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Post by Tim Collins on Jan 5, 2009 16:24:44 GMT -7
Newspapertree reported today that the County Commissioner Court today Appointed Commissioner Veronica Escobar to the Rio Grande Council of Governments and Perez to the board of the El Paso Municipal Planning Organization.
Isn't this the post she barred Gilbert Sanchez from holding on an interim basis and doesn't it pay over 6 figures?
Now I know why she did not want Gilbert to have it - wonder what she traded to get this appointment
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 5, 2009 19:07:26 GMT -7
Here it is snil, via The Newspaper Tree. My initial guess is that since she didn't get very far in trying to unseat Cobos this time, this is what she's opted to "settle for" in the interim.
Newspaper Tree - El Paso's Original News Source Escobar seeks removal of Sanchez from Council of Governments, and from director search committee by Sito Negron
"It's a very important position, and there is not just a healthy salary attached to it but significant power attached to it as well, It's an individual in charge of millions of dollars in grants." -- County Commissioner Veronica Escobar .
Posted on December 18, 2008 A dispute over the role of El Paso District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez in choosing a new executive director for the Rio Grande Council of Government raises issues that of late have become familiar at the county.
County Commissioner Veronica Escobar questioned Sanchez's role as part of the selection committee for a news executive director, saying he was a recent appointee who only was on the board overseeing the Council of Governments (COG) as a proxy for county Commissioner Miguel Teran.
In any event, she said, Sanchez should step down when new commissioners take office in January. She nominated herself for that position on Monday's Commissioners Court agenda, but the filling of the post was postponed.
Sanchez, for his part, said he's standing in for Teran, and it's up to Teran or the new commissioners to make a decision about his standing on the COG and its five-member selection committee. Sanchez questioned why Escobar raised the issue.
"The funny thing is, considering Veronica's history of pointing out what does not seem to be clean in appearance or transparent, she's doing the exact same thing," he said. "Here we are in the middle of all this. Why does she want to change it? Who does she want in there, why now?"
A few minutes later, when asked what he thought about Escobar's questions, he said: "I think she was afraid (County Judge) Anthony (Cobos) was going to get on there. I think that's really what going on."
Cobos, however, was not on the list of 100 applicants for the position, which pays more than $100,000 per year.
Cobos has vehemently denied he was going to resign after he missed several Commissioners Court meetings in a row. NewspaperTree.com reported that he had gone to Washington, D.C., where a source said he was looking for a job.
Other media outlets followed suit, following up on rumors that Cobos was planning to resign. Then, NPT reported, Cobos' chief of staff Jaime Perez requested an opinion regarding the procedure for resignation. Cobos and Perez said the request was a response to a similar request made by Escobar, and blamed the media for stirring the issue.
Escobar said that Sanchez was partially right in regards to the council of Governments issue.
She said that Sanchez was not appointed to the Council of Governments until after the September death in a plane crash of Jake Brisbin. After that, she said, Cobos and Sanchez became interested in the COG.
"It's a very important position, and there is not just a healthy salary attached to it but significant power attached to it as well," she said. "It's an individual in charge of millions of dollars in grants."
Escobar said she thought it appropriate for a commissioner to be on the Rio Grande COG, not a proxy, and she questioned whether Sanchez was essential to the process. She also said that "whether I or (incoming commissioners) Anna (Perez) or Willie (Gandara) get on the board none of us shud be on the committee." (Editor's note: The previous paragraph was corrected at 2:50 p.m. Dec. 18, 2008. )
Sanchez argued that since he had been part of the process thus far, he ought to be involved in following it through.
Sanchez also said he was bothered that Escobar did not call him to discuss the matter, although she had called several other people involved.
She said "he's a proxy who has served for probably a month and a half. I don’t need his permission to make other board appointments and so I didn’t see the need to call and ask him for his permission to appoint a commissioner, which is what the bylaws call for."
Culberson County Judge Manny Molinar, one of the five selection committee members, said that the process was not far along. The list of 100 applicants was finalized Monday, and "we haven’t done anything yet," he said Wednesday.
"The applications will be disseminated for the people on the search committee and we'll look at them and we'd like to maybe minimize it to five or so persons each," he said.
Depending on how the Commissioners Court votes Jan. 5 when it meets, he said, "will set the direction for the Council of Governments."
Another twist to the issue is that Sanchez said Mayor John Cook, who serves on the COG as well as on the search committee, already talked to Sanchez about one applicant.
"The very day when I was selected I went to the mayor and said I have no idea of who these guys are," Sanchez said. "That's when the mayor said this guy has a history with the Council of Government."
"This guy" is Presidio County Judge Jerry Agan.
"That's pretty much who the mayor has asked me to tap on the shoulder," Sanchez said.
Cook said he mentioned Agan's name to Sanchez after the meeting of the COG either shortly before or after Thanksgiving because "Jerry has been with the Council of Governments for many many years, has a lot of experience and is also I think probably favored by some of the past presidents of the (Council of Governments) because they know him."
"We want to keep the process pretty open at this point. That's why we went out for solicitation. I encouraged Jerry top put his name in but we also have some other pretty good people," he said.
When asked whether he was lobbying for Agan, Cook said "No. The conversation I had with him (Sanchez) was probably 30 seconds. I don’t think that’s to the level of actually lobbying."
