Thank your for the Debt Cortney!
Cortney Nilland resigned from City Council

More than anyone, Niland was the hentchwomen of the current cabal of Kingmakers.

Implicated in the open meeting violations that proceeded the Southwest University Park vote, many of the open records that came out of that scandal portrayed Niland as not a very nice person.

Perhaps the greatest black mark on her record is her alleged involvement in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raiding a local domestic violence shelter.

Regarding Niland's change of heart in December 2016, when she voted to take Duranguito off consideration, Niland may have had the Grinch moment then she grew a heart. Ironically, this all took place around Christmas time.

But then she split. Did not attend anymore meetings. And suddenly resigns.

We should also questions whether Niland "set up" other council members to violate the Texas Open Meeting act.

We know evil people have family tragedies too, so we won’t press her too hard.

Niland leaves us with tons of debt and higher property taxes, all to the benefit of her masters. She will not have to worry about it as she's splitting El Paso.

But perhaps, next Christmas Eve, at midnight, Jacob Marley will pay her a visit.

 

Vote “Against” Proposition 5 - City Manager Controls Auditor and Kangaroo Court Justice

Vote “Against” Proposition 5  - City Manager Controls Auditor and Kangaroo Court Justice
Even Captain Kangaroo Embarrassed by City Manager's Idea of Ethics Review Commission

What does it do?

• Establishment of Financial Oversight and Audit Committee in the Charter
• Grants the Ethics Review Commission the power to assess monetary fines in addition to sanctions
• Establishment of an independent internal audit function in the Charter
• Creates dual reporting for internal auditor
• Internal auditor shall be appointed and removed by the City Manager with the approval of City Council.           

Creates “kangaroo court”

This amendment would create a new ethics commission which is essentially a “kangaroo court” with the power to impose fines and sanctions. The effect is to discourage the filing of ethics complaints against public officials.

Dangerous Power Shift for Financial Oversight

It gives the City Manager control of the hiring and firing of the city’s auditor. You heard it -- Joyce Wilson will be able to fire the guy who audits her -- and to choose someone of her like mind to replace him or her.

As seen in the email below, obtained via www.chucoleaks.org, City Manager wants Lorenzo Garcia-like power over the Internal Auditor. Basically, if she does not like what she sees, out the door.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Is Tania Chozet Just Steve Ortega in a Skirt?

 

Is Tania Chozet Just Steve Ortega in a Skirt?

District 7 Candidate Strangely Resembles Steve Ortega; Comparisons Frightening

 

by Ben and Jerry

 

Chozet claims as the Precinct 3 County Commissioner, she devoted herself self full-time to her constituents and served with honesty and integrity. 

 

In the entire 9 months that Tania Chozet occupied Precinct 3 she never once initiated a community meeting with “her constituents.”  According to constituents who addressed her at Commissioners Court, she was rude, denigrating, and refused to listen. Sound familiar?

 

No honesty there

In true Ortega style Chozet appears to have struck a quid pro quo deal in exchange for support from the former Yucca Neighborhood Association President who is also supporting Ortega?

 

On her website, she states she will work hard to ensure the new recreation center near Yucca Park is delivered on-time and within budget.

 

Chozet is ignoring residents before she’s even elected.

 

Many more residents want the recreation center on North Loop around Lomaland Park because it serves more people who do not have a center.

 

Carolina Recreation Center is within walking distance of Yucca Park, actually on the same street. Why build something so close?

 

Furthermore, Yucca Park already has another bond project.

 

No integrity or community inclusion there

 

Chozet claimed as Precinct 3 County Commissioner she was the driving force behind a collaboration with the City of El Paso for Mission Trail planning.

 

Truth is there are multiple Mission Trail Plans – none of them generated by Chozet.

 

Apparently “The Plan” was to decide on one of multiple existing Mission Trail Plans. 

 

She circumvented Representative Eddie Holguin who actually represents part of the area and made a joint announcement with Steve Ortega who represents no one.

 

Nothing happened beyond that announcement.

 

Chucoleaks email shows no one else seemed to be aware of a “collaboration.”

 

 

No honesty, integrity or community inclusion there

 

More than half of Chozet’s campaign contributors are the same special interests that fund Ortega. For an attorney that worked for the ACLU, this is a 180. Her funders are heavily Republican and heavily Paso del Norte Group(PDNG)/Borderplex Alliance members (see financial report on file with Municipal Clerk, City of El Paso). What a disappointment!

 

The Sheriff claims she was better than the previous commissioner.

 

How high is that standard? The previous commissioner was convicted of drug dealing!

 

The County Judge claims she has the heart of a public servant. No surprise there, since Chozet rubber stamped the County Judge’s raise.

 

Like Ortega, apparently Chozet is an unemployed lawyer still living with her parents (see address listed on financial report and Central Appraisal District)(Ortega lived with his parents when he first ran). Now like Ortega, she has decided to become a career politician. Now, it's no sin to live with your parents, but at this stage no incumbent city council member lives with their parents -- even Ortega. She has no financial investment in District 7: does not own a home and does not rent a home or apartment.

 

Chozet with Rep. Suzie Byrd (right) at Steve Ortega for Mayor Rally. County Judge Veronica Escobar on stage.

 

 

Can District 7 really afford 4 more years of arrogance with no representation, no honesty, and no integrity from someone with no financial investment in District 7?

