Prop. 4 passes: Amendment to help UTEP become research power

Texas will add 11 amendments to its constitution. Voters throughout the state Tuesday night approved amendments that would help boost the number of nationally recognized research universities, limit eminent domain power, create uniform appraisal standards and allow cities to sell bonds and buy land to prevent encroachment on military installations.

[how cool]

I voted because there are many other universities who are really close to it and can make it. Texas is too big to only have 1-2 Tier 1 in the entire system. UT system needs at least 5 more for a state this size. The other cities are bigger than Austin yet didn't have the advantage of being located in the Capitol city to get the designation. Maybe if UTEP did something to recruit and retain more quality doctorate degrees it wouldn't be so far behind.

[OutInTheWestTexa sTown]

WOW, less than a four percent turn-out. I guess we will have fewer posts from now on. If you voted, like how cool and I did then you have a right to complain otherwise keep quiet!

[Sinaloa]

Hooray! Way to go El Paso.

[Jerome]

Well so much for that idea....notice she states: "El Pasoans will have to work together" It's difficult to work together when so many people there work so hard to pull others down, LOL, dont deny it, you know its true....

"UTEP President Diana Natalicio said the amendment's passage marks another stage in the university's development." "She said El Pasoans will have to work together to help UTEP meet the criteria."

[free your mind]

how cool wrote:

I voted because there are many other universities who are really close to it and can make it. Texas is too big to only have 1-2 Tier 1 in the entire system. UT system needs at least 5 more for a state this size. The other cities are bigger than Austin yet didn't have the advantage of being located in the Capitol city to get the designation. Maybe if UTEP did something to recruit and retain more quality doctorate degrees it wouldn't be so far behind.

that's the problem, UTEP can't retain the talent to get doctoral degrees. most leave as soon as they get an opportunity out of town. it can be done, but it is not going to be easy becoming a tier 1 school. this was a good amendment for Texas, not for El Paso.

[free your mind]

OutInTheWestTexasTown wrote:

WOW, less than a four percent turn-out. I guess we will have fewer posts from now on. If you voted, like how cool and I did then you have a right to complain otherwise keep quiet!

would you have expected anything less? EPT is a sit back and tell us what to do city.

[Gunslinger915]

free your mind wrote:

<quoted text>
that's the problem, UTEP can't retain the talent to get doctoral degrees. most leave as soon as they get an opportunity out of town. it can be done, but it is not going to be easy becoming a tier 1 school. this was a good amendment for Texas, not for El Paso.

The major problem is, that many, most(??) students at UTEP have to basically start from the beginning with the English language and even reading comprehension. "Juan is in college, but he can't read". Other students say that many, most(??) students from Mexico, sit back and wait for the Professors, instructors, other students to pull them along. Otherwise, it's just an excuse to be in the U.S. without doing much of anything. But then IF they can get a football scholarship, don't have to worry about the acedemics.

[MES]

I'm glad amendment # 4 on the ballot passed. That is the main reason I went to vote. I however have two questions:

1) Since the money is already in a fund waiting to be spent, why would anyone vote against it?

2) I read the amendments in the Sunday Times and they were easy to understand, so I already knew how I was going to vote for each amendment. I thought of taking the list with me, however I changed my mind thinking that the amendments would read exactly as they did in the newspaper. Thank God I read them before because they were hard to understand at the boot. They use so many double negatives that its difficult to understand whether you should vote yes or no. Why do they word issues like this? Are they trying to confuse the voter so that they get an intended result?

[Gunslinger915]

MES wrote:

I'm glad amendment # 4 on the ballot passed. That is the main reason I went to vote. I however have two questions:
1) Since the money is already in a fund waiting to be spent, why would anyone vote against it?
2) I read the amendments in the Sunday Times and they were easy to understand, so I already knew how I was going to vote for each amendment. I thought of taking the list with me, however I changed my mind thinking that the amendments would read exactly as they did in the newspaper. Thank God I read them before because they were hard to understand at the boot. They use so many double negatives that its difficult to understand whether you should vote yes or no. Why do they word issues like this? Are they trying to confuse the voter so that they get an intended result?

Guess that many people didn't know that the money was already in a fund, somewhere. I didn't. I never go along because of a "recommendation, endorsement" from the Times or anyone else. But I did take the list with me and had already marked them, knew how was going to vote. And you are right about voting in El Paso. For some reason, the least of which is to CONFUSE the voters or the issues, the wording on the issue is ALWAYS worded wrong or confusing. "You" think that you voted "AGAINST", but you voted "FOR". After thinking about the issue, "you" decided to vote "yes", but you actually voted "no". Wonder who writes this stuff?? Can you imagine what goes on with Absentee voting?? Little voter fraud here and there, maybe?

