Cobos Arrested - Not as Joyous of an Occasion as I Thought

I'm sure all of you know by now that former County Judge Anthony Cobos was arrested at his house this morning.  The arrest was over his link to a contract he was allegedly bribed into helping get awarded to a company named LKG.  The inevitable happened - no surprises here. 

So how come I'm almost indifferent to the arrest?

I guess it could partly be that all of the ruckus around the corruption started at about the time Cobos and his buddies were peaking power and influence wise.  To see people acting with such bravado while I knew the secret truth behind their rise really fueled my desire to see them burn. 

The rest of you were just excited to see some action, a fight. It's the El Paso way, you guys love to see a fight and you love your gossip.  Here was the sitting county judge being accused of all kinds of dirty dealing and you couldn't wait to see him set on fire for your enjoyment.  And set him on fire we did. 

By the time Cobos left office he was a shell of his former persona.  He went from a county wide elected populist to a sad joke who battled with then Commissioner Escobar over every little thing in an attempt to salvage his name or at best strike some kind of revenge.  All he managed to do with his outbursts and wild surprise agenda items is further the image of a corrupt politician unconnected to the reality that everybody knew his game and what he was trying to do. 

The joy of one day seeing Cobos "frog marched" to jail started to fade when I realized that he was so broken that there was probably nothing worse that could happen to him - at least in his eyes.  He was convicted in the court of public opinion long ago - all that awaited him was the official sentencing by a judge and it looks like he might get just that.  The shocked look of a devious mastermind being arrested in a surprise sting has escaped the anxious crowd of the righteously indignant.  A broken man was led away from the only place on earth he might have had a respite from the harsh judgement of the public.  If I say I felt sorry for the guy you'd call me a sympathetic wimp, but it's not that simple.  Any lesson he needed to learn has been learned and the possible jail time in his future is just part of paying the devil with his soul. 

Some of the furious calls for Cobos' head died down after the initial announcment of the corruption investigation due to the other people involved.  People who didn't mind publicly convicting Cobos of all the things he allegedly did were soon rendered quiet when his "co-conspirators" were revealed.  The people caught up in the scandal were friends, and family member - people who you'd never expect... although many of us had always suspected those very people and many of us were not shocked at all by their indictments.  Well, we were shocked - shocked they weren't indicted years ago.

For many people in El Paso the corruption scandal was realization that there are a lot of bad people that pretend to be good people and they ripped us off to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.  Some of you may even have the clarity to realize that the corruption is still going on and that there are corrupt people in elected office right now - some of them even have designs on higher office.  The whole spectacle is no longer something that evokes an angry response, but a somber one.  It's a realization that El Paso leadership may have a cold, dead black heart. 

The arrest of Cobos isn't a victory of any kind.  It's a reminder of what ails El Paso and it's ongoing negative impact on the community.

The worst part?  Most of the corruption is within the ranks of the municiple employees - a far less sexy group to investigate and arrest.  Expect their racket to continue unhindered for years to come.

Comments

[bumpkin]

Yeah you are the ONLY one who cares about corruption. The rest of us bumpkins are just cheering for a fight.

Good luck lobbying in DC, a "noble" profession.

[Ken]

Cobos deserves to have his name synonymous with the criminal he is. He earned it and I refuse to feel sorry for him. Had he not been implicated, he would have no problem continuing his corrupt ways until the day he died! Like many criminals, he will develop a conscience only after getting caught. He was nothing more than a pig feeding at the public trough. Maybe some of us will live long enough to see a few of these crooks actually get sentenced!

[sc]

Let's see Cobos is married to the sister of Judge Angie Juarez Barill who also received campaign money and endorsements from Sonny Garcia (co-defendant) and who is running again unopposed for the 346th Bench? Sonny Garcia used his unearned money to finance several Judges and everyone must have known what was going on to include the DA Esparza and our new Senator Jose Rodriguez (then County Attorney). Sariana and Teran always voted Cobos way and Teran's daughter Judge Monica Teran got a brand new complex in Socorro and was able to let a recent squatter take possession and advantage of an elderly woman who tried to give him and his family a place to stay? Gosh if we could really unravel the benefits that illegal money given to some people made its way through our judges, senators, etc...we would really be comatosed with caring...this type of polictics has been going on for 50 years and the only ones that continue to benefit are perhaps people who continue to stay in office without any opposition...why is that? These are things that make you go hummmm until then...just sit back and watch

[Gossip Girl]

And now we learn in the indictment that Delores Briones was on the take to the tune of $2000 per month from the very people who bribed Cobos. Any person with a core of honesty and integrity would not run for any office in this town for fear of guilt by association. A sad state we are in indeed from the ground work layed by generations of politicians. We should no longer name buildings, roads, etc after people who has held office, but only after our military heros who have died in the service of our country.

[sc]

Looking at the news I cant believe that Mayor Cook was actually upset that after four years the FBI finally did something and one week before Christmas...I guess for a man who is close to losing office he should be sympathetic...after all his retirement is going down the drain trying to save his last term. Why waste the money...his aspirations for higher office went out the door. Perhaps City Council and Cobos insistance that campaign donations go that way with the BS company should make you wonder why Cook was so sympathetic. More to the story...and Haggerty...now that's a sad state...he made the introduction...look for his replacement to be named next year due to health reasons.

[Thomas]

David
I may not agree with every thing you said here but one thing does ring true,that a lot will not face up to,is that corruption in El Paso government is still King.The sad truth is many in El Paso still like it this way.They will bitch and complain but few do anything beyond this.

[Carl Starr]

I think DH is just a patsy buffer re Delores in other words to not prosecute Delores alone seems strange albeit a prosecutor has that right but by being two unprosecuted less light is on the one. Actually that deeds carried on even after 2007 raid shows how ingrained gaf is. But the reason EP is more corrupt than others is because there is less competition in everything especially ladder climbing eg in Dallas many more are climbing ladders to the rooftops and in a NY minute they will kick others off or rat them out...here in EP there is fewer competition, fewer anklebiters etc fewer TC's if you will, people like TC help root gaf and corruption out, why? maybe TC wants their job or head, it does not matter, be it for revolt or reaching that rooftop it is competition that stems corruption.

[Old Fart]

The legal process has been slow, but at least it is moving forward. It will be interesting to see what other heads will roll.

Roll on, roll on.

[starrlite]

Well said Carl, well said.

[Gossip Girl]

Dan-Dan-Dan, with your comments you made after the serving of the search warrant of the county offices and the Ketner confession we all were wondering if you were completely clueless or crooked. Now we know.....you are both!

[thank you FBI]

Lorenzo Aguilar is on the United Bank Board of Directors - wonder if they will let him continue now that he has been indicted. Never looks good to have a bank board member that's been indicted and accused of public corruption.

[Maria]

Greg Rocha's comment that as long as you have one dominant party you normally see corruption because there are no "checks and balances" and this is true. The Demos and Demo partiez dominate and annoint who runs for office and who doesnt. (Normally the five hack queens dictate) for those involved in Politics everyone knows who these old buzzards are? Rumor has it that when one of Arditti's opponents filed for that bench that person received a call from several of the old croonies telling him "how dare you" after all the only way to remain a Judge is NOT to get an opponent. Good thing this person told the old croonies..."too bad."

[Mrs. John]

Carl, you sir are an idiot. TC? Really? Are you deaf and blind also? TC is a complete nut and needs a padded room.