-----

 

The majority of Tania Chozet's campaign donations came from15 PDNG members:*

PDNG $13,700

PSB Board Members $800

Ortegas family $400

 

PDNG

Bill Sanders $2,000 – co-founder

JA Cardwell $2,000

J Robert Brown $2,000

Kirk Robison $2,000

Bob Hoy $1,000

Steve Fox $1,000

Ginger Francis $1,000

Rick Francis $1,000

Steve Hoy  $500

J.O. Stewart $500

Gary Hedrick $250  -

Myrna Deckert $250 – co-founder and former executive director

Jody Casey Feinberg $100

Deborah Kastrin E100  (Sister is one of primary people pushing for lower valley port of entry)

 

PDNG $13,700

 

PSB Board Members

Maria Teran $500

Ed Escudero $300

PSB Board Members $800

 

Ortegas Family

Marc Cioc Ortega $100

Lina Ortega $150

Roberto & Sylvia Ortega $150

 

Ortegas family $400

  

Anna Aleman $100 – executive director of FEMAP the Guadalupe de La Vega

Jessica Anna Cabot $300

Anna Cabot $100

Tracey Yellen $250 – associate of Myrna Deckert in MJD & Associates and Veronica Escobar and Suzie Byrd

Rosemary Neill $100

Eddie Sosa $100

Gloria and Charles Ambler $100

Katherine Brennand $100

Sofia Appleby $100  - executive director of Community Scholars

Veronica Escobar $100 (Ortega Friend)

Michael Wyatt $100 (Ortega friend)

Selena Solis $100 (married to Joel Guzman who is employee of Hunt and Ortega friend)

 

*Tania Chozet Financial Report

City and State Takeover of School District

City and State Takeover of School District

 

The dilemma of El Paso Independent School District is great.

 

How does one measure the harm done to students in the cheating scandal to city and state takeover of school districts robbing people of color of their right to elect or reject incumbents and candidates?

The Usual Sanders-Foster Zombies

More important, is it really about the children? Is there an alternative motive to district takeover and why are the “usual suspects” like Joyce Wilson, Rep. Susie Byrd, Veronica Escobar and other Sanders-Foster zombies involved? Chucoleaks has posted an email between Joyce Wilson and Rep. Ann Morgan Lily where she coaches Lily what to say at a board meeting.

 

 

www.chucoleaks.org

 

Right to Vote Representation

Others issues involved here are the right to vote: Distinctly the right to vote in and the right to vote out duly elected officials.

This especially comes into play in looking at the historical segregation and discrimination. It has only been a mere 29 years since people of color have had representation on the EPISD Board of Trustees. Before that, trustees were voted in at-large, and you can guess it how in using at-large voting what side of town the trustees lived and what color was their skin.

Almost 30 years later, two White politicians are leading the charge to take over the school board. Both of these politicians are in the pockets of the Bill Sanders/Paul Foster machine. Open government opponent and city council member Suzy Byrd and Elliot Shapleigh have posted themselves up as the White saviors and have even received the backing of many white liberals in El Paso. In addition to Shapleigh‘s wannabe Mexican dichos which verge on the edge of insulting and racist.

Furthermore, when looking at it from a racial standpoint, many White advocates don’t want to let voters (for the most part people of color in EPISD) vote trustees out. It is this common White missionary complex and “we are here to help you and we know brown people can’t make the decision to vote someone out or into office on your own so we’ll do it for you.”

But the question remains, what is the rational for this proposed takeover. It is much more than caring for children?

 

The Board of Managers

 The Texas Education Agency commissioner removed the trustees and created a Board of Managers. One of the appointments is Carmen Arrieta Candelaria who became famous for telling City Council it would take 300 years to pay off the city’s debt. The commissioner also appointed former state representative Dee Margo, just after his electoral loss in November 2012. Margo voted against more school funding while serving in the legislature.

Although Bowie High School is at the center of this scandal, the commissioner appointed no one from South El Paso. Where is the representation? Sure someone went to Bowie 40 years ago and that’s suppose to be worth something – but it isn’t.

The board of trustees has appealed the commissioner’s decision. Recently, their appeal was denied. Now it need clearance from the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.

There were many questions why the commissioner would remove the board six month before the election.

Why not let the voters decide? Instead, you have a cadre of white liberals calling for removal.

But again, sure they care about Bowie students, but what else do they care about?

Underpinning Interests of El Paso’s Elite

We asked around and for Shapleigh and Byrd, one needs to think Sanders, Woody Hunt, Paul Foster.

One response we got was, “You need to think about real estate when you think about school districts.”

Most school district elections have voter low turnout and aside from the one in a million “I care about the kids” candidate, school boards have been used by developers, construction companies as a cash cows.

Two rational have been put forth:

1.       The Sanders/Foster/Hunt machine wants valuable property near the airport, property that the school district owns. How better to get a hold of this then to put Suzy Byrd on the board and take it over. Last year (2012), there was a vote in El Paso City Council to on where to put some city services after city hall would be demolished and city services spread across El Paso’s Downtown. A building a block away from Suzy Byrd’s parent’s publishing house was voted upon. We are not 100% sure, but we think Byrd brought forward the motion to buy this building. Her parents were selling their publishing house building for $600,000. The publishing house is a block down from the Galeria San Isidro, the building the city wanted to buy. The Byrd parents shared the same real estate agent who was hired by the city to find suitable properties to relocate city hall services.

 

This connect the links diagram floated around during the Stadium Scandel

 

2.       Jefferson High School and Silvia Magnet sits on some of the most valuable property now. A neighborhood that is quickly gentrifying, the Sanders/Foster/Hunt machine may have their eyes on the EPISD property. The question is how to get around one of the most active alumni associations in El Paso. How can we get this public property into the hands of private individuals.

 

More to come….