I am pleased to announce the new schedule of community meetings for 2009 through the month of May. The meetings will be held every first Thursday and third Saturday of the month, and each meeting will feature a guest speaker to give you insight and information on what is happening throughout the Sun City.
Between now and May, you will have the opportunity to hear from several community leaders. Mayor John Cook, City Manager Joyce Wilson, PSB Vice President of Marketing Cristina Montoya, Environmental Services Director Ellen Smyth, County Commissioner Veronica Escobar, and County Sheriff Richard Wiles are all scheduled to speak at upcoming meetings.
The location of the Thursday morning meetings has changed, and they will now be held at Tierra del Sol Restaurant, 4201 Alabama, at 7:30 a.m. This move was done to make the meetings more accessible to a wider range of District 2 constituents. The Saturday morning meetings will continue to be held at the Memorial Park Library, 3200 Copper, at 10:00 a.m.
Be sure to include the District 2 community meetings in your calendars as I hope to reach out to and hear back from as many residents as I can so that we can continue to make District 2 one of the best places to live and work in El Paso.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Juarez and the Drug War
Note: This editorial was written by my friend and colleague City Representative Beto O'Rourke about the action that we took last Tuesday as a response to the violence in our sister city Juarez. The Mayor vetoed the item and so it will be back for consideration on Tuesday. It will take 6 of 8 votes to override the veto. I encourage everyone to participate in this debate by emailing and calling the Mayor and city representatives and showing up to put in your two cents. We've been getting a ton of emails, thoughtful responses both in support and against. One of my constituents ended his email on the subject with the following quote from Mark Twain which I think is perfect for this moment in our history: "Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul."
From Beto: The civil government in Ciudad Juarez has collapsed. In our sister city of 1.5 million people murders, mutilation, torture, kidnappings and extortions are committed with impunity. Beyond the cost in human lives and safety, it also threatens to imperil the nascent economic rennaissance in this region and the over $2 billion spent by Mexican nationals in our local economy. And there is the very real national security threat, recently articulated by retired Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, that this brutality and lawlessness could extend throughout Mexico and lead to a flood of refugees who would overwhelm our border, our city and our country and make today's undocumented immigration problem seem insignificant by comparison.
A crisis of this magnitude requires different thinking. We can't assume that continuing, or slightly modifying, a 40-year "Drug War" policy is going to produce anything better for Juarez or El Paso or our two countries. That is why this past Tuesday the City Council added an important amendment to a resolution brought to us by the Committee on Border Relations.
The Committee's original resolution was a strong, positive statement of support for our beleagured sister city and it contained a number of important policy recommendations, including stepped up enforcement of gun-trafficking in the U.S. and more funding for and focus on prevention and rehabilitation. However, we did not feel that the resolution went far enough in demanding a more comprehensive review of what is clearly a failed policy, one that has cost us billions of dollars, allowed drugs to still reach the U.S. consumer in an affordable and accessible manner, and one that has empowered the thugs and criminal organizations to the point that they, not the democratically elected government, now control the city of Juarez.
We felt that the resolution had to take one more step critical to rethinking what has been a failed policy. And so the unanimously adopted resolution contained the added request that our national lawmakers have an open, honest dialog about the prohibition of drugs.
This past December marked the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the prohibition of alcohol. In the midst of the Great Depression, while crime gangs ruled the streets of Chicago and other major cities, the American public realized that the millions of dollars spent to wipe out alcohol had done nothing to limit demand or supply and had only enriched and empowered gangs of murderous criminal entrepreneurs. On top of that, the U.S. was unable to regulate, control or tax the alcohol that was being consumed in greater quantities than before prohibiton. It is worth noting that the U.S. now averages over $7 billion a year in alcohol related tax collections.
Our current drug policy does not work. Ending prohibition on one or more illegal drugs may be part of the answer. But we will never know if we aren't willing to talk about it. That's all we're asking for, and I think it's the least we can do as we try to help change a tragic situation that has serious consequences for the future of our region.
From Beto: The civil government in Ciudad Juarez has collapsed. In our sister city of 1.5 million people murders, mutilation, torture, kidnappings and extortions are committed with impunity. Beyond the cost in human lives and safety, it also threatens to imperil the nascent economic rennaissance in this region and the over $2 billion spent by Mexican nationals in our local economy. And there is the very real national security threat, recently articulated by retired Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, that this brutality and lawlessness could extend throughout Mexico and lead to a flood of refugees who would overwhelm our border, our city and our country and make today's undocumented immigration problem seem insignificant by comparison.
A crisis of this magnitude requires different thinking. We can't assume that continuing, or slightly modifying, a 40-year "Drug War" policy is going to produce anything better for Juarez or El Paso or our two countries. That is why this past Tuesday the City Council added an important amendment to a resolution brought to us by the Committee on Border Relations.
The Committee's original resolution was a strong, positive statement of support for our beleagured sister city and it contained a number of important policy recommendations, including stepped up enforcement of gun-trafficking in the U.S. and more funding for and focus on prevention and rehabilitation. However, we did not feel that the resolution went far enough in demanding a more comprehensive review of what is clearly a failed policy, one that has cost us billions of dollars, allowed drugs to still reach the U.S. consumer in an affordable and accessible manner, and one that has empowered the thugs and criminal organizations to the point that they, not the democratically elected government, now control the city of Juarez.
We felt that the resolution had to take one more step critical to rethinking what has been a failed policy. And so the unanimously adopted resolution contained the added request that our national lawmakers have an open, honest dialog about the prohibition of drugs.
