Updated: Salinas hands in his resignation as Hidalgo County Judge

Updated: Salinas hands in his resignation as Hidalgo County Judge

Rio Grande Guardian

By Joey Gomez and Steve Taylor

Photo: J.D. Salinas submitted his resignation as Hidalgo County Judge on Monday, effective immediately. (File photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

EDINBURG, Oct. 26 - Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas has handed in his resignation, effective immediately, according to a letter posted on the county’s Web site.

The letter, dated Oct. 26, was sent to County Clerk Arturo Guajardo by Salinas. Guajarado’s office has a date and time stamp on the letter of 1.33 p.m., Oct. 26.

The letter states:

Dear Mr. Guajardo,

I hereby resign as County Judge of Hidalgo County, effective immediately. As you know, I will soon assume the office of Regional Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration. I resign in anticipation of my induction into that office.

It has been my distinct honor to server the people of Hidalgo County first as their County Clerk and then as County Judge. I appreciate their support, and look forward to serving them in my new capacity as well.
Thank you.

Sincerely,
J.D. Salinas III.
CC: Commissioners Court

Salinas could not be reached for comment on Monday. Annette C. Muñiz, chief deputy with the County Clerk's office confirmed to the Guardian that Salinas tendered his resignation on Monday afternoon. Salinas will present his resignation at County Commissioner's Court on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

An addendum agenda for Tuesday’s regular Commissioners Court meeting that has been posted on the County’s Web site has Salinas’ letter of resignation as an attachment. Click here to read the agenda. The agenda states that Commissioners Court will take up the matter of an interim county judge on Tuesday.

At a news conference on Friday, Salinas said he would stay on as county judge for a couple of weeks to ensure a smooth transition while a interim judge is selected.

Although Salinas has resigned, effective immediately, he will still be able to participate in the vote for an interim county judge. The law provides that the county judge, even after resigning, can vote on his/her successor. The vacancy, from a legal perspective, exists until the next person takes the oath.

There has been speculation that County Commissioners Joe Flores and Sylvia Handy would like to see former County Judge Ramon Garcia installed as interim county judge. Garcia has already announced he is running for county judge in next year’s elections. If elected, Garcia would take over the helm of the sixth largest county in Texas in January 2011.

There has been speculation that the other two County Commissioners, Tito Palacios and Oscar Garza, would like to see Rene Ramirez, chief of staff to state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, installed as interim county judge. With Salinas still able to cast a vote, Ramirez looks favorite to succeed him, albeit in a temporary capacity.

Former Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chair Bobby Guerra told the Guardian last week that he would be honored to serve as county judge for the interim.

Unconfirmed reports over the weekend had Palacios coming under pressure to go with Garcia as interim county judge. Palacios’ brother, Pharr Mayor Polo Palacios, has endorsed Garcia for county judge.

The White House announced Friday that Salinas would start as administrator for Region 7 at the GSA on Nov. 9. Region 7 covers the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. It is headquartered out of Fort Worth.

The General Services Administration is the federal agency that looks after federal property. According to the GSA’s Web site, the agency’s mission statement is to leverage the buying power of the federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and its federal customers. “We exercise responsible asset management. We deliver superior workplaces, quality acquisition services, and expert business solutions. We develop innovative and effective management policies,” the statement says.

In the past, Hidalgo County Republican Party Chairman Hollis Rutledge has been a regional director of the GSA. Serving under the first President Bush, Rutledge looked after 11 states. He was senior executive services administrator and manager of GSA Region 7 for three and a half years.

Salinas is a graduate of La Joya High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas Pan American. Salinas was elected Hidalgo County Clerk in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. In 2004, he was Texas County Clerk of the Year by his peers. Before winning elected office, Salinas was chief South Texas liaison to former State Comptroller John Sharp.

The Texas Border Coalition issued a statement on Monday praising the Obama Administration for selecting Salinas as GSA administrator for Region 7.

Editor's Note: This story has been amended from the first edition to reflect new information about who might vote for interim county judge.

Salinas' first gig as GSA administrator will be TBC conference in Laredo

Salinas' first gig as GSA administrator will be TBC conference in Laredo

Rio Grande Guardian

By Joey Gomez and Steve Taylor

EDINBURG, Oct. 24 - J.D. Salinas says his first official engagement as administrator for Region 7 at the General Services Administration will be a Texas Border Coalition conference in Laredo on Nov. 13.

