Max Powers

Mary Gonzalez: Losing Support in the Lower Valley?

I was reading my buddy Jaime Abeytia's blog, and I noticed something interesting. 

In two recent posts the Socorro resident subtly bashed State Represenative Mary Gonzalez. 

One of his criticisms was regarding Gonzalez' dumb idea about pushing water-intensive dairy farming in the Lower Valley, and the other had to do with her lack of involvement on issues pertaining to the school districts in the area.

For whatever reason Abeytia did not explicitly call out Mary.  Maybe he is scared, or maybe he is trying to give her another shot to correct some wrongs.

Either way I am glad he is seeing Mary for what she really is...a con. 

This is the legislator who lied about her sexuality to get campaign cash.

Perhaps Mary's only supporters left in the Lower Valley.

Mary has no vested interest in the Lower Valley.  Say what I will about Abeytia, but that man does own property in Socorro. 

Mary? She don't own shite, but that's because Mary lives in Austin.   She flies to El Paso to attend meetings and to visit family during the holidays.  That's why you do not see her at school board meetings, and that is why she is pushing for dairy farmers in the middle of the desert. 

If Mary is losing Jaime - the guy who covered her campaign extensively - she's got a problem.

Joe Moody: A Different Political Future?

I know from time-to-time I bash on State Representative Joe Moody, but I can't hate on a guy who is right on marijuana.

But I have been thinking...again. 

I am sure Joe Moody is happy serving in the Texas Legislature, but what if there is something better for him. 

The ugly truth is that Democrats will still be in the minority in the Texas Legislature for sessions to come, which means there is no room for promotion. 

Does Moody want to be a backbencher for the next 4, 6 or 8 years?

I don't think he does.

So what can Moody do instead?

Run for District Attorney.

That's a position with power. 

You can either handout high school graduation certificates as a state legislator for the next several years or you can handout indictments.

Yes, Moody would have to run against Jaime Esparza, but so what?

Take that back.

With Moody's name ID, and presumed stroke his father, Bill, would have in legal circles, Jaime would have to run against Moody. 

Esparza was first elected during Coach Jimmy Johnson's last season as a head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Yeah, that long ago.

Yes, Esparza is vulnerable...if there is a strong candidate.

Don't think so?  Ask Paul Moreno, Pat Haggerty, Silvestre Reyes, Norma Chavez, and so on.

As District Attorney, Moody could actually make a decent salary until Texas Democratic fortunes statewide are better.

But more importantly, he will have real power unlike where he is at now.

 

 

 

A New El Paso Faction? Why Not?

Right now, the only political faction that is working is Team Shapleigh.  Everybody else either got their ass handed to them or wound-up in jail. 

But I was thinking.   

Yes, and one of these days I will hurt myself thinking. 

I digress.

While thinking about her Royal Highness, Mayor Chief of Staff, Taylor Moreno, and her alleged paramour at City Hall, I thought about how she was once on Team Reyes.

Which got me thinking about Commissioner Vincent Perez and City Representative Claudia Ordaz, who, like Taylor, were also Team Reyes. 

Moreno's love interests and diva-esque attitude aside, between her and Perez and Ordaz, that's not a bad farm team out of former Congressman's Reyes office. 

And oh yeah, Blanco worked for Reyes as well.

So these 3 or 4, working together, could actually start their own faction. 

Now, I would not expect Reyes to be involved in this new faction, he did his former staffers wrong, and he probably regrets it.   Oh well.

I would expect though for County Judge Veronica Escobar to NOT like it. 

It would mean she would lose control and the argument.

Neither she or nor the remmants of Team Shapleigh would be able to use the same arguments that they used against Luther Jones and Co. on Ordaz, Perez, Formerly Mrs. Moreno and Blanco.

The question is though will the Team Formerly Employed by Reyes do it?

There is no real reason why not to.

I am sure Ordaz, Perez and Blanco could schedule a meeting with Woody Hunt and Paul Foster and say, "Veronica was needed during a time of war, but we are at peace now...."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max's Christmas List

So what does Max want for Christmas?

Some open records requests!!!

Of course, we all know Max does not file ORRs.

