You have, by now, no doubt, seen the list of candidates for El Paso’s next City Manager. I’m opining that this decision has already been made, and the rest of it (like this Wednesday’s Meet and Greet) is just a dog and pony show for us, the chastened gullible. The decision has already been made.
Our next City Manager will be the city’s current Chief Financial Officer, Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria.
Look at the rhetoric emanating from our elected officials. “Continuity,” they say. “We need to finish what we’ve started.” Never mind that we’re deeper in debt than a well digger’s flip flops. Never mind that Ms. Arrieta-Candelaria (is that a bar sinister?) forecast that inflation should run at three percent for the foreseeable future when the historic average for the last ten years is 2.4. And that our HOT revenues will never pay for the ballpark. Those are mere details for a Chief Financial Officer. They told her to make the numbers work, and by golly, that was one of the fudge factors that it required.
Those kind of exuberances might disqualify her from any other upward mobility in her future career path, if she had to change employers. However, if she can keep serving the same masters, that’s a big plus. Loyalty. Obedience. Unquestioning fealty to the moneyed class. Those are traits that should be rewarded. They shouldn’t kick her to the curb like another Steve Ortega.
Besides, this is El Paso city government. It’s like a b-movie remake of The Wicker Man. The xy’s are here to serve, and occasionally be hoisted on petards.
Despite my misgivings about Ms. Arrieta-Candelaria, I’m afraid she’s probably the best choice for the job. Because even though the train got hijacked, it’s already left the station, and we’re on it. We don’t want it to derail just because we don’t like the conductor. Or the engineer. Or the stoker. Or the guy who changes the mint cakes in the urinals. No, El Paso, in the immortal words of former Texas gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams, might as well just relax and enjoy it. We can always pee on their graves after they’re dead.
Remember, I’m the guy that told you that Sun Dogs was a lock.
From what I understand, Arrieta-Candelaria is by far the most qualified but definitely is not a lock. Word that I’ve heard is that Leeser is unlikely to share authority with anyone other another good ole white boy. No, that doesn’t mean that you’re under consideration, Honky, but it does mean that Carmen will not be the next CM. And I’m the guy that’s predicting that the Chihuahuas are going to win their division.
Well, I haven’t seen the Big O flexing his muscles to any effect. I’m not sure he even gets a vote, except to break a tie. Anyway, in the hierarchy of oligarchs, car dealers are only good for intimidating the media. Even if one of them is the mayor.