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500-year flood? I don't buy it

One of the arguments against having to pay the stormwater fee is, "Why hurry? It won't flood like that for another 500 years?"

(Setting aside the poor way the tax has been levied on some.  Here's the latest breaking news on that part of it.)

So, I'm curious as to your opinion. I mentioned to another editor today that I thought it was ludicrous to think this was a 500-year flood. I pointed out that the number kept changing. First, it was called a 100-year flood, then a 200-year flood, and so on, until suddenly it seemed agreed upon that this was a 500-year flood.

The gentleman said he had lived in El Paso for more than 50 years, and 2006 was the worst rain he had ever seen, so it was at least a 50-year flood.

Then I mentioned An Inconvenient Truth taught me that global warming likely means we'll be getting many more of these floods than in the past.

He then decided I was crazy.

So am I? I couldn't find much in the Times archive that talked about the possibility that global warming means more flooding for El Paso. I did find this mention in a March, 2007, editorial supporting the stormwater fee:

Tax- and fee-burdened El Pasoans certainly don't want to be stuck with another payment, but this one is worth it. For one thing, the fee would help to take care of storm-related projects that have been relegated to the back seat in the past because of costs.

But with the city facing at least $115 million in storm-related repairs -- a figure likely to go much higher -- and other water and drainage projects that have been languishing, money is needed -- money that wouldn't be diverted from other city projects.

The city is growing. There are indications that weather patterns could be changing. The effects of global warming have yet to be fully understood. This uncertainty coupled with past experience necessitates a storm-water utility so that El Paso can recover from Storm 2006 and be as prepared as possible for the next one, whether it's tomorrow, next year, or ...

A KVIA story also raised the possibility of more frequent flooding caused by global warming.

I think we better get the work done, but I could be wrong.

Appraisals

But what I'm not wrong about is that only a fool would blame the Central Appraisal District for high taxes. But letter writers, talk-show callers and many others still do.

Listen folks, I'll try to explain this as slowly as possible. The CAD does not set your taxes. The school board, city and county governments do. The CAD only decides what your house is worth. You WANT the value of your house to go up.

Only in El Paso do people sit around complaining that the value of their house went up.

If El Paso home values go up too much, then the governments should lower your tax rate. And they HAVE several times recently. In fact, El Paso governments have been so good about this recently, that my tax bill has barely increased despite the fact that my home value has jumped 10 percent every year. (10 percent being the max jump they can tax on.)

Every year my home value goes up, I smile knowing I'll get to sell the house one day. You should, too.

Give the CAD a smile instead of a frown.

KVIA responds

KVIA has discouraged Ashlie Hardway from commenting on the Theresa Caballero blog.

(Wise advice, I might add. As an editor here once told me when trying to discourage me from taking on TC, "When you wrestle with a pig, you both get muddy, but the pig enjoys it." Obviously, I'm not too good about taking wise advice.)

BUT, Brenda De Anda-Swann, the news director at KVIA, e-mailed me this comment on the situation:

Jay,

On the advice of legal counsel, Ashlie didn't show up in court but was standing by. She didn't ignore the subpoena. She was represented there, and as expected, she didn't have to testify.

("Hardway on the run from the law" is far from an accurate headline. C'mon. If you know her, you know Ashlie doesn't run from anything).

So, there's a bit more of the real story. Not surprisingly, it's not the scandal TC would have you believe. More to come.

Stay tuned

I wish I had an update for you on the Theresa Caballero-Ashlie Hardway fun, but rest assured, I'm working on it, and there is more to come.

Also rest assured, the little I've learned confirms what we all already suspected: TC has gone off the deep end again. Stay tuned.

But for now, head over to Luis Carrasco's Cinerama blog and read about what movies make El Paso Times journalists cry. Including a contribution from yours truly.

Hardway on the run from the law

Well, the long-promised entertainment site theresacaballero.com is still "under construction."

But don't worry folks, you can't keep a great entertainer down for long. Theresa has a new post over at her old blog accusing KVIA reporter Ashlie Hardway of flouting the legal system.

And Hardway's lawyer is apparently Luther Jones. I can't make this stuff up, folks.

Theresa doesn't say why Hardway was needed in court. The PDF just states she was supposed to "speak on behalf" of Theresa's buddy Stuart Leeds.

Oh, good times.

Complainers

I'm getting awful tired of people complaining about the new stormwater fee. Today's Letters to the Editor added to the outraged chorus.

