Transcript: July 6, 2007
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Jody El Paso |
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I have a major concern with the recent headlines regarding the local government and corruption. What preventative measures can be suggested in the future? |  |
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Senator Eliot Shapleigh El Paso, Texas |
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First, elections matter. Before voting, find out everything about the candidate. Second, our community needs ethics boards with the power to police. Other communities like Seattle have strong ethics boards with subpeona power. Third, hotlines for citizens to call a halt to corruption work. We are gathering information now about where best to house the hotline. Finally, businesses need to make an ethics pledge regarding contracting. Government contracting should be based on objective criteria and the best value bid should win. |  |
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Jason Diaz El Paso |
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What's happening with Asarco? | |
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Senator Eliot Shapleigh El Paso, Texas |
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What's happening with Asarco is this. The TCEQ Commission will rule on the air permit in the next few months. Asarco is asking for permission to put 7,000 tons of pollutants in El Paso's air. We hope Jason will join us in opposing Asarco's permit. | |
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Frank Hoegler El Paso |
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I just returned from driving back east. I traveled on I 20 and I 30 through Dallas. On I 30 there is rest area about 80 miles east of Dallas. The next rest area is on I 20, 184 miles away, What was even worse is, that rest area was closed due to road construction. The next area was 90 miles away. The 184 miles is almost intollerable at 3hours of driving and having to go through the stress of driving through the Dallas and Fort Worth areas. To add another 90 miles is rediculous. 275 miles, come on! Texas has by far the worst rest areas of any state we traveled through. Most have rest areas 50 to 60 miles apart and less than 100 miles. Texas rest areas are filthy and not taken care of and small. By the way the mediums were the most unkempt of any state also! What a disgrace this great state is for any visitor to it. I hope you can do something about this. | |
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Senator Eliot Shapleigh El Paso, Texas |
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Hi Frank! Thanks for taking the time to write. I wish more of our citizens cared as much as you! Right now, Texas is 50th in what it spends on our own citizens. That is, per capita at the state level, Texas spends less than any other state on state related programs like highways, public schools, CHIP, mental health and college. What that philosophy delivers is lasting damage to key infrastructure, programs and people. What you see at TXDOT results from $2.8 billion diverted to other programs, not to highways. At TXDOT, the money from gas taxes alone will no longer pay for improvements, and barely manages to pay for pavement. What’s more, state leaders who say ‘no new taxes’ (at the state level) simply succeed in transferring that cost to the local level where increasing property taxes, traffic fines and college tuition take a terrible toll on people and places like El Paso. Recently, the Governor vetoed $153m in community college money. So at EPCC, the President now faces a $6m shortfall that he must handle through more cuts, higher tuition or more property taxes. What I have learned in this job is that leadership makes all the difference! | |