LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
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Verde Group says Santa Teresa is turning into a "debacle"
RONALD BLANKENSHIP
During a heated email exchange between the Verde Group and a
Doña Ana County commissioner, the Verde Group spokesman
described their own proposed development of Santa Teresa as "on the way
to becoming an economic debacle that no one would consider pursuing."
Doña Ana County Commission Wants Peaceful Resolution of Border Land Dispute
By KRWG PUBLIC RADIO
Yesterday the Dona Ana County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously
in favor of a resolution intended to help resolve a violent land
dispute in the Mexican Colonia of Lomas de Poleo. As KRWG's Evan
Woodward reports the Commission is asking Governor Richardson, and New
Mexico's two United States Senators for their immediate assistance.
Bingaman meets with Mexican officials about border violence & Lomas del Poleo
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman met with Mexican Ambassador to the United
States Arturo Sarukhan and Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora
at his Capitol Hill office Tuesday to discuss Lomas del Poleo and
violence on the border.
Verde Group Denies connection to binational development project in San Jeronimo
RONALD BLANKENSHIP
Verde
Group letter to New Mexico officials declares that "there is no formal
or informal relationship or coordination between Verde Realty’s
potential development in Santa Teresa and the potential development of
the San Jeronimo project."
Doña Ana County commission expected to vote on resolution for Lomas del Poleo
By LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS
Commissioners will vote on a resolution to seek assistance of the
government on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to help alleviate
human rights abuse in the Lomas de Poleo colonia that borders
Doña Ana County.
Report on human rights abuses in Lomas del Poleo
By NORTH AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION
The North American Human Rights Delegation concludes that human rights
violations are taking place against the residents of Lomas del Poleo,
with the tacit consent of the local government. The land development
driving the displacement of residents in Lomas del Poleo is reflected
in other areas of the immediate border region, including Segundo Barrio
in El Paso, Texas. Rather than being isolated cases of displacement,
the cases described in this report appear to be interconnected.
Amnesty International and others find human rights abuses in Lomas del Poleo
By EL PASO TIMES
"We're going to go back and spread the message," said Antonio Medrano,
an Amnesty International representative. "We will encourage other
organizations to take a trip to Lomas de Poleo.
Documenting human rights Violations at Lomas de Poleo
By NPT
Renee Saucedo, an attorney with La Raza Legal Center, said that the
main objective of their visit was to spread awareness about the issue.
She said that she did not receive any support or any sort of welcome
from the authorities in Juarez.
Verde Group needs to be a good corporate citizen
By HEATH HAUSSAMEN
Corporations that partner with taxpayers through their governments have
a responsibility to be good corporate citizens. That’s why the El
Paso-based Verde Group needs to step up to the plate and, at the very
least, denounce alleged human-rights abuses across the border in Lomas
del Poleo.
A Lomas del Poleo bibliography
By GRASS ROOTS PRESS
The same private interests that are relying on US & Mexican
government support for infrastructure for this huge project have
decided it’s cheaper to intimidate folks out of their homes
rather than acquire the land legally. Allowing such lawlessness to
continue ultimately endangers all of us.
Zaragoza guards throw stones at Las Cruces Sun-News reporter
By LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS
A group of Doña Ana County residents, including two reporters,
attempted to tour the colonia by vehicle Saturday with a local human
rights activist. The vehicle, while driving on one of the unpaved
roads, passed by a watch towers and a group of the hired guards. The
guards threw rocks, two of which hit the vehicle.
Juarez developer fences in residents of disputed land
By EL PASO TIMES
Former Mayor Delgado sent the police to disband the security guards
when they first moved in and allegedly started harassing the
population. But his successor, the mayor just before Reyes Ferriz, did
nothing to stop them from coming back and erecting the fence.
 Violence and binational development—Doña Ana county commission hears evidence
By PDS
I think we would be greatly remiss if we walked away today with just a
statement of outrage. I think that the commission really needs to take
an action. Let’s do it. Let’s not just sit and express our
outrage.
Op-Ed piece: Another false progressive runs with Republican big money behind her
By ESPERANZA
Please explain why you are attempting to debunk credible doubts
regarding your acceptance of right-wing funding, whose sources are
directly behind the efforts to remove so many of the elderly and
families you care for from their homes in the Downtown/Segundo Barrio
area. I am certain you understand the term "mixed message".
