Gotta Take Break for Christmas - Will get to all the Big Issues

I know there's a lot going on right now, but I have Christmas to tend to and when you have a child, or children, it becomes one hell of a task.  My hat is off to all of you mother and fathers who have been doing this for years!  All tips and tricks for navigating the holidays with a little are welcome.

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I knew about the Dan Haggerty stuff a long time ago.  I know even more than what has come out.  Many people have come to me with the stuff Haggerty has done in the past and my response has always been the same - call the FBI and tell them.  Maybe they did, maybe they didn't.

When I ran against Haggerty in 2010 I ran a clean race.  I didn't go negative because I wanted to win in the spirit that I was the best candidate with the best ideas, not the guy who was the alternative to the deadbeat.  There is no personal honor in being the lesser of two evils. 

A lot of people made a lot of fun of me for getting next to zero votes in that republican primary. It was quite funny to see me do so badly and it made for lots of joy for those who had been in my gun sites in the past. I failed miserably - the most embarrassing moment of my entire life... but - a real big BUT - I knew this day would come for Haggerty.  I knew that no matter what I wouldn't be listed in the text of federal indictments and that he would be.  I may have not received your vote (or anyone else's), but my name is clean and clear and his is not. All the people who voted for Haggerty must wear all of his alleged misdeeds around their necks.  They can not complain about corruption because they had a chance to vote for an alternative and chose not to. 

The five or six people who voted for me (my mom, dad, wife, cousin and two people who got confused and marked the wrong spot) can hold their head up high knowing they didn't support the guy who would do what Haggerty has been accused of doing. 

I sleep well at night.  I always will. 

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The study of the City's economic development efforts is very interesting.  I'm reading the report (don't rely on the El Paso Times to tell you what's in it, they've been told what to say and how to say it by outside sources) and making notes. 

When I get back I'll have some words on the subject.  I think there are things you need to know and I think you'll be surprised at how all of this works. 

I was surprised the professor didn't just write "get rid of the corrupt city council members, the anti-business city council members and replace them with fiscal conservatives."  That's pretty much how you solve the problems of economic development in El Paso.

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There was something else... I forget - anywho... I'll see you guys in a week or so. 

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Oh yeah - send Tamales!!!!  Never thought I'd miss something so much in my life, but I miss Tamales.

Comments

[thank you FBI]

I never believed a single word Haggerty had to say about Cobos and the whole public corruption issue. The Haggerty's are a political family/force in NE El Paso. His brother has been in politics longer than Dan. Half the family has run for some kind of office. They know the game - they know how to play it and they play it well. Don't believe Dan's protests of total innocence. He must think the citizens of El Paso County are the stupidest people on this earth - as do most elected officials.

[Gossip Girl]

Let's not forget his goofy explanation on getting his county computer ripped off at the McDonalds on Piedras after a late night of boozing it up. There has been something very odd in a bathroom toe tapping sort of way about that story! What a loser and I voted for DK! Really!

[Robert]

Is the full report available to the public? If so, how can we get a copy?

[city watch]

its on the city's website. or click on "meetings" on the city website; go to special city council meetings - look at the agenda and it should be an attachment to the agenda.

[Texaswoman]

Yea it's there now. Attended the meeting and was not happy. Minus a Culture change in business and a total revamp of all involved it will be just the same old inept, non producing effort with high unemployment, no growth in disposable income, no growth in property valuation outside of inflation and higher taxes.
Merging the same losers who have been running things for decades only results in a bigger loser.

[so many plans so little done]

Until they clean up the nasty little shops in the south end of downtown no one is ever going to shop downtown and no retail business will spend money to locate downtown. Our city council is all consumed with shoppers from Mexico and wanting to make sure they are happy instead of the citizens that are paying taxes. We don't even get the sales tax from the mexican shoppers (if the shop owners even charge sales tax - its all cash sales). I don't care what council says - they are anti-business when it comes to a business trying to actually lease/buy/build a space and they so over regulate that business owners just move on - they go outside of downtown or just forget the whole idea - example Bass Pro Shops - certain council members insisted it had to be located downtown - they had zero clue on how big Bass Pro Shops is and how they are structured and council flat out didn't care. Downtown or nothing.

[G]

I voted for you. Thanks, maybe you can give it another run soon.

[abe]

I can't beliieve the city paid several thousand to have a professor come here to tell us we have our heads up our assees! I did that for free. And who cares or even respects redco or pdng? We're the india armpit of tx now, and less than 1 percent of the pdng is self made. Wiithout their daddies or grandfathers , those guys would still be smoking pot and doing keg stands. Good night and good luck.

[Gossip Girl]

Well said Abe!

[Texaswoman]

Something to keep you warm. Money from your gas bill is funneled to RedCo. Yep it came before council under Wardy and was passed. Just $400,000 redirected to an inefficient and failed organization

In 2005 the debt service was 17 cents per hundred dollars of valuation. Today we are closing in on 27 cents. So where did it go? I know do you..

[Gossip Girl]

If I remember correctly, that diversion of funds to REDCO was supposed to be in place of funding the City's Economic Development Department. A swap of funds per se that would not impact the overall budget.

[WAYtooSMARTforTHIScrowd]

Dear Santa,
I know this is short notice but since I've been extremely good this year (typing with one hand while having my fingers crossed with the other) here is my Christmas list which I'm sure you'll agree is very reasonable and not too demanding considering what a great guy I am:

1-From now on, get someone younger than a 100 to perform at the Sun Bowl. B.J. Thomas? What, was Methuselah already booked? 2-To no longer have half the city shut down because someone spotted a snowflake. 3-To have the idiot fired that turned on the public water sprinkler system on Thursday to water the park even as it was snowing.

4-Please give us public officials that can't be bribed for the equivalent of three Big Macs and a pack of Joe Camels. 5-And last but not least, please make sure Mr.C that everyone has a.....Merry Christmas!

P.S. Oh yeah, a $2500 gift card to the Red Parrot would also be greatly appreciated.

[WAYtooSMARTforTHIScrowd]

Apparently, the reason why we haven't heard any "pearls of wisdom" from our fearless leader is because he's flown the coop. So I'm declaring myself the new leader of the tribe. Ok, hear's a topic that you can sink your intellectual teeth into: If you could be a 'Star Wars' character, who would you be?

I'll go first. I would be that rat/rodent in episode six that got eaten by Jabba the Hut. The way he screamed right before Jabba threw him down his fat pie-hole was hilarious..... Ok, perhaps that didn't go quite as well as I've planned. (pretends to look at watch)

Wow, will you look at the time already!? I gotta jet on over to the hospital, crack open some old broad's melon, and scrape out some cancerous cells from her brain. And since I'm in such a good mood, I'll even (free of charge) scrape out that little part of a woman's brain that despises the 'Three Stooges.'

Happy New Year!