Getting right to the heart of the matter, live and direct ...
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Taking shots: Theresa Caballero on District Attorney Jaime Esparza in her campaign blog, over some of his expenses. [link]
Her campaign has been under way for a while, in case you missed the billboard visible westbound just before Downtown. Campaign reports came in about a month ago, and for those of you into that sort of thing, they make interesting reading.
Here's Esparza's [link ]
Here's Caballero's link
While we're at it, here's the rest of the delegation (in no particular order):
-- State Rep. Pat Haggerty[link]
-- State Rep. Joe Pickett[link]
-- State Rep. Paul Moreno [
link ]
-- State Rep. Norma Chavez [link
-- State Rep. Chente Quintanilla [link]
-- State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh [link]
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Speaking of Shapleigh: Fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 13, 2007) at La Norteña Café Deluxe, 212 Overland and Santa Fe.
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Speaking of Downtown: Dennis Melonas, city Rep. Rachel Quintana's legislative aide, used to work for Jerry Rosenbaum, owner of El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine. Rosenbaum, an opponent of the Downtown Plan, was a supporter of Quintana's during her campaign against Jimmy Suerken, who was a supporter of the Downtown Plan. At Wednesday's (Sept. 5) first meeting of the TIRZ, Rosenbaum and Dennis sat together.
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Seen: Sheriff Leo Sameniego, absent from his position for months due to illness, at the West Side Barnes and Noble. Sameniego has yet to announce his intentions regarding whether he'll run again, although he recently told the Times he's close to a decision.
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Speaking of the county, is this Jaime Perez recruiting ground troops for the next election? Or is that too cynical? Maybe it's just County Judge Anthony Cobos listening to his dad, a solar energy advocate.
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Remember those "what about the children" mailers supporting the El Paso Independent School District bond election? Want to know who paid for them? You might check here to start. [link]
However, there's no listing for the group on the state Ethics Commission website. [link]
The group did file reports with the EPISD, however. Here's who paid for the campaign. [link ]
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Heard: Troy Hicks calling The Strelz, sounding like a candidate against Pickett, who has an orange-cone colored target on his back.
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Dee Margo against Haggerty? Nope ... "I was approached but I don’t live in his district," Margo told NPT. "And I have no desire to move." He declined to name his suiters.
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Speaking of Margo: He was one of the attendees at a Sen. John Cornyn fund-raiser Aug. 30. Also among those in attendance: Paul Foster, Robert Brown, Woody Hunt, Ted Houghton, Jim Phillips ... and Pat Haggerty (awkward much?) and Paul Burka from Texas Monthly. The host committee included others whose names should be familiar, and if not, they will be if you read this column often enough: Francis, Rogers, Scott, Austin, Cardwell, Hoy, Roman, Vandenburg, Stewart, Hahn, Schwartz.
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Margo lives in Moreno's district. Moreno has a Democratic challenger, Marisa Marquez. [link ] A Republican challenge in Moreno's district, Margo said, "would be climbing Mt. Everest barefoot."
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Heard: Margo and Jerome Tilghman discussing a potential run against Congressman Silvestre Reyes at Planet Fitness on the West Side.
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Speaking of Haggerty, word is that right-wing financier Bob Perry still has money on the table for anyone who will challenge him.
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Speaking of Moreno's district: The El Paso Democratic Party is working on getting presidential candidates and other big names out here. Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson (who's already been here several times working the big money circuit, such as it is in El Paso), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are on the list.
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Speaking of Texas Ethics Commission-registered Political Action Committees, here are those registered with the words "El Paso" in the name: [link ]
-- El Paso Apartment Assn. Better Government Fund
-- El Paso Assn. Of Fire Fighters PAC
-- El Paso Corporation PAC
-- El Paso County Democratic Party (CEC)
-- El Paso County Medical Society - PAC
-- El Paso County Republican Party (CEC)
-- El Paso County Sheriff's Officers Assn., Inc.
-- El Paso Federation Of Teachers & Support Personnel COPE
-- El Paso Municipal Police Officers PAC
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The Inner Loop contract was signed by JD Abrams Aug. 30. You might have read that in the El Paso Times. It's being touted as a major public work that will benefit El Paso greatly by connecting Fort Bliss, the El Paso Airport, Loop 375 and the East Side. It's worth noting that the ceremony recognizing the event was at the Association of General Contractors luncheon, at the El Paso Club Downtown.
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Seen at Carlos Leon's announcement that he is running for County Sheriff: Mayor John Cook, former city and current LULAC district director Rep. Elvia Hernandez, lawyer Enrique Moreno, former PD spokesman Al Velarde.
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Speaking of Marquez, she nicely introduced herself to Moreno at L & J's last week (Aug. 29). Both were very gracious, and wished each other luck, witnesses said. Presumably, not too much luck ...
Until next time!
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