism should be based on it?   I hate to pick on my NPT friends, but I've seen a lot of hoopla from their publications about how cool the place is.  Is it still cool knowing that the alternative lifestyle folks aren't welcome there?

Have the yippes learned a lesson about our "culture" they had refused to see before?  It's no secret to me that the culture here isn't as gay friendly as other cultures.  South of the border they are even more intolerant of the "gay thing."  I've known this all along.  How can you not miss it?

What was the first thing I was called when people disagreed with me on the radio? Gay.  Local Democrats who disagreed with my conservative outlook called me "gay" as an insult.  They went as far as to sign me up for gay dating sites and use my picture to solicit gay sex on-line.  Apparently, in  El Paso, the only thing worse than being an icky conservative is being gay.  I wonder what the gay community thinks about their lifestyle being used as a put down - as a shameful way to be.  By the local democrats no less. 

On this blog right now there's a comment accusing me of being one of the gay men kicked out of Chico's Tacos for kissing (comment by "Melindo").  There's some kind of disconnect here that I can't reconnect.  Republicans are supposed to hate gays, not democrats.  So what gives?  This town is 80 percent democrat and I sincerely hope that's not the amount of people who hate gay folks. Then again our President is a democrat and he's not for gay marriage either.  Their leader is a poor example to follow.

So what's going to happen?  Are the yippies who have tried to transform Chico's into a trendy hometown eatery now going to boycott their project?  Are the yet convinced the eatery shouldn't be the first place you take an out of town guest?

Or, will life go on and their desire for a "double" wipe away this ugly mess?

I do know that the people who eat at Chico's because they like it, and not because they want to brag about how "cultural" they are, will still go.  They don't care, they're just hungry.

I suspect that this too shall pass with the yippies never admitting they were wrong. 

--------------------------------------

Notes on the "gay thing."

I know all of you think that I'm supposed to hate gays and want to load them into cattle cars and ship them off to their own island off the coast of Nowhere.  I hate to disappoint anyone, but you're wrong.

I don't go out of my way to embrace gay people and I don't go out of my way to avoid them.  I frankly don't care what they do with their bodies.  I don't care what straight people do with their bodies either.

As a true conservative I believe in personal freedoms.  Your sex is your business as long as all parties are willing and of age.  I have better things to do than think about what you are doing in your spare time naked. (yes, this even goes for Melina Castro)

I believe that marriage is a religious event sanctioned by the religion you have faith in.  The government did not marry me, nor do I care if they recognize my marriage.  I'm not a religious man, but I do believe that I was married in the eyes of God looking through his Catholic glasses.  If the United States government ceased to exist tomorrow - I'd still be married.

I believe that in some cases, and with some parts of the gay community, they go overboard trying to make people accept their lifestyle.  However, I do believe that their outrage at their treatment is often correct and warranted.

We are all equal.  Not in ability.  Not in size.  Not in intelligence.  Not in many ways.  But... We should all be born with the same shot at freedom no matter what that freedom means to each of us.  It can be sexual, artistic or even financial in nature, but well should have the chance to achieve what we consider freedom.

Oh yeah and I have lots friends that are gay - so there!

The CAD - Issues and Ugly Truths

The latest irritating issue to come up here in El Paso is the Central Appraisal District and its operating budget.  You can thank Lisa Turner for starting this particular revolution.

I agree there budget is stupid.  There's no doubt that you can find that in any governmental entity's budget. So why are we so adamant about the CAD's budget?

First of all, the local politicians have to do something to please their constituents when it comes to the rising hatred for the CAD.  They can't shut them down.  They can't hang'em in the public square, either.  They can, however, pick on their budget.

It's a symbolic gesture that doesn't save taxpayers a whole lot of money.  It does allow us to feel better about ourselves knowing we showed the CAD who's boss... at least on this issue. 

We hate the CAD.  We blame them for our high tax bill.  And wee're right and we're wrong in that thinking.

The elected people in this town know that the CAD is setup to keep politics out of their day to day activities.  They also know that the CAD is helping them spend more and more money.  The higher the appraisals go, the more money they have to please constituents.  Constituents demand things that cost money - you have to raise money to keep them happy!

That's the dirty little secret - the politicians love the CAD and everything they do to increase appraisal prices.  It gives them the advantage of passing large budgets that are full of boondoggles while appraisals make up the difference in tax monies. 

The politicos are slapping their (CAD's) hand in a gesture made to make you think they care.  They don't.  Only you are in the dark about the need for the CAD to reappraise your property. Everybody else already knows the game.

Commissioner Perez and Representative Lilly both sit on the CAD board - that's why the subject of their budget is their agenda item.  If it was Gandara and Holguin who sat on the CAD board, they'd be bringing it up.  It's how the unwritten rules are written.

The fake temper-tantrum over the CAD's budget is nothing more than posturing.

-----------

Ugly Truth #1

If you want your appraisal to be lowered or never change, you're going to have to stop asking for services from the city and county.  

No more bitching about streets, drainage or weeds in parkways.  No more asking for parks, free security for festivals or plaza renovations.  No more anything.  We can't afford it if we don't raise the appraisals on a certain class of El Pasoans.