Of course there was also a lot of outrage when we had flooding all over El Paso. "We need to do something!" But it turns out, by "do something" a lot of people just meant talking about doing something. When the council actually does try to do something, folks are outraged to find doing something actually costs something.

Lewis Green of East El Paso even has the gall to ask, "Why should I pay for flooding problems in other parts of the city?"

Wow, Green, good point. And why should you pay for roads in other parts of El Paso? Or pay to educate children in other parts of El Paso? I guess all the taxes they collect from you must be spent in your square block?

Also in the letters, Charles Fish blames the "welfare state" for these high taxes. I have a feeling he's not talking about all the welfare for the rich we have going on in America right now. Again, he expresses the wish to choose where his money will be spent. None of his money better be spent on anybody he doesn't like, by golly!

And in the original story East-Valley city Rep. Eddie Holguin said, hey, why bother with this, it probably won't rain like that again for a while.

Of course, that's what got us in this mess. First the complainers say, don't spent any money on our water drainage, we're a dry place. Then the rains come and they say, "Something has to be done!" Then they complain when something is done.

I'm tired of it all. It makes me wonder if civics is being taught in school at all any more.

Back from New Orleans ... and already depressed

I'm back from New Orleans, where I held a baby alligator. Also had a great day at the Jazz and Heritage Festival, where we saw a great concert by Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. Also spent a lot of time in the Gospel music tent, believe it or not.

But I'll save the details for a future travel story. One cool link though: If you go to wwoz.org you can listen to some live concerts from the Jazz Fest, which continues tonight, then kicks up again next weekend.

Back in El Paso, my blood pressure shot back up this morning reading the newspaper. What a story, Lawmakers determined to halt illegal immigration was.

By the fifth graf I was already shocked:

"I think God would have us work on it and vote," said state Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball.

What??!! So that is what Jesus would do? That statement is just so jaw-droppingly awful and sad. It makes me wonder if Debbie Riddle has read even a sentence of the New Testament. Sorry, crackpots, but Jesus would not be voting for a border wall. I have a feeling God would have different priorities for Riddle, as well.

At least that quote was followed by one that made me laugh.

Some legislators say laws in those states are helping the economy and reducing pressure on public services. But lawyers and some business groups in Arizona and Oklahoma said immigration restrictions there have hurt businesses and have created an exodus of not only undocumented immigrants but also of Hispanic citizens.

"The perception from the Hispanic community is they have been solely targeted by a bunch of racist rednecks," said Campbell Cooke, an immigration attorney in Tulsa.

I wonder what gave the Hispanic community that impression? Oh yeah, comments like the ones later in the story by racist redneck, state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler.

At the very least, Berman said, Texas should implement laws that punish employers who hire undocumented workers, should make English the state's official language, should require photo identification for voting and should restrict noncitizens' access to public benefits.

By not stopping illegal immigration, he said, elected leaders are allowing "multiculturalism to prevail and flourish."

Oh, no! Don't tell me Texas is going to become a diverse, multicultural state! Oh, the shame! I only want to hear English when I walk around! By golly, this is America!

As if that wasn't enough, the story closes with a racist redneck living right here in El Paso. Bill Lenderman also worries about all these folks hurting his white culture.

Bill Lenderman, who lives in East El Paso, said controlling immigration was not about race but about maintaining American sovereignty.

"They'll destroy the culture of the country," he said of undocumented immigrants.

Oh, do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? I'm going to go cry now.

I'm out

I'm sick of arguing about Stefon, so like Barbara Perez, I'm dropping out of this blog.

Not really.

But, I am going on a well-deserved vacation, so I won't be back until April 28. I suppose there is a possibility that I will blog while I'm on vacation, but it's not bloody likely.

So, until my return, here are five new El Paso Times blogs. Some of these are so new, the authors haven't even posted yet, but they will soon enough. Let me know what you think of them.

Tales from the Morgue will focus on interesting tidbits in El Paso history.

Pullen My Blog will focus on the national music scene.

From the Sidelines will focus on El Paso youth sports.

Reality Bites will focus on reality television.

Brain Drain Chronicles will focus on El Paso's 'brain drain' through the eyes of a recent UTEP graduate who has moved away.

We'll be launching even more blogs when I return. Enjoy.

