I guess El Paso is still going to claim that the cartel problem is still a problem "over there" and not "here" even though one of the highest elected officials in the county just pleaded guilty to being a part of the whole mess.
I'm sitting in DC with a steady stream of people coming by my desk asking me how people in El Paso could elect a drug dealer. I told them that El Paso had a boxing match and that proved there were no problems in El Paso. They tried to have me treated for a stroke after I said that. They said that's dumbest thing they've ever heard and reminded me that not only is El Paso next to the most dangerous city in this hemisphere, the cartels had placed their guy in the local government!
It's kind of hard to explain to them that the cartel problem is a Juarez problem when they bring up facts like that.... I really didn't have a comeback for that. I don't think I ever will.
So no matter what you think that boxing match did for you city, remember that in DC I was asked about your elected officials with cartel ties and not the stupid boxing match you paid $500,000 to have. Any good news about El Paso was forgotten today when the Gandara story hit the wires.
Way to go El Paso! Good thing I was actually born in Dallas.
People in D.C. have no room to be thowing stones at anyone. The last day of visiting the capitol, we were waiting for AMTRAC to get back to Baltimore. A train had de-railed and our Train back was delayed for 3 hrs. So much for Public Transport.
Posted by: Abel | June 29, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Abel,
Well, that's what happens when you rely on the government to get you around.
I don't know how that compares to the cartel thing, but thanks for sharing.
And I actually live in Arlington, VA - a former Joyce Wilson community and rather awesome one at that.
Posted by: David K | June 29, 2012 at 11:53 AM
What does riding the AMTRAC got to do with an elected official pleading guilty to drug charges? Seriously Abel stay on the subject!
This is just another "success" story to add to our economic development playbook that we distribute to potential companies wanting to re-locate. It is disturbing - even though most all of El Paso knew deep down Gandara was not an honest individual.
Just goes to show how the voters in the Lower Valley/Socorro/San Elizaro/Clint are manipulated into voting for "kings". And just exactly what did Gandara (and before Teran) do for their area? Don't mention the Tornillo POE - that doesn't count for quality of life.
Posted by: sad day for EP | June 29, 2012 at 12:14 PM
I guess they did not ask you about the whole Sunland Park debacle because they thought it was a "Mexico" story! If they do, please tell them that have no influence in our local government, hell, the voters do not have an effffect on the local government, except for the "official" elections.
Posted by: Chava | June 29, 2012 at 12:33 PM
How Awesome for you to be able to reside in one of Joyce Wilsons Community. Oh Please, what drivel and feeble minded ambitions.Sad for your Family.
Posted by: Vero | June 29, 2012 at 02:58 PM
vero you obviously don't get out much do you?
Posted by: sad for el paso | June 29, 2012 at 06:40 PM
Only with Latina Women,you have issues.You owe it to your Family to address those issues you seem to have with Latina Women.Somehow I dont think Vero has your same ambitions to go live in the same Awesome Community as Joyce Wilson.Somehow in your warped mentality you derived that Vero doesnt get out much.Silly.
Posted by: Norma | June 30, 2012 at 02:09 PM
Not all is tranquil in Mayberry-Arlington, VA. Watch out for those MS-13 and Zeta dudes.
http://www.examiner.com/article/what-an-alliance-between-los-zetas-and-ms-13-really-means
Posted by: FairfaxGal | July 01, 2012 at 10:15 PM
I'd would just answer those D.C. folks with two words: Marion Barry.
Posted by: Jay Koester | July 02, 2012 at 11:43 AM
It's not "spillover" we're worried about. Of course there are Mexican drugs in El Paso. Just like there are Mexican drugs in Arlington. What we don't have much of in El Paso is "spillover violence." So far Gandara hasn't been accused of cutting anyone's head off.
Posted by: lenny bruce | July 02, 2012 at 12:13 PM
I'd tried to "like" Lenny Bruce's comment ... apparently I need to venture of Facebook every once in a while. Anyway, good point, Lenny.
Saying Gandara was "in with the cartel" is silly. He was no more in with the cartel than the college kids selling bags of weed out of their dorm rooms. Neither are right or OK, but neither are on the cartel's payroll.
Posted by: Jay Koester | July 02, 2012 at 04:38 PM
Compared to what's going on in Mexico, the Gandara situation is child's play. But that should not be the bigger worry for El Pasoans. By every measure, the public corruption problem is far bigger in scope and importance. We, the people, allowed it. We, the people, can clean it up.
Posted by: Roy Ortega | July 02, 2012 at 05:44 PM
Amtrak is not run by the city.
Just as I have been saying for a couple of years. Most people, out of state, have no idea of where El Paso is located. They only know what they read or hear about it.
And do what they read, corrupt officials in record numbers, corrupt school systems, corrupt nursing home, nonprofits stealing from the people they're supposed to help. And if that wasn't enough, we had a city council member, proudly, providing a whore house tour of the city, even knew prices and specialities of each house. That tour was published internationally.
Yes,they had Marion Barry. But that doesn't even compare to the mass corruption here. Perhaps the crime hasn't spilled over, but the practices have.
And what solution does the city have. If we built a stadium and trolley, industry and families will ignore everything else and move here.
Posted by: Reynaldo Rivera | July 02, 2012 at 06:24 PM
El Paso had it's own drug dealers and own drug busts long before the cartel wars started in Juarez.
Posted by: El Pasoan for 50 years | July 09, 2012 at 08:08 AM