by Legislative Media | Dec 27, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Harvey Rodríguez, Vice President, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors; Ellie M. Torres, Secretary/Treasurer, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors; Nelda Ramírez, Assistant Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; and Agustín García, Jr. Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, on Monday, December 14, 2015, when the EEDC hosted a holiday celebration for area residents at its headquarters, located at 101 North 10th Avenue. Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
By his own admission, Harvey Rodríguez, the Vice President of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, says as a younger man, the thought of serving on a city board was not even a passing thought, even though today, his leadership roles in public service also include his status as chairman of the Recreation and Park Board in Edinburg. “Did I ever feel that I would be 33 years old and be serving on the EEDC Board of Directors? If you asked me 10 years ago, there was no way,” said Rodríguez, the youngest appointee on the five-member EEDC Board of Directors. “But I relish this opportunity. I appreciated everyone who supported me through it, and now I have a chip on my shoulder to show that I am extremely capable. I wake up with that attitude every day.” The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. The mayor and the EEDC executive director are not related. Rodríguez, selected last May by Mayor Pro Tem Homer Jasso, Jr., for a two-year term on the influential EEDC governing board, said his appointment should serve notice to younger adults in the city that their ideas and experiences are essential to the successful running of municipal government and business development in Edinburg. With more than 50 percent of Edinburg’s estimated population of 77,100 aged 29 years and younger as of 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau – and more than 20 percent of the city’s population made up of residents aged 18 to 29 years – Rodríguez inspires residents as young as high school students to set their sights high, beginning with becoming involved with as many role models, community leaders, and business officials as possible. “I always encourage every high school student that if you can get a college scholarship anywhere, they have to go,” said Rodríguez. “There is a lot more outside of the Valley that I exposed myself to through college and travel, so I always tell people to go out there and meet new people.” But don’t stop there, his advice continued. “As cliché as it may be, I would tell them not to take no for an answer,” emphasized Rodríguez. Rodríguez, whose extensive professional credentials include currently serving as South Texas Operations Manager for CAS Companies, LP, took his experience and insights on behalf of the city to a major convention, held in early November 2015 in Dallas, of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mayor Pro Tem Jasso, along with City Councilmember David Torres, his wife, Ellie Torres, who is Secretary/Treasurer of the EEDC Board of Directors, as well as Agustín García, Jr., the EEDC Executive Director, Letty Reyes, EEDC Director of Business Development & Public Affairs, Diego Reyna, EEDC Research Analyst, and then-Edinburg City Manager Ramiro Garza, Jr., also participated in the three-day event, held on Wednesday, November 4, through Friday, November 6, 2015. The gathering was billed by organizers “as a great opportunity for owners, developers, retailers, brokers, lenders, municipalities, property asset managers and product and service providers to gather under one roof to exhibit, make deals and form successful partnerships.” Edinburg continues to build its reputation as a potential successful market in the eyes of many major retailers, Rodríguez contended, saying he and the city delegation who went to Dallas had more than enough evidence to back up their civic pride. “They know we are a booming market. They know the disposable income (personal income after taxes) in the Valley regardless of the incorrect image that some national news media say about us,” he said. But the city’s selling points speak for themselves, he added. “The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the UT School of Medicine set to open next fall, our ongoing construction projects such as the Bert Ogden Arena, the 9,400-seat soccer stadium for the Rio Grande Valley Toros professional soccer team, our major transportation corridors including Interstate Highway 69, Tres Lagos, the planned 2,571 acre master-planned community that will be located in the Edinburg school district and which will feature a future campus of Texas A&M University, and more,” Rodríguez recalled the growing and long list of reasons why businesses should stay, expand, or locate to Edinburg. “These achievements make it so much easier to show retail developers and other prospective employers why Edinburg is the place to be.”