What? 

You see, we are very unique as a Texas community.  We have a lot of properties that can never be valued any higher than the $25,000 to $50,000 they're valued at.  Some local experts say that nearly 40 percent of housing in El Paso can not be resold for more than $50,000.  I think the number is closer to 25 percent.   The law isn't on the CAD's side when it comes to these houses.  If they tried to raise the prices they'd never stick.  They're smarter than that.  Why bleed the turnip when you have a tomato?

The people in these neighborhoods pay a very small amount of taxes locally, but use a tremendous amount of resources.  To say they aren't paying their fair share is the understatement of the century.  I will let your imagination run wild as to exactly what they get that you pay for, but these places are older neighborhoods that need millions of dollars of infrastructure to bring them up to par.   And that's just the infrastructure needs - let's not talk about health care etc. that comes out of your local, state and federal taxes for these neighborhoods.

In many cities these areas are condemned and taken over by the government and resold to people through strict FHA home loans that guarantee they will be refurbished and lived in by the mortgage holder.  The idea here being that their value will be raised and thus the local community will get a tax boost from them.  Instead of being a tax sucker, they'll be a tax provider.

Here's the problem with these neighborhoods in El Paso - they are uninhabitable.  Once they are vacated they would have to be knocked down.  You have to start completely over.  The FHA designed the program for old brownstones on the east coast, not the adobe huts and pieced together housing I'm speaking of here in El Paso.  Annexation comes to mind as an issue here.

The reality is that the people in those neighborhoods aren't going to pay their fair share and you can't move them out of there. They won't move on their own, either.  The burden has been shifted to those of us who can afford better houses.  

Which brings me to...

Ugly Truth #2

The city and county need more tax dollars and you are expected to make up the difference.  The politicians know the details of exactly what I posted above and they will not be happy I shared it with you.

Those who don't pay are told by politicians (democrats) that they will get whatever they want because the rich people in the nicer neighborhoods are going to be forced to pay.

Those same politicians turn around and tell us in the nicer neighborhoods that they sympathize with us and that they are doing all they can to reign in the problem.  In fact, they attack their (CAD) budget!  On our behalf!

Any of you voting for democrats are voting for continued higher appraisals.  They want power and they'll achieve that power by busing those people from the poorer neighborhoods to the polls.  With the help of those of you who vote for them from the nicer neighborhoods, they're almost unbeatable.

Bottom line - you're paying more than your share and nobody gives a damn.  Even worse, you may be doing this to yourself.

Ugly Truth #3

Property taxes punish the wealthy and reward the poor.  The tax is "progressive" as some would describe.  The opposite of a "progressive" tax is a "regressive" tax.  Senator Shapleigh invented the idea that taxes are "regressive."  That means that the poorer you are the more you pay in taxes.  It's a lie. 

The only tax more "progressive" than a property tax is an income tax.  If you mix a property tax and an income tax, you get a situation that punishes employment and owning property.  This encourages citizens to seek welfare or unemployment and live in government funded housing. 

It all comes down to the fact that the CAD is a part of a bigger conspiracy to punish you and reward others.

Ugly Truth #4

Your current appraisal explosion is a Republican's fault.  Governor Perry used to be a democrat and conveniently switched parties when he needed to.  He never shed his liberal habits.  Texas was looking at budget shortfalls when became governor and he worked a deal (with the limited power he has) to have all CADs start pushing appraisals up. 

Before that, most CADs in Texas held home appraisals in a holding pattern.  He saw a way to squeeze more money out of us and they've never looked back since.

--------------------

I hope you have a better understanding of everything now.   Start your bitching and complaining below.

And Furthermore!!!

Don't forget to read the post below - I know some of you hate when it post twice in a day.

So I read David Crowder's usual report the Tuesday City Council meeting.  You can read it HERE.

Pretty mundane stuff until we get to idiotic woman who brought her children in to try and turn us into a socialist city.  Okay - I'm going a little far with that, but you get my point.

The lady doesn't want storage units next to her house. I can understand that.  But the lady didn't have a very good argument.  

It's private property and the owners have gone through the process to have the zoning change made.  The city staff recommended the change because they vetted the plans and thought they were just fine.  Or the guy paid them off and they had a cup of coffee and a good laugh - JUST KIDDING!  (not really - probably happens more than you think).

Crowder does a good job in the article of relating the council's thoughts on the issue.  The lady and her children simply didn't make a case and Representatives Holguin and Robinson had done their homework.  Case closed?

Not so fast. 

The lady says the political system doesn't work because she didn't get her way.  Are you kidding me?  This is why El Paso can't have nice things - morons like this lady.

Her kids wanted open space and the commenters have already jumped on the "but the kids" band wagon.  Nobody is going to stop and think about the money the owners of this property invested in the land.  They're just going to ask that he plant grass, put up park equipment, provide security and maintenance because they think he should.  Because a couple of little brats said so. 

Of course the commenter (sean) is such a communist that he or she thinks it's up to city council to demand that private property owners build whatever they say.  What kind of leftist loser is this guy/gal?  Seriously!