Salinas made the announcement at a news conference called Friday afternoon to confirm he was stepping down as Hidalgo County Judge to accept a post in the Obama Administration. He starts work for the federal government on Nov. 9.

“It’s a great honor to have been asked to serve. I accept with pleasure and with great hopes for fulfilling the agency’s vision of achieving excellence in business of government,” Salinas said.

The Texas Border Coalition’s conference is titled ‘Balancing Security, Trade and Travel: A Looming Crisis at U.S. Ports of Entry.’ It takes place at Laredo Community College on Nov. 13.

As Region 7 Administrator, Salinas will, among many other things, oversee the procurement and supervision of federal resources for some of the nation’s busiest inland ports of entry. Region 7 covers the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. It is headquartered out of Fort Worth.

As the title of the TBC conference implies, Texas border mayors are particularly concerned that ports of entry are not receiving the funding levels necessary to keep up with growth in international trade. About 80 percent of U.S. trade with Mexico goes through Texas ports. Bottlenecks at the ports are hampering international commerce, the lifeblood of border communities, Texas border mayors have long argued.

“I’m sure I will listen to a lot of the mayors there about some of the things… about how they feel,” Salinas said, referring to the TBC’s upcoming conference.

Salinas speculated that the White House may have factored in the fast growing border region when making their decision to appoint him a regional GSA administrator.

“I’m glad they recognized that it takes someone from here to know the area. The southwest border is growing fast. I grew up here and I know the area well,” he said.

Salinas said his appointment to the GSA would not have been possible without the strong support of U.S. Reps. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi. In April, they secured the endorsement of the Texas congressional delegation to recommend Salinas to the White House. “I say thank you, thank you, thank you,” Salinas said, referencing the three South Texas congressmen.

Salinas looked a little tired at the news conference. He acknowledged it was a “bittersweet” moment to be leaving Hidalgo County government to take up the GSA post. He first went to work at the county courthouse as an administrative assistant to the county judge in 1991. At age 29 he was elected county clerk in 1998 and in 2004was honored by his peers as Texas County Clerk of the Year. More than once at the press conference, Salinas called county employees his “family.”

“It’s a bittersweet moment in my life personally and my wife Janie and the kids but my father always said, ‘you’ve got to minimize missed opportunities’,” Salinas said. “I am really honored that the White House selected me and my family to serve in this capacity. I think it is a voice for South Texas and a good opportunity for us to be directly involved in the policy making of some of the decisions that get made federally.”

Salinas thanked his colleagues on Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court for their work on many “extraordinary projects” that have benefited not just the county but South Texas generally. He said millions of dollars have been secured for first responder vehicles, economic development planning, disaster relief, new trails and ‘green’ projects.

Salinas noted that the Prescription Discount Card that the county kicked off last year has helped save half a million dollars for local residents, particularly those who struggle to buy medicines because of a lack of insurance.

Salinas said the region was closer to getting an interstate quality highway after the county helped secure $115 million for removing bottlenecks along U.S. 281. He also predicted economic prosperity would flow from the decision to fund the Education First project because employers would have a more talented workforce. The recent formation of the Rio South Texas Economic Council would also help, Salinas said. A regional alliance of 18 stakeholders across the four-county Valley region, the RSTEC plans to market the region nationally and internationally to help attract new investment.

One of the most controversial projects in Hidalgo County while Salinas has been county judge has been the construction of a series of concrete levee walls. If the levees had not been fixed the county would have been at great risk of the Rio Grande flooding in the aftermath of a hurricane or tropical storm. FEMA was threatening to issue new maps showing the county in a flood zone. As well as deterring new investment, designating much of the county as flood prone would have resulted in much higher flood insurance for residents and businesses.

Over the years the federal government had been allocating small amounts of money to the International Boundary and Water Commission to fix the levees. At the rate the money was coming in, the IBWC would have taken decades to rehabilitate the levees. Salinas and the county commissioners took a bold step. They agreed to enter into an agreement with the Bush Administration to speed up repair of the levees through construction of concrete walls, which satisfied the Department of Homeland Security’s push to erect stronger border barriers to deter illegal immigration and drug smuggling. The agreement required Hidalgo County to spend millions of local tax dollars that was to have gone towards drainage repairs. The county is still waiting for Congress to reimburse it.

