There are lots of neat things going on in our
community, El Paso, TX. Many folks are excited about
the coming trolley project that will ferry passengers from downtown to UTEP and
back. The recently approved arts space
project will offer affordable housing and work/exhibit space for starving
artists. Southwest University Park, home
of the Chihuahuas, has had phenomenal success in its inaugural year, and has
received national attention for its success.
A renovated San Jacinto Plaza will soon be open for public use.
On the drawing board are a downtown multipurpose arena, a
children’s museum, and Hispanic cultural center. Still undetermined is the fate of Lincoln
Center, but if it is saved, it will also contribute to the vibrancy of our
city.
In recent years we have seen other worthy projects: the Plaza Theater, the Art Museum, the
History Museum, and a new city library came to life. All of these public projects will make El
Paso a better community with a much improved quality of life.
These projects
have enjoyed a tremendous amount of public approval and support. Attendance
at ball games has broken minor league records.
The ball park, and three major projects on the last qualify of life
bond election garnered approval of approximately 70% of the voters. The community rallied around the newest medical school in the country, the unprecedented growth at UTEP and the exploding expansion of our beloved Fort Bliss. It seems that we are on the cusp of great
things in this community. I tell visitors that El Paso is THE MOST DYNAMIC community in the country today.
Curiously, our children’s hospital has not had that kind of
support. It won approval by the slimmest
of margins, in a bitterly divisive public debate. Taxpayers don’t look kindly at the prospect of
paying for children’s life-saving medical care.
It seems that El Pasoans want quality of life projects, but NOT the
quality of life of a child in need of medical care. It seems that this community wants to invest
in things, but does not want to invest in people.
Masses rally around the Lincoln Center, overwhelming majorities vote for public projects, record numbers pour their hard earned dollars into baseball games, but such is not the case for the children’s hospital. I would rather pay a couple of extra dollars to save a few children’s lives than to pay more tax dollars to visit the children’s museum. El Paso, my fair hometown, YOUR priorities are misplaced!
Masses rally around the Lincoln Center, overwhelming majorities vote for public projects, record numbers pour their hard earned dollars into baseball games, but such is not the case for the children’s hospital. I would rather pay a couple of extra dollars to save a few children’s lives than to pay more tax dollars to visit the children’s museum. El Paso, my fair hometown, YOUR priorities are misplaced!
