Pre-election "push-polling" or "message-testing"? This discussion on The Strelz's forum. [link]
NPT background story on telephone electioneering. [link]
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Attorney Steven James, a lawyer for a former West Corp. employee, won his client a $1.23 million jury award, the El Paso Times reported Aug. 21, 2007. The award still must be ratified. Why is this interesting to you Inner Loop readers? James represents former City Attorney Lisa Elizondo, who is suing Mayor John Cook and the city over her termination back in 2005. [lawsuit]
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From Tuesday's City Council meeting, these board re-appointments: Jane Ratcliff to the Greater El Paso Civic, Convention and Tourism Advisory Board by Rep. Melina Castro; Miguel Grijalva to Community Development Steering Committee by Rep. Steve Ortega; and Margie Aguilar-Desrosiers to Building & Standards Commission by Ortega.
This board appointment: Hugo A. Gardea to the Historic Landmark Commission by Rep. Eddie Holguin, Jr.
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So what, you say? It gets interesting. There were two Civil Service Commission appointments on the agenda: Fernando Chacon Jr. to the Civil Service Commission by Holguin, and Raymundo Rodriguez to the Civil Service Commission by Rep. Susie Byrd.
Now, apparently, both could not be appointed, City Manager Joyce Wilson explained in pulling the items from consent to regular agenda. Holguin would not agree to pulling both appointments off the agenda, and insisted on making his appointment, meaning Byrd's was pulled.
Chacon is a well-known attorney who represented famed activist Chuy De La O in a lawsuit involving free speech issues at the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso.
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Ok, that was then. This is now: Martie Jobe up for reappointment to the Public Utility Regulation Board by Mayor John Cook. [agenda backup]
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Speaking of City Council, where the heck was city Rep. Ann Lilly at that last meeting? Leaving her colleagues twisting through a nearly day-long meeting to adopt a tax rate -- one of the most contentious and important meetings of the year -- Lilly apparently was on an Alaskan cruise.
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Part of the backstory to the $50 million given to UTEP for an on-campus school of nursing: James Huffines, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, apparently came to El Paso a couple weeks ago, and met with some key business leaders -- for example, Rick Francis, Woody Hunt, Paul Foster, Ted Houghton. You can correct me if I'm wrong on this. Until then, a question to El Paso's political and civic leaders: Did anyone know he was coming in, and did anyone get a chance to meet with him? And should anyone have been invited to comment on the proposal, or are decisions about UTEP rightly made by its administration and the big business community?
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County Commissioner Veronica Escobar named to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone board.
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State Rep. Norma Chavez in the El Paso Times, arguing that the oath of office constitutes a simple ethics policy and hold elected officials to account, is not the only area politician upset about not being invited to state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh's pledge of ethics signing ceremony a few weeks ago. But most of you already knew that.
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By the way, telephone number for a proposed ethics hotline rings to Shapleigh's law office. The number is 866 myreform (697-3367). Shapleigh's staff explains that the number has been reserved, and eventually will ring to an independent ethics commission, which is under development as a cooperative effort between some of the city's leading businesspeople (see item above re: UTEP) and other civic leaders.
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Do you care that the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce leadership is out for its annual board retreat Thursday and Friday? Thought so.
Until next time.
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Seen: Nobody doing nothing. We need more eyes!
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