“I’m proud to have also worked and accomplished on the levee barrier rehabilitation project by forming an historic partnership with local, state and federal leaders,” Salinas said of the project. “We get over $300 million of funding to fix the levees, avoid a border fence; protect residents from the threat of flooding and (having) to pay mandatory flood insurance.”

Salinas pointed out that the Texas Association of Counties recently awarded Hidalgo County a Best Practices Award for the innovative way it had secured funding for the levee-wall project and the speed at which the project got moving. The county received two Best Practices awards from the TAC during Salinas’ time as county judge. It had never previously been honored in this way.

The business community in particular was pleased with the way the levees were repaired so quickly. Last December, McAllen Chamber of Commerce President Steve Ahlenius presented Salinas with the Chamber’s Teddy Roosevelt Award. “Twenty five years from now, people are going to say thank goodness people had enough foresight today to fix the levees,” Ahlenius said, at a luncheon honoring Salinas.

Environmentalists and some landowners are less happy with the levee-wall project. Eloisa Tamez, a landowner in Cameron County, said of Salinas’ appointment to the GSA: “So after we give land away to the federal government, we can get a position to look over federal land. Not bad.”

Salinas said he would continue to serve as county judge for the next few weeks, during which time he and county commissioners will appoint an interim county judge. Voters will elect a new county judge next year. That person will assume responsibilities in January 2011.

When Salinas defeated incumbent County Judge Ramon Garcia in 2006 he argued that the position required full-time attention. He made the same point at Friday’s press conference, stating that a “full time” county judge was needed to ensure that the county budget is balanced and every county department gets the resources it needs.

“I am confident great things will continue to happen in Hidalgo County, especially if you continue with a full-time county judge,” Salinas said.

Asked by a reporter about that comment, Salinas said: “I’m not going to lie to you. This office took a lot of time. But it was very, very, enjoyable and educational.”

 

J.D. Salinas gets GSA post in Obama Administration

J.D. Salinas gets GSA post in Obama Administration
Rio Grande Guardian

By Joey Gomez and Steve Taylor

EDINBURG, Oct. 23 - Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas will be officially appointed to the Obama Administration later today, the Guardian can confirm.

Salinas is going to be named Administrator for Region 7 with the U.S. General Services Administration by the White House. Region 7 covers the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Its main office is in Fort Worth.

Confirmation came from two sources close to the Administration and one close to the Hidalgo County administration. All three wished to remain nameless.

Salinas refused to comment when contacted by the Guardian on Thursday. Speculation was mounting that an announcement about the appointment was imminent. The appointment means he will have to tender his resignation as county judge.

Salinas' chief of staff, Rigo Villarreal contacted the Guardian Friday to say Salinas has yet to hear anything from the White House.

Details about Salinas’ request to be considered for the GSA post were first revealed in the Guardian in May. U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, wrote a letter to the White House recommending Salinas for the GSA post. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, also pushed hard to get Salinas the job.

“The General Services Agency is one of the most important agencies in government, and I’m honored that they submitted my name to the White House,” Salinas told the Guardian at the time.

“Right now I sit as county judge and if the president does call on me to serve then I will answer the call. Otherwise I am the fulltime county judge and I look forward to doing that.”

Asked what he thought about Ortiz recommending him, Salinas said he was humbled.

“I’m honored for Congressman Ortiz to say that and I am honored that he submitted my name. But, right now, I am not putting as much thought into it because the White House has not called me, even though I expected that from them when my name was submitted,” Salinas said.

“If President Obama calls for me to serve my country I will, in whatever capacity, but for now I serve as judge of Hidalgo County.”

Salinas has said he is running for re-election but has yet to hold a campaign kickoff.

The General Services Administration is the federal agency that looks after federal property. According to the GSA’s Web site, the agency’s mission statement is to leverage the buying power of the federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and its federal customers. “We exercise responsible asset management. We deliver superior workplaces, quality acquisition services, and expert business solutions. We develop innovative and effective management policies,” the statement says.

In the past, Hidalgo County Republican Party Chairman Hollis Rutledge has been a regional director of the GSA. Serving under the first President Bush, Rutledge looked after 11 states. He was senior executive services administrator and manager of GSA Region 7 for three and a half years.

Salinas is a graduate of La Joya High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas Pan American. Salinas was elected Hidalgo County Clerk in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. In 2004, he was Texas County Clerk of the Year by his peers. Before winning elected office, Salinas was chief South Texas liaison to former State Comptroller John Sharp.

Salinas' appointment to the GSA position puts to and end rumors that he might run for Congress against U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, in District 15 in 2010.