If that lady and her neighbors don't want storage units there then they should buy the land turn it into whatever they think is fitting for the place.  Of course, if they did buy the land and then realized that they could build storage units on it and bring in over $100,000 a month in easy money, they might reconsider how badly they want a park there.

Freedom is almost dead in this city.  Almost dead.

A Gathering of Egos - Community Forums!

My buddy Jaime Abeytia has another installment of his "Lion's Den" up on Newspaper Tree today.  His topic is media and politics.  I don't want to really get into that because it's a complicated subject that would take thousands of words to do it justice and I simply don't have that much give a shit left in my tank today.

However, I do want to help him with a question he had about media coverage and candidate forums. 

Jaime couldn't understand why there was no coverage of these forums.  I happen to understand the issue.

Candidate forums are first and foremost about the host's ego.  They are the star of the show and the seekers of attention, power and connections.  He who holds the biggest forum, holds the key to the kingdom! 

"Miss my forum and you are as good as dead in the political world!" they exclaim loudly whenever candidates are within earshot. 

The reality?  Rachel Quintana went to about zero of them and was elected to office.  So much for the power of the forums, right? (Rachel, I'm not making fun of your or trying to hurt your feelings. I'm just pointing out that you had a different strategy and who am I to argue with that strategy since it worked - please don't kill me.)

Turns out that they really aren't that important - at all.  Nobody has ever tallied the larger share of the votes on election night and turned to their supporters and said, "It was really that candidate forum in August that put me over the top."

So, we know that the forums are about the people who organize them, not the candidates.  It's also about the people who go to all the forums and experience the "Cheers" type of euphoria where "everyone knows your name."  I count Jaime among those who go to every forum almost out of a sense of belonging.  There's nothing at all wrong with that, either.  It just means that the audience never changes, which means the message is useless.

I hate to pick on my ankle biting friends, but they are the only ones who go to these things.  The general public never ever ever shows up. 

I almost forgot - the candidates' supporters pack the room, which feeds the organizer's ego.  Nobody in the room is "undecided" on anything other than exactly how disgusted they are that their question wasn't answered to their liking.  The audiences are always always always planted by each candidate.

There is simply no real learning going on in these forums. They change the minds of exactly zero of the attendees every single time - a perfect record I might add.

The last part is that candidates don't say much worth reporting.  They are so vague on exactly what they are going to do and how they are going to accomplish it that it's all a waste of time in the end.

For years candidates have thrown around the buzzwords of the time - "quality of life" is my favorite.  They always roll out their quality of life plans when put in a corner.  It's as if they are saying, "I want you to have a quality of life, but my opponent here wants you to be whipped daily and forced to do hard labor.  I'm bike lanes and he's gulags - the choice is so easy."

Believe me, nothing ever gets said that is either new or based in reality at candidate forums.  Maybe the crowd gets lucky and someone like Lozano invents a new word or an argument breaks out.  None of it is important in the long run.

Jaime just needs to realize that most news outlets understand that and their audiences understand that.  What may be the coolest thing to you, is the biggest bore in the world to others. 

-----------------------

Here comes the part where some of you start freaking out because I hurt your little egos.  Get over it. 

I've put on just as many forums as you have, if not more and they all sucked.  I even had over 1,000 people show up to one at UTEP in 2000.  So don't give me your crap about how your forum rocks - mine rocked harder and it didn't even rock that hard to begin with.  If my forum was Jonh Tesh, yours was Kenny G or Yanni at best.

Have I ever wanted to do another forum?  Yes.

Back when Keith Mahar owned a bar that wasn't too far and I had a car... okay, that was uncalled for.

anywho

When Mahar had a bar back in the day I wanted to put together a little forum deal on Thursday nights for the drinking crowd, which is a group of folks who don't make it to the 7:00 a.m. Village Inn breakfast forums.  But he sold the bar and that idea is dead.

So there you go.

Oh yeah, and don't give me this crap about EPISO.  It's run by the liberal jackass part of the Catholic church and has no business sticking its nose into politics.  Besides they have no sway over voters.  Hell, local catholics vote democrat two to one even though they are begged no to do so by the guy in the big hat and the smoking tea pot he waves around in defiance of local indoor smoking laws.  

I Find this Amusing

The Bowling's errand boy, Ray Adauto, was allowed to air some of his frustrations out on the EP Times' editorial page this past weekend.   You can read it HERE.

Apparently Ray thinks the city should open some pools that aren't currently open.  Ray has left his ideals behind somewhere.  Where's the guy who fights so that home builders and developers don't have to include open spaces in their new development?  Where's the guy who screams for the local government to stay out of business' business?

Looks like he lost ideals and has contradicted himself here.  His need to float around in a public health hazard (AKA public pools) has turned him into the most liberal of democrats who demands that the government provide what he can not provide for himself - a pool.

I hope Representative Byrd uses his piece against him the next time he calls her liberal or bitches about government interference.  The hypocrite has done himself no favors.  Maybe he should stop making public comments unless approved by the Bowlings first.