Please Vote for Lyda Ness-Garcia

If you live in District 1, please vote for Lyda Ness-Garcia. If you don’t but have friends or family members who do, please urge them to vote for Lyda Ness-Garcia.

You know that I’ve agonized over this endorsement and thought it through as a conservationist and as someone who loves my native home town. Here’s how I reached my decision:

As you all know, Ann Lilly signed a letter in order to garner 858 votes from her opponents, Manny Hinojosa and Abe Peinado. That action disgusted me and disgusted everyone else I’ve talked to in her district. When I submitted petitions to City Council to save open space land, Ann pontificated that she was sick of petitions and that all of us should just go along with whatever our representatives (or, in Ann’s case, Woody Hunt and the Citizens for Prosperity PAC) want us to do.

I’m wondering. We have almost 1300 valid petition signatures so far – of which a sizable number are from District 1 – certainly more than 858 votes that Ann sold her soul for. Wonder if Lilly will sign a letter changing her vote to preserve open space now?

Remember how Ms. Lilly ousted her predecessor, Susan Austin? She told people in District 1 that she was the open space candidate. Open space people gave her money and went door to door for her. One of them told me – and I will not sugar coat this – “Ann Lilly screwed us and she needs to be kicked in the ass.”

Trust is important.

Ann’s opponent, Lyda Ness-Garcia wrote to her supporters: “My belief system cannot be compromised. My vote cannot be sold. You and I may not always agree on all the issues but you always know where I stand.”

I have been concerned whether Lyda was really firmly open space. The fact that some property managers and some in the building community support her did concern me. I asked her to her face with one of those business persons sitting at the same table whether she was for preserving land along Transmountain. She didn’t bat an eye and made it clear that her stance on widening Transmountain also meant no Plexxar and no Paseo del Norte. In fact, her stance on this issue and all others has been consistent with the newspapers and in the public forums. Her email makes all of her positions clear including the preservation of our open spaces and Upper Valley.

Being pro-conservation and open space does not mean being anti-business. Frankly, the fact that she wants to recruit businesses aggressively and reduce permits, fees and bonds is more the reason to support her.

Trust is important. So is leadership.

Lilly has flip-flopped while deferring to City practices that are unfriendly to business. Where was the leadership? Lilly refuses to debate, do interviews, appear in public. She does not return phone calls. Where is the leadership? Where is the representative who relates to the people she represents? Where is the transparency and accountability?

Ann goes with the money and Ann goes for votes. She will get elected by supporting open space and then betray her constituents. She will support domestic partner benefits until she needs to win an election. And, even after a Judge rules on the matter, she still can’t comment. Where’s the leader? Where’s the leadership? It certainly didn’t show up in the TxDOT Transmountain debate. Where’s the preservation? Where are the animal corridors? That’s something really to think about in this environment of drought and sprawl that is driving more animals into contact with citizens of El Paso.

One may have disagreements with one’s elected representative. My representative, Susie Byrd, and I sometimes disagree. She doesn’t hesitate to tell me that she thinks I’m wrong or that she disagrees. I respect that. I trust her honesty and integrity and count on her leadership. People in District 1 will be able to count on Lyda Ness-Garcia being straight with them. They can’t count on Ann Morgan Lilly.

Lyda Ness-Garcia is the conservation, environmental, business-friendly, transparent, accountable leader and candidate.

Early voting starts this coming Tuesday, May 31. It will end on June 7 followed by the run-off election on Saturday, June 11.

Please vote and urge others to vote for Lyda Ness-Garcia.

City Council Endorsements

I certainly don't speak for all of the conservation/environmental community of El Paso but I wear quite a few hats in that community. I am Coordinator and Convener of Celebration of Our Mountains, recent past President and now Secretary of the West Texas Urban Forestry Council, Co-organizer and Coordinator of the petition to preserve the Scenic Transmountain Corridor, Organizer of the Sunrise Hikers, a Master Naturalist and Vice-President of that El Paso Chapter, Co-chairman of both the City's Open Space Advisory Board and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. I'm the President of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association and we care greatly about placemaking, walkability and the environment. I have written this blog for several years now and it is the descendant of an earlier blog and e-letter written for many years about local food and farm issues. I have some credentials.

Obviously conserving more of our precious land, developing sustainable water policies, promoting local food and preserving farmland, encouraging eco-tourism, supporting low impact development, attracting clean industries to our City to employ all of our citizens and prevent further brain drain are key areas of concern. The immediate struggle to preserve land along Transmountain Road next to the State Park has been a pivotal issue. The current City Council race is critical because we want representatives who share our values for conservation, preservation and sustainability. There is a real chance that the balance will swing toward unchecked growth, sprawl and development. Because of the infusion of thousands of dollars into the campaigns of Cortney Niland and Ann Morgan Lilly by the developers' PAC, we must elect candidates who care for people, real jobs and a healthy, clean environment in which to raise children, enjoy recreation, and receive the emotional and spiritual benefits of living in this part of the beautiful, natural Chihuahuan Desert with the Rio Grande, Franklin and Hueco Mountains.

Early voting begins tomorrow and continues through May 10. Election Day is May 14.

Elpasonaturally endorses the following candidates for El Paso City Council:

District 1: Lyda Ness Garcia. Very simply, regarding Transmountain she has made it clear that she supports "expansion through Resler but not beyond". She supports widening but also preserving the corridor - elpasonaturally's position all along. I like Ann Lilly personally and think that she is a real lady. However, her campaign has been principally financed by the development community and her "open space" credentials are not as good as she would have us believe in her campaign literature. Lyda listens to the conservation/environmental community of El Paso. Of all the candidates running, her views on all other issues are closest to mine personally.

District 5: Mayela Mejia. None of the District 5 candidates attended the environmental forum. However Mayela's experience at City Hall, her appreciation of small businesses, and her work with leaders such as Steve Ortega, give her the edge.

District 6: Eddie Holguin. This endorsement may surprise many in the conservation community. Eddie hasn't voted with us often but I don't think it's because he is anti-environmental. I will always remember him when a large group of people protested the construction of the border fence behind the Rio Bosque in the lower valley. Eddie walked over a mile carrying several cases of water for the demonstrators. On that day I knew that we had a representative with a big heart who cares about people. He explained at the recent environmental candidates forum that he is all for solar power, just not for making people who are having a hard time making ends meet subsidizing that energy alternative. Eddie cares for people first - especially people on the margins. The environmental/conservation community needs to begin and continue a conversation with Eddie Holguin. This guy is a thinker with a very big heart.

District 8: Ernesto Villanueva. This race is worrisome. Sergio Contreras is also a strong environmentalist; but I'm afraid he and Ernesto will split votes and make it a run-off between the very conservative, Malcolm McGregor, and PAC recipient, Cortney Niland. Although I like Sergio, Ernesto simply possesses more personal and leadership skills for public office in my opinion.