By taking the GSA position, Salinas will tender his resignation as county judge and an interim county judge would have to be appointed by Commissioners Court. The interim county judge would serve until the winner of the 2010 election takes office in January 2011.

Among those being mentioned as a potential interim county judge are attorney Ramon Garcia, whom Salinas defeated in 2006, attorney Bobby Guerra and Rene Ramirez, chief of staff to state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen.

Garcia has announced he is running for county judge and has issued a list of endorsements featuring the names of over 100 elected officials. Guerra has said he would be “honored” to serve as an interim county judge but will not run for the post.
Click here to read the official biography of Juan de Dios “J.D.” Salinas III.

US Courier & Logistics expands in the Rio Grande Valley

US Courier & Logistics expands in downturn
Dallas Business Journal



US Courier & Logistics on Friday opened four full-service branches in Waco, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley and East Texas, expanding the company's coverage to new areas of the state.


With the new branches, the company has added another 10 percent of the state’s population to its total courier and delivery services coverage area, which now reaches 85 percent of the state’s population.

The cost to open all four branches was about $250,000, said the company, which has hired 28 new employees.

John DiTucci, vice president of US Courier & Logistics Operations, said he suspects the logistics industry is close to a turning point in the down economy.

“We have positioned ourselves to weather the slowdown and are now poised to handle the imminent recovery,” said DiTucci. “We at US Courier & Logistics are encouraged with our recent business growth and the opportunities which have prompted expansion into these new markets. We are very optimistic about the rebound in the Texas economy and continue to plan for the long-term growth and future of the company.”

Video: Increasing business in a recession is the goal of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation

Increasing business in a recession is the goal of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation with a strategy that they claim will create jobs here in the Valley.

Link to Watch Video

Action 4 News

VallyCentral.com

 

IBWC awards $20.9 million Valley levee contract to Ballenger Construction

IBWC awards $20.9 million Valley levee contract to Ballenger Construction

Rio Grande Guardian

By Joey Gomez and Steve Taylor

Picture: Bill Ruth, U.S. commissioner at the IBWC, is slated to speak to members of the IBWC's Lower Rio Grande Citizens Forum in Mercedes on Wednesday.

MERCEDES, Oct. 19 - The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission has awarded a construction contract worth $20.9 million for rehabilitation of Lower Rio Grande Flood Control Project levees.

The announcement was made just two days before the IBWC’s Lower Rio Grande Citizens Forum meets in Mercedes.

The contract has gone to Ballenger Construction Company of Harlingen to construct 48 miles of levee improvements along the North Floodway and Arroyo Colorado in Hidalgo and Cameron counties. In accordance with the contract, Ballenger Construction Company will furnish all labor, materials, and equipment for the levee construction.

In a statement, IBWC said the work will provide enhanced flood protection for the communities of Weslaco, Mercedes, La Villa, and La Feria.

The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Recovery Act includes $220 million for USIBWC levee projects. IBWC expects to award all its federal stimulus dollars for construction contracts in the Valley by the end of 2009. Construction should be complete by the end of 2010.

IBWC said it is raising the levee height and making structural improvements to bring the levee into compliance with standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the 100-year flood. Construction is expected to be completed by September 2010. Construction contracts were previously awarded for the Banker North Floodway and the Main Floodway.

The Recovery Act funding has enabled IBWC to accelerate work on its aging Rio Grande flood control system in Texas and New Mexico to provide adequate flood protection for over three million U.S. residents. Before the stimulus money became available, Congress was only providing about $20 million a year for Valley levee rehabilitation work.

When the federal stimulus dollars for the Valley levee projects were first announced last May, local elected officials said the projects would create nearly 5,000 jobs and $508 million in economic impact.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, along with Hidalgo County officials held a news conference to celebrate the start of a $110 million injection of stimulus funds to complete more than 100 miles of levee restoration on the border.

“This project is a sweeping, bold, and decisive step that will create jobs right away and strengthen the economy in the Rio Grande Valley for years to come. Nearly 5,000 jobs to be created as a result of the levee construction, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is living up to what it was intended to do – to stimulate the economy,” Cuellar said.

“This historical and unprecedented infusion of federal dollars to the Rio Grande Valley is an indication of the great working relationships between local, state, and federal governments.

Cuellar said that once fully operational, the levees will protect life and property. “You provide security to our community by business community and others knowing that the levees will protect them from flooding,” he said.