Cook said it was up to commissioners to figure out who ought to be involved in the COG hiring process, but said that "I don’t know that it would really disrupt anything" if Sanchez were to be replaced on the COG and the search committee.
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 5, 2009 19:19:17 GMT -7
This is disgusting; the conflict of interest is very clear and how she sets about justifying her political interests this time will be very interesting. This cagey move is such an obvious indication of her ambition. So much for completing her term by actually representing her constituents.... Sanchez didn't belong there, but neither does she. Why are elected officials appointing themselves to these posts? Why aren't they appointing qualified people who are more openly accountable? How did the commissioners vote on this?
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Post by Tim Collins on Jan 6, 2009 8:10:24 GMT -7
OK why is a county commissioner also holding a seat on the Coucil of Governments and pulling 2 salaries? I understand the role of the Council of Governments, but who pays this COG Salary, and what is the County Commissioner salary?
Was the previous holder of this position also holding another government post?
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 6, 2009 10:08:11 GMT -7
precisely because of her extensive experience in this area that I find her interest in this dual role suspect. If she were interested in fulfilling this role as a private citizen, then she should have pursued it as a private citizen. In making the choice to accept this role, I would argue that absolutely nothing distinguishes her move here from the power grabs displayed by her predecessors.
She cannot serve two masters here; she is an elected official, as such, she is expected to act in this capacity. How does she think she can balance both interests? Exactly whose interests is she to represent, and when? As a board member on the RGCOG, she will have more than just her vote when it comes to funding, not to mention the increased power and wages that come with this move.
Is this what her constituents had in mind?
In her capacity as a commissioner, she is on record as a clear cheerleader to the Paso Del Norte Group's plans for this region, in spite of years of confilct, controversey, lies and disagreement related to their plans for El Paso's development. I beg to differ with you: she has not represented the interests of her constituents. She has represented the interests of the Paso Del Norte Group and their interests. And of course, as is plainly evident, she represents her personal interests most of all.
It is as much for this reason, as well as the mounting mistrust many of her constituents are displaying, (this latest move being only the most recent justifiable example) that I find her to be undeserving of trust
There are private citizens who have credible records of both experience and service who are more appropriate choices for this post.
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 6, 2009 10:26:00 GMT -7
This is a piece from their website, snil
on the surface, there's nothing theoretically "wrong" w/an appointed position doubling the reach of an elected official's role given the mission, the goals and the programs incorporated under the auspices of RGCOG
until you consider what they recently did to organizations such as the Rape Crisis Program.
Purpose of the Rio Grande Council of Governments
The Rio Grande Council of Governments (RGCOG) shall provide a regional forum through which local governments can address issues and develop solutions that contribute to intergovernmental cooperation, improved coordination of activities and promote programs which make the region a better place to live, work and play.
To accomplish these purposes the RGCOG will:
1. Operate as a service organization to local governments providing competent, professional and responsive assistance, upon request, to address local and regional needs
2. Act as a regional coordinating body for the promotion of comprehensive plans for growth and development.
3. Develop and promote cooperative policies on state and national issues affecting the economic health and progress of this region.
4. At the request of local governments, serve as a representative of these entities in matters that they determine have regional and local impact.
5. Develop and implement programs, projects and activities that the membership determines to be beneficial to local or regional interests.
Look closely at numbers 1 and 5. Look at all of them, in fact. Those who have watched Escobar's growing role as a PDNG member/supporter understand full well the implications of her increased power, particularly given her professional experience.
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 7, 2009 20:09:28 GMT -7
Webrunner....? ;D Don't worry, I am not at "war" with anyone but you and snil in the avatar dept, and I see the writing on the wall there clearly enough
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 7, 2009 20:25:20 GMT -7
I think that Anthony Cobos is profoundly "ethically challenged", he's a lousy county judge, the worst one in my memory. Bar none. His emotional tirades are old, his ineffective management of his duties is a clear sign that he values his own ego over county business. He needs to go. Yesterday.
My belief is that Escobar is, in reality, no better given her record. She's got a different agenda, and she's better at marketing her agenda. That is all.
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Post by webrunner on Jan 7, 2009 22:42:53 GMT -7
regarding the statement, or your sanity, Webrunner? ;D Whatever could you mean, Rosa? My sanity is not in question. Now, onto another topic, to you like my new jacket? Some nice folks in white just gave it to me.
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 8, 2009 6:07:18 GMT -7
Web, Web, Web the beauty of this one, THE ONE, is that you can shoot him time and again. He will still take your head, but only if he's forced to. And that should give you reason enough to look harder. He understands violence, it's in his bearing. But that doesn't mean he likes it. Besides, look at him. He's at rest, not "harmless" but quiet. Only one of the many reasons I like him I can't do what you and snil do with avatars. But, I can tell you that without a doubt, the trump is to the stick figures. ;D The rubber room. Does that go with the ensemble? Will Bush be in there with you? ;D ;D
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Post by Tim Collins on Jan 9, 2009 6:43:19 GMT -7
Rosa Whats wrong with a legacy of China? It was good for Nixon and Kissinger
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Jan 9, 2009 7:43:38 GMT -7
Ha ha Kissinger: they love him in certain parts of the world too come to think of it, they took his lessons and learned quite a bit from 'em didn't they I think this thread has been officially jacked
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