Selling out and Flip Flopping

Dumm dee dumm....let me check out A&E's press release...Dumm-dee-dumm

It all started back in February, when the following item appeared on the Laredo city council's meeting agenda. It was the start of a process in getting A&E to come down to Laredo, film and produce an eventual show that would be seen nation-wide.

Agenda item 16.  2011-R-11 Authorizing the City Manager to enter into and execute a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Laredo and Al Roker Productions for the purposes of recording footage of the activities of the Laredo Police Department for the purposes of a ten (10) episode television series to air on a nationally syndicated television network.

Next, take a look at the press release that A&E has prepared in announcing the Cops-like show that's slated to start in October of this year.

Laredo, Texas is under siege. The small city on the U.S.-Mexico border is overrun by the sophisticated and large-scale trafficking operations of Mexican drug cartels... The largest inland port on the U.S.-Mexico border, Laredo is the premiere gateway used by Mexican drug cartels to transport illegal narcotics into the U.S. and export billions of dollars in cash to Mexico.
"Bordertown: Laredo" gives viewers exclusive access to the explosive drama, violence and conflict that unfold daily along the U.S.-Mexico border through the unique perspective of five Mexican-American cops determined to take back their community.

Normally, the Mayor would be the first one out in front denouncing such a portrayal of the Gateway City. He would be absolutely fuming about the effect such a negative press release could have on the reputation of the city, let alone on the economy of Laredo.

No so fast! Following, is the Mayor's actual response. LatinaLista.com contacted the Mayor via e-mail to get his take on such a economically-injurious release by A&E. Well, judge for yourself how well you think the Mayor did in defending Laredo.

Mayor's Raul Salinas' response to A&E's press release:

We recognize that the marketing team at A&E had a job to do when developing a marketing campaign for the show, so that it would stand out from the hundreds of other reality shows out there, in an effort to get viewers interested in watching the show.
We believe, however, that once people begin watching the show and see the reality of Laredo, our amazing and dedicated Laredo Police Department narcotics unit and the work they are doing that keeps Laredo - and the rest of the nation - safe from drug dealers and others who would wish to do us harm, they will come to know and understand the true Laredo: the city with the lowest crime rate in the state of Texas."

I guess since A&E acted with full permission of the Mayor, city council and city staff, Salinas has no choice but to try to lip stick on a pretty ugly pig.