Stereotype? N'ombre, it can't be !

This ad appears on Pro8news website page and offers the quintessential stereotype of a Mexican bandolero or revolutionary war era soldier with carabina in hand while a smiling, Mexican senorita smiles broadly in her colorful native Mexican dress and tresses.

Our ever progressive Gateway city on the march!

Exactly what is being built next to Wal Mart on loop 20 & Clark Blvd.?

I've asked around and so far some of the guesses that I've heard is that perhaps another HEB plus is what is currently shaping up just north of the Wal-Mart on Loop 20 & Clark Boulevard.  I was wondering if anyone out there has some more definitive information on just exactly it is that is under construction.

 I have no idea why there is no sign announcing the future business that is to occupy this site. Unless, of course, it's some sort of shopping strip that will be leasing out spaces. In that case, then you would expect to see a sign telling prospective tenants what nuymber to call for leasing information.

Fallout over city's $80K Austin junket continues

Mayor Salinas : painting the town pink red.

The following letter appeared in the Letters to the editor section of today's Laredo Morning Times. As pointed out since Monday's city council meeting rant by our mayor, Laredo was NOT the only border city to get COPS funding and the Cuatro Vientos funding story was totally misleading.

In his letter, the writer asks the city to provide details of all the grants the city supposedly secured directly as a result of their vacation trip to Austin.

Washington trip details are yet to follow. Will the mayor outdo his Austin trip rant?


From today's LMT

To the editor:

I rarely write letters to the editor, but the recent LMT article about some of our city officials spending about $80,000 on a four-day trip to Austin really got my attention.

There are no words to describe the trip except for outrageous and asinine.

Two hundred and forty dollars a night for a motel, daily expenses totaling $12,000 and a $6,000 booze tab is just beyond belief.

Certainly there are much cheaper motels in Austin, especially on the southeast side of the interstate.

What did the daily expenses include? Steaks at every meal and champagne?

According to the article, our mayor “said face-to-face contact with agency heads and other officials often yields results when it comes to gleaning grants for infrastructure.”

If this is true, shouldn’t a list of all the grants that the city has received be made available to the public?

Thank you,

Richard Hughes

Where's there smoke, there's distractions?

The Laredo Community College board of trustees called a special meeting to discuss a ban on smoking at their campuses.  Laredo Morning Times had this to report:

Smoking might soon become a thing of the past at Laredo Community College.

In a special-called meeting Thursday, LCC’s board of trustees directed administration to research banning smoking at the college with all but one board member vocalizing their support for a smoke-free campus.

The item was approved with seven votes. Allen Tijerina opposed, as he favored an option for designated smoking areas.

“I don’t have any problem with people smoking as long as (you’re) … not exposing other people to it,” trustee Carlos Carranco said. “And I think we stand here at the precipice of a wonderful opportunity.”


In the meantime, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools website shows that LCC continues on probation.

Institution Details

Institution Name: Laredo Community College
CEO: Dr. Juan L. Maldonado
Title: President
Address 1: West End Washington Street
Address 2:
City: Laredo State: TX Zip: 78040-4395
Country:
Institution Phone: (956) 722-0521
Level: I
Status: Accredited
Public Sanctions: Probation
Candidate:
Accredited: 1957
Reaffirmed: 2010
Next Reaffirmation: 2020
Control: Public

Rush Limbaugh unknowingly admits own views

I'm sorry to admit that once in a while, I do find myself listening to Mr. Blimpy himself, El Rushbo.  Today was one of those times. I guess I felt like having a few laughs or something. Well, in talking about the US Public in general, the Maja-Rushee apparently admitted his own true feelings.

The conservative de-facto leader said something along the lines of "They are entirely happy having an uneducated, ignorant bunch of people out there listening to them".  How el Rushbo managed not to bite off his tongue is beyond me.  Limbaugh's statement perfectly fits the situation with his listeners, a reported 6 million who keep listening and believing most of what he spews on a daily basis.  Yes, I would entirely understand how "They" (Limbaugh and the radio magnates) would be entirely happy having a mostly uneduated and oft times ignorant audience (yours truly not included).

How else can you explain Limbaugh's multi-million dollar rake in year after year?

Mayors wants higher MPGs out of Cuatro Vientos funding

Not that it comes as any surprise but the mayor's rant on Monday evening at the beginning of the city council meeting appears to have practically no basis in fact.

First of all, as was posted today on media juggernaut La Sanbe, the mayors claim that the Gateway city was the only border town to get COPS funding was not true. As it turns out, it was not Laredo but the Sheriff's department that got the funding. The truth is that another Texas border town, Brownsville, received nearly $1.2 Million or about twice what Webb county got.

Now on the subject of the famed Cuatros Vientos road, the Mayor was banking that we forgot what really happened.  The truth of that matter was that the city was given Zero funding for that project AFTER they went lobbying all over the map. It was only after an additional trip to Austin by City Manager Carlos Villarreal- to meet with Richard Raymond, among others- that the city was finally provided the funding.  It was NOT because of the city's entourage going across the country.

Still, despite all this,  the mayor continues to cite the Cuatro Vientos as a success of the city's high dollar lobbying efforts.  Again, the truth is that the low-dollar trip by only a few city staffers was what turned the game around.

It has been my contention that only a few members of the city's elected officials and staff should go on these ventures- regardless of who pays for it. There is absolutely no need and no benefit to take a parade of 60 along.  To the contrary,  people up in Austin and Washington might be thinking "a city that can afford to send these many people out lobbying is probably not really hurting for funding".

"On air, online and now on your mobile device" Y pa'que?

Hijo de su, como ponen gorro con "On air, online and now on your mobile device". OK, so tienen todas esas maneras para comunicar con la gente pero no dicen nada! Las mismas "noticias" de un dia al otro. Con razon le dicen la "3-minute news" porque depues de los primeros tres minutos, el mismo borlote!

OK, me tengo que ir, no quiero fallar al payaso del Tim Gutierrez.