#teampedro

I kind of want to focus on Sanji (he IS the main focus of this arc, after all - FINALLY) but there may are other opinions sprinkled throughout. 1. I really want Carrot to join the crew. Yes this is because she is female. She has an interesting power set, there’s a great theory involving Monet’s Devil Fruit and even if she doesn’t get a Devil Fruit she seems like she can hold her own and she uses Luffy as a chew toy. Also she is a bunny. How could I not want that in the crew? 2. Nami’s involvement in the rescue could be a great Thriller Bark paralell. I’m not the only one to notice there, but there’s a bunch of connections between the arcs - a forced wedding, possibly Lola and Big Mom being related, hey we even have not-evil Absalom hanging around in the form of Pedro (hashtag #TeamPedro). Now, granted, Luffy is going to need to play a big role, but we could have, for example, Nami be the first one on the scene screaming that she objects when the officiator asks if anyone objects or, if Pudding is a villain, maybe she will be Nami’s fight for the arc (and Sanji dies anyways because two beautiful women are literally fighting over him).  3. Sanji needs to grow the fuck up. I've mentioned before that I’ve wanted an arc where something bad happens to Sanji (I actually thought that the reason we didn’t see him and the Swirly Brow crew was because they’d been caught by Big Mom and was hoping for it . . . and I was damn close!) because, well, his nature has only gotten worse. It was funny in the earlier parts of the series, like in Baratie or Whiskey Peak, but it took a turn for the stupid in Thriller Bark (I am withholding judgement on the Califa/Enies Lobby thing pending further flashback information). Yes, the same scene I just referenced above. See, when Sanji initially went in for the rescue that was like, THE Sanji x Nami moment of the series - holy shit Sanji is holding Nami in a wedding dress and it’s CANON. And then Oda went and made Sanji more upset because he wanted the invisible fruit to peep on women . . . what? I mean, yes, he’s peeped before (Arabasta, anyone?) but so did most of the guys - I think Zoro was the only one who abstained. Then you had all the massively homophobic/transphobic stuff in Kamabaka Kingdom and, well, I’m still kind of pissed THAT didn’t teach him a lesson. “Hey, here’s a whole island of people who are going to treat you the way you treat most women - do you think there’s a lesson to be learned here?” Clearly he didn’t, but maybe now that he’s being used a pawn in Big Mom and Papa Vinsmoke’s greater plans, maybe he will.  4. Sanji’s situation is SCARY. I do not envy Sanji right now. He’s being told if he doesn’t do this thing, someone he loves will end up with their head in a box (although I would not be surprised if Zeff’s HANDS entered the equation - Sanji’s thing with his hands hasn’t come up for a while and it’s been barely touched upon in the series). He’s being forced to get married, of which there is a LOT of uncomfortable aspects to that. This would also take him away from All Blue, the whole reason he set out to sea in the first place. Then there’s Pudding herself, who seems way too good to be true (hashtag #TeamPedro) and if she is the three eyed girl, that's not good - the OP podcast discussed how three eyes characters in Japanese media tend to be evil (yes, YYH fandom, I understand you love Hiei but you have to concede he started out evil) and thematically it would symbolize that she’s hiding something - literally.  Seriously, I don’t get all the Sanji x Pudding stuff that’s cropped up - this wedding is being framed as a bad thing and I don’t see how Sanji and Pudding running off together fixes things as they would still be doing exactly what their parents want them to do. We cannot trust her at this time. Yes, I understand that she could end up being trustworthy in the end but right now, as I have said before, HASHTAG. #TEAMPEDRO. I don’t think Sanji understands he needs a rescue - oh don’t get me wrong, I think he understands he is in deep shit, that’s why he saved Nami and the other Swirly Brow crew. He isn’t stupid, he’s one of the smarter male Straw Hats. But something needs to happen to change his understanding of the situation and get him scared (if he isn’t already). Maybe Big Mom and Germa 66 have arranged for Zeff to attend the tea party as an “honored guest”. Maybe Pudding turns out to be really evil and does something that really creeps Sanji out. Maybe Big Mom captures Luffy and the others and this shakes his resolve. Maybe Nami tries to reason with him and he realizes shit, he can’t marry Pudding, what about his fiesty little navigator (and mind you, Nami has been pretty worked up about this whole arc, I’d be pissed if her role is minimal)?  This is Sanji’s Enies Lobby, and he hasn’t broken yet. A key part of a lot of these “Straw Hat leaves the crew” storylines involves a point where the Straw Hat in question just snaps because they can’t handle it anymore - not out of weakness, but out of exhaustion or frustration or fear. Nami didn’t ask Luffy to help her against Arlong because she was weak, she did it because she didn’t have anymore options and was actually in a WORSE position than when she started. Robin screaming she wanted to live wasn’t because she was weak, it was the first time she’d overcome years upon years of telling her that her existence was a sin. Oh, and we had the same thing with Vivi back in Arabasta - shut up about her “stop the fighting” moment, you put yourself through what she went through and see if you’re not on your last nerve.  (Note: I have not finished Dressrosa - I stopped checking on the series for a while because it was fight after fight after fight for a while, but I understand fans have taken issue with Rebecca. Other than her stupid outfit, I don’t have an opinion on her character’s breakdown because I haven’t seen it, but, again, she hasn’t exactly had it easy these past several years either).  Sanji’s been running from his family for at least ten years, and now he’s under their thumb (and at least 1 and 2 don’t give a shit about him or what he wants). Right now he’s trying to take care of it on his own to protect the crew - they’re his friends, he’s probably in love with Nami, and the thought of them getting hurt because of him is not something he’s going to stand for. The only thing that kind of bugs me is Zoro not coming along because, eh, he and Sanji could use some relationship development and it would have been good for our favorite cook to have seen that. “Wow even the shitty swordsman wants to rescue me? I’m touched”. They have him now. This could easily be “Robin is afraid of the Buster Call” levels of “oh shit”. 

