Edward Beck, El Paso City Council District 2 candidate
Name: Edward Beck
Office: District #2 City Council
Age: 31
Occupation: Real Estate
Family: I am married and have an 9 year old son. I am also a fourth generation El Pasoan.
1) NUMBER-ONE CAMPAIGN FOCUS: My campaign is focused on a number of issues, but an overall theme that can be found throughout the campaign is one of accountability, transparency and returning the pride back to City Hall.
2) WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR OPPONENTS? I believe in my long El Paso heritage coupled with my extensive experience as a small business owner.
3) RELEVANT EXPERIENCE THAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THE POSITION YOU SEEK: I believe the item that sets me apart from my opponents is the same as what gives me the qualifications to be on the council. Simply put, I understand and can relate to the daily struggles of Small Business owners and the people who shop in their stores or use their services. Our economy is built on the back of local businesses and we must change the tone coming from City Hall as it relates to these hard working El Paso families.
4) IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO REVOKE ONE ORDINANCE IN EL PASO IMMEDIATELY UPON TAKING OFFICE, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE? Red light cameras.
5) DESCRIBE A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE: I grew up very differently and have found that a little clarity goes a long way. When I was about 10 years old, my father took me to Juarez to a church he was going to preach at that night. My father has been a preacher off and on my whole life, from being a Chaplin at Thomason Hospital to associate pastor at Christ Miracle Church. In the car I asked if there were going to be any kids? My father replied yes I think so. When I got there I looked for kids and found one. A young boy maybe my age or older and we started to play. As we played I noticed he only had one shoe on. I asked “Where’s your other shoe?” He looked at me a little sadly and said he didn’t have one. My heart sunk. I was never very well off as a kid and had to wear hand me downs from my older brother. I always felt like I was getting the short end of the stick. But when I was faced with this truth, my mind couldn’t take it all in. The conviction of being under one assumption to an entire paradigm shift, brought me to the point of almost crying. With the heart of a 10 year old, I gave the boy my shoes, jacket and shirt. The feeling I felt after seeing his face while putting on the shoes was more than I could take. I cried not because the boy didn’t have shoes, but more because I saw myself in the mirror of truth; that I was being selfish and ungrateful. I couldn’t stop crying. My father saw me and asked “What’s going on and where are your clothes?” I told him and he understood. For the whole service, I stayed in the pews with no shoes, no shirt and no jacket and was the happiest I ever felt. I was never the same.
6) IN WHAT WAYS IS EL PASO ON THE RIGHT TRACK, AND IN WHAT WAYS DOES IT NEED TO CHANGE COURSE? There is a large amount of resentment towards City Hall with members of our community. Simply put many feel that City Hall is working against them and not in support of their success. This is something that has to be reversed, and the only way to do that is to become more accountable with tax-payers’ dollars, and create a more open and transparent government. With leaders in our community becoming more involved with the process, the city will once again gain what it has lost. The city itself has lots of positives and has been growing. These are really good things. I get sick and tired of people saying there is nothing to do in El Paso when in fact there is plenty. We might want to do is a better job of promoting our city as a whole.
7) IF ELECTED, HOW WILL YOU BALANCE THE NEEDS OF FAMILY, YOUR CAREER AND YOUR OFFICE? “If there is a will there’s a way.” With God, hard work, a right attitude and passion, anything is possible.
8) WHEN AND WHY DID YOU COME TO EL PASO (IF APPLICABLE)? I am a proud fourth generation El Paso community member.
9) PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER YOU HAVE A WEBSITE, TWITTER OR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT:
www.beck4cityrep2.com
www.facebook.com/beck4cityrep2