An Open Letter to Cornell University President: Investigate your Trustee Bill Sanders
By CHARLOTTE LIPSON
I know that university trustees are wealthy individuals who
are counted on to contribute huge sums to Cornell's endowment but do
you really want Cornell to benefit from corruption and violence?
An Atrocious Situation: Verde Group needs to straighten out its collaborators
By NMPOLITICS.COM
Here’s my suggestion on what they can do: Tell Verde that there
will be no action on its request for public subsidies until it
straightens out its Mexican collaborators.
Doña Ana County Commissioners denounce human rights abuses
By KRWG PUBLIC RADIO
Doña Ana County commissioners hear testimonies by Father Bill
Morton and Lomas del Poleo residents about human rights abuses in
binational development zone.
NMSU screens documentary on Lomas del Poleo
By THE ROUND UP
Greg Bloom, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman's representative for the region,
said Doña Ana County residents may be able to play a key part in
the resolution by urging the county commissioner to halt bi-national
development in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Groups Unite To Fight Development Plans
By FR. BILL MORTON (THE COLUMBAN MAGAZINE)
I attended the weekly roundtable at the Unitarian Universalist Church
to present the story of Lomas del Poleo and the connections with the
people of Segundo Barrio in El Paso.These projects are gaining more
attention because of the land grabs, questionable allocation of water
resources and possible misuse of local tax money to subsidize wealthy
developers.
An Unethical Vote: O'Rourke casts deciding vote on eminent domain despite admitting conflict of interest
By PDS
At this point, O’Rourke interrupted Mrs. Ochoa and asked,
“Señora Ochoa, is it not true that you live in Eighth
Street outside the redevelopment zone?" Mrs. Ochoa responded:
“I’m not here to fight only for my street. I’m here
to fight for my barrio and my people."
Southside Residents Speak against Eminent Domain
By NPT
Many of those who spoke before council Tuesday criticized
O’Rourke for voting against the proposed ordinance last week,
claiming he had a conflict of interest as his father-in-law, Bill
Sanders, is a principal member of the Paso Del Norte Group, a group
that is a major proponent of the Downtown 2015 Plan.
The Response to Glass Beach
By BORDERFOTOS
He might not have been aware that someone photographed him and
dehumanized his image for the purpose of justifying eminent domain with
the attempt to dispossess a working class and immigrant neighborhood
from their homes and businesses.
A Cross Border Alliance against the binational displacement plan
By GRASS ROOTS PRESS
Although the crisis in Lomas del Poleo has not subsided, the recent
forums and protests have brought a new level of attention and awareness
of not only the land dispute in Juárez, but also the connections
to regional development of the U.S. - Mexico border.
Pittsburgh Independent Radio covers the Lomas del Poleo-Segundo Barrio story
By RUSTBELT RADIO
Lomas del Poleo is in a state of red alert this week. The neighborhood
on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarezannounced the red alert in response to
an attempt to displace a resident and destroy his home. This is
only the most recent incident in a long running conflict between the
wealthy Zaragoza family and the low-income residents of Lomas del Poleo.
City Council will vote on Tuesday on issue of condemnation of non-blighted property By NPT
Essentially, the proposed ordinance is meant to ensure that only
property considered blighted by meeting at least three of seven
criteria can be taken through eminent domain, as opposed to the current
rules, which could allow a building within an overall area that is
considered blighted to be taken.
 A Two City Protest Against Displacement
by EL DIARIO DE JUAREZ
“It’s a joint, simultaneous protest. We are supporting each
other because this is a binational struggle against
despojo—displacement and dispossession—by powerful
developers, many who belong to the Verde Group,” said
Martínez while behind him demonstrators carried signs bearing
the letters “Segundo Barrio."
Simultaneous demonstrations against Displacement
By PDS
Photographs by Bruce Berman and letters to the consulates of the U.S. and Mexico.
The Faces of Impunity
By WILLIVALDO DELGADILLO
While Pedro Zaragoza Sr. and his son Pedro Zaragoza Jr. have their
picture taken with the mayor of Juárez and the governor of
Chihuahua during the inauguration of a new shopping mall, back at the
concentration camp that they’ve set up on the northwestern part
of the city, his representative is carrying out the destruction of
homes in Lomas del Poleo.
Making a Killing: Land Deals and Girl Deaths on the US-Mexico border
by DEBBIE NATHAN
The Juarez real estate explosion really took off when Bill Sanders
bought 21,000 acres in Santa Teresa and announced his binational
development project.
PDNG member Bobby Ruiz obtained 1.5
billion dollars of contracts through bribes
By EL PASO TIMES
Ruiz, through his plea, admitted to being part of bribery schemes
involving El Paso Independent School District trustees, El Paso
Community College trustees, El Paso City Council representatives, and
El Paso County Commissioners Court members. The plots called for
exchanging votes for money.
Top Ten Censored Stories of the El Paso-Juárez region in 2007
By PDS
Yet despite this outrageous state of affairs not a single word has
appeared in the El Paso Times or any other mainstream media outlet in
2007? Why not?
Developing the Border
By Pulitzer winner EILEEN WELSOME
The next wave of globalization is cresting over both cities. Once
again, the rich are on the move and the poor are being moved out
– from El Paso’s Segundo Barrio, from downtown
Juárez, from Lomas de Poleo, and from all the small
communities along the gleaming Camino Real.
Readers from El Paso & the rest of the country respond
Removing people from their homes to build strip malls and stores is
just plain immoral and wrong. We shall not go down without a fight. You
have my support as a native El Pasoan who still retains his soul.
PDNG venture buys another building in Downtown
By EL PASO INC.
Borderplex is a private real estate investment trust created by developer William Sanders.
Public Corruption and the PDNG: Ten out of twenty-two targets of the FBI investigation belong to the Paso Del Norte Group
By PDS
“We want the public to have great confidence that their elected
officials are making decisions based on the best information and the
best ideas, not on who contributed to whose campaign.”—City
rep. Susie Byrd, PDNG supporter
The Verde Group contributed $66,000 to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in 2006 By ALBUQUERQUE TRIBUNE
Verde had intended to ask the Board of Finance and lawmakers in next
year's session to approve a plan for taxpayer-subsidized bonds for
streets and other infrastructure. However, that financing arrangement
has been put on hold. Subsidiaries of Verde and a Verde executive
contributed about $66,000 to Richardson's gubernatorial re-election
campaign in 2006.
Verde Group wants TIDD in Doña Ana county
for $113 million infrastructure costs
By NEW MEXICO LAND FOR SALE
Tax districts amount to an unnecessary subsidy for a
developer in a region where growth is likely to occur regardless of
whether tax districts are in place. In addition, they say the county
risks siphoning off tax revenue that might be needed in other areas.
The curse of Los Yuppies: Struggling with the creative class
By JAMIE PECK
Richard Florida reminds his readers that they depend on an army of
service workers trapped in 'low-end jobs that pay poorly because they
are not creative jobs', while pointing soberly to the fact that most
createive places tend also to exhibit the most extensive forms of
socio-economic unequality.
Sanders' Borderplex REIT and Meyer Marcus continue secretive buyout plan
By EL PASO TIMES
MIMCO normally is proud of its acquisitions and posts signs identifying
itself as the owner.No such signs appeared on the South El Paso Street
properties.
The same on both sides of the Border
By THE DAILY PLANET
“It’s the same plan on both sides of the border” says
Cristina Coronado, a member of La Otra Campaña in Ciudad
Juárez. “It’s the same land speculators who sit on
each others boards and who are carrying out large-scale displacement,
land grabs and violation of human rights."
A Legal History of the Lomas del Poleo land conflict: Interview with Mexican Federal Attorney Carlos Avitia
By PDS
That’s why I call these caciques we’re fighting
against—the Zaragozas, Vallinas, Urias—poor rich men. They
aren’t happier than the poor. It hurts them for poor people have
an opportunity to walk without them. And if a poor person sees a piece
of land he wants they strip it away.
 The Weakness of Force
By JUAN CARLOS MARTINEZ
This show of force—with chains, metal pipes, firearms and even a
pit-bull dog at the hands of a frenzied mob and drug-addicts hired as
paramilitary guards—demonstrates that the land developers know
very well that they cannot win through legal means.
Second Forum at Lomas del Poleo is blocked by gang members hired by Zaragozas
By PDS
One of the women helping the Zaragoza-hired gang members block the road
held a sign with one hand and a baseball bat with the other. Her son
also carried a plastic toy bat. A group of adolescents watching
beside them made comments about how “chingón” it
would be to “shoot some bullets into the crowd.”
