This article originally appeared on 8 February 2017. Here’s a feel-good story from the El Paso Times about how few
Category: City Council
Local Government Is Absurd
Here’s a Letter to the Editor of the El Paso Times from Lower Valley resident Christopher Falk. Once again the
What’s It For?
Why are we still trying to build an arena? MountainStar’s not hot on it anymore. They’re worried about their soccer
The Trouble With Term Limits
Currently, El Paso’s elected officials are limited to two terms in office. That means that once they figure out what’s
More Debt Per Capita
According to the slideshow that accompanies this story from the Austin American Statesman, El Pasoans owe more General Obligation debt
More Gobbledygook From Our Friends at City Hall
You may have seen that the City refused to compromise on the downtown arena swindle. (Why do all the City’s
Read ’em and Weep
The numbers we’ve all been waiting for have arrived, and they’re not pretty. Between 2017 and 2018, the population of
Riding the Decline
Our city leaders — all of them, the elected and the economic and the City staff — are managing El
Retrovision: The Bane of QoL: O & M
This article originally appeared on 18 December 2014. El Paso is a cash-strapped town. Nobody foresaw that our boom years,
Welcome to the Apocalypse
It’s happening. This was the sign taped to the door of the Pat O’Rourke Center today. Meanwhile the trolley glides
The Trouble With TIRZs
You might no be so pissed off when you wrote that property tax check if your money was going for
Was Lost Dog a Referendum on City Government?
Max Grossman points out the the ballot ordinance to save Lost Dog got more votes than Mayor Dee Margo did
Water Parks = Economic Development
Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. From CBS4Local, in a story headlined New El Paso waterparks bringing economic growth to
Retrovision: The Real Cost of the Quality of Life Projects
This article originally appeared on 12 April 2017. Sure, half a billion dollars is a lot of money. Especially for
As Goes the Golf Course, So Goes the City
According to this story in the El Paso Times, the City isn’t going to bail out the Vista Hills Country
Will Water Parks Be The New Streetcars? And Other Questions
In March, KFOX14 reported that the streetcars are a money pit. KFOX14 Investigates learned in the first four months of
Retrovision: Economic Development: Economics 101
This post originally appeared on 27 August 2015. Back when I was in school, before the wheel and shortly after
Cissy, Puhleeze
An alert reader forwarded me the latest update from District 8 Representative Cissy Lizarraga. Serving the public is not easy;
What’s Going on With Lost Dog?
Today the El Paso City Council had a meeting to discuss their response to the Lost Dog election. Early voting
You’re Out!
Here’s an article from Reason that describes the plights of three cities who paid for ballparks. “Any normal business person