Excerpted from today's Laredo Morning Times
Councilman Mike Garza used the presentation to take a swipe at critics of the city’s trade policies.
“Everybody mentions McAllen,” he said. “Our own worst critic is our individual people in Laredo that criticize what we’re doing and it hurts me to no end … Everyone is wanting to follow us.”
Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Blasita Lopez played a television commercial for council members that recently advertised Laredo to Austin viewers. She said the commercial was indicative of efforts to promote Laredo across the rest of Texas, in addition to Mexico.
The city has seen a 13.6 percent increase in hotel occupancy rates over the previous year. Lopez said Laredo received a boost from youth baseball tournaments and a Jehovah’s Witness event this summer.Garza said the city should capitalize on that success by promoting more religious gatherings in the city.
Lopez said her department would also incorporate the baseball stadium in North Laredo when promoting the city as a destination to other parts of Texas. But she acknowledged that mistaken perceptions of Laredo as an unsafe city had hampered efforts to attract more visitors. The construction of the baseball stadium and the Max A. Mandel golf course in West Laredo are part of efforts to attract visitors to Laredo in light of evaporating tourism in Nuevo Laredo.
But Garza said he was frustrated by the absence of efforts to bring more jobs from the Eagle Ford shale to Laredo. Increased sales tax revenues associated with oil and gas activity contributed to a 13 percent increase in projected sales tax revenues in Laredo.
The development of the shale play has brought new offices — and jobs — to South Texas cities like San Antonio for companies serving the oil and gas industry. “It’s in our backyard,” Garza said. “We increased 13 percent but could we have increased 20?”
I don't usually agree with councilman Garza, but in this case he is right on. McAllen does not eat Laredo's lunch in most metrics. But they do have an active, well funded, development group that works hard to bring new business to McAllen and Reynosa.
ReplyDeleteHello Tom Wade, would you therefore say that, as far as city funding of economic development efforts, McAllen Does eat our lunch?
ReplyDeleteIf you say yes, Garza doesn't want your opinion. Even if it happens to be true. What say you then Tom Wade?
If McAllen had an interstate highway, it would be all over-Rover for Laredo. These pendejetes are just too pendejetes.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'
If Mcallen would have an interstate highway, it would surely be a more trafficable area.
ReplyDeleteGood point Max...McAllen does eat our lunch on economic development funding.
ReplyDeleteAs far as McAllen or the valley for that matter ever taking over the commercial truck traffic that Laredo has, the real answer is new highway or not, Laredo is still logistically located in a better position to cross freight than the Valley.
There is nothing that can make the valley closer to Houston or Dallas. Mileage and location are major factors that make Laredo better than the valley for those shippers coming and going to the Mexican interior.
I worked the numbers over and over when I was a member of our corporate logistics group.
PS, it is cheaper to cross in Laredo, and much more efficent.
I forgot to add; I am hoping that the city conitnues on the path of looking to (at some point) switch the sports venue tax to and economic development (4a/4b) type tax. Of course this will require voter approval, which makes it OK with me.
ReplyDeleteLet the people speak.
Yes, let the people speak. The tendency has been to avoid bringing it up to a vote. The city manager and some councilpeople keep looking for ways to circumvent the taxpayers. At present, the voters have said yes to the Arena and to the baseball park. They should pay these off and go to the people for another vote, not keep looking for ways to pull some shenanigans.
ReplyDelete