Border Blogs: Expressing our Border Culture

Dear Bishop Ochoa: With permission of my grandfathers and grandmothers, I address you today on behalf of many, and I dare assert, the majority of the members of the El Paso Catholic community. We are deeply disappointed in your leadership and your permission to Rev. Michael Rodriguez to express his rejection and hatred of the homosexual community of El Paso. Michael Rodriguez wrote, "Any jaimeoperezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168740247697542660jaimeoperez@yahoo.com0

One of the most perplexing issues people have raised with me along the campaign trail is in reference to the question of why the Times runs cover for some politicians and crucifies others?

The old adage may be on point, "Follow the Money."

Frankly, there are a handful of very rich and powerful that annoint particular politicians who will do their bidding. This selection is made known to the El Paso Times and then the editorial board runs with the spin machine to support them. The signal is quickly communicated to the reporting staff and the fix is in. Don't bother to read the articles, the headlines give the game away.

To be sure, many reporters are truly journalists and occasionally attempt to buck the system but if they persist, they are invited out into the cold world of unemployment with only their dignity and principled stand to keep them warm.

Some journalists have such an impressive trajectory that they are allowed some latitude but, make no mistake, if the signal is given, it must be adhered to or else.

It is sad this should be so, but it is the nature of the local beast. As Molly Ivins used to say, you must dance with them that "brung ya."

Indeed.

One naive soul said to me the other day, "Why do you not get mad the El Paso Times runs cover for your opponent? Stand up to them!"

I had to laugh. Something should be said about those that bang on doors to get them to back off. You may recall such a moment a few months ago. Sometimes that works.

With me, I'd just as soon they ignore me. If they were paying attention to me, I'd be afraid of what spin they would put on my views.

In the final analysis, the ultimate arbiters are the voters. It is to them that I look to change the way business is done in El Paso.

If I win, you win.

A phrase used by Dr. Irwin in his campaign, it is apropos of the issue. Indeed, if voters elect me County Judge, things will never quite be the same. The El Paso Times knows it and so do their handlers. But, they sleep well knowing people will vote straight party.

Whew! Nice save.

On the other hand....hmmmmmmm

There is no doubt it is very difficult to reduce County operational costs. The reality is that we are talking about people, individuals with families, mortgages, car payments and new borns.

At the same time, the easy way out is to continue to tax home owners, individuals with families, mortgages, car payments and newborns.

The choice reflects how one perceives the role of government and the duties and responsibilities it must undertake in the best interests of the population as a whole.

Hard decisions need to be made. In more prosperous times, perhaps "enhancing revenues" as Commissioner Escobar refers to property tax increases might have passed critical review by taxpayers. But, in the worst recession since 1932, keeping a government bureaucracy living beyond its current revenue stream is unwise and self-defeating.

Ms. Escobar's advocacy for a tax increase reveals, for all to see, her approach to the role of government and desire to increase its size and function.

The community must stand firm against this tax and spend mentality and support the majority of the Court in their efforts to reduce the bureaucracy and streamline costs.

Guillermo Chavez-Gonzalez, 41, has been added to Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list for aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child.

Chavez-Gonzalez, who was last seen in El Paso, has a criminal history that  includes aggravated sexual assault, indecency with a child, driving under the influence and driving while intoxicated.

Up to $1,000 is being offered as a reward for information leading to his arrest.

The Department of Public Safety said tipsters can:

Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

Text the letters DPS—followed by your tip—to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone, or,

Submit a tip through the DPS website by selecting the sex offender you have information about, and under their picture is a link to submit a web tip.

Democrat Bill White's campaign released a web video today that accuses Gov. Rick Perry of accepting money in return for appointments and favors.

The video uses various news clips that refer to a recent investigation by the Dallas Morning News that questioned whether Perry benefited from a land deal in Horseshoe Bay.

The article said it "found evidence that Perry's investment was enhanced by a series of professional courtesies and personal favors."

Perry defended the land deal to the Dallas Morning News. He told the newspaper that the deal was transparent.

From Democrat Bill White's campaign:

From Gov. Rick Perry's campaign:

This has nothing to do with local media, but it is too good not to share. This blog entry is courtesy of El Paso Times reporter Daniel Borunda: If it’s Sunday, it must be Fort Bliss FORT BLISS — Country-rock...