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by Legislative Media | Dec 21, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Caleb Ezra Canales, one of the children of Rep. Terry Canales and his wife, Erika; Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg; and Ramiro Peña, a graduate student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, showcasing a unique Christmas Tree ornament, produced by Peña, which is now part of the 26-foot Christmas Tree on display at the Texas Capitol.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Thousands of holiday visitors to the House of Representatives chamber at the Texas Capitol are getting a good look at what South Texas has to offer, thanks to a one-of-a-kind ornament now gracing the impressive, 26-foot Christmas Tree set up by state legislative leaders, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, has announced. As part of the tree’s Texas symbolism, each state representative was invited to commission a constituent to decorate an ornament that reflects the unique character of his or her district. For Canales, whose House District 40 justifiably boasts an abundance of talented artists, Ramiro Peña, a graduate student working towards his Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, was chosen for the honor. “It was not an easy decision because the impressive list of outstanding artists in my House District and in the Valley is long and proud,” Canales explained. “In the end, Ramiro was a perfect choice because he also represents the creativity, bold vision, originality, skills, and independence that are hallmarks of his profession.” Canales sought from Peña an ornament that would showcase the character of House District 40, which include portions or all of Edinburg, Elsa, Faysville, La Blanca, Linn, Lópezville, McAllen, Pharr, San Carlos and Weslaco. Peña’s skills, as well as his desire to promote his adopted home region (he is originally from Salinas, California, but now calls Donna home for him and his family) are clearly evident in the admirable images on the ornament that Peña crafted for the House District 40 Christmas Tree ornament. “At the heart of District 40, the establishment of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the home to a School of Medicine which will transform future students in education, research, and healthcare, is depicted on the ornament by the landscape of the UTRGV Admission Building in Edinburg,” Peña described. The House District 40 Christmas Tree ornament “also portrays the agribusiness of the area through the vast fields of cotton and orange trees (along with) the image of the Monarch butterfly, which represents the unique migration from Mexico to Canada,” Peña continued. “The Altamira Oriole sits atop a cotton plant demonstrating one of 500 birds species found in nine birding sites of the World Birding Center, including the one in Edinburg.” UTRGV, whose main campus is in Edinburg, and which next fall will open the School of Medicine, also at the Edinburg campus, are located in Canales’ House District 40. Canales was a co-sponsor in 2013 of the historic law, Senate Bill 24 by Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Rep. René Oliveria, D-Brownsville, which combined the resources of UT-Pan American, UT-Brownsvlle, and the UT Regional Academic Health Center in Edinburg and Harlingen into UTRGV and the School of Medicine. “I was so impressed with Ramiro Peña’s creation, which highlighted higher education and agriculture, which are very important aspects – and strengths – of House District 40 and Texas,” said Canales. “But I am equally impressed by Ramiro and his wife, Alma, because they represent the tremendous values of integrity, hard work, courage, and achievement that make up the character of the people of South Texas.”Peña is the epitome of a non-traditional student – married, with children, 45 years old, and with a two-decade career behind him, according to Melissa Vásquez, who is a member of the UTRGV media team. “His wife, Alma, a first-grade teacher in Weslaco, told him it was her turn to help him achieve his dream of earning a degree and pursue his love of art. So he quit his 19-year job at Magic Valley Electric Cooperative and became a college student again, studying 2D art and taking every opportunity offered to enhance his craft – from studying abroad in Italy to working with art professors to perfect his style, which he refers to as ‘realism,’” Vásquez said. Canales, who shares credit with his wife, Erika, a business owner, for his successes, said he was moved by Ramiro Peña acknowledging the powerful roles that a spouse or other loved ones play in a person’s life. “With my wife’s encouragement, I decided to take that leap of faith and come back to school,” Peña said. “It was a difficult decision, because I had my doubts,” Peña told Vásquez. “At the time, Alma (a first-grade teacher in Weslaco) was making more money than I was and told me it was time for me to go off and get my degree. She told me, ‘I will support you.’”