This past December marked the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the prohibition of alcohol. In the midst of the Great Depression, while crime gangs ruled the streets of Chicago and other major cities, the American public realized that the millions of dollars spent to wipe out alcohol had done nothing to limit demand or supply and had only enriched and empowered gangs of murderous criminal entrepreneurs. On top of that, the U.S. was unable to regulate, control or tax the alcohol that was being consumed in greater quantities than before prohibiton. It is worth noting that the U.S. now averages over $7 billion a year in alcohol related tax collections.
Our current drug policy does not work. Ending prohibition on one or more illegal drugs may be part of the answer. But we will never know if we aren't willing to talk about it. That's all we're asking for, and I think it's the least we can do as we try to help change a tragic situation that has serious consequences for the future of our region.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Please consider helping
I received a note yesterday from a young woman named Paloma Gonzalez Rio, who has received a scholarship to attend the California College of Arts. The only thing preventing her from getting there is the plane fare to San Francisco. Is there anyone that might be able to pitch in to get her there? She can be contacted at: paloma.gonzalezrios@gmail.com.
I asked her to tell me a little bit about herself that I could share with you. Here are some of her words:
Despite financial and personal hardships, I have always considered myself to be very fortunate. I deeply believe that every single minute is to be lived with passion and force. This is my personal philosophy and the main reason behind my outgoing and positive personality.
My name is Paloma Isabella, I am 20 years old and I grew in a family of four. My mother, a single parent has always worked very hard and even with us helping in every way possible, we still live from day to day.
I was the victim of abuse but I have moved on with the help of my family's love and the strength of my mother's teachings. I have learned to turn the bad experiences into life lessons and as the years pass I continue acquiring the knowledge to search for opportunities and to take full advantage of them. All the everyday small victories have made me a hard working and focused individual that strives to find the precise equilibrium between her and the world around.
Due to my economic situation the chances of having an education past middle school were very few, more so aspiring to attend college. Despite all the odds I obtained a scholarship to the most prestigious private preparatory school in Mexico (ITESM/SACS).
This was a key experience in my academic life since it opened another window on my life, showing me an ample range of possibilities for a successful future as a human being and a professional. The abilities I developed as a student at ITESM enabled me to pursue a college education and gave me the desire to obtain every academic tool available to become a professional and to fulfill my goal of making a difference in world society.
My deep instilled moral values have always provided me with the understanding to defend the rights of others as well as my own. After surmounting so many daily difficulties I find almost any kind of obstacle is conquerable and that no matter what other trials I encounter in my future , I know for certain that through discipline and hard work I will be able to overcome them and achieve my goals.
More information:
I´m the eldest one and I´m going to be the first one in my family to pursue a higher education. My mother is the only support of my family (four dependants) and has seriously health problems. My single mother can not provide me with the possibilities to attend college.That is why after 3 long years searching, finally I obtained a great opportunity to go to College; I won the Gates Millennium Scholarship that will make possible for me to pursue a Major in Architecture, the one I love.
My mother works very hard to make ends meet and she does not have the financial means to contribute in anyway to my education-related expenses. Our economical situation is not very easy,that is why my brother, sister and I have had to win scholarships to attend school and worked independently (selling and making crafts,selling candies,etc) to contribute financially to our home.
I hope this is helpful,
Thanks in advance!!!
Paloma Gonzalez
I asked her to tell me a little bit about herself that I could share with you. Here are some of her words:
Despite financial and personal hardships, I have always considered myself to be very fortunate. I deeply believe that every single minute is to be lived with passion and force. This is my personal philosophy and the main reason behind my outgoing and positive personality.
My name is Paloma Isabella, I am 20 years old and I grew in a family of four. My mother, a single parent has always worked very hard and even with us helping in every way possible, we still live from day to day.
I was the victim of abuse but I have moved on with the help of my family's love and the strength of my mother's teachings. I have learned to turn the bad experiences into life lessons and as the years pass I continue acquiring the knowledge to search for opportunities and to take full advantage of them. All the everyday small victories have made me a hard working and focused individual that strives to find the precise equilibrium between her and the world around.
Due to my economic situation the chances of having an education past middle school were very few, more so aspiring to attend college. Despite all the odds I obtained a scholarship to the most prestigious private preparatory school in Mexico (ITESM/SACS).
This was a key experience in my academic life since it opened another window on my life, showing me an ample range of possibilities for a successful future as a human being and a professional. The abilities I developed as a student at ITESM enabled me to pursue a college education and gave me the desire to obtain every academic tool available to become a professional and to fulfill my goal of making a difference in world society.
My deep instilled moral values have always provided me with the understanding to defend the rights of others as well as my own. After surmounting so many daily difficulties I find almost any kind of obstacle is conquerable and that no matter what other trials I encounter in my future , I know for certain that through discipline and hard work I will be able to overcome them and achieve my goals.
More information:
I´m the eldest one and I´m going to be the first one in my family to pursue a higher education. My mother is the only support of my family (four dependants) and has seriously health problems. My single mother can not provide me with the possibilities to attend college.That is why after 3 long years searching, finally I obtained a great opportunity to go to College; I won the Gates Millennium Scholarship that will make possible for me to pursue a Major in Architecture, the one I love.
My mother works very hard to make ends meet and she does not have the financial means to contribute in anyway to my education-related expenses. Our economical situation is not very easy,that is why my brother, sister and I have had to win scholarships to attend school and worked independently (selling and making crafts,selling candies,etc) to contribute financially to our home.
I hope this is helpful,
Thanks in advance!!!
Paloma Gonzalez
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