Naked Harem fights back

Phyllis Woodall, the owner of the Lower Valley strip club Naked Harem, is fighting back after being sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of promoting prostitution.

She, or her friends, have created a Web site hoping people will help put pressure on public officials and journalists to get her freed. The Web site includes my e-mail among those who should be contacted. Go ahead, I guess, but this is about the best I can do.

The Web site includes "explosive" allegations that were e-mailed to members of the media last night. The allegations include that the judge was biased against Woodall because a stripper from the Naked Harem turned down the judge's offer of a three-some.

I know what you're thinking now: Give me the link! OK, here it is. Enjoy.

www.helpphyllis.com

Censoring Stefon

Stefon Jackson's MySpace page is now set to private, and that's probably a good thing for El Paso and for Stefon.

Stefon was probably a little naive about what having a public Web site meant: That's it's public. Some of the commenters below seem a little naive, too, criticizing me for making a public Web site, uhhh, more public.

If Stefon is headed to the NBA someday, it's probably better he learn his lessons here in our small burg rather than in the nation's eye.

What? Everybody talks like that, many commenters say.

So, I checked out bad-boy Allen Iverson's Web page. Nope, he doesn't talk like that. Then I checked out Paul Pierce's Web page. Sure, he went to Kansas, but he's been stabbed, so he has some street cred. And, no, he doesn't talk like that.

Stefon was going to have to censor himself eventually if he was going to move on to bigger and better things. He should thank me for making it sooner.

Stefon Jackson is sucka free

With UTEP basketball player Stefon Jackson's arrest in the news this week, readers might be interested in his MySpace page: www.myspace.com/dj95right 

It's all about Stefon, otherwise know as DJ for "Drainin' Jumpers."

I'm going to provide you some excerpts right here, but I should warn you in advance, I'm not going to edit his language. It's not language usually used on this blog, and if you are underage or will be offended by cursing, go away now. Just in case you missed it ...

WARNING: The language below can be offensive.

Here is Stefon's bio on the page:

Hello!!!! Im stefon Jackson a.k.a DJ i am the best basket ball player alive.... I live in philadelphia (Brick yard).... I am a bachleor just looking to have fun so ladies get in where u fit in .... I attend the university of texas elpaso i am currently studying criminal justice in a few years i will be a laywer or i will be in the nba..... Which ever works out.....If u r looking to talk and have fun with a real nigga Holla at me!!!!! I don't associate my self with hater nor lames.... I am very sucka free....

Hmmm, best basketball player alive, soon he'll be a "laywer" or be in the NBA and he's sucka free. Good to know.

OK, now you probably want to know this young man's interests right? Here they are:

BASKETBALL.GETTING MY FAMILY OUT OF THE HOOD ,FOOTBALL,GAMBLING,GETING MONEY,HAVING A GOOD TIME.... THE USUAL SHIT A REAL NIGGA DO.......

The usual, indeed. Let's just hope gambling doesn't include sports betting, or the NBA won't be happy.

Let's end with something nice, Stefon's heroes:

EVERY ONE THAT GREW UP WITH ME AND WENT THROUGH EVEYTHING I WENT THREW MY BIGGEST HERO IS MY BROTHER RIP MEEK MEEK

There are many photos of Stefon included on his MySpace page, including the one above. The one below included this cutline: "them niggas from memphis was scared look at d rose he cant hold me"

And, finally, my favorite photo. I think this may be his brother who was shot and killed several years ago, but I'm not sure.

Other developments: In today's El Paso Times, there is a story saying Jackson's lawyer says Jackson has broken no laws. Or, as the story quotes lawyer Dolph Quijano:

"None of the accusations he is accused of doing he has done. He committed no crime whatsoever," Dolph Quijano, Jackson's lawyer, said Wednesday.

Well, if he truly didn't do anything the accusations accuse him of doing, then Jackson's probably OK. But the affidavit (which you can read in full with the story) is pretty damning. It accuses him of lying all the way until the bitter end. If Jackson had told the truth at any point, they likely would have let him slide.

On the Times home page, nearly 2,500 people have voted in the poll: Do you think Stefon Jackson should be kicked off of the UTEP basketball team after his arrest Tuesday? And about 48 percent say no, with 42 percent saying yes.

I'd probably be among the 10 percent saying, I'm not sure. What he is accused of is pretty bad, but his lawyer says he didn't do it. So I guess you have to let the justice system settle it before you talk about kicking him off the team.