Laredo Takes The Hill
Written by admin, Mar 11, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Jessica L. Newsome,
Day three of the Laredo Washington advocacy trip found the Laredo delegation meeting with its Congressional delegation, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and National Park Service. The delegation also prepared to host our congressional and administrative guests at the annual Laredo Day in Washington Reception.
Mayor Salinas, Council Members Perez, Rendon, Valdez, Rangel, Liendo-Espinoza and City Manager Carlos Villarreal shared the city’s agenda with Representative Henry Cuellar and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Mayor Salinas shared that “Fully funding Customs and Border Protection, as well as, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts such as COPS is an imperative, and if funds are reduced in the coming budgets, we need that funding to be distributed based on threat levels. The nation deserves the best return on its investment.”
Council Member Cindy Liendo-Espinoza shared with both the Hill and HUD that, “We need to protect the Community Development Block Grant Program. Laredo’s downtown is beautiful and could once again be seen as the heart of the city, but we need CDBG funds to make that a reality.”
Council Member Johnny Rendon added, “As a former District Chief of the Fire Department, I understand the importance of a budget, but we can’t go without funding FEMA programs that helped my district recover from the flood, or programs, such as SAFER, that assist Laredo in making our community a better place to live.”
City Manager Carlos Villarreal summed up a great deal of Laredo’s message. “Laredo shoulders many burdens on the border for the nation, yet proximity to the border has never been a funding criterion. If the federal government is looking to reduce its funding, Laredo believes the remaining dollars should be spent to address the greatest challenges facing the nation.”