Another additional benefit, Cuellar said, is the saving of millions, maybe even billions of dollars, over a period of time in insurance premiums.

The event took place at the Birding Center Nature Park located on the grounds of the historic Hidalgo Pump House.

Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas released an economic impact study, commissioned by his office and conducted by Sai Mullapudi of the University of Texas-Pan American’s Data & Information Systems Center Division of Community Engagement.

Salinas said the study indicates that the entire levee rehabilitation project, when complete, will produce nearly 5,000 local jobs and generate $508 million in economic impact.

“The infusion of federal funds and the fusion of our ideas have made Hidalgo County a better place all around,” Salinas said. “This levee project saves lives, protects property and, may well be considered the ultimate stimulus package for our county. In this time of stress and hardship, this is some good news that uplifts our community to know that we are helping to create jobs and keep the economy strong.”

The next meeting of IBWC’s Lower Rio Grande Citizens Forum takes place on Wednesday at the IBWC’s Mercedes office from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. At the meeting, engineer Larry Voice and flood insurance specialist Linda Delamare from FEMA’s regional office in Denton, Texas will discuss the current effort to update Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The maps will be used to determine flood risk, applicable flood insurance requirements, and flood insurance rates for property owners.

Prior to the FEMA presentation, IBWC U.S. Commissioner Bill Ruth will make brief remarks to welcome new Lower Rio Grande Citizens Forum board members. Ruth appointed new board members in September. This is the first meeting of the newboard.

At the same meeting, IBWC Public Affairs Officer Sally Spener will give an overview of Commission responsibilities and will review the duties of the Lower Rio Grande Citizens Forum Board. IBWC Area Operations Manager Rodolfo Montero will present nformation about the Commission’s current activities in the Valley, including operation and maintenance of the Lower Rio Grande Flood Control Project, work on the Morillo Drain salinity control project, and operation of diversion dams.

IBWC provides regular public updates on its planning and spending of Recovery Act funds at http://www.recovery.govand%20www.state.gov/recovery. An updated project schedule is available at http://www.ibwc.gov/Files/LRG_Schedule.pdf.

Click Here to visit Rio Grande Guardian

Oberstar's whirlwind tour of Cameron County a big success, say officials

Oberstar's whirlwind tour of Cameron County a big success, say officials
Rio Grande Guardian

By Steve Taylor

Picture: U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, (left) visits the 'Mexican side' of the border wall at Hope Park in Brownsville.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 19 - Local political leaders say a whirlwind tour of Cameron County by a key U.S. House committee chairman will produce tremendous short and long term benefits for the area.

U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, paid his first visit to the Rio Grande Valley on Sunday, as a guest of U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi.

“It was a brilliant day for Cameron County,” said Cameron County Commissioner David Garza. “Chairman Oberstar was totally impressed by the partnerships we have with our friends in Mexico and by the important projects we are working on. We told him we are not waiting for handouts. Rather we are getting things done with public and private partnerships.”

Oberstar, D-Minnesota, landed in Harlingen just before 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. Over the next 12 hours he visited the Port of Brownsville, the Fun N Sun RV Resort in San Benito, the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport, the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates, the West Railroad Project, the downtown Brownsville Levee Project and observed construction of the border fence at Hope Park in Brownsville, the Cameron County floodway system, the Bahia Grande wetland restoration project, and the potential site of the second causeway. Ortiz and the Cameron County leaders even found time to throw a fundraiser for Oberstar at the Sea Ranch Restaurant on South Padre Island.

Possibly the most important aspect of the tour, given that Oberstar chairs the transportation committee, was discussion on funding for I-69.

“Our meeting on I-69 was most productive. We discussed our application for Tiger grants,” Garza said. “Many people do not realize that Chairman Oberstar was in Congress as a committee clerk before he entered Congress so he has been involved in transportation issues for 40 years. This gentleman was a working encyclopedia in terms of information on the interstate system and the politics on why some areas of the country do not have interstate.”

Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos emphasized the need for an interstate and the need to bring more jobs and infrastructure to the area. “We have four modes of transportation in Cameron County – highway, rail, maritime and air – and we need to take advantage of that,” Cascos told Oberstar.

Ortiz said Oberstar’s visit will unquestionably boost Cameron County’s chances of obtaining federal funding for transportation and infrastructure-related projects.