Struggles in the Borderlands: Working for Justice in El Paso
By LOUIS MENDOZA
I interviewed UTEP historian Yolanda Leyva about her work with Paso del
Sur, an emergent organization founded to resist the urban renewal plans
crafted by the city’s political and business elites who crafted a
redevelopment plan for the downtown area and the historical segundo
barrio adjacent that sits adjacent to it.
Binational Declaration Against Displacement and Dispossession
by FRENTE BINACIONAL CONTRA EL DESPOJO
Therefore,
let it be resolved that the residents of Granjas Lomas del Poleo and El
Segundo Barrio call for the implementation of this plan to be stopped,
and for the creation of a new planning process that is devoid of
corruption, conflict of interest, civil and human rights violations.
Instead we demand a community-based approach to bring about positive
change in our neighborhoods that truly utilizes the communities’
creative resources, talents, and priorities.
Doña Ana Resists Bill Sander's Plan to Control Tax-Payer Dollars
by LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS
"We're
clearly dealing with taxpayer dollars here. If they (Verde Group) have
to have control of taxpayer dollars, then we've come to an impasse. If
the Verde Group is putting a gun to us ...what's the purpose of feeling
us out. Private developers should not have control of taxpayer dollars. We'll never have another voice if we yield."
Carlos Slim, Richest Man in the World, Stages a Border Water Coup
by FRONTERA NORTE SUR
One
writer noted the proximity of the project to sections of Ciudad Juarez
witnessing land speculation and highway construction connected to new
border economic development plans for the planned binational city of
Jeronimo-Santa Teresa on the Chihuahua-Mexico border and Anapra across
from Sunland Park, New Mexico.
 Juárez and El Paso Groups Respond to City Rep's Susie Byrd's Comments
by LA OTRA CAMPANA AND PASO DEL NORTE CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT
"We
ask City representative Susie Byrd if it is not 'intellectually
dishonest' to believe that the residents of the Segundo Barrio and
Lomas del Poleo can’t think for themselves and thus need others
to invent the idea of 'binational connections' for them?"
Lomas del Poleo and Segundo Barrio Residents Connect
by PDS
“It’s the same plan on both sides of the border. It’s the same land speculators who sit on each others boards and who are carrying out large-scale displacement and land grabs. If the powerful are organized at a binational level, then those of
us at the bottom also need to join together. We need to form binational
coalitions against el despojo—against the theft of our homes and
our barrios—that is being carried out in the name of regional
development.”
 The Paso Del Norte Group Stereotypes Mexicans But Nobody Complains
by JOE OLVERA, HISPANIC VISTA
If you haven’t heard about the ad / slide that was shown to proponents of revitalization, it’s because
the mainstream media refuses to bring it out. But, that’s okay
there are other ways and means to inform the public. Thanks to the
Internet and email, censorship is no longer the most powerful weapon
available to mainstream publishers.
How the Union Pacific Deal Will Cost El Paso Jobs But Benefit Bill Sanders
by CITIZENS' MEDIA GROUP
Gov.
Bill Richardson failed to mention that El Paso billionaire William
Sanders and his real estate development company stand to gain the most.
Segundo Barrio-Downtown Landgrab is Thievery
by ABSURDITY IN THE PASS
I
would like to see the vision for a redeveloped Downtown come to
fruition. However, no true American can support any plan if it relies
on government extortion to see that vision realized.
Verde Group Asks For Tax-Write Offs in Las Cruces
by SUN-NEWS
Santa
Teresa developer William Sanders, owner of the Verde Group who is
behind the Segundo Barrio demolition plan wants new type of financing
to pay for his pet project in Las Cruces-Santa Teresa as well.
 A Human Rights Forum Across Barbed Wire at Lomas de Poleo
by DAVID DORADO ROMO
Juarez is famous around the world for its murdered women, but now it's going to become famous for its concentration camp at Lomas de Poleo.
The Heritage of the Segundo Barrio Belongs to Everyone
by DR. ROBERTO CALDERON
Who
decides and why which architecture is worth beans, and which is worth a
keeping for posterity? Troubled waters, those on the Rio Bravo at El
Paso del Norte.
Letter from Father Garcia: Anti-plan activist priest is reassigned
by FR. RAFAEL GARCIA
The
Segundo Barrio also needs revitalization, but it should not be treated
as "Downtown." Revitalization should not be achieved at the cost of
displacing the poor and destroying a history and a culture.
Bill Sanders Makes Another Acquisition Behind the Scenes
by EL PASO INC.
