LaredoBuzz.Com

 Courtesy Xochitl Mora, 

(Laredo, Tx) While attending the 79^th Annual Winter Business Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas called on national, state and his fellow local leaders to be guided in their actions by the need for job creation and the understanding that the private sector must lead in this effort.   In a mayors’ only session on job creation, Mayor Salinas stated: “I think we can all agree that there is nothing better than the look of pride on a constituent’s face as he or she returns to work.  Government must help in every way we can, but it is the private sector that will create those jobs.  In Laredo we think we are doing all we can to facilitate the private sector’s efforts to create jobs, but I welcome learning from each of you any creative methods you have developed.”

Mayor Salinas also joined his fellow mayors in personally endorsing a “Civility Accord.” 

The Accord, brought to the Conference of Mayors by Tucson Mayor Walkup, calls on all mayors to lead by example by living in accord with the following principles for civility:

• Respect the right of all Americans to hold different opinions;
• Avoid rhetoric intended to humiliate, de-legitimatize, or question the patriotism of those whose opinions are different from ours;
• Strive to understand differing perspectives;
• Choose words carefully;
• Speak truthfully without accusation, and avoid distortion; and
• Speak out against violence, prejudice, and incivility in all their forms, whenever and wherever they occur.

Congressman Henry Cuellar hosted Mayor Salinas for lunch in the Capitol where they talked about these issues and Laredo ’s legislative agenda.  Congressman Cuellar and Mayor Salinas also met with Representative John Culberson, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee who is committed to funding border security and plans to visit Laredo with other senior appropriators in the near future to see first hand the need for funding.   Congressman Cuellar and Mayor Salinas were greeted by the members of the Texas Democratic Delegation, who were gathering for their monthly meeting. 

Mayor Salinas travels to Tucson tomorrow for meetings with Border Patrol and Customs Commissioner Alan Bersin and border mayors of the US and Mexico.  The focus of the meeting is to create a dialogue among the local leaders as to how they might jointly seek solutions in international trade, security, health, tourism and economic development challenges.

Because Tucson Mayor Walkup will not be able to attend the meeting, Mayor Salinas and he talked about ways to achieve these goals.  Mayor Salinas also conveyed his personal condolences for the loss of life suffered by so many of Mayor Walkup’s constituents.