Rick Ybarra Takes on Ouisa Davis

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”. 

http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_17058455

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

Pray For the People Of Tuscon

This weekend's events in Tuscon have left many families without loved ones or with loved ones injured. The shooting and  assassination attempt of Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords at a Safeway has left six dead and many injured.

We have to remember; each one had a name, a birthday, each one had a family who loved them and each one will be equally missed. This story does not need to be sensationalized any more by trying to associate the passed with people or with different events. Those who have passed away leave a void and would have left avoid no matter who they were. Let us all pray, equally, for all them and their families and for those who are injured so they can recover quickly. Let's not forget to pray for the entire city of Tuscon as they have suffered along with the families of the dead and injured. And pray for Jared Loughner and people like him tonight. yes, pray that they open their eyes and hearts and can understand the difference between right and wrong. Pray that their anger and their hate is removed from within them so they won't find the need to harm anyone.

Go Hug Yourself......You Jack Wagon!

Captain Owen Honors was relived from his post on the USS Enterprise because of lewd videos he participated in back in 2007. They were a series of videos shown to the crew aboard the USS Enterprise in what was called "XO Movie Night". As in Executive Officer, for the non military types. I myself served six months aboard a naval ship back in 1997 and can appreciate the humor behind the videos.

Being out at sea for six months you tend to form a certain type of comradery. A bond that those who never served on Naval ship will never understand.You are in confined spaces for a long period of time away from your family and really away from the rest of the world. You tend to open up more to the people around you and forget your inhibitions completely. You have no choice. Naval ships are so confined that there is literally no room for inhibitions. I had the third rack from the deck, I know what I'm talking about. Once again for the non military types, that means third bed from the floor up. It was known as the....the.....rooster and donkey rack, yeah that's it.Think about it. What is another word for rooster and donkey? I cleaned it up just in case my mother decides to read this.  

I was aboard the USS Peleliu as a Marine back in 1997. Our ship's Captain did not allow us to participate in normal Naval traditions like becoming a shell back. In Naval tradition inexperienced Sailors and Marines are called "polliwogs" and once they sail across the Equator for the first time they are welcomed with a coming of age ceremony, a full day of merciful hazing and earn the right to be called "shell backs". The same Captain had cancelled our trip to Australia yet another Naval tradition. The ship's moral dropped so low that the crew was talking about having him relived of his duties. The Captain was forced to reroute the ship and we landed in Darwin, Australia. The northern most point in Australia. We landed their just to say we stopped in Australia. The experience was far from the stories we had heard from landing in Perth or Sydney. We had no welcome parties waiting for us, no music or fireworks, no women banging on the ship's hull waiting for liberty to be sounded so they could catch themselves an American Sailor or Marine.

Troop morale is very important. I always used to tell my Marines that a happy Marine was a good Marine. It's always easier for you to expect someone to do something for you when they like you, like jump in front of a bullet for you. You think that someone who dislikes you would do that for you? According to reports Captain Honors was liked very much by his crew. Some have even come out publicly in his defense. I know if he was my Captain I would have done the same. I wish he would have been the XO on our ship when I was out at sea. All we had to watch was movies that were about ten years old or other "alternatives" to mainstream movies. That gets old after the first month out at sea.

Thanks to YouTube you can enjoy more of Captain Honors' "lewd" videos. Yes they were a little raunchy but there was nothing illegal or unethical shown on the videos. For those who complain about how his videos insult one group or another, I can honestly say he offended groups from the port and starboard side. So stop complaining about it. Do what the video told you to do and go hug yourself. Or do me a favor, volunteer to go on a Naval ship for six months then tell me what you think about the videos.

But for now, I think this video addresses the issue best. Another Naval tradition., a Marine stepping up and defending a Sailor when he needs it. 

Charlie Garza Will Take On Eliot Shapleigh

Recently elected Republican Charlie Garza will not be waiting very long before he stirs up some controversy. People within his camp tell me that Charlie Garza will publicly challenge former Senator Eliot Shapleigh on his accusations against Bowie High School and the EPISD shortly after taking his oath as the newest member of the Texas School Board of Education. The Garza camp claims to have two separate reports by the TEA that show their findings after a thorough investigation into the matter. What's the catch? Shapleigh received both reports and still, with thefindings in hand, went on his publicity stunt on television.

Most people are probably asking why is Shapleigh going through all of this? Someone from the outside looking in would say that he is doing it for "La Gente". But some on the inside tell me it is for other reasons. (I was talking to someone inside a building so technically I can say I spoke to an insider.) Rumor says that Shapleigh is going all out against the EPISD because the district did not hire someone he had recommended for an administrator's position in the district.

What? All this because his "friend" wasn't GIVEN the job in a highly competitive market? Is he not paying attention to the public corruption scandals? Looks like it's a bad case of "GOD" complex if you ask me  now he wants the EPISD to feel the wrath of Shapleigh. Now like I said before, this was information given to me by an "insider", for what ever that is worth.

I wonder how Shapleigh will react to the public display of these reports? Will he admit that he was wrong? Or will he keep arguing even if though he is wrong like the lawyer that he is?

SSSS:

Rumor says Shapleigh will be given a new award that will be named in his honor. The "Falta" award will be given to those who work so hard to show the lack of testicular fortitude to admit they are wrong. To those who lack integrity and honor. To those who lack the courage to do the right thing and to those who are not committed to serving the people. It will be the first award of its kind. But I have been told that the nominations committee has many names waiting for the award.

Charlie Garza Invite

You are cordially invited to attend

The Investiture of

Carlos “Charlie” Garza

As a member of The Texas State Board of Education

And

The administration of the oath of office

The Honorable Bill Hicks

243^rd District Court Judge

To administer the oath of Office

Tuesday, January 11^th 2011 at 5:30 pm

EPISD Board Room

6531 Boeing Drive, El Paso, TX 79925

Charlie Garza Swearing In Ceremony

Charlie Garza will be holding his swearing in ceremony on Tuesday January 11th at the El Paso Independent School District offices. Rumor says he will be addressing a controversial issue that has been all over the local news that involves a former member of the Texas senate. Stay tuned. More information coming soon!

El Paso LNRC 2010 Year In Review