What’s wrong with El Paso

I like El Paso. What about all those people saying it’s not good enough for them?

Those baseball fanatics, god bless ‘em, say those who oppose the unsanctioned sellout of real assets for speculative pipe dreams don’t love El Paso. The say we need development to make El Paso livable, and knocking down buildings and starting from scratch is the way to go. They say otherwise our children and grandchildren will move somewhere else to make their futures, because the only thing standing between them and a four bedroom ranch style home in the suburbs is Triple A baseball in downtown El Paso.

I’m not sure how a Triple A baseball team will change El Paso into an economic dynamo, but those baseball fanatics seem convinced that this is a necessary first step in the process.

It’s the next steps that they’re a little shaky on. It’s like alchemy. First we build a ballpark, and then the streets are paved with gold.

I’d be more convinced if they could illustrate the process. We build a Triple A ballpark, and then what? Fortune 500 companies beat a path to our door? The bulk of Americans will overcome their latent xenophobia to embrace quincinearas and Chico’s Tacos?

Anyone who thinks that the lack of a Triple A baseball team has been holding El Paso back seems to me to be a little out of touch with reality. And to suggest that anyone who opposes the current shenanigans is less of a loyal El Pasoan than those who support sticking the city with unproven benefits for unmeasured costs probably can’t balance their checkbooks.

Some of those baseball fanatics say that the reason we are where we are now is because El Pasoans aren’t forward thinking enough. They say that the naysayers, to borrow their term, are the reason that El Paso is where it is now.

Well I like El Paso. I’m not apologetic about El Paso. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. I’ve never been confronted with a lack of things to do in El Paso. I’m usually overwhelmed by the options. Maybe those people who say that there’s nothing to do in El Paso should sell their teevees. Maybe they should meet their neighbors, and the people that aren’t their neighbors. Maybe the people who think Triple A baseball is a safe alternative to television sit-coms should get a real life, because El Paso is one of the most culturally rich and culturally diverse cities in the world. And it’s the safest city in America.

Somehow, Triple A baseball will fix all that.

I read in the paper where that sweet lady rep from the Eastside said that once we build that tax base, then rates can come down. Does anyone remember the last time tax rates came down? I don’t.

2 comments

  1. If El Paso wanted baseball they would have supported the Diablos…enough said…and if they DO PUSH THAT BOONDOGGLE THRU THEY SHOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR THE TEAM OWNERS TO SELL OFF THE TEAM FOR 20 YRS….We paid for the DIABLOS and COHEN STADIUM and then the team owners SOLD THEM AWAY FROM EL PASO…SCREW THAT….This is just a way for a couple investors and contractors to soak the taxpayers of El Paso so they can make huge amounts of money for themselves. I’d be very, very interested in seeing just how much money went into the various city officials “campaign war chests” from the people pushing this rip off.

  2. I can agree with you that El Pasoans are forward thinking, and that there are a multitude of great things to do in El Paso year round. HOWEVER I think that you are lumping those of us who are behind the stadium in one big lump of “baseball fanatics” the same way you accuse those same people of calling anyone against the idea “naysayers”. I have lived in El Paso my entire 28 years, and will be here for at least another 28 more.

    The whole idea that the baseball team will result in “streets paved in gold” is a gross mistatement. The idea of promoting new ventures downtown is to promote NEW business and ideas. No one is saying that the baseball team on it’s own will prove to be a financial windfall for the city. The idea behind it is that once the stadium is built and running, it will attract more NEW business to the downtown area.

    I am a bit sorry to see the current Insights Museum go, but they were already promised a new home by The Lynx Exhibit, and at there current space they were paying the city $10 a YEAR for rent. As to city hall, the average El Pasoan has never even stepped foot inside that building, and honestly I could care less where they are located. AND they already have agreed to move into a building NOT owned by Foster or Hunt, which seemed to be the biggest issue for several other bloggers and writers that I had seen.

    I would also like to point out that NOT ONCE during any of these discussions have I seen ANYONE write a single sentance about the other bond issues coming up in November. While the total cost to the city for the city hall/stadium deal will be around $50-80 milllion, there is a bond issue to approve a $180 million dollar arena downtown as well. This space has no guaranteed use as of yet, and is being put entirely on the property taxes of El Paso homeowners, such as myself. Not that I oppose the idea, I would need some more details to come to a conclusion, but it does upset me that no one has even mentioned this in relation to the stadium deal.

    I envision El Paso as a growing city that will need to supply jobs, raise the quality of living, and increas earning power in order to make this not only a safe city, but an affluent one as well where a good portion of our city doesn’t have to live in poverty. This can only be attained by promoting new business in our city that doesn’t involve mexican food and beer. I am not against open discussion for these ideas, but I am for those ideas that can help move our city forward.

Leave a Reply

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