Did Norma Chavez Cost El Paso Jobs?

In recent days we've learned of a very disturbing move by Western Refining to move a lot of very (extremely) high paying jobs out of El Paso.  One can only imagine why it took Paul Foster so long to make the move given that he's been made into the devil by the ungrateful masses in El Paso. 

After he gave millions upon millions upon millions of dollars of his hard earned money to the almost ubiquitous outstretched hands in El Paso, he was villainized for trying to build a better El Paso.  God forbid the guy have taxes deferred for a few years while he spent $50,000,000 tearing down an eyesore and building a huge complex of modern, beautiful structures in its place where people could find JOBS!  The local ingrates had the nerve to say "but but but but they're only retails jobs."  Well, a retail job is better than no job, right?  Too bad that project is probably now dead too. 

I could go on about his treatment overall, but there's a specific recent incident that probably pushed Mr. Foster and his company bigs over the edge. 

Norma Chavez and company were part of some ad hoc committee to examine the best way to screw the El Paso taxpayers out of Paul Foster's $250,000 gift of a new park that matched the millions of dollars he put into the surrounding buildings.  Chavez still has a sore ass over her election loss to Naomi Gonzalez and blames Paul Foster and other monied El Pasoans for her loss.  She has yet to see that she defeated herself.  Her role in this ad hoc committee was to make sure and screw Paul Foster - which they didn't end up doing.  They screwed the taxpayers and themselves.

The stupid shenanigans played with the park were probably the last straw for Foster who has done nothing but good for this community while getting nothing but grief in return. 

Foster remodeled an entire block of buildings for his executive level employees from his various business interests and to be rented out by those seeking offices downtown.  If I have my facts right, a government agency is renting a large portion of one of his buildings.  I assume that the rest of the building space will be emptied when he moves his employees to Arizona - where they actually value employers and philanthropists.

The loss of these executives is devastating to El Paso.  Believe me when I tell you that this is a move that other businesses will take note of.  It's not the city's policy on gay benefits, people - it's how businesses are treated by the local government and community that is important.  When you have communists like Norma Chavez wiping her ass with a $250,000 gift form Foster, you send red flags up to every single business in the country. 

And let's not forget that Bass ProShops is still fuming from our city's refusal to even consider their proposal to move a store to El Paso and hire a few hundred people while offering I-10 drivers a reason to pull of the road and see El Paso. 

El Paso can't afford to miss out on even a few thousand bucks in taxes, much less the millions these high wage earners will be taking with them to Tempe.  I would not be surprised to see even more of his staff leaving after this initial move. 

It doesn't hurt Foster to walk away from El Paso.  He can sell the old Farah site for a bundle of cash and I'm sure he's making good rent on his downtown property.  It's no skin off of Mr. Foster's back.  He's probably just happy to let the world know that you won't have him to kick around anymore. 

What do you expect from a city a who thinks Pancho Villa was a hero...

Thanks Norma Chavez - you're so helpful.  Let's hope he doesn't shut down the refinery in El Paso and move the whole operation to Virginia where his other refinery is.  I'm sure they'd be more than happy to accept all the gifts of money and jobs a guy like Foster has to offer.

Comments

[Jude E Oh]

Norma Chavez was not part of any "ad hoc" group which was appointed by city council rep's Niland & Ortega, although she desperately wishes she was. Also, the plan made no sense to build a modern park when all the buildings surrounding the park (including the Mills Plaza look the same way they did 100 years ago. But hell what you know, you left.

[Gabriel Nila]

David,

To be fair in the assessment, there were other people involved in the desire to keep the sculpture in the San Jacinto plaza... including myself. There was a desire to have a piece of history that could be shown to future generations. Unfortunately, the sculpture did not meet the plaza plans.

[san jacinto history]

DavidK as pointed out already Norma Chavez was not part of the committee and there was a diverse cross-section of people across the community that did not care for parts of the SWA proposal.

According to the backup documents Steve Ortega had Nestor Valencia convene a 5-person local committee for suggestions and input regarding the design.

Supposedly Nestor Valencia convened Miguel Juarez, Katherine Brennand, Peter Schwartzpin, and TJ Karam as the committee.

Here’s the link to the agenda item backup with a cut and paste of the committee origin.
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/agenda/10-18-11/10181113C.pdf

8. SWA presented the amended version of their Concept Plan to the Economic Development, Planning and Tourism LRC on Thursday, Sept. 8th, 2011. Motion there was to move the San Jacinto Plaza park concept plan “as is” for consideration by the full Council within four weeks. In addition, Rep Ortega stated that he would like Nestor Valencia to convene a 5-person local committee to report back to City Council within 3 weeks on suggestions and input regarding the design.

9. SWA presented their proposed concept plan for the last time, incorporating all the comments received by the various committees and the web site to the City Council on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011. No action was taken, rather Rep Ortega asked that the City Council hear the report from Nestor Valencia and his team on Tuesday, October 18 , 2011 at the regularly City Council Meeting.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/news/san-jacinto-renovation-design-plans-approved/nFPT5/

“I think you'll see a park that does not neglect the history of San Jacinto but is much more user friendly and complements the investment that is taking place in downtown right now,” city representative Steve Ortega said.

[Oliver Ramsey]

Norma Chavez may not have been part of the committee, but she was certainly a face of that movement. Here is a guy who gave $50 million dollars to a fledging medical school yet people like Norma are trashing the guy. On top of that, the guy invested in an office-wise dead downtown. A downtown mind you whose "cherished" park even people like the likes of Norma probably do not enjoy it or even see on a daily basis (unlike Western Refining employees).

Tell him to take his money elsewhere...all he needs to do his hit a few keystrokes and he will.

[Lu]

What is the deal with Norma Chavez? Why do you give her so much power? The $250,000.00 dollar “gift” was to come up with a plaza redesign plan that was going to cost the “ungrateful masses” a whopping 6 million dollars to produce! And for what? To create a vision that did not even complement Mr. Foster’s buildings! The committee, which was created by the CITY and NOT by Chavez, did Mr. Foster a favor! Their design was not much different than the SWA design; the only difference is that it took El Paso’s unique history and culture into account.
Norma Chavez lost jobs for El Paso…hmm…it’s a stretch. Mr. Foster doesn’t have to take his toys and move to Arizona. He’s obviously more than welcome to play here. But if you want to say that Chavez has enough power to get him to move these jobs to one of the most racist states in the U.S., you’re entitled to it.
Signed,
A grandma in her 70s

[Obama]

I wish I could say that I was surprised by David K's lies and stupidity but I'm not.

Same ridiculous crap as usual.

[no to alligators]

Art, much like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I can't stand Luis Jimenez's alligators. They are flat out ugly. And
yes I remember when there were real alligators in the Plaza and if PETA had been in existence there would have been a huge protest over their treatment. Reminds me of the cartel. They like to cage wild animals.

[phoenix son]

I bet Tempe is chomping at the bit to get a refinerey in the middle of town! Oh they arent? Big surprise. BTW, tax abatements for retail are ILLEGAL in Maricopa county.

So tell me again how wonderful arizona is for Mr. Foster as compared to El Paso?

Mr. Foster of course is not moving his refinerey to Tempe...and you never suggested he would. I just wanted to point out that NO AMOUNT of money would ever get Tempe to allow a refinerey in the middle of town. Mr. Foster would not be able to get tax abatements or incentives in Maricopa county for retail...no matter how much charity he did. It's illegal.

[Oliver Ramsey]

Phoenix son, when the refinery opened it was not in the middle of town. That was still the outskirts of town.

[Cresencia]

Why don’t you write about PEMEX oil? Is it being sold retail in Arizona?

[livingelpaso]

fyi, the farah retail project is not dead.

[Texaswoman]

The farah project will never open.

[livingelpaso]

yes it will...much further a long than you know

[neutral observer]

the move of some Western Refining jobs to Tempe is not a done deal, discussion continues as to whether this is feasible financially

[Greg]

Norma Chavez I think was trying to act like a lobbyist. If you go to her facebook she's the owner of http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texico-Communications-Public-Strategies-Consulting-Services-Production/227240180670976

here's the description:

Public Strategies, Consulting Services, Productions References upon request. No task to small! Texas * New Mexico * Mexico

apparently she's owned it since 1994, but maybe she's trying to use this tv time to try to make herself relevant again.

[Don Corleone]

Chavez booked music in the 90's, Forbidden Pigs, The Blazers, Cafe Tacvba etc., under Texico Productions (I still got a poster from Cafe Tacvba concert at Dudley Field). Ask Sito Negron, Bob Moore, Rich Wright they will remember.

[A Crock]

I smell alot of BS. Foster could want to move for multiple reasons. Maybe his wife's parents are a little worried about being too close to Juarez. Maybe Bibi wants to move. Maybe Foster is mad because we didnt approve the Arena. Know one really knows. I know one thing though, Norma Chavez being the cause of Foster leaving is a crock. She is a pimple on the ass of things relevant in this town.

[ju]

One thing's for sure: for someone who left instead of staying in his backward hometown to continue casting his precious jewels of wisdom before the un-enlightened cactus-leaning siesta crowd,you just can't seem to get over your hard-on for Norma.

Life must be slow for the hangers-on and coffee pourers in DC town.

[ju]

And a 250K investment for a 60MM return (courtesy of the taxpayer) posing and a private-PUBLIC2(squared) return, sounds like a Bernie Madoff type deal. Sounds like even the cacti dwellers wouldn't swallow that one. Leave it to those who run from it to razz you for not takingthe medicine.

[David K]

ju,

I do love Norma! I don't think I'll ever get over the walking disaster that was elected in El Paso! As other members of the House would say to me "Norma... only in El Paso... only in El Paso."