All Around the City on Friday

Did you miss anything this week?

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Did you miss the story where the Paso Del Norte Group hired a guy from Oklahoma to come up with the plan to get the taxpayers to buy an arnea for the Paso Del Norte Group?  Looks like the PDNG has cut a deal with the city council and city employees to hi-jack the next bond election so that any funding approved will go to buying the PDNG property - most notably an Arena.

If you read the article HERE, you'll know that the PDNG hired a guy named Rick Horrow to run the whole show.  Horrow didn't waste any time in declaring the true nature of his hiring - he's quoted as saying there's more than arena on his mind for the 2012 bond election.  And why not?  The more stuff YOU TAXPAYERS agree to handover to the PDNG, the more money he can charge them to "oversee" those projects.  If think the building of an arena will create on executive level job in El Paso - you're wrong.  Your executive will be Rick Horrow - who lives in Oklahoma and pays taxes in Oklahoma.  El Paso will have done Obama a solid by "creating or saving" a job - Rick Horrow's job. 

You should google Rick Horrow - you'll find he's a quite the personality. He's a pitch man.  He was brought on because he's slicker than snot on a doorknob (thank you Aunt Betsy) and the PDNG was having a hard time selling their rip-off of taxpayers to the current administration.  Once you put a fancy-pants out-of-towner in front of them, the fools will be separated from their money in no time. Too bad that money is actually YOUR money.

The really bad news about this tactic is that it's going to be succesful in El Paso.  You morons are going to hand your money over to an out-of-town white guy who prays on your lack of education and failure to recognize that there's a hot plate underneath the dancing chicken.

Too bad for people like Jim Tolbert who might have wanted to put some funding for open space and other outdoor amenities on the quality of life bond issue.  Now that Horrow will be advising the city on exactly what they can and can not put in the bond issue, guys like Tolbert are left to pound sand when it comes to real "quality of life" improvements.  It seems that the only people's whose "quality of life" is going to improve are the PDNG members who get contracts to build the arena and Mr. Horrow's.  The rest of us just get to pay for that improved "quality of life."

Okay - it's friday - I'm done.  I have a few more things, but I'll wait.

Comments

[paul j strelzin]

this should be printed in the "Slimes" but they wouldn't touch it because it is the truth that the PDNG is ready to pull the wool over the yes of the el paso citizens. good job david and it is the truth.

[paul j strelzin]

over their eyes!

[Carl Starr]

2009 University of Miami Business Law Review University of Miami Business Law Review Spring/Summer,2009 17 U. Miami Bus. L. Rev. 269 WHETHER BUILDING A NEW SPORTS ARENA WILL REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN NAME: Brian P. Yates* While arenas at the center of a comprehensive revitalization plan have proven successful for many cities, building a new stadium or arena with nothing more than the hope that it alone will drive economic growth in the city appears to be a mistake. The city of San Antonio, Texas, built the $ 186 million AT&T Center for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs in 2002. n107 The arena, which received a mix of private and public funding, was supposed to "spark 'economic development opportunities' for the neglected East Side" of San Antonio. n108 Instead, five years later, the Spurs were already asking for more tax breaks to improve the arena while the neighborhood has seen almost no change or new investment. The AT&T Center was not built downtown, but rather, about three miles away. n110 San Antonio increased hotel and rental car taxes in order to pay for the arena and supporters claimed that the arena would be a "new node for economic development." n111 Instead, a tattoo parlor which opened in 2006 in the midst of numerous boarded-up buildings is essentially the extent of development, or lack thereof, which has occurred around the arena. While San Antonio chose to locate the AT&T Center just outside of downtown, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, placed its Ford Center in the Bricktown District of downtown. Completed in 2002, the $ 89.2 million arena n113 was built upon nothing more than the promise that the arena would create economic revitalization to the downtown area. Although built with the hope of attracting either an NHL or NBA franchise, today the Ford Center is home only to minor league hockey and arena football. n114 The promises of spurring huge development so far unfulfilled, city officials were forced to ask voters to approve an extension of a one cent sales tax for $ 120 million worth of improvements to the barely six-year-old arena. Although Oklahoma City has seen a great deal of improvement downtown, the Ford Center continues to be viewed as a shortcoming of the city's revitalization plan.