But still here's Max's ORR Christmas wish list:

• City of El Paso (Wish was initially removed at the request that some might read way too much into read into.): Any and all email correspondence from Mayor's Chief of Staff, Taylor Moreno, to any and all male employees at the City.
• City of El Paso: Any and all documents related to Martin Paredes' company, Cognent, business with the City. 
• El Paso County: Email correspondence between County Judge Veronica Escobar and UMC Board Chair William Hanson.  Commissioner Carlos Leon was nice enough to release the so-called smoking gun email, but nothing from Escobar.  She claims she has emailed the UMC Board, but that Board was unresponsive.  Yet we see nothing from her.  Hell, let's see all of Escobar's emails.  I doubt you will find anything nefarious, but I am sure you will find Norma-esque temper tantrums and insecurities.
• El Paso County: Any and all documents related to Martin Paredes' company, Cognent, business with County.  It would be interesting to see how long Martin has been receiving a County check.  My hunch is that Martin's contract happened under Cobos. 
• El Paso County:  Any and all email correspondence involving Jaime Abeytia.  I am sure there has to be an email or two where Commissioner Vincent Perez asks for a Dr. Pepper.

Now this next wish is not subject to an ORR...

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield: Any and all emails where David Karlsruher extols the virtues of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") and is provided and/or provides talking points to BCBS's lobby team.   How David K wakes up in the morning...only the sober ghost of Dan Haggerty knows.  FWIW, I am insured by BCBS.

Well folks, hope you have a great Festivus, Nochebuena and Christmas.  To all my Jewish brothers and sisters, I did not forget you over the last several days.  But this goy unlike most goys know Hanukkah is holiday that for whatever reason Goys thinks it is the most popular among The Tribe.   Oh, how they glance over Passover and Yom Kippur.

See y'all, Friday...maybe.

 

El Paso County's New Medical Examiner

Interesting story in the El Paso Times today about El Paso County's new medical examiner.

It's a first.

It's probably the first time in long time that there is a story about the County and County Judge Veronica Escobar is NOT quoted. 

If there is one thing Escobar loves to do is to be out in front of the press.

Gee, I wonder why this time she wasn't?

Anyways.

So the medical examiner is gonna make nearly $300,000.00. 

Now some of you self-righteous folks are all upset about UMC CEO Jim Valenti's salary and bonus schedule.  Say what you will about Valenti, but at least he is responsible for the living. 

The medical examiner?   Well, he bascially runs a frozen meat locker.  

Let me be clear, I have no problem with paying people well, but where's the fuss from the rest of you?

Speaking of paying people well, it is interesting that that medical examiner will be making more than County "Administrator" Steve Norwood.  I am willingly to bet in all of his previous stints, Norwood was the highest paid civil servant.   One could argue that if the County Administrator is solution to all of the County's problems certainly he should make more than the guy running the County's meat locker.

Which brings me to another point...you would think that maybe the Commissioners Court could wait a few weeks until the Administrator is settled in to be involved in these hiring decisions...like hiring a medical examiner.  That is unless the County Administrator as envisioned by Escobar and Company will not be participating in any hirings of key County staff. 

Which kinda brings into question why do we have a County Administrator?

 

 

Why The El Paso County Administrator Will Fail

This weekend we learned that incoming El Paso County Administrator Steve P. Norwood will be managing eight County departments.

The eight?

Human Resources, Public Defenders, Community Services, Public Works, Mental Health Support Services, Medical Examiners, Budget and Fiscal Policy, and Domestic Relations Office.

Sounds impressive until you realize that there are over 100 departments at the County. 

But forget number of departments, let's talk dollars and cents.

Here's a visual for you:

Mmmm...Pie. But Norwood only gets a piece of it.

More than half of El Paso County's expenditures are for Public Safety and Administration of Justice (yes, Public Defenders is under Administration of Justice, but it's a fraction).

In other words, more than half of the money being spent by the County will not be managed by your new County Administrator Steve Norwood. 

Which is gonna be odd for Norwood.  In previous stints as City Manager, the police chief reports to the City Manager. 

Here? Not so much.

