And now for the losers...
El Paso County Sheriff's Officers' Association
You know up until Election Day I thought most of the employees were anti-Wiles. But as I made my way around the county from polling place to polling place and I spoke with poll-sitters, it was then I realized that a lot of them were deputies and their families. The union made it sound like "all the badges" were against him.
The EPCSOA are the undisputed champions of losers in this election not just because how incredibly bad they lost the election, but on how they did it. At first the reaction in the labor community was confusion as to why a labor organization would support a Republican in the first place. But eventually that turned into anger as the election wore on because the sheriff's union and municipal police union supporting a Republican ultimately undermines the rest of the labor unions in town.
This election is an opportunity for the union to take a long hard look in the mirror at what they have been doing the last few years. The new administration in the union actually managed to do even worse than the previous administration in elections. Fellas, let me kick it to you real for a minute...you wasted a lot of hard-earned dues money on backing the wrong candidate in the wrong election. Membership should be really upset with how their money was handled in this election.
It wasn't just losing that was bad for the union, it was the manner in which many of the membership - certainly not all - conducted themselves in this election. President Horstman needs to call some of his guys on the carpet for their conduct. It got ugly. It got personal. And if Horstman did anything about the conduct of his membership, its a big damn secret. Some of his guys were harassing Wiles supporters. One of his guys was texting his ex-wife and really berating her for supporting Wiles (Horstman, if you want the screenshots just let me know). But the thing that really made the union look bad was feeding filth to an online outlet that can't even spell the word sheriff correctly. I mean it got really ugly and there was apparently no one telling them to behave.
Now that really wouldn't matter if it weren't for the fact that President Horstman sent out this sponsored Facebook post after the election that calls on the sheriff to be professional before he calls on his own guys to be professional. He apparently hasn't seen his boy Marco Camarillo all over Facebook during this election.
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I'm sure Sheriff Wiles will be professional with the EPSCOA. But I think the EPSCOA needs to understand an important political lesson. Elections have consequences and when you spend thousands of dollars trashing an opponent, and then lose, don't expect that opponent to think very highly of your organization.
Had you guys taken Wiles on in a primary election and had a candidate with an ounce of experience in law enforcement, I probably wouldn't have made a peep. I finally got to meet Mr. Buchino on election day in Tornillo. Nice man. Very cordial and polite and it turns out, we've chewed some of the same dirt in the Army.
He simply wasn't a good candidate. He wasn't qualified. You guys went shopping for a candidate instead of letting qualified candidates come to you, vetting the properly, and having a plan for how money was going to be spent for maximum result.
But worst of all, and its really magnified by the Facebook post, is that the EPCSOA made it personal with Wiles and dragged even his family into it. That is a mortal sin in politics, you don't drag non-combatants into the field of fire and you most certainly never, I mean EVER bring kids into the fight. So when you have the conduct of some - certainly not all - of your members, coupled with bringing the Sheriff's kid into the mix, its pretty hypocritical to be calling on professionalism from the sheriff.
Not to mention all the money you guys spent to buy a new guy to sign your labor contract. Time for a serious internal conversation about how you guys handle your political activities. I don't know how much longer your membership will tolerate the EPCSOA blowing their hard earned dues like has been the norm for the last several years.
The Anti-Bond Crowd
I don't live in EPISD but would have voted against it if I could have so I would have to include myself in this one.
But the James No-Bond guy should have reported his expenses and is open to a fine for not doing so. In addition to one being sexist and one being anti-semitic, his one-man advertising show certainly passed the $500 threshold.
Daniel Lopez - that guy jumped in front of the cameras when there was a photo op to be had and then basically campaign against the bond as well as he campaign for his city council bid. Show horse, not a work horse.
AFT Union Boss Ross Moore - Never in my years of being around local politics have I seen a guy on the winning side of an election burn more bridges with people. Seriously. Oh, and so much for your promise to the membership that Forma wasn't going to be involved.
Jaime Barceleau
The guy is an announced candidate for city council, uses the EPISD bond to overtly further his political career and then...wait for it...
the bond loses in his own precinct!
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Its hilarious to me that he couldn't deliver his own precinct, of which he JUST became precinct chair, to the cause.
Assorted Valley Losers
There are a lot of big loses in this election cycle of races in the valley but I'll lump them together for the sake of context.
Jack Alayyan who is the general manager for Lower Valley Water, his biggest ally is gone and the make-up of the board is now different. This will get interesting down there.
Lorenza Fraire - the former Socorro City Manager who was let go under the administration of the new Mayor-elect and then City Rep Gloria Rodriguez tried to get three of her candidates elected. She was looking for a majority on council so that she could be hired back at the City of Socorro as City Manager again. Only one of her candidates got elected, so so much for her failed coup. I bet she was madder than the people on the Make Fabens White Again page following the election.
Honorable Mentions
Marco Camarillo from the Sheriff's union...that guy would tag me every day in some video or post about Buchino. Since the election, its been nothing but crickets.
Jaime O. Perez loses again. Not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination but its now gotten to the point that his supposed running for elections to force a debate on issues isn't even true anymore. No one even pays attention anymore.
