Jerry Kurtyka recently used this quote from President Eisenhower in a comment:

“In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with people’s money, or their economy, or their form of government, be conservative.”

Thank you Mr. Kurtyka.

We deserve better

Brutus

I hope you enjoy RumpToons No: 147!

Its Saturday, tell us what’s on your mind.

We deserve better

Brutus

Why would Iliana Holguin run against Vincent Perez? Because you make $100,000 plus benefits for showing up to work once-a-week. Hell, if you are Carl Robinson, you are making that much and showing up even less. "But she's an attorney!" She's an immigration attorney. And those are a dime a... Max Powers

We should be seeing initial figures about school enrollment very soon.

EPISD has been losing about 1,000 students a year and that is causing significant problems with their financing.

Stay tuned.

We deserve better

Brutus

Donald Trump believes he is the “chosen one”. Clearly and without a doubt Donald Trump is about one […]

Not exactly news that your Democratic Party Chair, Iliana Holguin, is running against County Commissioner Vincent Perez. And it is not exactly news that your former County Judge, Veronica Escobar, did not necessarily leave on good terms with Perez. That all being said, I did not think Veronica would want... Max Powers

This item is on the Tuesday, August 20, 2019 city council agenda:

Resolution authorizing the City of El Paso to approve a resolution to Condemn the Weaponization of Political Rhetoric that promotes the demonization and dehumanization of people of Hispanic origin and other minorities and cultivates an environment of hatred and violence.

They might go a little further and condemn demonizing and dehumanizing anyone regardless of origin.

Then again that would require putting some thought into what they do.

Please note that in spite of their stand on what others might say council has imposed the highest tax rate of the fifty largest cities in the United States on us.

We deserve better

Brutus

It was a mistake to make the murders of 22 Latinos in El Paso about gun control. The […]

When visiting a construction site, always make sure your toes are covered. Besides the fact nobody really wants to see your Barney Rubble-feet, you can get injured. Also, your already ashy feet will get even ashier from all the drywall dust. Open-toed shoes are a no-no Max Powers

Take a look at this:

The chart shows EPISD’s property tax rates for last year along with the rate they are considering for next year.

The end result is that they are considering lowering the combined tax rate from $1.31 per hundred dollars of property valuation to $1.2684 per hundred.

They are lowering the operations and maintenance rate while increasing the interest and sinking fund rate.  Remember that we allowed them to take ten cents away from the interest and sinking fund rate and add it to the operations and maintenance rate.  The effect of the change was to increase the amount that the state gives the district.

That is the other part of the news.  You can see that last year the state gave the district $5,554 per student while next year they are projecting $6,686 from the state.

This is better

Brutus

On Saturday I went to the Orlando Gun Show. I was in search of a few items that […]

According to an article in the Times the Texas Education Agency released ratings last week that showed three EPISD schools to have failing grades.  (Schuster, Alta Vista, and Moye)

This is bad.

The EPISD board of trustees is having its next meeting Tuesday, August 20, 2019.

The agenda does not include an item to discuss or take action relative to the failures.

No special meeting of the board has been called.

The Texas Education Agency grades should not be a surprise.  We would think that someone in the legion of administrators would have seen this and set the ships right.

Actions need to be taken immediately.

We deserve better,

Brutus

There are some that argue that Donald Trump’s rhetoric about immigrants is simply a call to protect the […]

Evidently city council will vote tomorrow (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)  on the issue of overriding the mayor’s veto of the city budget that council passed.

Some of the council members cannot run for re-election because of term limits.

Those members will probably vote for overriding the veto since they don’t have to think about keeping their jobs.

Other members will be given a chance to pretend that they support lower taxes.

Now is the time to contact your city council member and tell them what you think.

We deserve better

Brutus

While most of you reading this today were not looking, México deported an Islamic terrorist. Many point their […]

Our mayor has vetoed the proposed city budget.

Facing election evidently can have an effect on a politician’s behavior.

Things will get interesting.

We deserve better

Brutus

The reality of immigration under Donald Trump…

What’s on your mind?

We deserve better

Brutus

Many El Pasoans live in apartments and thus do not see the amount of property tax that they are paying because the taxes are buried in their rent.

Wouldn’t it be a good idea for the city to pass an ordinance requiring landlords to inform their tenants about how much property tax they are paying?

Maybe then we would have less voter apathy.

We deserve better

Brutus