Rick Ybarra
Ala Derecha Contributor
If you read today’s EP Times Living section, you’ll find a glowing article featuring Ouisa Davis. The newspaper reporter interviewed Davis in “her tiny office in the El Paso County Courthouse”. Is it just me, or does it seem like seem like Ouisa Davis—an unelected official of El Paso County—is using her office (i.e. taxpayer owned property) to agitate for her agenda via the newspaper? It seems to me this like a pretty overtly political move from a supposed non-political County employee. In the article, Davis is described as being on a “lifelong journey as a social justice activist”.
This report shows that the taxpayers of El Paso County (i.e. all of you on this email distribution list) paid Ouisa a salary of $74,698.00 for her “day job” (Ramon Renteria’s words, not mine) at the County. http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/government-employee-salaries/el-paso-county/?page=8 Don’t forget that she also receives benefits and will likely receive a taxpayer-funded pension at her retirement. By the way, has your 401K fully recovered from the stock market drop in 2008? Are you going to receive a pension at your retirement?
As you know, Davis continues to write her Friday column in the EP Times. Some of her recent columns have been very interesting.
In this column titled “With GOP In Power, Be Very Afraid” Ouisa Davis wrote that “Americans have placed into positions of power people who really don’t care about the middle class.” She also wrote that that NAFTA “began to strip our nation of the blue-collar and labor industry” without mentioning that President Bill Clinton signed the bill in to law. http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_16587418?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com
Preying on the goodwill of people during the Christmas season, Davis cynically brought up Jesus and Christian scriptures to proclaim her agenda regarding healthcare reform, illegal immigration, unemployment benefits, and other issues. http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_16877713?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com
In both of her columns, the El Paso Times again identified the column’s author as “Ouisa D. Davis is an attorney at law in El Paso” without mentioning her County employment.
It’s time for you guys, the taxpayers of El Paso County, to be heard. I’ll gladly join you—even lead you from Austin—in this initiative. The County Commissioners need to make a decision: either Ouisa’s chooses her County employment or she chooses the EP Times column. You guys shouldn’t tolerate having a County employee actively campaign for an agenda that you don’t support by writing a weekly column in the newspaper.
Let’s roll.
Rick E. Ybarra
RickYbarra@austin.rr.com
A couple of questions on this issue...
ReplyDeleteIs Ms Davis on county time and using county equipment while writing her columns?
What freedom of speech limitations, if any, exist given that she is a county employee?
is she on the clock? That is the question Rick brings up. She is on the El Paso Times so often and is seen at just about every political event in the court house that one would think she might be using county time to advocate for things on her personal agenda.
ReplyDeleteAs for limitations. She can say what she wants, as long as it comes from Ouisa Davis private citizen and not Ouisa Davis county employee or on county time. Now she does sign her EP Times pieces as Ouisa Davis, Attorney. But is she signing off that way from her county tax money paid computer? You can say you are a private citizen but if you are using county equipment and county time then you cross the line over to being a county employee. these are only allegations as of now, but I pretty sure there is something being done to get to the bottom of this issue.
She is nothing but a liberal female who believes that the rest of us cannot think for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteWith the brilliance of Carl Rove, the architect of the Bush administration calling on the conservative christians to vote for conservative values, the liberal(s) have now begun to do the same thing.
They are the ones who have taken out God from our schools, courts, etc., they use the separatoin of church and state card (unless you are a muslim of course) and then when it is to their benefit, they bring out Jesus to fight their arguements.
She is a complete fool, who truly embarrasses the rest of us women.
Signed
A Conservative Strong Female who DOES NOT WANT TO BE A MAN :-)
Mr. Ybarra,
ReplyDeleteYes, I am a County employee. I write my columns on my own time with my own equipment. I am not paid for my columns by the El Paso Times. I am exercising my right to free speech which is not limited by my employment with the County.
I don't know you, you know nothing about me and I would appreciate your confining your comments to the content of the columns and refraining from attacking me personally.
Thank you.
Ouisa's writings on immigration for the El Paso Times are to be commended. She is such a compassionate individual. Her writings demonstrate intellectual views that portray her not only as a legal counsel, but also possessing historian, humanitarian, and journalist skills. Ms. Davis is an attorney for the people of El Paso. She is an inspiration for all, women in particular.
ReplyDeleteYour opinion on this topic clearly shows closed-mindedness on current social issues.