Lets Walk

The streets of El Paso are familiar to me.  I have always enjoyed walking, running and biking through the city.   Much has changed, I cant walk, run or bike through the city and somethings have changed.

Down the valley, we have irrigation and west nile virus. Irrigation provides a place for mosquitoes to spread, mosquitoes carry disease and when they take a bite out of you they inject the West Nile Virus.   Luckily some people only get sick, but some people die.  The sick ones are not prepared for the lengthily and debilitating  illness that they will have to bare.  It is a catastrophic illness and families will have to break their marranitos to get by.

With our schools in a state of academic under performance, there is a lack of picale more of a si dios quiere.  In short, it is not very likely that educational intervention will be forthcoming.  The media has taken on part of this role, and the county health another.   So now we spray the areas where standing water is a problem and cancel baseball games at the park.

FYI, West Nile Virus is here to stay, and some strategic and tactical planning is in order.  For xample; if your home is located around Ascarate Lake, youve got a problem, your homes have just gone down in value.....so dont think you can sell them and move away.  The city and county government, have been hijacked by the rich and powerful, and your money is going to pay for a new ball park, and debt.

You will find no relief from the taxman, so what if you have to spend on more bug spray, screens, medical exams.  Your taxes are going up for failure to anticipate the natural disasters and not having a disaster fund in place.  Yes you can call the federal government ..... yes, declare yourselves a disaster area thats the way to go.  Now your homes will be worth even less.

Suddenly the weather has taken a front row seat.  Do we water, when and where?  Do we allow all those homes in the valley to irrigate and contribute to the problem.  Or do we forget about it and play ball.  The Hunts and Fosters of the world do not care ..... they will buy your run down homes and replace them with trailers.  

The county will spray in the public areas and some private, or they will put up some signs that say, West Nile Viruses Free Zone.  Your health care cost will go up, because you will have to pay for the foreigners that get sick.  And all you under-employed and unemployed without health insurance will not receive care.

Down the valley many of the homes have huge gates, like in Mexico and Honduras, the steel gates are closed.   Maybe they have livestock they have to keep in. But it isnt just gates, the entire properties are fenced off.  

So let me summarize, you are infested with mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus, you need gallons of mosquito spray, the city and county will spray and try not to breath because it could be a carcinogen, your taxes are going up, your property values are going down.  Along comes the Hunt and Foster cavalry and put up a baseball field  and do this with the blessing of city and county government.    Your schools are substandard, the drug war is causing you some apprehension, but you dont want your children to leave and you want more industry.

I can see that some of these people coming here will be a little reluctant, they want hazardous duty pay.  No doubt we should light a candle to our public officials for taking care of us.