Media Buzz has been busy reporting lots of departures recently. Of course, that means that there are loads of new faces on local newscasts. No official notices have been sent in regarding the new hires at each of the stations...

In a pubic appearance, my opponent, stated that she did not understand why I was addressing immigration as this was a national issue. Really? My Dear Ms. Escobar: You may not have noticed during your tenure at the County that it has been sued because of purported enforcement of immigration laws by our Sheriff. You may not have noticed that the largest group of illegal immigrants reside in jaimeoperezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168740247697542660jaimeoperez@yahoo.com0

I listened to a recorded radio program in which my opponent for the County Judge seat, Veronica Escobar, addressed our policy differences. It was astonishing to hear her comments which revealed one of three things: feigned ignorance, incompetence or lack of knowledge of many issues. Whatever the case, she is demonstrating a profound and disturbing lack of leadership. Relative to the proposed jaimeoperezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168740247697542660jaimeoperez@yahoo.com0

Mano a Mano on the Issues Over the course of the last few months, it has become increasingly clear County voters have a choice in the November election relative to the County Judge race. The contrast of Conservative versus Tax & Spend Cartel perspectives are on full display. Commissioner Veronica Escobar Pleters and County Judge Chief of Staff Jaime O. Perez offer starkly different solutions jaimeoperezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168740247697542660jaimeoperez@yahoo.com0

Businessman Dee Margo, the Republican candidate for House District 78, has launched his new campaign website and along with it a new video.

In the video, Margo shares his family history. He points out that his grandfather was Hispanic and did not speak English until he attended college.

The video does not mention that Margo is running for state office. It also does not mention that he faces incumbent State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, for the seat.

Part 1: The Margo Family in Texas from Sir Realistic Productions on Vimeo.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded in 1945 with the aim of contributing peace and security to the world through education, science, culture and communications. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was founded in 1972 merging from two separate movements, the first focusing on the preservation of cultural sites, and the other dealing with the conservation of nature.

Every year the UNESCO publishes the World Heritage List, which lists objects (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance. The list is a catalogue of sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.

In the 2010 classification, Mexico is ranked on top six along with Spain, France, Italy, Germany and China out of the 148 countries participating in the UNESCO list, followed by the United Kingdom and India, with 28 and 27, respectively. Of these 29, only four are natural heritage, so the 25 remaining are cultural heritage –not natural beauty-, which speaks of the worldwide importance of Mexican culture. However, when it comes to the Americas Mexico has the honor of being on with more objects that any other country are considered heritage for humanity.

In the list of objects that are considered heritage for humanity in Mexico we can point out the historic centers of cities such as Morelia, Puebla, Zacatecas and Guanajuato, as well as impressive Mexico City with its Aztec-Spanish unique cultural syncretism. Even though San Miguel de Allende, still remains a small town, it is considered an important heritage to humanity because of the wealth of its colonial art. More recently we can find the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila, another small town in western Mexico, home of Mexico’s most famous liquor and one of the most popular in the world.

We can also find pre-Hispanic cities such as Teotihuacan, founded by the Mexicas, Chichen Itza and Palenque from the Mayan culture and El Tajin, from the Olmec culture. Likewise, more contemporary buildings, such as Hospicio Cabañas or the main campus of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), are also considered to be of great importance and cultural value, and that for, world heritage.

Mexico´s cultural legacy to the world is, and has been, unique, powerful, and unmatched. The vast and outstanding contribution to architecture and the profound influence that its people have had with universal culture, in pre-Hispanic, colonial or present times, is an example of what Mexico is all about today. This is Mexico´s legacy to the world.

About $15,000 will serve as the springboard for a new Republican group that is trying to court Hispanic candidates.

Hispanic Republicans of Texas — whose co-founders include George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush—officially launched as a political action committee Tuesday in Austin.

The group wants to recruit Hispanic candidates to run for office. Leaders of the group say they will help fund campaigns, train candidates to be more media savvy and provide additional support to help them win office.

Hispanics in Texas have traditionally leaned toward the Democratic Party at the polls. Republicans say they are working to lure the ethnic group.

About 37 percent of the state's population is Hispanic and the group makes up about 40 percent of public school students.

"We need to do a better job of reminding our Latinos that Republicans don't have horns and don't all live in country clubs," said Jacob Monty, a partner in a law firm who also serves on the board of Hispanic Republicans of Texas.

The group has raised $50,000 since September but only has about $15,000 left in the bank after helping some candidates with their primary campaigns.

Sonya Medina, another board member who served as deputy assistant for domestic policy to former president George W. Bush, said the fundraising has just begun.

"We feel this is a very good starting point," Medina said. "I have had several large Republican donors talk to us and our board about contributing after our launch today."

With a potential cost in the tens of millions of dollars, tremendous acrimony between city and county officials and a baseline of hundreds of millions of dollars with a growth rate of 9 to 10 percent a year, the proposal by Veronica Escobar to consolidate the sheriff's and police departments is simply misguided and fiscally irresponsible. In times of shrinking budgets, pie-in-the-sky wish lists jaimeoperezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168740247697542660jaimeoperez@yahoo.com0

The nephew of George W. Bush is trying to increase the number of Hispanic Republicans who run for office in Texas.

George P. Bush, the son of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, is the co-founder of the Hispanic Republicans of Texas, which officially launches Tuesday in Austin.

The organization says it "will recruit, elect, support and defend Republican officeholders and candidates for state and local elected offices."
"As it stands today, Hispanic leaders are disproportionately under-represented as elected officeholders especially as Republicans," the group said in a statement. "Hispanic Republicans of Texas has been established to close the gap, build leadership within the Hispanic community and support those who are ready to serve as elected leaders of this state. It’s our responsibility to help other Hispanics. But most important it’s our responsibility to serve the greatest state in our nation – Texas. "

The group already has a website with several promotional videos.

Dorothy Jean McGill passed away on July 17, 2010, in the beauty and comfort of her home surrounded by her sister Mary Edwards and all of her five children who adored her. Her children, though living both near and far, considered it their greatest honor to walk alongside their mother, these last months, through the final mile marker in her life. She was 64 years old. Dorothy was born on October 27, 1945 in Denver, Colorado to Dr. Joseph John McGill, II (surgeon) and Dorothy Jean O'Grady McGill. She was number four of seven children. She is preceded in death by her father and by her sister Anne McGill Burford (Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency 1980-1981). Her remaining siblings are Mary Edwards of Severna Park, MD, Theresa Peace of Lincoln, NB, Veronica Urban of Santa Cruz, CA, Rosie Binge of Littleton, CO, and Joseph John McGill, III of Frisco, TX. Dorothy was a lifelong, devout Roman Catholic. She attended Mass daily, prayed the rosary, and was a patron of the Virgin and of St. Jude, often petitioning them for their mercy and intercession. At the age of seven, her parents took her to Mexico City where she celebrated her first Holy Communion at the main altar in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. Dorothy was graduated from St. John the Evangelist gradeschool and St. Francis High School in Denver, CO. She was a champion swimmer and spring board diver, competing for years for the Denver Athletic Club. Through her family travels, she developed a life-long love for all things Mexican. She and her sisters as young girls spent many summers studying Spanish in Mexico City. Dorothy inspired in all of her children a great love for Mexico, its language and its culture. Dorothy attended her first year of college at St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. She did her second year at St. Joseph's College in Albuquerque, NM. She married in 1965 and divorced in 1988. She completed her college degree with a BA in Polit ..

See video link and more at www.journalistsforjustice.wordpress.comThe Killing Fields: Harvest of Women, the first investigative book about the Juarez murders by a U.S. journalist.

    Gov. Rick Perry has a nine point lead over his Democratic opponent Bill White in a Rasmussen Poll released today.

    Perry got 50 percent support in the poll of 500 likely voters. White received about 41 percent support in the survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. 

    Perry leads White with men, women and independent voters, according to the poll.

    The margin between the candidates has not changed much since the last Rasmussen survey in mid-June. That poll had Perry at 48 percent and White at 40 percent.

    About 55 percent of those polled approved of Perry's job performance, while 44 percent disapproved.

   More than half of Texas voters surveyed said the economy was poor and the same percentage said it was getting worse. Only 12 percent said the economy was "good or excellent" and 25 percent felt it was improving.

    About 28 percent of Texas voters supported the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the Arizona immigration law, while 64 percent disapproved.