District 1 Representative Peter Svarzbein, who wants to be a County Commissioner when he terms out, was feeling the heat
Category: City Management
The Veto and the Override
Mayor Oscar Leeser vetoed the $96 million Certificates of Obligation City Council passed this week. But, anticipating the veto, District
It’s Always Darkest Before It Gets Lots Darker
Here’s Tommy Gonzalez’ contribution to that story from the El Paso Times headlined El Paso’s property tax rate is among
“Why Is El Paso’s Property tax Rate So High?”
That’s the teaser on the El Paso Times landing page today. If you click on it, the story is headlined
Rich People’s Hobbies
Some rich people collect art. Some collect racehorses. Some collect cars. In El Paso, some rich people collect professional sports
Why Your Taxes Are So High
El Paso has the highest residential property tax rates in the country. Our elected officials used to say that was
The City of El Paso is Chueco
From the El Paso Times: The El Paso City Council voted unanimously to accept a recommendation to reallocate $15 million in federal funding for
Harvard Business Review on the The Sunk Cost Fallacy
Here’s an article from the HBR on better decision making. Have you continued with a project long after you should
Tommy G’s $400K
KTSM.com (and others) report that City Manager Tommy Gonzalez is set to make almost $400,000 a year. El Paso City
More Lies From People Who Should Know Better
I read the El Paso Times so you won’t have to, and I’ve noticed a disturbing pattern. Every time the
Chime the Eff Up
Did you take the City of El Paso’s budget survey? It was called Chime In!, and it was available on
You Are Paying the Highest Residential Property Tax Rate in the United States
Today the El Paso City Council is voting to issue another $96 million in Certificates of Obligation. Certificates of Obligation
Happy Independence Day, Comrade
Today is the Fourth of July. Independence Day. Today is the day we celebrate our nation’s freedoms. The United States
Where Were the Popo?
Did you read about those three alleged hoodlums who were arrested a couple of weeks ago for a fight in
How Your City Representative Voted on Certificate of Obligation Debt
Max Grossman did the heavy lifting and went back to research how our elected representatives voted on various issuances of
Retrovision: The Real Costs of the QoL Projects
This article originally appeared on 12 April 2017. Sure, half a billion dollars is a lot of money. Especially for
Losing Faith In Our Institutions, Part 2
Truth, Justice, and the American Way. These days, asking if truth and justice are the American way is a legitimate
Remember Jane Shang?
After Deputy City Manager Jane Shang left El Paso City Government with eleven months paid leave that made her eligible
The Decline of Six Sigma
From Quartz (qz.com) via Pocket: Six Sigma, at its core, is a system for eliminating defects in manufacturing. The name
Credit Where Credit Is Due
This week I published a post critical of the El Paso Times coverage of an EPISD District 3 candidate. You