I think it's time for the mayor to understand that his friends and enemies are trying, in the nicest way possible, to tell him that they don't want him back for a third term. Council's latest move to postpone a charter amendment vote was aimed specifically at delivering that message to him.
I feel for the guy because nobody is talking to him directly. He tells people he wants a third term and they nod knowingly and then scurry away to go organize a plan to block him from realizing his dream. Somebody needs to honest with him because all of this maneuvering around the issue is going to lead to a delay in tackling something important at some point.
Just think - a charter amendments banning what the constitution already bans is being held up because nobody wants to be honest with mayor. What other important things are we holding up on the behalf of his feelings?
The big problem for Cook is that like any good democrat he thinks of being a politician as an "occupation" instead of a "civic duty" or "civic service." Being an elected official isn't a profession and anybody who views it that way is not the best person to represent you in government. That "Tea Party" feeling of term limits and "kick the bums out" is alive and well in El Paso - don't think for a second it's not. This plays against Cook even if he did get a shot at another run.
The local democratic party doesn't think enough of Cook to ask him to run for another office. They don't trust his "middle-of-the-roadness" on issues and can't trust him in a setting like the State Senate. He will not get a lot of support form the party and thus will have to mount any run for any office all by himself. That's tough to do in El Paso.
I'm out of thing to say. Bye.
"That "Tea Party" feeling of term limits and "kick the bums out" is alive and well in El Paso - don't think for a second it's not."
Maybe the feeling, but not the ballots.
Posted by: Tim Collins | July 15, 2011 at 10:10 AM
That's okay let them pass the amendments and let Cook run for a third term...I believe his recent "I am more wiser then the what the voters could not reasonably understand in English writing because it was too confusing for the normal everyday El Paso Citizenry" (because we are after all inept)...may be the motivation that these voters and all those who dont appreciate the overturn of the vote, may want to say to him in numbers...NO third term Cook and your hopes for Congress or Senate went down the tube and when Cook reflects back it will be a story he can read to his grandchildren...the day that the Strummer became a bumnmer and is nothing more than a hummer, all because of that one tie breaking "vote."
Posted by: Maria | July 15, 2011 at 09:36 PM
Term limits expansion for Cook mean term limits expansion for Susia Bird, so NO WAY - JOSE!!
Posted by: Debbie | July 15, 2011 at 10:51 PM
No one says you have to vote for them. If you are tired of Susie, work now to get someone to run and then vote for them. That is the voters' right.
Posted by: Diana | July 16, 2011 at 01:37 PM
I would love to see John Cook on the sidelines trying to get a performance based job in the private sector. Good Luck out there John, maybe you can open a medical MJ shop! Same with Suzie Byrd, Steve Ortega, Veronica Escobar, Ann Lily, Emma Acosta, and hell all the rest of them, except of course Beto because he has his next feathered just fine. Make community service actual community service, not a profession. It also deminishes the influence of groups like Project Arriba, LULAC, EPISO, etc. Term Limits all the way.
Posted by: Gossip Girl | July 17, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Wow, Gossip Girl! Really? John Cook has worked successfully. Steve Ortega is a lawyer, and a smart man. Eddie Holguin has a business, as does Ann Lilly. Dr. Noe has a practice. Seems you just like to slam all politicians and are jealous when someone is successful. I do not agree with all politicians and have an intense dislike for Emma Acosta's arrogance and Holguin's "treat me special" attitude, but I do not wish any of them ill. If you are so wonderful, run for office. Or maybe you have and lost, thus the sour grapes?
Posted by: Diana | July 17, 2011 at 04:34 PM
Here is the other side of the argument.
Term limits = elections.
When term limits are written into a Charter or Constitution they deny citizens the right to pick the person they wish to represent them. Call it however you wish but term limits are simply wrong.
Posted by: Texaswoman | July 18, 2011 at 09:47 AM
For me, I don't really mind who is in power as long as the city is functioning properly, but I do think that it's time to have a new sheriff in town
Posted by: citrus juicer | August 05, 2011 at 02:33 AM