CITY SPENDS $41,272 ON LEGAL BILLS DEFENDING “ILLEGAL TAX”
Former State Rep. Joe Pickett sued the City of El Paso in October 2020 for charging an illicit fee on our water bills that funds an eight-figure slush fund. He…
ATTORNEY GENERAL RULES CITY MUST RELEASE DOCUMENTATION FOR COST OF ITS LITIGATION AGAINST JOE PICKETT TO GROSSMAN
On July 20, 2026, former state Rep. Joe Pickett, who filed a lawsuit more than six years ago challenging El Paso’s environmental franchise fee, prevailed in the 8th Court of…
JOE PICKETT PREVAILS IN COURT, CITY FRANCHISE FEE IS AN ILLEGAL TAX!
Former State Representative Joe Pickett filed a lawsuit against the City of El Paso in October 2020 for illegally charging water customers a franchise fee that constitutes an illegal tax.…
INTERVIEW WITH JOE PICKETT, FORMER TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Former Texas House Rep. Joe Pickett is suing the City of El Paso because it levies illegal taxes on our water bills. Unless the City settles the case and makes…
ADAM POWELL REPORTS ON CITY’S $30 MILLION SLUSH FUND
“I’m not suing for a million dollars for Joe Pickett. I’m suing for all taxpayers in El Paso. I just want some accountability for these fees.” –Joe Pickett, Former State…
EL CHUQUEÑO SPEAKS TO JOE PICKETT ABOUT THE CITY’S $30 MILLION “SLUSH FUND”
Rich Wright of El Chuqueño has started a new podcast and his first guests were former Texas Rep. Joe Pickett and me. We discussed the City’s $30 million slush fund,…
CITY USING “FRANCHISE FEE” ON OUR WATER BILLS AS A SLUSH FUND
If you pay a monthly water bill like I do, you will notice a tax levied by the Environmental Services Department (ESD) of the City of El Paso. I have…
OLIGARCHY LOSING GRIP ON POWER IN EL PASO
The Oligarchy is losing its grip on power in El Paso. The first sign that the tide turned against them was Ricardo Samaniego’s victory over John Cook in his race…
JOE PICKETT’S STREETCAR
Joe Pickett’s PCC streetcar no. 1510 has more ridership than the City’s trolleys! I mean, there were three of us inside his streetcar this afternoon, which is more than you…
CITY COUNCIL VOTES 6-2 TO OVERRIDE MAYOR’S VETO OF $96M IN NON-VOTER-APPROVED DEBT
“Just like a credit card, just ’cause you have it, you don’t need to continue to continue to charge on it. Sooner or later that credit card’s gonna blow up…