El Paso ONLY Texas City... (Dallas, Mount Pleasant: section 8, neighborhood, schools)

[jaxart]

...

EL PASO -- The city has a chance to earn a national award that it hasn't received in more than 40 years. El Paso is the only Texas city to be named to the list of 27 finalists for this year's All-America City awards given by the National Civic League.

HERE'S MY VOTE!

[Gary Siete]

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:26662.6641114419/rid:aee7e4013e306f197501487c1138b232 (broken link)

2010 All-America City Awards

The award program culminates in a three-day event where community delegations tell their stories of successful change to a national jury of business, nonprofit, and local government experts. (June 15-18 Kansas City)

Finalists:

Chandler, AZ
Bentonville, AR
Dublin, CA
Lynwood, CA
Rancho Cordova, CA
Vernon Central (neighborhood) CA
Miami Lakes, FL
North Miami. FL
Acworth, GA
Belleville, IL
Canton, IL
Noblesville, IN
Des Moines, IA
Lenexa, KS
Scott County, KS
Bowling Green, KY
Salisbury, MD
Ferguson, MO
Riverside, MO
Lynbrook, NY
Gastonia, NC
West Chester, OH
Wyoming, OH
Mount Pleasant, SC
El Paso, TX
Abingdon, VA
Middleton, Wisconsin

[mistabinks]

Impressive!

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Any city that is not in a financial hole? Are peolple so naive? Do they take what others tell them is good news as good news? Some skepticism is called for here. From the article itself, what is so great about these bullets?:

• Diversifying the labor force
• Providing affordable housing options in a tough economy
• Funding basic services to people of need in the recession
• Increasing tax base to fund schools
• Transitioning to a more diverse workforce
• Providing cold weather shelter for the increased numbers of homeless
• Overcoming financial hurdles to serve the needs of youth

Here is the ugly truth spinned as good/impressive news in the article:

• Diversifying the labor force

Cheap labor, keep people's wages down

• Providing affordable housing options in a tough economy

Options=Subsidized housing, Section 8 (Who subsidizes? Yes, you)

• Funding basic services to people of need in the recession

Where/who do they get their funding from? Hint: TAX more

• Increasing tax base to fund schools

Need I say more?

• Transitioning to a more diverse workforce

Accept unskilled, sometimes illegal workforce from foreign countries... I wonder from where?

• Providing cold weather shelter for the increased numbers of homeless

Advertise city as sanctuary for the homeless, jobless, unemployable

• Overcoming financial hurdles to serve the needs of youth

Spend as little as possible to accomodate more people with less... AKA skimping.

Just 'saying of course. this is not about El Paso, but about these awards. This group that sponsors this award is the National Civic League, and is associated with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, otherwise known as ACORN. Do your research. Given El Paso's political leaning, it is not a surprise.

[Gary Siete]

I can't find any National Civic League/ACORN association. Got a link?

[mistabinks]

Literal LOL. I was waiting for that since this thread was posted.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by Gary Siete

I can't find any National Civic League/ACORN association. Got a link?

Here is a clue:

http://www.ncl.org/metlife/Ambassador_logo.jpg (broken link)


What does that Logo look like? MetLife Foundation is not the NCL, but associated with it, just like ACORN is.

If you entered 'National Civic League ACORN' in Google, then that is not research, that is only a Google search.

Research is learning what projects NCL is involved with, how they get funding, who funds them, finding out who is on their boards, their advisors, where they have been, what they currently do, or where they are now. Here is another clue, Henry Cisneros.

Their associations was not my focus, really. The point I am making is what I interpret their bullets as.

It's what community organiztions such as the NCL beleive in, who they would choose for their awards, which BTW in this case is only a title, there is no OJ prize. For example, between San Francisco and Dallas, which city would the NLC/ACORN bestow an award to?

You won't find a slacious "link" which ties the two together, that would be lazy, and too easy, and again, that is not research; research is to seek diligently and deduce an answer. Finding out what these people do paints a picture just as you are a reflection of your friends. Or, as the old adages go, 'If you lay down with dogs, you will get up with fleas', and 'Birds of a feather flock together'.

[jaxart]

NCL is a 116-year-old nonpartisan nonprofit organization that strengthens democracy by increasing the capacity of our nation’s people to fully participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. We help people achieve their objectives in several ways—an awards program, customized assistance and training, and guides and publications. We are experts in building the capacity of people in communities to work in a new ways to address complex issues such as fiscal sustainability, environmental stewardship, racial equity, immigrant integration, and transportation oriented development. NCL helps institutions and local government effectively engage residents and the broad diversity of the community. NCL’s All-America City Awards is an energizing and transformative experience for more than 1,000 people annually. Through advocacy and publications NCL has provided important guidelines to thousands of cities on how to be accountable and accessible to their residents.

WEB SITE FOR NCL

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by jaxart

NCL is a 116-year-old nonpartisan nonprofit organization that strengthens democracy by increasing the capacity of our nation’s people to fully participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. We help people achieve their objectives in several ways—an awards program, customized assistance and training, and guides and publications. We are experts in building the capacity of people in communities to work in a new ways to address complex issues such as fiscal sustainability, environmental stewardship, racial equity, immigrant integration, and transportation oriented development. NCL helps institutions and local government effectively engage residents and the broad diversity of the community. NCL’s All-America City Awards is an energizing and transformative experience for more than 1,000 people annually. Through advocacy and publications NCL has provided important guidelines to thousands of cities on how to be accountable and accessible to their residents.

WEB SITE FOR NCL

I wish I could say touché Jaxart, but my debate instincts say no. I hate to do this to your post... here is ACORN's statement, straight from their WEB site:

ACORN is a non-profit, non-partisan social justice organization with national headquarters in New York, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.

Non-partisan? Really?

As I posted ealier, check out some of their members, and projects. What I am saying is this group favors one group over another. They give prizes to like minded entities, groups like this pat each other on the back. As long as you can redistibute the wealth, you are in good standing with these organizations.

I apologize for hijcking your post; what was intended as good news from you was instead tainted by me. I am not apolitical as you notice. Far from it; I am an election judge, I go to county and state conventions, etc., and so am familiar with some of these groups, there are many.

While it is great news for El Paso, a Gold Star as most people will observe it, I have a strong opposing view and tend to read between the lines if you will. Again, 'sorry for hijaking your thread. It is like driving in a Wal-Mart parking lot looking for a space when you catch someone redhanded putting a soiled diaper on the ground! Some will ignore it, but I'd call attention to it.

[XChucoresident]

that is great..I love my hometown!