Sanders
is averse to talking with the press and apparently encourages his
employees to follow suit. “I want to keep my job,” Kleberg
said when pressed for information.
Gov. Richardson Gets Most of His Texas Contributions from El Paso
By DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Bill Richardson, being New Mexico governor, draws the biggest chunk of his Texas money from El Paso.
History Lessons: Zyklon B, Progressives & Demolition Squads in South El Paso
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
The
mayor of El Paso at the time, Tom Lea Sr., represented, in Romo's
words, "the new type of Anglo politician in the 'Progressive Era'.
Progressive didn't necessarily mean liberal back then.
On the Lege—Eminent-Domain Fight Moves to Perry's Desk
By AUSTIN CHRONICLE
The El
Paso plan is extraordinarily controversial because it pits business and
real estate interests – in partnership with the city –
against a neighborhood that represents sacred ground for its Hispanic
residents and small business owners, many of whom migrated to the U.S.
from other countries. "The City Council is controlled by the big boys,"
Moreno said.
More lies, pretexts and taxes
By JENNI BURTON
For
those of you who still insist on bringing up property tax inequality as
a justification for razing the neighborhood, I would really like to see
you pay $55.62 a square foot for property taxes like Enoch Kimmelman
does for Starr Western Wear on Overland.
Why Tammy Berg Pulled Out from the Paso Del Norte Group
BY EL PASO INC.
"That’s
probably the major reason I had serious reservations about being a
member of the Paso del Norte Group. I don’t want them to make
misstatements. I want the facts to be on the table."
New Poll Shows Downtown-Segundo Barrio Plan Lacks Public Support
By LAND GRAB OPPONENTS
A new poll establishes an overwhelming majority of El Pasoans
oppose
the use of eminent domain for downtown revitalization. The poll shows
that approximately 62 percent of El Pasoans are against using eminent
domain while less than 30 percent favor it.
National Chicano Organization Denounces Segundo Barrio-Downtown Plan
by PDS
The
organization approved the resolution on April 7 after learning of the
ways in which the City and plan supporters have ignored the devastating
effects of the plan on renters, homeowners and business owners and
washed aside conflicts of interest.
Glass Beach & the City's Council's Racist Marketing Campaign
By JENNI BURTON
In the
slideshow, those polled complained about our “Mexicanness.”
What the hell do you want -- this is the U.S.-Mexico border!
On the Border: A Jesuit Church in El Paso With a Fighting Spirit
By COMPANY MAGAZINE
Father
Garcia is very much for cleaning up the downtown district. But the
change, he says, “has to come from the bottom up. We think there are
other ways to achieve [our goals] that are better for the culture and
tradition.” A plan developed and implemented by elite interests, he
says, can only benefit elite interests.
Is Senator Shapleigh Doing Bill Sander's Bidding?
By TEXAS OBSERVER BLOG
Pickett
speculated that Shapleigh’s efforts to block El Paso County from
building or acquiring a tolled railroad bridge was designed to help
developers in neighboring New Mexico.
 Exposing City Hall's Campaign of Deception: The Truth about Downtown Taxes
By ENRIQUE MEDRANO, ATTORNEY AT LAW
The
claim that Downtown-Segundo Barrio residents and property owners as a whole are
not paying their "fair share of taxes" is an outright lie. It has been
used as a justification to whip up support for the impending demolition
of a large sector of our community. What lie will the city come up with
next? Weapons of mass destruction?
 Eminent Disaster: A Cabal of Politicians and Profiteers Target an El Paso Barrio
By Texas Observer
The
people whose homes and businesses might be razed to make way for
latte-drinking Web surfers don’t think the plan’s so neat. Nor do
politicians who once called the area home. “This does not pass my smell
test. It’s too heavily slanted toward a few wealthy families in El
Paso,” says Democratic state Rep. Paul Moreno, who grew up in the
barrio.
New Poll Shows Downtown-Segundo Barrio Eminent Domain Plan Lacks Public Support
By Land Grab Opponents
A new poll establishes an overwhelming majority of El Pasoans oppose the use of eminent domain for downtown revitalization.
Commissioned by the El Paso Timesand KTSM-TV, the poll shows that
approximately 62 percent of El Pasoans are against using eminent domain
while less than 30 percent favor it.