El Paso County Sheriff's Officers' Association
You know up until Election Day I thought most of the employees were anti-Wiles. But as I made my way around the county from polling place to polling place and I spoke with poll-sitters, it was then I realized that a lot of them were deputies and their families. The union made it sound like "all the badges" were against him.
The EPCSOA are the undisputed champions of losers in this election not just because how incredibly bad they lost the election, but on how they did it. At first the reaction in the labor community was confusion as to why a labor organization would support a Republican in the first place. But eventually that turned into anger as the election wore on because the sheriff's union and municipal police union supporting a Republican ultimately undermines the rest of the labor unions in town.
This election is an opportunity for the union to take a long hard look in the mirror at what they have been doing the last few years. The new administration in the union actually managed to do even worse than the previous administration in elections. Fellas, let me kick it to you real for a minute...you wasted a lot of hard-earned dues money on backing the wrong candidate in the wrong election. Membership should be really upset with how their money was handled in this election.
It wasn't just losing that was bad for the union, it was the manner in which many of the membership - certainly not all - conducted themselves in this election. President Horstman needs to call some of his guys on the carpet for their conduct. It got ugly. It got personal. And if Horstman did anything about the conduct of his membership, its a big damn secret. Some of his guys were harassing Wiles supporters. One of his guys was texting his ex-wife and really berating her for supporting Wiles (Horstman, if you want the screenshots just let me know). But the thing that really made the union look bad was feeding filth to an online outlet that can't even spell the word sheriff correctly. I mean it got really ugly and there was apparently no one telling them to behave.
Now that really wouldn't matter if it weren't for the fact that President Horstman sent out this sponsored Facebook post after the election that calls on the sheriff to be professional before he calls on his own guys to be professional. He apparently hasn't seen his boy Marco Camarillo all over Facebook during this election.
I'm sure Sheriff Wiles will be professional with the EPSCOA. But I think the EPSCOA needs to understand an important political lesson. Elections have consequences and when you spend thousands of dollars trashing an opponent, and then lose, don't expect that opponent to think very highly of your organization.
Had you guys taken Wiles on in a primary election and had a candidate with an ounce of experience in law enforcement, I probably wouldn't have made a peep. I finally got to meet Mr. Buchino on election day in Tornillo. Nice man. Very cordial and polite and it turns out, we've chewed some of the same dirt in the Army.
He simply wasn't a good candidate. He wasn't qualified. You guys went shopping for a candidate instead of letting qualified candidates come to you, vetting the properly, and having a plan for how money was going to be spent for maximum result.
But worst of all, and its really magnified by the Facebook post, is that the EPCSOA made it personal with Wiles and dragged even his family into it. That is a mortal sin in politics, you don't drag non-combatants into the field of fire and you most certainly never, I mean EVER bring kids into the fight. So when you have the conduct of some - certainly not all - of your members, coupled with bringing the Sheriff's kid into the mix, its pretty hypocritical to be calling on professionalism from the sheriff.
Not to mention all the money you guys spent to buy a new guy to sign your labor contract. Time for a serious internal conversation about how you guys handle your political activities. I don't know how much longer your membership will tolerate the EPCSOA blowing their hard earned dues like has been the norm for the last several years.
The Anti-Bond Crowd
I don't live in EPISD but would have voted against it if I could have so I would have to include myself in this one.
But the James No-Bond guy should have reported his expenses and is open to a fine for not doing so. In addition to one being sexist and one being anti-semitic, his one-man advertising show certainly passed the $500 threshold.
Daniel Lopez - that guy jumped in front of the cameras when there was a photo op to be had and then basically campaign against the bond as well as he campaign for his city council bid. Show horse, not a work horse.
AFT Union Boss Ross Moore - Never in my years of being around local politics have I seen a guy on the winning side of an election burn more bridges with people. Seriously. Oh, and so much for your promise to the membership that Forma wasn't going to be involved.
Jaime Barceleau
The guy is an announced candidate for city council, uses the EPISD bond to overtly further his political career and then...wait for it...
the bond loses in his own precinct!
Its hilarious to me that he couldn't deliver his own precinct, of which he JUST became precinct chair, to the cause.
Assorted Valley Losers
There are a lot of big loses in this election cycle of races in the valley but I'll lump them together for the sake of context.
Jack Alayyan who is the general manager for Lower Valley Water, his biggest ally is gone and the make-up of the board is now different. This will get interesting down there.
Lorenza Fraire - the former Socorro City Manager who was let go under the administration of the new Mayor-elect and then City Rep Gloria Rodriguez tried to get three of her candidates elected. She was looking for a majority on council so that she could be hired back at the City of Socorro as City Manager again. Only one of her candidates got elected, so so much for her failed coup. I bet she was madder than the people on the Make Fabens White Again page following the election.
Honorable Mentions
Marco Camarillo from the Sheriff's union...that guy would tag me every day in some video or post about Buchino. Since the election, its been nothing but crickets.
Jaime O. Perez loses again. Not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination but its now gotten to the point that his supposed running for elections to force a debate on issues isn't even true anymore. No one even pays attention anymore.