HOT TOPICS: HAVE SINGLE-AGENDA MEETINGS

Both El Paso City Council and County Commissioners Court should
strongly consider holding special one-topic meetings for high-interest
agenda items. Otherwise, some regularly scheduled weekly meetings drag
on and on for well over four or more hours.

That's not orderly business, as it should be, in matters concerning El
Paso. That's just plain drudgery for anyone with business before the
council or the court that day.

Such was the case Tuesday at City Hall when speaker after speaker ...
after speaker rose to address council on the hot-button topic of
legalizing narcotics as a possible way to break the backs of the drug
cartels who now rule over Juarez.

Council had previously voted 8-0 to ask the federal government to
openly discuss the possibility of lifting the prohibition on drugs.
Mayor John Cook vetoed the vote, and Tuesday, council was to vote on
overriding the veto or sustaining it. The City Council voted to
sustain the veto, thus is it is now a moot point.

That single topic on the day's agenda was debated for more than three
hours.

As it is, regular weekly meetings, with no items stirring large public
debate, often last four or more hours.

And, as it was, many people sat for several hours before their
three-hour-plus agenda item came up.

This was a good opportunity to schedule a special meeting. It could
have been held during an evening when more people would have had the
opportunity to attend.