Five Days Off - The Round Up

I was busy moving the family into the new house all weekend and didn't have time to comment on a bunch of things.  Lots of painting and cleaning took place over the five days and now the real unpacking and organizing begins.  Good thing I left my wife and mother in charge of that!

Here we go.

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I got this question from a Latino Liberal friend of mine this morning - "Is Cesar Chavez really a "civil rights leader" as the El Paso Times portrays him, or was he a labor advocate?" 

He went on to make the point that many historical figures are now being labeled with the cause of "civil rights" when it may not be the best description of their actions.  His point was that if you taught kids all about Cesar Chavez, would he rise to the level of "civil rights" or would he best be proven to be an advocate for a single issue?

That's a question for you to answer, I guess.  I don't have to defend my description of Cesar Chavez very hard, because I don't make claims that can't be unsubstantiated.

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Did you see the massive effort to downplay UTEP's laughable play against what amounts to a high school football team?   How funny was it to read/watch the media spin that debacle?  Hilarious for a moment and then increasingly embarrassing once you realized that nobody was going to say "just joking, UTEP is the worst football team on earth."

Anything written about that game that doesn't follow the theme of "UTEP is the worst football team in Division I college play and they proved it last night" is a lie.  It's time to fold the program and take up baseball - we've got the talent here to play competitively. 

And it's not the coach!  It's the crappy, no-talent players that we are forced to put up with because nobody wants to live in El Paso or attend UTEP.  I mean, if you're not Hispanic, you're not welcome at UTEP, so who would want to go through that? 

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The El Paso Times isn't done doing the bidding for the Paso Del Norte Group.  Their report on the pay of local nonprofit executives was drudged up just to whack Brian Kennedy over the head - again.  You can read the complete hit job HERE.

The story on nonprofit pay could have been done at any time, however this was done now to embarrass Kennedy.  As you might remember, Kennedy out maneuvered the Paso Del Norte Group two weeks ago in County Commissioners Court and they've been using the El Paso Times to get back at him ever since.

The real story is that 99 percent of the nonprofits in El Paso help exactly one individual person - their CEO.  El Paso is the poorest city in the galaxy and features a nonprofit on every corner trying to eradicate some symptom of that poverty.  Too bad none of them have done anything to move El Paso up the list.  In fact, El Paso gets poorer each year.  What are all these nonprofits doing?   

That's the story that needs to be written. And there are some people they left off of that list and they did so for political reasons, which is hilarious. 

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Speaking of nonprofits... Bienvivir (one word, not two) has an interesting board of directors.  The chair is Representative Emma Acosta.  Also on the board - your favorite and mine - LARRY MEDINA!  Mumbles appears to still be in the game after his recent troubles and subsequent disappearance off the face of the earth.  Check it out HERE.  Please feel free to send them a picture of Larry seeing as how they don't have one.  I know of at least on time recently when he was photographed.

Birds of a feather...

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El Paso Times poll... find it HERE.

You can throw out the 18-25 category and pretty much only pay attention to those that are 45 or older.  In that last city council election there were around 15 people under the age of 25 who voted in Lilly's district.  Even at that, it's a little early to be taking any polling seriously given that O'Rourke hasn't even officially announced.  And by "officially" I mean - navy suit, white shirt, red or blue tie, podium and a speech. 

Rumor has is that Reuel Group has agreed to work with Congressman Reyes.  This means that all of you are going to impugn their character and integrity by saying they didn't conduct a truthful poll.  Here's the truth - Reuel Group is a stand-up firm and they wouldn't do anything like that at all.  They are in business to make money and they won't make any money if they start pulling punches for one client on another client's dime.  You may not agree with the numbers, but do not accuse these guys of being "on the take."  Again, I'll defend their work to anyone - they're good people. 

If you want to know why Reuel Group might pick Reyes over O'Rourke in this race, simply follow the money.  If you're betting on who has the money to spend on  your election services, always bet on the incumbent.  However, they don't care who wins as long as they get their invoices paid.

Do look at the poll this way - it's a huge sample of 2,000+ of likely voters.  Presidential polling of all 50 states you see quoted all the time might not have a sample that size!  You're getting a good effort here to get a clear picture of what the voters are thinking.  In the past they polled as few as 350 voters.

Again, I don't think much of the numbers now since it's still too early for voters to care.  Reyes should be shocked by all the undecideds, though.  I'm assuming these are likely democrat primary voters they polled and you'd expect the party incumbent to be off the charts no matter when the poll is taken.  If the polling looks like this in January - Reyes might as well retire because anyone that is "undecided" within the party is a vote against the party incumbent.

Reyes has a history of being one of the most under-voted members of congress in the country.  That means people simply don't cast a vote for him when they have the chance to.  This was first brought to my attention by a legendary DC house race handicapper who wanted to know why so many people refused to cast a vote for Reyes.  I didn't have the answer then and I don't have it now.

Let's see what happens after O'Rourke's official announcement.  He has already enjoyed great buzz in the social media arenas and that might help him deliver the lethargic youth vote in El Paso.

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 Did you hear about the dove hunters on the river that were attacked by the Mexican army?  Wars have been started over less. 