[voter]

The 2012 bond issue (if it happens) should be about improving Quality of Life - such as improvements to our parks, more playing fields for sports, improvements to recreation centers and museums and libraries. An arena is not a Quality of Life item. You have to pay to go there. It does not improve the quality of life in El Paso.

Carl Starr's post is so on target. There are studies from all over the US of the "if you build it they will come" arena projects that have failed. Unless and until you can attract a sports venue that El Pasoans will support it's wasted money.

The biggest mistake is the city putting this on the November 2012 ballot. More people vote in presidential elections than they do in local elections. There will be more people voting AGAINST a bond issue than for it. If the election were in May it might pass - most people don't show up for local elections.

[Beware of PDNG Proprosition 7]

PROPOSITION 7
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities."

In the event the PDNG cannot weasel the general bond issue by the voters, Plan B is to fund an arena through the passage of Proposition 7 under the pretense of “consolidation”

If Proposition 7 passes the PDNG will have the PDNG owned elected officials on City Council and County Commissioners Court load that taxing entity, like they did the RMA, with appointees who will vote in favor of issuing bonds for an arena and whatever else the PDNG wants.

Proposition 7 is just another PDNG initiated tactic to circumvent the voters for PDNG benefit and force a publically subsidized arena.

Vote NO to PDNG Proposition 7.

[Carl Starr]

I think its good its going to vote, that way only we to blame and i doubt if passed this Nov that Prop 7 can hijacked for a Arena, such would be even more legally complex than what the following is already eg the TX Constitution has a article on public funds and going to bed with corporations ie todays Times mention 'a committee' of gov actors and private biz...it just seems too cozy and most likely unconstitutional is my thinking...more than the fear than prop 7 will be hijacked for a arena with hopes of private football team that lets the public picnic on the field during off season...or something

[voter]

Prop 7 is to allow a regional parks district. If it passes the voters have to come back again and allow the district to collect taxes. That would be done in the 2013 Texas legislature. could PDNG hijack the district. You bet!

[voter]

vote against prop 7.

[Carl Starr]

it may be a private owned arena can serve a public purpose but I dont think the new Prop 7 if passed means it can be easily hijacked...the Prop reads Parks and Recreational Facilities not OR had the lege intended Parks to bed with corporations I think it would read OR not and.

I just see it problematic for park taxes to mean a noncity owned arena.

[Robert]

Read this from one of Horrow's lawsuit where he was trying to collect a "success premium". Notice in both paragraph the emphasis on PUBLIC FUNDING.

"Horrow agrees to prepare a facility financing plan acceptable to Empire Soccer that will maximize all available public revenue sources and that will support the development by Empire Soccer of a Facility at the site or sites it selects."
"..[u]pon the issuance of a written commitment of construction financing for a Facility or Facilities that has been arranged through the efforts of Horrow pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Horrow will receive a "success premium" that will constitute two percent (2%) of the value of the total amount of public assistance that has been committed to the Facility or Facilities, if and only if the financing that has been arranged consists of non-recourse funding, grants or interest-free financing. If the financing that has been arranged consists of recourse funding, the success fee will constitute 1% of the amount financed."

[Robert]

Go here to read a white paper authored by Mr. Horrow's company ...and notice how almost all cost overruns should be passed to the "public entity" when building a sports arena....

http://www.sandiego.gov/chargersissues/pdf/horrow.pdf

[Vote NO on Prop 7]

Carl,
The list is fairly broad and specifically states new arena(s).
Here’s a link and excerpt from one of the EPT “promos”.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_17432558?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com
Parks authority: Let's take that 1st step

…
Here are some areas and facilities that could possibly come under an umbrella of an El Paso parks authority:

City of El Paso
All public parks
Parks & Rec activities
Cohen Stadium
El Paso Zoo
Public golf courses
Concerts
Sports complexes
Recreation centers
Any new arena(s)

El Paso County
Ascarate Park
Sportspark
Gallegos Park
Other small parks
County Coliseum
El Paso Sports Commission
Concerts

[Carl Starr]

Thanks...maybe so...so Nov 2012 is when we vote on Horrow's 'Field of Dreams and they will Come'

[voter]

Yes November 2012 is when the city wants to present a "quality of life" bond issue to the City of El Paso taxpayers.