by Christopher Michael Gonzalez

The morning of Saturday. May 30th marked a couple of historic firsts in my life. It was the first time I had ever been to a police station on my own accord, and it was the first time I had ever taken any interest in local politics. I sat in the small meeting room of the West Side Regional Command Center on Osborne street, maniacally eating the free Krispy Kreme doughuts the hosts so cordially provided. A few minutes before the debate, the crowd of merely 10 people swelled to a modest 30. As one would assume, with the exception of a couple members of the press, I was one of the youngest individuals in attendance. At the ripe age of 28, that says a lot.

You know all that horribly inconvenient roadwork that messes with your daily commute and never seems to end? That halfway built, whatever it is, in the park across the street? The library you take your kids to filled with cold empty steel shelves? All of the beautiful historic buildings and untapped potential downtown that has yet to truly come to fruition? I know at least some of you out there bring up these topics in conversation relatively often. My friends are always coming up with ideas for improving the overall quality of life here, and despite all of our talk, the ability to make some real change in El Paso starts in places like this one. With  debates held in school cafeteria style meeting halls at times in which no self respecting 20 something would ever dream of waking up on a Saturday.

The two candidates I was about to watch duke it out for City Council District 1 couldn’t be more different from one another. Al Weisenberger was born in Hope, Arkansas. After graduating from law school he served as an officer in the army during Vietnam. He moved to El Paso in 1972 and eventually became a successful business man and criminal defense lawyer. He raised a family of 3 here in District 1, and vows that if he is elected he will only serve one term. The values and experience gained from this wide range of expertise pervades his platform and was evident throughout the debate. His website with further information about him and his political goals can be found here: http://www.alfordistrict1.com

His opponent, Peter Svarzbein, grew up here in El Paso. He is a 35 year old returning resident who obtained a bachelors in English and American literature and went on to earn a Masters of Fine Arts in Photography and Video from The School of Visual Arts in New York City. His appreciation for the arts was something he made clear during the meeting, and he placed a large emphasis on assuring the crowd that what he lacked in experience he would make up for in tenacity. He made a point of ensuring that his attitude throughout the debate exemplified that statement, for better or for worse. Peter's website contains similar bells and whistles and can be accessed here: http://www.peterfordistrict1.com

The candidates chimed in on a wide range of issues, but Ill focus on a few that drew about some of the most heated discussion. Their differences were only further highlighted through these particular questions, and in all sincerity I believe both candidates provided some interesting solutions.  On the topic of the lack of funding for the 2012 Quality of Life Bond (here's a link, don’t worry, I didn’t know what it was all about either: https://www.elpasotexas.gov/building-tomorrow-together/quality-of-life ) they each provided their own unique take on the matter.

This whole debacle is apparently the result of a clerical miscalculation mind you, people got fired.

Weisenberger proposes taking funding set aside from two projects that that were part of this initial investment but did not see the light of day, and relocating these assets to the remaining projects that will in his eyes most greatly benefit the community. “There was a 2.8 million dollar park somewhere by  Coronado.”  he stated “I don’t even know where you would put a $2 million dollar park in that area, now that’s not going to happen.  Then there was a million dollar park in another place that was not really welcomed by that neighborhood in particular.” He believes that the Hispanic Cultural Center and the West Side Aquatic Center could use these resources most efficiently, and would like to obtain more funding if necessary through philanthropic donation. He believes that these projects aren’t completely centered around attracting perspective citizens to the region, but could greatly impact the lives of those who already live here.  Instead of focusing on a shotgun spread ideal of small projects across town, resources should be moved to projects that will most deeply effect the community. This isn’t the sexiest answer, but its logical and provides some clear cut goals that would undoubtedly produce results.

