Did You Feel That?

Was it a change in the weather, or is that what it feels like when the worm turns?

Things are happening in Duranguito. Or, more correctly, Duranguito is happening in local (and distant) courtrooms.

I watched an episode of Perry Mason last night. I’ve had to give up the satellite teevee I was being gifted, so I’ve switched to broadcast programming. Now, instead of getting a thousand channels with nothing on, I only get forty-two channels with nothing on. Sifting through the twenty-four hour shopping channels is a lot easier now that I only get forty-some channels.

I still get some LigaMX, sometimes. And that occasional episode of Perry Mason.

I think the preservationists legal team must have Della Street and Paul Drake working for them. Della Street has those crucial insights in the show, but that’s mostly to give exposition to the stuff that Perry Mason has already figured out. But Paul Drake? He must have an interesting off-screen social life. He can find out anything Counselor Mason asks him, usually immediately after the next commercial break. The guy’s a wizard. And he doesn’t look dissipated at all, like you’d expect of someone who knows all those lowlifes.

He must go to the gym a lot, and drink acai berry smoothies with his Jack Daniels.

Here’s an excerpt from Eighth Court of Appeals Chief Justice Ann Crawford McClure’s order on the contempt hearing:

It is hereby ordered that the City of El Paso appear before the Honorable David Wellington
Chew at 8:00 a.m. on November 1, 2017, in the Eighth Court ofAppeals courtroom, located on the 12th floor ofthe El Paso County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, Room 1203, in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, to show cause why it should not be held in contempt and have sanctions imposed for its failure to obey the Court’s emergency order issued on September 11,2017 and the Court’s amended emergency order issued on September 12, 2017.

The attorneys representing Grossman in this original proceeding, including Lisa Bowlin Hobbs, are authorized to investigate and present evidence in support of the allegations set forth in this show cause order. The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily assigned Senior Judge David Wellington Chew to the Eighth Court of Appeals pursuant to Sections 74.003, 75.002, and 75.003 of the Texas Government Code,and we have assigned to him the responsibility of conducting the evidentiary hearing on the show cause order and making written findings of fact pertinent to this
contempt proceeding. Senior Judge Chew is authorized to hear evidence, rule on the admissibility of evidence, and to resolve legal issues which arise during the course of the contempt proceeding. The findings of fact are due to be filed in the Eighth Court of Appeals no later than thirty days after the contempt hearing is concluded.

Don’t you think that the preservationists’ lawyers are going to have some Paul Drake investigating the City of El Paso?

I tell you the City doesn’t stand a chance.

6 comments

  1. Should the city be found in contempt, what could the penalties be? Hopefully not a fine. Obviously that would be passed on to the taxpayers. Now if you really want to get the city’s attention penalize the council members and others that participated. Hit them individually in the pocket or thirt days in the can. Dont allow them to use the city legal services or their status as council members.

    Perhaps with that pressure one of them would talk.

  2. And as usual, Firth is stating this overpaying is a common occurrence. Well, I can tell you that as a taxpayer, I feel like I’m getting the long, fat end of the shaft on my property taxes and completely understand why homeowners’ taxes are the mainstay of the property tax base instead of commercial properties taking up the majority of the tax burden.

    We should perhaps investigate ALL commercial properties for these types of inequities, especially among those owners known for having an inside track to our city’s so-called leadership. Another place that is NOT fair to the average Jose is those homeowners who have properties worth over $500,000 yet are paying based on only half their value or less.

  3. I was waiting for someone to bring up the fact that the city says they don’t control the property owners, and that the property owners can demolish their buildings if they wish. Well, if the city established an escrow account for the demolition of the property, and the demo must occur for the property sale to close, how can they say they’re not in control. They even set up an escrow account to pay for it!

  4. Sylvia Borunda Firth has become a constant source of entertainment. She is El Paso’s Eva Braun.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *