As El Pasoans, we will be judged by our ability and desire to protect our city’s most vulnerable citizens.
Our eight city leaders and mayor stand at a moral crossroads where their decisions will affect two opposing groups of El Paso citizens.
The Latino and poor. The disenfranchized and voiceless.
The 1% and powerful. The wealthy and entitled.
Regardless of which side of the financial divide they live on, each has exactly the same rights as citizens. No more. No less.
These four City Council Reps — Emma Acosta, Michiel Noe, Claudia Ordaz and Carl Robinson have gone on record and publicly stated that they support the wealthy DWNTWN property owners, the investors, the hoteliers, the out-of-town real estate management corporations looking to cash in on downtown growth paid for by the hard work of El Paso taxpayers.
They would have us believe they are making the tough choices and standing up for El Pasoans.
They made a choice to forsake the most vulnerable amongst us and throw their lot in with those I would imagine might fund their campaign war chest. Those I would imagine might hire them some fine day and pay them handsomely to continue representing their financial interests. Those I imagine might have powerful connections that will serve their personal agendas.
That was the easy choice to make.
Sacrificing political self-interest on behalf of El Pasoans such as the Duranguito residents is the difficult choice and requires a firm moral compass and strong faith.
A decision that Acosta, Noe, Ordaz and Robinson didn’t have the personal will or disposition to make.
When it comes time for them to run for office again, whether it is for City Council again or some higher calling...I will remind everyone that there was a time when they casually brushed El Paso’s weak and vulnerable aside in favor of the wealthy and powerful whose influence was more than they could resist.
Holding people in power accountable.