“Chairman Oberstar was kind enough to join us in South Texas this weekend so he could hear first-hand from community, county and state representatives about the needs of our community,” Ortiz said. “I am thankful he was able to join us as we visited some of the most important on-going and future projects that are in need of funding or reauthorizations.”

Garza said because the border wall is not finished in Hope Park, Oberstar was able to go around to the “Mexican side” of the fence. “It is one of those things where you are either in jail or out of jail,” Garza said.

Garza said there was also discussion about Cameron County’s growth projections. In 2000 the Census Bureau said the county’s population was around 330,000. Garza said he believes the 2010 Census Bureau figures will show the county’s population to be more than 400,000. “Chairman Oberstar told us that if you wait for things to happen in Congress you can wait 40 or 50 years. He told us to be proactive and was, I think, very impressed with our vision,” Garza said.

David Allex, chair of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, pointed out the urgency of addressing projected growth patterns over the next 20 to 30 years. “In the year 2040 the population in our area will be in excess of seven to ten million. We need to start working to address mobility, congestion and economic development for the benefit of future generations today not tomorrow,” Allex said..

Garza said he liked the phrase Ortiz coined at the dinner for Oberstar. “Congressman Ortiz said we are sitting on a goldmine in Cameron County and that all we need are the tools to get it out of the ground and use it. I agree with that. My phrase is: ‘the stars are aligned.”

Among those who visited with Oberstar on the tour were Garza, Cascos, Allex, TxDOT Pharr District Engineer Mario Jorge, Port of Brownsville CEO Eduardo A. Campirano, Port of Brownsville Chair Carlos Masso, Port of Brownsville Commissioner Ralph Cowen, and Cameron County Bridge Director Pete Sepulveda, Jr.

Oberstar said he was impressed with everyone and everything he saw on the whirlwind tour.

“Today, community leaders in South Texas reaffirmed to me the needs this community has,” Oberstar said. “This community is rich in culture and history, and I will do all I can to help the continued growth and development of this area.”

Write Steve Taylor

In Case You Missed It…

In Case You Missed It…
The Westside Story
Published 10/17/2009 - 12:23 a.m.

CST AUSTIN – MSNBC.com and Moody’s Economy have announced that the Austin-Round Rock, Brownsville-Harlingen, Dallas-Plano-Irving, El Paso, Lubbock, McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr and San Antonio areas are among the first in the nation to move from recession into recovery, indicating that their economies have grown over the past six months.


The announcement is based on MSNBC and Moody’s Adversity Index, which uses data on employment, industrial production, housing starts and home prices to place each state or metro area in one of four categories: expanding, at risk of recession, in recession or recovering. This is the first month this year that any U.S. metro area has moved from in recession into recovery.

Additionally, CNN Money has ranked Texas as one of the Top Five Best States to Launch a Business thanks to our reasonable tax structure and incentive funds such as the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. The article also credited the franchise tax exemption, passed at Gov. Perry’s direction during the 81st Legislative Session, with fostering growth in small businesses in the state. Texas is the only large state to be ranked.

To view the MSNBC and Moody’s ranking, please visit

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33312701/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy/.

To view CNN Money’s ranking, please visit

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/smallbusiness/0910/gallery.best_places_tax_havens.smb/2.html

McAllen ranked one of the best places to launch a business

McAllen ranked one of the best places to launch a business
McAllen Economic Development Corporation Blog
October 15th, 2009

According to a CNN Money report, the McAllen MSA is one of the best small to medium metro areas to launch a small business. McAllen was ranked among the top 25 metro areas for fastest small business growth. McAllen was also ranked 16th among the best places to launch a small business for 2009. Read the full report here.


Good news for entrepreneurs and investors looking for a new market to enter. This announcement comes just prior to the Rio South Texas Small Business Summit. This event, sponsored by the Governor’s Office for Small Business Advocacy, will provide current and future small business owners to network with potential clients and engage in a variety of seminars. The event will be Thursday, Oct. 22 at the McAllen Convention Center.

There is still time to register- click here to register for this event.

Manpower: McAllen one of the best for employment

Manpower: McAllen one of the best for employment
McAllen Economic Development Corporation Blog
October 16th, 2009

Manpower recently has ranked the McAllen MSA (McAllen, Edinburg, Mission) as one of the strongest areas for employment growth during 4th quarter 2009. From the companies that Manpower surveyed, responses indicate that there could be as much as a net employment outlook of an additional 10-percent.


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