And because of that I think we may see the next big fight at the County.

So far, Sheriff Richard Wiles has been the one elected official who has been able to avoid the fray.

But he may be next on Escobar's hit list. 

If someone asks Norwood about public safety spending, he cannot exactly say, "Well, it beats me, not my department."  Because that would then undermine the whole "County Administrator" bit.  Unless, his title  is changed to "Partial County Administrator."

Also, we will likely see a repeat of Escobar vs the Judges, but  this time it will be more public.

Don't rule out the fact that the County Administrator's position is designed to fail that it provides Escobar more reason to expand the Commissioners Court's power.

 

 

El Paso County Wasteful Spending

County Judge Veronica Escobar says her effort of hiring a county administrator was to help reduce spending at the County.

Well, you do not need a county administrator to identify this particular wasteful expense.

Your tax dollars are being used by El Paso County to pay for an out-of-town social media consultant:

That consultant happens to be Martin Paredes (he posted the above copy of his check on his website).

The same Martin Paredes that rails against Veronica Escobar and Commissioner Vincent Perez's girlfriend, City Representative Claudia Ordaz.

The taxpayer has a right to know why the Commissioners Court is paying Martin Paredes.

Was there an open bid process?  Do you know?

Was there a local bidder?  If so, why were they passed up?

I mean I know of guy that is as talented as Paredes and he is local...Jaime Abeytia.

But forget all that.

Let's get right down to it. 

While Escobar and Perez are having a hard time having their way with the UMC Board,  here's an area where Escobar and Perez should be in complete control. 

This should be an agenda item to see how Martin got this gig with the County.

Maybe it is a holdover from the  Cobos era. 

I guess Veronica is not done cleaning house yet.

 

County Judge Veronica Escobar Has Lost It

As I have said before, County Judge Veronica Escobar will live and die by Twitter.

There's no doubt about the Jaime Abeytia and Veronica Escobar connection. 

He is her proxy online.

Which hey, fine, but if you are gonna' be cheering for your lil' proxy, don't be so sloppy:

She quickly removed her "favorite".

Unfortunately for her, she could not stop Twitter from sending an email to notify me about it.

Oops. 

 

Does The El Paso Times Need An Austin Bureau? Part 2

I have been known to bust Joe Moody's balls, but I gotta give him a lot credit for filing a marijuana legalization bill.  

I won't go into the particulars of the bill.

As far as the politics, yes, the Legislature is overwhelming Republican, but oddly enough, Texas has been rather progressive on criminal justice reform.  So while you should not necessarily expect the bill to pass, do not be surprised if some in the Republican ranks are open to the idea.

But that's not the issue.

The issue is that I read about this bill everywhere, but the El Paso Times.

I get it.  El Paso sent a bunch of Democrats to a Republican-body, but you're telling me marijuana is not news worthy given the slow march towards legalization going on in the US and worldwide?

 

 

 

Senator Jose Rodriguez Retiring?

My dear friend, Jaime Abeytia, is running his mouth again.

This time about the next State Senator from El Paso.  He alleges that there are rumors that current State Senator Jose Rodriguez is gonna retire after the next legislative session.

My ass.

Y'all remember Norma Chavez, Chente Quintanilla, Eliot Shapleigh and Paul Moreno?

You know what they had in common?  They all were vested (pensioned) state legislators. 

The magic number is "10"...as in 10 years.

Jose Rodriguez still is short one-term to hit that magic number.  In other words, he will need to serve until January 2021 before he hits the jackpot. 

After those 10 years, you get about $44,000 per year until the day you die...on top of whatever other pension you might receive.

You really think Rodriguez wants to pass that up especially when he is that close? He's just one election cycle way from that.

I do not want to hear this bulsh that he is old or tired.  Your next Lt. Governor is 64-years old (two years younger than Jose).  Hell, Jose's best friend, an effective Democrat from the Rio Grande Valley that works with Republicans, in the Texas Senate is 68-years old.

So sorry, Cesar.

Sorry, Marisa.

Sorry, Veronica.

Sorry, Mary.

Sorry, Joe.  I meant the other Joe.

Jose ain't leaving....at least not until 2021.