What’s Wrong With El Paso

That’s not a question. Or maybe it is.

Look at this story in the El Paso Times:

For Pete Faraone, a run for office was never in the cards. But as the filing deadline neared to run for the Precinct 1 seat on the El Paso County Commissioners Court, he decided to make a move.

“I was concerned about the lack of qualified candidates in the race,” Faraone said. “I just really believe the people, they deserve to have a choice in this election, that’s a big reason I got in.”

Let me explain.

As the deadline to register to run for the Democrat nomination for the Precinct 1 seat neared, there was only one candidate on the ballot, longtime Precinct 1 staffer Jackie Arroyo Butler.

Traditionally in El Paso, winning the Democrat nomination was tantamount to winning the election. For a long time most El Pasoans hit the straight ticket button in the General Election, voting for every Democrat on the ballot. In 2020, Texas abolished straight ticket voting, but having that D next to your name still carries a lot of weight with the voters. They’re hypnotized.

The General Election wasn’t really an election. It was more a coronation.

The Democrat primary is virtually the real election.

And up until the filing deadline there was only one candidate for the Precinct 1 County Commissioners Court.

Can you imagine?

The “job”, if you can call it that, pays $133,500 a year, and it’s hard to tell what the duties entail besides showing up every Monday for a half day’s kibitzing.

And there was only one citizen applying?

What’s wrong with El Paso?

Are the citizens that apathetic?

Isn’t there some lawyer who lives in District 1 who wants to semi-retire and also get a Sheriff’s Deputy to wash his car?

Apparently not.

It’s too late now. If you want to board the gravy train you’ll have to wait four years and run against an incumbent.