Svarzbien stated that he “Does not believe in taking parks from parts of the city which historically do not have many parks to begin with.” He believes that that taking cash from one park for the completion of another is unfair. Peter states that the whole purpose of the project is to make the city more culturally appealing and help attract a highly educated and skilled workforce from the rest of the nation. A joint effort between citizens, the city, and corporations here in town should be created to “think outside of the box” to help reach a resolution. In respect to the prospect of attracting new people and ex-patriots to El Paso, he proposes having a larger presence at various events occurring throughout the state, such as South by Southwest, to show off the cities allure. That something as simple as showing the price of a house here in comparison to Austin would be enough to attract newcomers. Considering progress on these projects thus far its a bit of a gamble. In such circumstances the house usually wins, but it could yield big rewards.

In response to a proposal for an independent audit of the cities streets department to ascertain as to why our roads are in such poor condition, and why projects to fix them continuously run over schedule Svarzbien offered the following. According to him there was $208 million allocated to a proposed 122 various street repair projects across the city in 2012, and out of those projects only 4 have been completed. He feels that this represents a gross abuse of leadership, and that the fact that there has been little advancement shows extreme disengagement by those in charge. He believes the people deserve someone who is willing to be there full time to ensure this will be completed as long as such oversight is necessary. If such an endeavor should take more than one term to see through, then so be it.

Al states that he will only serve 1 term if elected, and that he has no intention of becoming a career politician, during that term he promises to work to gain drastic results on this matter as quickly as possible.  He mentions the construction that had taken place on Country Club road ran well over schedule and that in attending the meetings for said project the citizens were not given what they were promised. He believes that contractor development on work that has gone over the proposed time-frame for completion needs to carry heavier monetary penalties. That the current standard of fines  around $1000 a day for each day over scheduled should be raised to $15 -$20 thousand, and that projects completed on time or before schedule should be rewarded. $20 grand a day is a daunting figure, and if such heavy penalties were levied on various slow moving contracted projects across town he believes we would see results much more quickly. The same could be said about financially rewarding projects completed on time.

Then the topic of historical preservation came up. Our city possesses some extremely beautiful architecture, and the topic of its demolition has been a huge matter if debate over the past few years. Each candidate has taken a stance on historical preservation and the potential for heritage tourism. This may sound like a lost cause, but the potential benefits are very real. Take New Orleans for instance, and granted we are light years away from having something akin to their level of tourism, but they were able to earn a total of $6.47 billion from an estimated 9.28 million visitors in 2013. New Orleans embraces its rich historical background, and packages it into something people are willing to pay for. The same potential is here, and downtown is the best place to start.

This topic also brought up the somewhat tender subject of campaign funding. As you may or may not know, records for contributions donated to candidates are open to the public and can be accessed here: http://legacy.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/2015_05_09_general_election_campaign_records.asp. The candidates were asked the following question “Did you accept campaign contributions from any developers who were responsible for recently demolishing seven historic buildings along East San Antonio Avenue? If so, do those contributions contradict your declared position on historic preservation or could they in any way compromise your capacity to make objective decisions about our city's historic downtown architecture, should you be elected?”.

Svarzbien stepped up to the plate first, he stated “So, first and foremost, any contribution I have received would never in any way effect, either positive or negative, the affect I would have on historic preservation. I have been involved in historic preservation projects in this city since I've been back. I’ve been a member of preservation societies in this city. I’ve held a gathering in one of the historic buildings in downtown El Paso. There are a lot of people in very different circles of this community who have supported me, and they supported me not because they are expecting any sort of favors whatsoever. They support me because they remember when I was this big,” he continued as he held his hand out below his waist as an example “when I was in kindergarten at the El Paso Hebrew Day School. Or they support me because I graduated from high school with one of their children. I don't apologize for taking any sort of contributions from anybody. I treat every single person in this district fairly, respectfully, and equally. I also have a complete open door policy, my website lists some of my goals and my priorities. Almost every single piece of campaign literature I have has my own personal cell phone on there where you can give me a call to talk about any issues. So again, thank you.”

Weisenberger responded with the following “My quick answer to that question is no. I have not accepted campaign contributions from anyone that has been involved in the destruction of those historic buildings. So I don’t have to say ''the money I got from them will not impact my decision making.' when they come before council and want to destroy other buildings. The one real substantive item I have on my website about my decision, and I have this because it is very important to me and to our city, is that I want to protect those buildings. I want to make sure that they are not torn down. I want to make sure that they are put in a position so that they don’t deteriorate more. I will do everything that I can as one of our city representatives to try to promote our architectural tourism which I believe down the road is a great asset to this community. We have some beautiful, beautiful buildings in downtown El Paso. They need to be preserved, and you have my word that I will do everything that I can to protect them and move that part of the cities economy forward. Thank you.”

Svarzbien went on to state during his rebuttal that he is dedicated to “meeting with stakeholders and preservationists to come up with common sense solutions to how these buildings, these beautiful historic gems can actually be activated once again into properties that are giving both financially and culturally as well.”