Peeling Onions: Thoughts On The El Paso 2013 Mayoral Race "The Skin"

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the mayoral race here in El Paso. I've got a really good friend running in it and I'm in the midst of doing some research on one of his opponents, Steve Ortega. I have to be clear about this with you all from the start... I do NOT like Steve Ortega as a candidate, so please understand that I've got a bit of 'dog-on-a-bone' style curiosity. That said, I was doing a bit of digging today and I found some things that really- and I mean REALLY bothered me.
 
Steve is ostensibly a progressive. Taken at first blush, he comes off as a man of the people, someone (to hear him tell the story) who has the entire community of El Paso's best interests at heart. But if you dig into this guys history a bit, along with some of his statements, the context around Steve leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and it should leave one in yours as well.

Why would i say this? Well for me it started with representative Steve Ortega almost being booed off stage at a community meeting on the Eastside. Why was he booed? It all stems from an email in which Ortega responds to this question from Rep. Susie Byrd:

 

“Bill and Steve: did you see this info about the Juarez ballpark? Have we looked at this will be competitive with what we are doing? Do you know what level of play it will be?”

Byrd seemed surprised to learn that Cd. Juarez is also building a baseball stadium. Oretga's response is pretty elitist if you ask me:

“It is the difference between academics at Austin H.S. vs. Coronado H.S.”

Yeah, he said it and he paid for it again after he was booed at another town hall meeting about the baseball stadium. He's cocky (He thinks the Mayoral race is pretty much in the bag, as far as he is concerned), privileged, and obviously thinks pretty badly of anybody in the community who have the gall to disagree with anything he says.  The fact of the matter is that Steve has every single right to be cocky, but not for the reasons you might think.

The local media, in true sycophantic fashion, has portrayed him as a darling of the money in this town. They have been egregiously remiss in holding him accountable for his actions, his words, and much more, where his money is coming from. Where is the investigative journalism? (yeah, right at the times? bwahahaha) Nowhere near Steve Ortega, that's for sure. The media, especially the El Paso times, has tried to tie his democratic opponent, Hector Lopez, to the 'old guard' of the democratic party. Which is a shock to me, given the fact that the emblem of the old blue guard, the Tejano democrats, endorse Ortega and not Lopez. But let's leave this off for a moment. I want to talk about where he's getting his money and support, which is why he's so cocky and smug.

 As I was saying, i was doing a bit of digging on Ortega today and (this really shouldn't shock you) but a huge number of his local donors -I would say at least 65%-70% are coming in from the notorious Paso del Norte group. For those of you not in the 'know', this is a controversial, private organization that is comprised of approximately 360 business and civic leaders of El Paso region as well as members from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and Southern New Mexico.

Basically, it used as a model, the Commercial Club of Chicago, Illinois. As such, the PDNG have been responsible for quietly promoting a good deal of public policy in the region (ever heard of ALEC?). The Paso Del Norte Group is a shady institution that emerged into the middle of public policy debates in the El Paso area several years ago. I use the term 'shady' because most of the group's history and past actions have not been made public. In fact, most of what we know about the PDNG has been made public because of Freedom of Information Act requests. It basically boils down to a class of monied individuals manipulating public policy to protect their interests, not necessarily the city as a whole.


What we do know about it's history is that in 1999 PDNG executive council member Woody Hunt formed a group called the El Paso Leadership Research Council. Comprised of 40 CEOs, the Council focused on research-based public policy (much like ALEC). The group eventually fizzled out because it failed to achieve what it's goals. So they reorganized under another name to the El Paso Business Leadership Council. Under new leadership, Myrna Deckert, Jack Cardwell, and William Sanders redeveloped the group's structure and, in 2004, changed its name to “Paso Del Norte Group.” (if you click any link, click this one it is an info-graphic for the PDNG that is extremely illuminating). It is technically a non-profit 501c3 but it has some pretty interesting practices:

• New members of the Paso Del Norte Group must be nominated by two current members, and approved by leadership.
• Most members are required to sign confidentiality agreements upon gaining membership.Though, some members deny having signed any such agreement.
• Members are charged an annual fee of $750 to $1,800 generally.
• The group meets as a body two or three times a year. While members meet as a body only a few times a year, the group as a whole is divided into task forces that meet regularly, covering, among other areas: downtown; military; health care; education; water; and transportation.
• The PDNG has been described by members as a group of civic and business leaders that employs members within.

Classism Gentrification and Privilege






OK, so recall my statement about Steve Ortega being an smug, Cocky elitist? His backers at the PDNG are basically pushing an agenda of gentrification in the city of El Paso. What is Gentrification? Basically, gentrification (as opposed to the suburbanization of poverty) is a highly controversial process in which urban developers (folks like TJ Karam) convert lower income neighborhoods and inner-city ghettos into more upscale communities with condominiums, loft apartments for wealthier tenants who are looking for urban renovated homes. It is controversial because current residents, more often than not, can't afford to pay the higher rents, or what's more, take on a mortgage. Gentrification efforts usually force these folks into soemtimes worse areas with even higher crime rates, which really isn't good for a single Mom trying to keep her family safe and her kids out of trouble. Meanwhile, local businesses owners who formerly catered to the needs of working-class residents may either relocate, close down, or sell out to new investors. Gentrification does, in most cases, achieve its goal of "renovation and renewal", but it can also create an entirely new set of social and economic problems for those who have been displaced, but what do people like Steve Ortega, the PDNG, or the city council really care about that?






Obviously they have NO problems putting profit before people and the thought of investing in already established neighborhoods, like Segund Barrio, is completely out of the question. What should be obvious at this point is Ortega's desire to put the raised tax base of the city above the families , the neighborhoods, and the businesses he should be aiming to protect. He doesn't care because many of them don't vote, can't vote, and they don't have the kind of money that the PDNG have. So OF COURSE he thinks he's got the election in the bag, he's got a chunk of the consistent voters in the City, He's got the monied interest, and he's got his smug elitism.





So that's just the skin of the onion. Get back to the 3rd rail as i peel back a few more layers of this onion and delve into some of the personalities who are backing Steve and his classist agenda. It's going to be a HUM-DINGER. A story about El Paso money, a family with Cartel connections, and a community burned out of their homes. If you thought he was a man of the people, you are just flat out wrong, my lovelies.




Here's a hint: