City leaders, officials will tout Sun City in Austin
February 17, 2009
About 40 El Pasoans are expected to join "Team El Paso" at the Capitol for the two-day event that includes recognition from the House and Senate floors, meetings with the governor, lieutenant governor, House speaker and a slew of state agencies, tribal dance performances from the Tiguas and even margarita soiree.
Written by Brandi Grissom, The El Paso Times
Margarita Madness glasses.
AUSTIN -- Dozens of El Paso political, business and community leaders will descend on the Capitol on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing a bit of the border to the pink dome for El Paso Days and hoping to make an impression on state lawmakers.
"The challenge we face always is getting the message of our issues and our needs out in front before it's too late in the process," said Richard Dayoub, president of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
About 40 El Pasoans are expected to join "Team El Paso" at the Capitol for the two-day event that includes recognition from the House and Senate floors, meetings with the governor, lieutenant governor, House speaker and a slew of state agencies, tribal dance performances from the Tiguas and even margarita soiree.
"It's just meeting with people on a social basis, but that opens doors later for when you go and visit with them," said El Paso Mayor John Cook.
Several members of City Council and county Commissioners Court, leaders from the University of Texas at El Paso and the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine will attend. Business leaders such as Alfredo Longoria, owner of Mexico Salsa Company, will be at the Capitol. And leaders from Border Interfaith and El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization will be lobbying lawmakers, too.
Higher education dollars for El Paso institutions will be top among items the El Paso delegation hopes to discuss with state leaders, Dayoub said.
They will ask lawmakers to support setting aside $48 million for a new building at the medical school, Dayoub said. On Monday, the El Paso City Council voted to ask the state to allocate $65 million in revenue bonds for a new research facility at the medical school.
Dayoub said they will also remind legislators to keep UTEP in the forefront in discussions about which universities Texas ought to elevate to the level of national research institutions.
Funding for mental health care and state assistance with the expansion of Fort Bliss will also be on the agenda, he said.
"We've got a lot to cover in two days," Dayoub said.
Cook said border security and funding for transportation and water projects would top the list of issues he plans to discuss with leaders, including Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw.
State Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, said the Tiguas are scheduled to talk with several House leaders about their bid to resume gaming at Speaking Rock Casino.
But amid all the serious talk, there's time for some border fun, too. The Tiguas will perform tribal dances, and there will be a reception with the theme "Margarita Madness."
"El Paso Days has gotten a reputation of being one of the biggest and best," Chávez said, "and we hope to continue that."
Related Stories
Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use", you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.