Did you see this story on KVIA?
Texas oilman J.P. Bryan, one of the state’s richest men and one with deep ties to historical preservation efforts, is financing Max Grossman’s fight against the City of El Paso as it tries to build a multi-purpose entertainment venue downtown.
Grossman, a historical activist, admitted to ABC-7 Bryan is one of his financial backers.
. . .
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said having outside money meddling in local affairs is “a real concern for us.”
“I just don’t think people fully understand: Grossman’s litigation is being paid for by outside people, not El Pasoans,” he said Tuesday. “He has no financial resources. It’s being paid for by an oilman outside of Houston that is trying to determine what is best for our community.”
“And what’s good for El Paso,” Mayor Margo was probably thinking, “is more taxes!”
See, the City was counting on no one in El Paso being able to afford the litigation. That’s why they play fast and loose with the law, because they think they can get away with it. That’s why they had the declaratory judgment hearing in Austin, to make it harder for El Pasoans to attend.
They’re bullies. They try to cram their ill-conceived notions down our throat and tell us we asked for it.
Lemme tell you, I’d rather have an enlightened, generous, benevolent billionaire from out of town deciding what’s good for El Paso than a bunch of self-interested, greedy, lying politicians hornswoggling the voters and then telling them that’s what they asked for.
If the politicians want the community to decide what’s best for it, then let’s put it to a vote. Surely a new election would be cheaper than a prolonged legal battle. And maybe we could put a concise, honest, legal description of the project on the ballot, instead of the lies and misrepresentations they fed us last time.
Buyers’ remorse? I remember Saucedo calling all of this out.
As I’ve noted before, pot meet kettle. The city has hired EIGHTEEN “outsiders” to fight this case. What, no attorney in El Paso was good enough? This is goiong to bite Margo and every other city council member on the ass in the very near future. As someone else pointed out in a post on Facebook, there is NO performing arts center which seats 12,000 to 15,000 people.
For the record, I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I’ve been wondering . . . did Mayor Margo happen to accept any out of town campaign contributions?
Nearly 12k, including some folks from out of state.
He received a grand from a state senator in Wichita, a grand from the AT&T PAC, a grand from Anne Morgan Lilly, and a LOT of contributions from El Paso land developers. Here’s his filing with the county, it makes interesting reading. https://www.elpasotexas.gov/~/media/files/coep/municipal%20clerk/campaign%20finance%20reports/2017-05-06/margo%20donald%20r%2030.ashx?la=en&fref=gc
If any of the people who suddenly now are soooo concerned with the location for the voter approved arena and the number of seats it will have, etc., had attended the public meetings during the Arena planning phase a few years ago they could have spoken then. I attended all of those meetings and no such concerns were voiced by anyone in attendance. Comment cards were also handed out at each meeting and no such complaints were turned in. But now these Max Grossman groupies are just getting on a band wagon too late and whining about things they missed out on being explained very well and in detail by experts. I know they will say it is never too late to whine, but it is too late. Either be civic minded when the time is right or don’t whine thereafter.
The meetings were nothing but a media circus put on by the city and they never mentioned an arena. As for those comment cards handed out, are those the same cards that were shown, for the most part to be submitted by the same people with different names on them? At those meetings, the city pretty much said, it’s a done deal and here’s how we’re going to proceed.
So you’re saying that the truth was available at those public meetings? I wonder why they didn’t publicize the truth outside of the meetings. I wonder why you felt you had to go to all the meetings. I understand that there were only about twenty people at each of those meetings. I contend that those meetings were held for the appearance of consent and that some people, like yourself, perhaps, attended to stifle any dissent, should it arise. It would be interesting to review the videos of those meetings. Maybe you can point me to them.
With apologies to mountain gorillas everywhere. I’ve met the Lilly’s and Dee Margo. They don’t have a fraction of the intelligence or integrity of a mountain gorilla. And by the way, Dee Margo bears an uncanny resemblance to Martin Bormann. Look it up.
Gnosis – I am civil minded and attended one of those meetings several years ago. Someone gave a presentation for about 10 minutes, then passed out pre-printed 3 x 5 cards that had a few boxes to check and a couple of lines for comments. That doesn’t count as being explained “very well and by experts” as you believe or as giving me an opportunity to complain. Those with property and vested interests in downtown probably knew the exact location that was being considered but the rest of us were kept in the dark. You would like everyone to shut up and go along but you don’t always get what you want.
Whine, whine, whine. So now you want to lie and whine. None of the meetings had a 10 minute presentation, so Abandon Hope (there is a telling identity you have chosen) is lying to say you attended them. And Rod I have no clue what supposed meetings you are referring to – the meetings which were held within the year following the voter’s overwhelming support of the arena presented options and analysis of arenas other cities have built in the last 25 years and the data and demographic analysis for the correct choices for our arena. The meetings also were attended by more than 20 people. The first of the meetings was in a big room in the convention center with at least 45-60 people in attendance. You folks are like FOX News with falsehoods and followers who just want to be angry and to get on a bandwagon without knowing facts. Grossman groupies. And be aware that Grossman is just a carpetbagger who came here not many years ago and hopefully will not be granted tenure by UTEP so that he will soon move on to some other city and college. And know that Grossman is a full supporter of the Tea Party idiots and Trump as is completely evident by his ranting and extreme political Face Book postings. He is a dangerous man to follow. It should be a tip-off to you that he fosters an identity with his hats…and that must infer some problem with his self esteem.
Sorry, that 20 person number was just what Joyce Wilson testified to in court. She could have been lying. I don’t know.
Wouldn’t it be the judge who decided what was best for El Paso? If it was the billionaire deciding, he probably wouldn’t have had to spend much money
Gnosis – Calm down and take a deep breath. We obviously are not talking about the same meetings because I am not lying. Do not appreciate your tone. You do your cause a disservice by calling people names.
Gnossoss ,- your statements at first seemed sensible and commanded respect UNTIL you displayed your foolish judgemental attitude with comments like this ,”You folks are like FOX News with falsehoods and followers who just want to be angry and to get on a bandwagon without knowing facts. …Grossman is a full supporter of the Tea Party idiots …” Though I too am not a supporter of Mr. Grossman, I totally lost respect for anything you may state now. You appear to be a haughty judgemental person who easily accepts what the media -of- choice reports without really doing comprehensive research to see the whole truth of things. You just insulted a huge group of well-rounded, educated people who may have been Tea Party advocates and who may be FOX viewers ( many of which have better judgement than you). Just because one foolish ” carpetbagger” person was a Tea Party follower does not justify calling the Tea Party ” idiots” Your the ” idiot” perhaps dragging those statements into the conversation without any constructive purpose. Your comments were destructive, decisive and that of a biggot.