I know the dove hunters - very well.  If you had any idea what they do for a living, you'd really really be paying attention to exactly what happened on the river that day.  These people aren't liars.

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Comments

[Carl Starr]

I think CC was a civil rights activist...civil rights is largely mainly the Bill of Rights. I know folks like TCRP are civil rights activists but mostly besides that they are 'legal activists' 'civil rights legal activists' because they file suits re the Bill of Rights. I am not caught up in the mystic of CC as much as others, what if had he been anglo and worked for farm rights...or had the cause not been so connected to the earth and manual farming [eg Rage Against the Machine etc] in other words the legend of CC may largly be partly his ethnic and demise of farm labor to the machines, [sort of like the song 'steel rails still ain't heard the news eg re 1960 interstate system and air freight] no doubt the mistreatment of minority farm workers goes back to the civil war etc...these rich historical settings added to the legend...contrasted with other noble causes but not as earthly but for sure phyiscal like say gay rights causes etc.

[Texaswoman]

I can tell you why Reyes has such a large under vote. Only going to cost you $100,000.00

[Robnelp]

I'm not going to quibble with the poll conducted by the Reuel Group but definitely need to make a distinction between a professionally conducted poll and what the Times generally runs on a daily basis on their website and publish the results of in the paper. Two very different things. The Times daily polls are so ridiculously and consistently loaded with leading options for the available answers, the results have zero credibility or validity.

Pure and simple attempts to manipulate, spin and sway public opinion to whatever agenda driven topic of the moment they support.
I hate to repeat myself but its nothing but propaganda, 2011 style.

[McDoodle]

Regarding the Miners - your right it was a horrible play calling...and inexperience squad trying to catch the ball...we were favored by 17 points and Price picked them because they were supposed to a sure "first game" win...boy...he's lucky they won. We will never get talent or good recruits as long as the classrooms and hallways are owned by Students who yell out "Ese Guey...Guey.." not mention the appropriate title of the School is JUTEP...

As for Larry "Mumbles" Mediina...he is like a roach that doesn't die...where ever Emma is at...Mumbles is surely right behind...wonder what his wife Ruth thinks about that relationship...I think the Booking "Mug Shot" should be sent to them...how appropriate for a Non Profit Organization to place a "alleged Criminal" on the Board...how else can they survive...it's who you know and who you b...w...

As for Silver Reyes...I am still dumbfounded that it is appropriate for his campaign camp to call him Robert "because he is white" versus Beto...so why does Sylvestre go by "Silver" that sounds awfully white to me?

[obama]

I know you hate Hispanics and all but how is it that good black football players have a problem with El Paso but black basketball, track (and whatever other good UTEP athletic team there is) athletes don't?

[David K]

Obama,

I hate Hispanics so much I made one the godfather of my only child. Nothing says "I hate you because you are Hispanic" like asking them to guide your child in faith and care for them if you can not.

Speaking of racism - who the hell said anything about black athletes?

[Old Fart]

Very, very interesting and good point David K;

* "The El Paso Times isn't done doing the bidding for the Paso Del Norte Group. Their report on the pay of local nonprofit executives was drudged up just to whack Brian Kennedy over the head - again. You can read the complete hit job HERE."

* "The story on nonprofit pay could have been done at any time, however this was done now to embarrass Kennedy."

* "In fact, El Paso gets poorer each year. What are all these nonprofits doing?"

* "That's the story that needs to be written. And there are some people they left off of that list and they did so for political reasons, which is hilarious."

Since the Times won't tell us who was left off that list, please tell us the names?

Who do you think in the newsroom lets this stuff get by unchecked? Is it editors or reporters?

[Tim Collins]

"In fact, El Paso gets poorer each year. What are all these nonprofits doing?"

Well as an unpaid Board Member/VP of a local non-profit (not necessarily dedicated to the poor), I would say non-profits don't necessarily eliminat poverty, rather most work toward mitigating the physical effects of poverty by offering food, clothing, temporary shelter and medical care.

[David K]

Tim,

It have been proven time and again that most nonprofits do none of what you say. A very small portion of them deliver.

Does Susan G. Komen eradicate cancer? Or do they sit on their $100,000,000 nest egg and hand out advertising contracts to the companies owned by their board members? Remember, Susan G. Komen has spent more on advertising than they have cancer research by an a factor of 100. Their scam? "awareness."

[Tim Collins]

I guess I play in the little leagues. :) I am with the Autism Society of El Paso. We provide a support netwrok for people with somoen on the Autism Spectrum in their family and provide professional education through conferences and seminars. We don't aim to cure it, just offer education and support.

[Gossip Girl]

As far as the Miners are concerned Mike Price has bamboozled UTEP into believing he is a good coach. His career was built on the back of two Montana high school phenoms that went to Washington State because it was a Big Ten team close to Montana. Aside from the Leaf and Bledsoe years, Mike Price has had consistent loosing seasons here and at WSU. He and his coaching sons hasn't done anything of note. Except of course, show his true colors to Bama who wised up before it was too late, fool UTEP and the boosters into giving him and his entire family a job so they could follow him and mooch off UTEP and the local school districts. The Mike Price experiment is a total failure. Time to cut the losses and move on.