| | | | | | | |
|
|
|
|
McAllen leaders visit the Capitol
329 Views ::
1 Comments ::  :: LOCAL, ECONOMY |
McAllen leaders visit the Capitol
McAllen leaders asked lawmakers for more water, a manicured lawn to attract visitors and a sensible approach to immigration during their visit to the Capitol on Monday.
About 40 business and civic leaders from McAllen hit the halls under the dome to forward their legislative agenda and meet with Rio Grande Valley lawmakers.
They also met with staff members of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and with Gov. Rick Perry. They met personally with House Speaker Tom Craddick.
Specifically, they want the Legislature to abolish Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 3, once used to supply water to citrus farmers but now primarily a supplier of the city’s water.
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, plans to file a bill abolishing the district, said Melissa del Bosque, Hinojosa’s spokeswoman.
McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez said the delegation was also pushing for funding of the Centennial Park project. They’d like the state to pay to construct a regional park that would be surrounded by high-end retailers, restaurants and a 3,200-seat amphitheater that would draw visitors from the region, including northern Mexico.
One possible site for the park is at the location of the city reservoir near La Plaza Mall. Another is at Expressway 83 and 10th Street, he said.
“They build parks all over the state. Why not in Hidalgo County, why not in the city of McAllen?” Cortez said. “I think the community would benefit greatly.”
Cortez said the group does not think the Legislature should take up issues of immigration, but if it does, it should consider that Texas needs a strong labor force in the coming years to keep its economy viable.
A broad spectrum of businesses bigwigs, including leaders from McAllen-Miller International Airport, Sylvan Learning Center and fast-food chains, were at an afternoon cocktail reception with legislators at the Capitol to discuss issues pertaining to their industries and the city.
Robert Lozano, owner of the McAllen and Monterrey Dairy Queen chains, said the issues, including immigration greatly affected his business.
“We’re going to see a lot of baby boomers retiring within the next few years, which will create a massive shortage of manpower,” Lozano said. “By changing and improving immigration policies, we will be able to use the immigrant work force and it will positively affect not only our area but the United States as a whole.”
By Elizabeth Pierson The Brownsville Herald
(Reporter Ana McKenzie contributed to this report.)
|
|
|
|
|
| Comments | |
By
Kenya @
Friday, February 09, 2007 3:08 AM |
It seemed for a time on Thursday that Edinburg’s finest high school mariachis put on a performance strong enough to shake the Capitol.
All-City Edinburg Mariachi came with about 70 business and civic leaders for Edinburg Day at the Capitol. The delegation of civic and business leaders pitched their wish list to lawmakers in the morning, and at noon the mariachi group had drawn a crowd in the rotunda.
But midway through the first song the performers were interrupted by DPS troopers and escorted to a smaller hallway near the Capitol’s south entrance. Glass had fallen and shattered in the rotunda, and they would have to move for safety reasons, they were told.
Around the time they had started playing, a three-inch piece of glass had popped out of a light bulb that lights the back of the star atop the dome. It fell 218 feet to the rotunda floor and broke to pieces.
“They think maybe it was the vibrations from the mariachis,” one DPS trooper said when directing traffic away from the center of the rotunda.
Later, building officials would confirm that the mariachis had not been responsible. The bulb was thought to have broken because of a change in temperature or another reason unrelated to soaring trumpets, said Julie Fields, spokeswoman for the State Preservation Board, which runs the Capitol.
A part-time tour guide was in the rotunda leading a group when the bulb crashed, but no one was injured, Fields said. The guide finished the tour.
The mariachi band drew a crowd and filled the south foyer.
“There wasn’t the view that the rotunda provides for our kids, but we made it work,” said Willie Perez, director of fine arts for the Edinburg school district. “It was up close and personal, so that was good.”
Leaders also got up close with lawmakers, including a meeting with House Speaker Tom Craddick, said Edinburg Mayor Joe Ochoa.
They asked Craddick to pay $5 million over the next two years so the Regional Academic Health Center can pay researchers to staff the new Edinburg laboratory. They also want continued funding for the University of Texas-Pan American and money for highways, he said.
“I think the RAHC is a tremendous economic development tool, not only for our city but for the Rio Grande Valley,” Ochoa said.
State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, said he is sure the $5 million will be made available to fund researchers for the RAHC.
“I’m willing to bet my home on it, that’s how confident I am,” he said.
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said the money for the RAHC and money to pay for the debt service on the tuition revenue bonds to build a fine-arts center at UTPA will be available.
“We pretty much have a confirmation from Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan, chairman of Senate Finance) and the leadership that the money we need to operate that RAHC will be included,” Hinojosa said.
The Edinburg delegates arrived in Austin Wednesday afternoon for a series of receptions and meeting with state lawmakers. The chamber of commerce, city council members and business leaders were among the delegates.
They were recognized on the House floor with a resolution by Peña, then moved to the Senate chambers where they had the place to themselves to take photos with Hinojosa since the Senate was not in session.
It was one in a series of many visits from Rio Grande Valley cities. Delegations from McAllen and Brownsville have been here already this week. Those from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo and Harlingen are expected in the next week.
Some leaders have questioned whether it is practical to have so many visits from the Valley, many making similar or identical requests. Each has asked the Legislature to fund highways to the Valley, help with economic development and avoid passing anti-immigration bills.
Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, said the multiple visits make it easier for lawmakers from outside the Valley to understand and support Valley requests.
“When they actually put faces to the cities and realize how much our people care, it’s harder to say no,” she said.
As for the light at the top of the rotunda, it will be replaced as part of an ongoing effort to make light fixtures all over the Capitol more energy-efficient, Fields said.
“It’s been ground-floor-up,” Fields said. “Our electrician just came in and said we’re going to rearrange the priorities today.” |
|
|
Click here to post a comment |
|
| | | | | | | |
|
|