Survey Says:

Did you see the results of this survey that KVIA did on putting the arena in Duranguito?

ABC-7 recently conducted a scientific survey by asking more than 401 El Pasoans if they favor or oppose building the multi-purpose center in the Duranguito area in Downtown El Paso.

The poll has a plus-minus of five percent.

37 percent of those polled oppose the location, only 25 percent favor it and more than one third are undecided.

What to you think the results would have been if they’d asked that “more than one third” who are undecided how they’d feel about spending $180 million to build the arena in Duranguito? I’m thinking that the money would have pushed the needle a little more into the oppose category. Maybe a lot more.

What if they’d asked how they’d feel about their property taxes going up, or their rent, or mortgage payments, increasing, to put an arena in Duranguito?

What did Mayor Dee “Hold the Line on Taxes” Margo say about the survey results?

Mayor Margo brought attention to the original vote that cleared the way for the Downtown arena back in 2012. Approximately 102,000 El Pasoans voted in favor it as part of the quality of life bond election.

“We are into almost 6 years and if anything I would think that a voter would be frustrated that we haven’t proceeded,” said Mayor Margo.

Whoa, wait a minute, Mr. Mayor. Originally, the arena was suppose to get built in ten years. Remember this Q and A with Mayor Leeser in the February 9, 2014 El Paso Inc.?

Q: In regard to the bond issue voters passed and the projects they called for, what’s the latest thinking about the proposed $180-million multi-purpose arena? Is it likely to go forward later or not?

That was probably one of the last items on the bond that was going to be rolled out in year 10, so at this point, we’re still looking at the first part of the bond.

If we have to build a superfluous, redundant, arena, let’s at least wait till the taxpayers can afford it.

Remember, the City’s former CFO said our tax rate was only expected to rise to seventy one cents on account of those QoL bonds, and the other Certificates of Obligation issued in 2012. Right now we’re at eighty.

Looks like somebody was lying to us. Looks like somebody still is.