Welcome to El Paso and good luck Coach Scotty Walden, family: Letter to the Editor

Scotty Walden was introduced as the new UTEP head football coach on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at a press conference at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center on campus.
Scotty Walden was introduced as the new UTEP head football coach on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at a press conference at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center on campus.

Welcome and good luck coach Scotty Walden, family

Welcome to El Paso, welcome to UTEP, Scotty Walden and his wife and son.

Here's wishing new Miners' head football coach the best of luck in his new endeavor. His personality, attitude and enthusiasm show through. UTEP has been waiting a long time for a young, energetic coach to take Los Mineros to a respectable height.

Go Miners!

Carlos Castillo

Sunland Park, NM

More: El Paso City Council rejects call to pull commercial traffic from Bridge of the Americas

Not in my neighborhood

I wonder how Mayor Oscar Leeser, council representatives Brian Kennedy, Cassandra Hernandez, Joe Molinar, Isabel Salcido, Art Fierro and Henry Rivera would vote if commercial trucks were idling in their neighborhoods for hours? I have a solution, no property tax assessments for the affected neighbors until a solution is reached. They will need the money for medical expenses!

Marilyn A. Spivey

East El Paso

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America needs the right leader

We are reaching not just the breaking point but the point of no return. It is going to be a battle. A voting battle for the soul of America. The country is divided, we have a choice to make.

Do we keep going in the direction we have for the past three years of chaos, crime, inflation, weakness, immigration invasion and injustice? Or do we keep the America we have loved for 247 years of security, energy, independence, prosperity, liberty, constitutional morals, sovereignty, freedom, true justice, faith, unity and strength?

America needs the right leader. We must search our soul and conscience to make the right choice.

Samuel Mancillas

West Central El Paso

Failure to Appear Program unwise

It is frustrating to watch El Paso’s continued use of the state’s Failure to Appear/Pay Program (FTAP), which blocks El Pasoans from prosperity by placing holds on their drivers’ licenses if they have unpaid court debt. Because a valid driver’s license is often needed for obtaining and keeping a job, this program prohibits residents from contributing to the regional economy. It can also force people to drive without a valid license if they have no other option.The supposed goal of the FTAP program is to incentivize appearance in court and encourage people to pay off court debt. But this program prohibits people from getting to work to pay off these debts. It is an unwise use of public resources.

I urge lawmakers in El Paso to end the use of this program and replace it with something that works for the city’s residents. Research shows measures such as text message reminder systems are more effective in increasing compliance and court appearance. Reminder systems are used effectively in a variety of industries (e.g., health care, beauty, restaurants), so why don’t we use them in the courts, too?If the El Paso is truly committed to building a vibrant economy for its residents, it must exit the FTAP Program and support other alternatives that will allow all El Pasoans to succeed.

Cole Meyer

Austin, Texas

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Welcome to El Paso Coach Scotty Walden, family: Letter to the Editor

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