Downtown Diary: Sick of the Schmucks Who Call Themselves Progressive
By Jennifer Burton
I'm
sick of kids like you calling yourselves "progressive". Do you actually
give a shit about poor people, or is it some sort of rhetoric you feel
that you have to include in the conversation to give the impression
that your views aren't completely based on where you'd like to shop and
party? Do you care about programs which lift the poor out of poverty or
would you rather they disappear in the mist of demolition?
This is About Fighting Injustice
By Luis Rosenbaum
I
was born in Germany where my parents had a men's clothing store. When
I was 8 years old, my father passed away, and my mother continued to
run the business. One day, when I was 10 years old, I came home and
saw 3 Nazis standing in front of our store. They did not let me in. I
went to the back door where my mother, crying, told me we were leaving
for Berlin the next day. We lost our store; I lost my school friends,
my place of birth, our home . . . almost everything.
El Paso's Elitist Class and Community Power
By MIKAELA HAGEN, (MACALESTER COLLEGE)
The
plan proposed by the PDNG, developed behind closed doors and steadily
pushed through legislative channels has inflamed racial, class and
business sector tensions, and incited political participation and
unrest on an astounding scale. Implementing the plan in its
original form would be incredibly foolish—and probably
impossible—for the city. Using eminent domain as proposed
would not only constitute ethical wrongdoing by the city, but the
process would likely be tweaked to favor current building owners with
high cash flows and political means, furthering the inequity of the
process.
Sunshine and Transparency Anyone? The Power-Peddlers Behind O'Rourke
By PASO DEL SUR
O’Rourke
warned about how easy it is to cover your tracks when it comes to
campaign contributions that border on corruption. His own financial
disclosure forms definitely demonstrate that contribution limits that
would prevent conflict of interest and undue power-peddling are easy to
get around.
Negotiating Under Threat of Eminent Domain in El Paso
By THE CASTLE COALITION
Property
owners living and working in downtown El Paso, Texas, haven’t had
their property condemned by the city – yet.
City Hall Refuses to Vote on Eminent Domain Issue
By LAND GRAB OPPONENTS OF EL PASO
"I’m
astonished that this council refuses to simply declare that it will not
forcibly take private real property that is not blighted for private
redevelopment purposes..."
Official Demolition Plan Site—Lots of Rhetoric, Little Information
By ABSURDITY IN THE PASS
I
find it interesting however, that almost one million dollars were spent
on this plan and they can only manage to put very, very little
information on their website- and one is forced to look very hard for
numbers...
Eminent Domain Mailer Reaches 100,000 El Pasoans
By BORDER OBSERVER
“My
city representative said people shouldn’t read it,” he added. “I
couldn’t believe he said that. I think people should be able to make up
their own mind if they want to read something or not."
Downtown Plan or Land Grab?
By NEWSPAPER TREE
Council
members (even one as well educated as Steven Ortega claims to be)
should not threaten a citizen to ‘sit down or we’ll have
the police remove you.’ Is that the kind of democracy we should
expect from elected officials?
How About a Plan for all of El Paso, Not Just the PDNG Developers?
By BRUCE BERMAN
Does
anyone have a plan for this entire city? For everyone? A plan that
makes everyone go…yeah! Is there a leader that can make us all
want to walk together?
The Gentrification of El Paso's Historic Segundo Barrio
By EPLURIBUS MEDIA
Right
now, El Paso, TX and other major cities throughout the US are being
turned into living social experiments: turning its backs of its
cultural identities that brought character to certain neighborhoods,
which made them unique all in the name of profit.
Wake Up El Paso: What Does the Segundo Barrio Really Need?
By PEOPLE'S MEDIA CO.
El
Paso does not need to repeat the mistakes-- and the repercussions
thereof-- which have destroyed other neighborhoods in other cities.
Mayor's Eminent Domain Ordinance is a Smokescreen
By LAND GRAB OPPONENTS OF EL PASO
“The
Cook administration has hatched a cheap political stunt to fool the
citizens of El Paso. The mayor’s proposed ordinance reveals
artfully crafted loopholes designed to disguise the city’s scheme
to forcibly take private property for private development
purposes.”
Open Letter to El Pasoans: Your Property Rights Under Threat (PDF)
By LANDGRAB OPPONENTS OF EL PASO
The
Downtown Plan is shrouded with secrecy and private interests. Questions
go unanswered, objections are shrugged off and the powers that be are
looking the other way or are openly supporting the private plan.
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“The specter of
condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the State
from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a
shopping mall, or any farm with a factory.”
—Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
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