Sports Writer with El Paso (Texas) Times,

This...truth...thing. It's a powerful little thing.

 

Most of the violence is across the border in Juarez, where 6,500 people have been killed in the last three years. It's almost all been drug and gang related, although a number of innocents have gotten caught up in the crossfire as well.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/29/world/la-fg-mexico-arrest-20101129

The border between EP and Juarez is not pretty, but it's not a garden spot in any border town I've visited. There is a lot to like about EP. Unlike most of Texas, there are some nearby mountains that are quite nice. Green chile is right up the road in NM. Plenty of nice areas to live. Warm weather w/out the crushing humidity. And if you like living on the edge, take a trip across the line. There are plenty of worse places to be.

 

El Paso is a town that does have to deal with the effect of the ongoing drug wars in Mexico, yes. But generally speaking, people on this side of the border aren't fearing for their lives. In fact, I'd feel much safer hanging out near an El Paso border crossing than I would in Houston's Fifth Ward. That's just me.

Cost of living is low, and if the drug wars calm to make Mexico trips safer, the cost of living can be even lower, if you are willing to cross the border to buy a lot of goods. So 30-35K can indeed go a good way in El Paso. You won't get rich, but you'll be fine.

That being said, as much as I like my home state, I'm not a big fan of El Paso either. But I'm not really into much of West Texas.

The bad thing about this gig is that playoff games can often mean long, long road trips that take you to lands of nothingness. (In class 5A, the state's largest class, District 1 is all El Paso; District 2, which would compete against District 1 in the first round playoff games, is Lubbock and Amarillo...El Paso to Lubbock is about 350 miles). And if an El Paso team makes a nice run and actually makes a state championship in the Austin area, it's close to a 600 mile trip.
(The Pacific Ocean is closer to El Paso than the Easternmost part of the Texas is, and I believe the closest major sports team is the Arizona Cardinals)

The good thing though is that El Paso schools are usually one and done (or two and done) in most sports in the playoffs, so you won't have to deal with those long trips often.

This can be a decent job for some, but before you go, definitely consider the isolation and the area before you take it, for yourself and for the paper's sake.

 

Right on both counts. West Texas is essentially a different state, and the closest teams are in Phoenix/Glendale. A good job for the right person, but I'm not that man.

 

El Paso was recently voted America's safest big city.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_16711366

 

How much time have you spent in El Paso, or any other border city?

I would hope you understand what you're talking about -- the location, the people, the culture -- before you start spouting off Faux News bullet points.

When I look in the mirror, I see someone that people like you often make broad-sweeping, incorrect assumptions about.

 

So, what can someone say about the job?

 

That wasn't why the job wouldn't be for me. I just didn't enjoy El Paso when I was down there. I found the town boring and had no desire to go back. Other people might enjoy it, but I am not a good fit for El Paso.

 

Yeah, but why let the facts get in the way of a lame rant about illegal immigration, giving you a chance to repeat a bogus talking point from some talk radio asshat?

All that aside, the job is intriguing. I speak Spanish, and I've worked in a Txeas border town, and $30-35,000 in Texas might give me a shot at having one job for a change. I may have to give it a shot.

 

Hey Dave, give it a shot. I'm seriously giving it a thought as well since the freelance market is pretty much gonzo. I knew somebody who was in the shop fairly recently and he had good things to say about it.

 

Didn't this paper recently have an opening for (and hire) a Sports Ed? Did someone leave because of the new SE, or does anyone know if they're making changes through the sports department?

As far as the so-called dangers, I have relatives who live in El Paso and on the other side of the border in Juarez. The ones who live in Mexico are Americans and come into the US for their jobs. They're not all that concerned about the border violence.

Just like when I was in Tijuana several months ago. You stay out of the bad areas and use common sense.

 

Not to discount the value of common sense, but the stats for El Paso are entirely misleading. My buddy is a cop in the area and he recently told me that anything that happens within a mile of the border is chalked up to border violence and not reported as a city crime. Needless to say this skews El Paso's numbers.

But like has been said, if you exercise common sense you can pretty much steer clear of the ongoing drug war crap.