Today’s Civics Lesson

I learned yesterday that the City’s values are Integrity, Respect, Excellence, Accountability, and People.

I learned that because they were on a PowerPoint. I never would have guessed that those were the City’s values from what I witnessed.

Our politicians live in an alternate universe. A potentially plausible universe, except for the fantastical abundance.

And those aggravating facts.

Representatives Niland and Tolbert each invoked the canard that a $180 million gift to their campaign donors would shift the burden of property taxes from residential to commercial taxpayers. This, despite several well-publicized studies that show that publicly funded sports arenas are bad deals for taxpayers.

They’re taking forty-one parcels off the tax rolls to create more tax income.

We lose a little bit on every deal, but we make it up in volume.

When pressed during public discussion that the arena wasn’t big enough for professional sports, Ms. Niland let the cat out of the bag.

D-League basketball, she said.

D-League basketball. Gee, I wonder who in El Paso would be interested in buying a D-League basketball team. Who would have the juice to persuade City Council to sell out their constituents?

Gee, I can’t think of anyone.