CITY REPS JUMP SHIP: 'THREAT' LETTERS SEEM TO HAVE WORKED

In one of its more interesting recent meetings, City Council on
Tuesday upheld Mayor John Cook's veto of a resolution that would
have, among other things, called for a debate on the legalization of
drugs. A week ago, council voted 8-0 to support the resolution.
Tuesday's vote was 4-4, not reaching the 6-2 that was necessary to
overturn the veto. So, the resolution was voted down, as we think it
should have been.

But it raises an interesting point or two.

The four city reps who jumped off the unanimity bandwagon and voted
for the mayor make up an unusual band of partners for Cook. Emma
Acosta, Melina Castro, Rachel Quintana and Eddie Holguin are an
unlikely coterie of soulmates for the mayor. Why did those particular
reps not stick with their principles?

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, sent City Council members a
letter implying, though carefully not specifying, that economic
stimulus money for El Paso could be endangered by the resolution's approval.

OK, how would that happen? How much would it or could it involve? Or
was this just a vague threat?

Similarly, El Paso's five Texas House representatives sent a letter
to the council saying state money for local law enforcement and other
programs could be jeopardized if the resolution gained approval.
State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh refused to sign the letter.

So were the four city reps scared, intimidated, stampeded into
changing their votes? What made them back off from their principles?

South-West city Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who crafted the contentious
portion of the resolution, called the letters "threats" without any
substantive backup.

That sure seems to be the case.