[free your mind]

Gunslinger915 wrote:

<quoted text> The major problem is, that many, most(??) students at UTEP have to basically start from the beginning with the English language and even reading comprehension. "Juan is in college, but he can't read". Other students say that many, most(??) students from Mexico, sit back and wait for the Professors, instructors, other students to pull them along. Otherwise, it's just an excuse to be in the U.S. without doing much of anything. But then IF they can get a football scholarship, don't have to worry about the acedemics.

what is your issue with Mexicans getting a degree from UTEP? sure they do not all speak clear English or have an accent, but many are trying to assimilate to the language and American culture. you think it is easy to try and do that? do you have a degree? i am going to assume you do not, so someone with a lack of education should not attack people at least trying to educate themselves.

[Gunslinger915]

free your mind wrote:

<quoted text>
what is your issue with Mexicans getting a degree from UTEP? sure they do not all speak clear English or have an accent, but many are trying to assimilate to the language and American culture. you think it is easy to try and do that? do you have a degree? i am going to assume you do not, so someone with a lack of education should not attack people at least trying to educate themselves.

You assume an awful lot for someone who don't know much. I would dazzle you with my B.S. Degreee, but I won't. The Mexican students are an EXCEPTION because they are here. They are GIVEN advantages over other students, U.S. Citizen students. And why is that?? Because they CANNOT meet the same standards as the other students. The standards, requirements are LOWER at UTEP than for other University of Texas schools. IF you are in California, then I would think that Citizen students are faced with the same discriminatory standards there.

[El Paso People]

Yeah sure, but how much is this going to cost to tax payers?

[MES]

El Paso People wrote:

Yeah sure, but how much is this going to cost to tax payers?

It's not going to cost anything. The money is sitting in a fund who's moneys haven't been used. The important issue is WILL UTEP qualify. Read the amendment.

[appaling]

UTEP needs 150 million more in expenditures to qualify and 150 more doctorates awarded. They have a lOOOONG way to go. They are 4 or 5th in line after the bigger schools.

[El Paso People]

Yeah right the fund money just magically appeared by it self. It's TAX MONEY!!!

It is not going to cost anything, it already cost us!!!

[UTEPo]

This school is hardly w/in approachable distance to being a well respected educational institution.

You can hardly blame this on the mexicans. Your school is the place for mexican Fresas to come and purchase a degree. This is no mystery to anyone and is not new.

Put out better students and your reputation will change. Don't expect to simply vote it into a higher level education facility.

And money is not available. Money comes from the taxes that you all are willing to pay. Why would you be willing to pay more taxes to simply ship students out of state?

Keep dreaming.

[Gunslinger915]

UTEPo wrote:

This school is hardly w/in approachable distance to being a well respected educational institution.
You can hardly blame this on the mexicans. Your school is the place for mexican Fresas to come and purchase a degree. This is no mystery to anyone and is not new.
Put out better students and your reputation will change. Don't expect to simply vote it into a higher level education facility.
And money is not available. Money comes from the taxes that you all are willing to pay. Why would you be willing to pay more taxes to simply ship students out of state?
Keep dreaming.

And there it all is, explained in one nice little package.

[shayne]

UTEPo wrote:

This school is hardly w/in approachable distance to being a well respected educational institution.
You can hardly blame this on the mexicans. Your school is the place for mexican Fresas to come and purchase a degree. This is no mystery to anyone and is not new.
Put out better students and your reputation will change. Don't expect to simply vote it into a higher level education facility.
And money is not available. Money comes from the taxes that you all are willing to pay. Why would you be willing to pay more taxes to simply ship students out of state?
Keep dreaming.

the comments regarding the education of mexican citizens being a hinderance to UTEP is profoundly ignorant. To assert that one is inferior due to their origin of residency is a concrete example of how nationalistic ideals blind those making such an argument. UTEP prides its self on its diverse student body. While you may think you will be protected within your confined U.S. borders you fail to see that we are human beings first and citizens of our respected countries second. If Mexico is given the ability to have a higher percentage of educated individuals that will have a lasting long term effect that will eventually help to develop that country. While you may see "Frescas coming to buy degrees" I see individuals with infinite potential coming to El Paso to better themselves, their families, their country and eventually this planet. I am proud of the strides that the University of Texas, El Paso has made as an educational university. While it may not be prestigious like UT Austin, it is still making a worthy contribution to society.

[DarkMan]

Hey Shayne u obviously have never sat in a class with juareno fresas. UTEPo is spot on. These pos sit in the back of the class and compare each others answers and are the rudest pos to boot. So yeah u don't know what u are talking about in regards to juareno trash. They need to keep these guys in Mexico and let them attend one of their own universities. It is bull s h it how we have to give these international students certain priorities. What angers me the most is how these juarenos sit in class and brag about how they are going to buy tv's with their financial aid refund.

[MES]

El Paso People wrote:

Yeah right the fund money just magically appeared by it self. It's TAX MONEY!!!
It is not going to cost anything, it already cost us!!!

YES, since it already cost us, lets try to get our share.