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by Legislative Media | Dec 15, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Former Rep. Verónica Gonzáles Villarreal, D-McAllen, who serves as Vice President for Governmental and Community Relations, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; McAllen Mayor Jim Darling; and Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission. The three South Texas leaders were participating in a legislative reception hosted by the Pharr Economic Development Corporation and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership at the PEDC headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
Photograph By ISMAEL GARCÍA
Texas voters in a statewide election would have the power to require that women receive half of all gubernatorial appointments to powerful state boards, commissions, and agencies, such as the Texas Transportation Commission and The University of Texas System Board of Regents, under legislation being developed by Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., Mission. There are more than 200 state boards, commissions and agencies whose members are appointed by the governor, with the consent of the Senate. “I believe Texas is ready to take this remarkable step forward in democracy, and in doing so, show the world what we are doing to make sure that women are equal to men in legal, political and social rights,” said Muñoz. Women are underrepresented on most state boards and commissions which require gubernatorial appointees, and many of the state agencies they help lead have annual operating budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars, up to $10 billion and even higher. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has the opportunity to demonstrate his support for women by endorsing Muñoz’ plan, which would most affect one of a governor’s most significant legislative powers. “I encourage Gov. Abbott to support my plan because it affects his office specifically, but more important, it is the right thing to do,” said the House District 36 lawmaker. Muñoz said the idea was brought to him by David A. Díaz, a legislative consultant from McAllen. Díaz and Miriam Martínez had worked together on the issue when Martínez, a South Texas broadcast journalist and business owner, ran for Texas governor, seeking the Republican Party nomination in March 2014, which was won by Abbott. Martínez said if elected governor, her gubernatorial appointments would be been divided evenly between women and men, and she would have asked for a statewide vote to make that practice a permanent requirement. “My duties as a state lawmaker include searching out and recognizing bold ideas from the people of Texas, and helping transform their vision into the laws of the land,” said Muñoz. “I happen to also agree with the famous remarks by Sen. Robert Kennedy: “‘Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?’ This is my inspiration for all legislation.” Muñoz said his proposal is not a quota, which favors one group at the expense of another. “Under this plan, a majority, in this case, men, would not lose out to a minority – women – because the population of Texas is, and most likely will always be, about half men and half women,” Muñoz said. “Any Texas governor would find no problem whatsoever finding women who are very qualified for half of all gubernatorial appointments.” The UT System Board of Regents, which is currently operating under a $16.9 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016, has two women and seven men on that governing board. The Texas A&M System Board of Regents, which is currently operating under a $4.2 billion budget for Fiscal year 2016, has two women and seven men on that governing board. The Texas Ethics Commission, which is responsible for administering and enforcing laws that require financial disclosures of state lawmakers and legislative employees, has one woman on its eight-member commission. The Texas Department of Transportation, which has a $23 billion two-year budget, is governed by the five-member – and all male – Texas Highway Commission. Only three women have been appointed to this powerful commission since 1993. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, a seven-member board which oversees the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and its 2016-17 $719 million budget, is comprised of all men. The three-term lawmaker, who serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which shapes the state’s $209 billion, two-year budget, said his proposal is consistent with his professional and legislative work. “I am a champion for women, who make up half of our adult population, with a proven record of promoting equal pay for equal work, and through my leadership roles on the House Appropriations Committee, supported and voted for hundreds of millions of dollars for women’s health care, protecting victims of family violence, and much more,” said Muñoz. Since the appointment power of the governor is provided the the state constitution, it would require the Texas Legislature, when lawmakers return in January 2017 for its five-month regular session, to approve Muñoz’ plan, which would authorize a state constitutional amendment to be decided by voters in a statewide election. Muñoz’ proposed constitutional amendment and resulting election would have to be approved by two-thirds of the members of the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. Then, more than 50 percent of the vote by the public in a statewide election would be needed to make it law. “Under this proposal, if approved by the Legislature and Texas voters, every time vacancies occur in each state board, commission and agency which requires a gubernatorial appointee, the first vacancy shall be filled by a qualified woman, the next vacancy shall be filled by a qualified man, and so on,” Muñoz said. “This method will guarantee that women will receive their fair share of the most powerful gubernatorial appointments.”
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by Legislative Media | Dec 14, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: George Cárdenas, Senior Vice President, Inter National Bank, McAllen; Shekhar Gianchandani, Chief Financial Officer, Qube Hotel Group; City Councilmember Richard Molina; Hiren M. Govind, Chief Operating Officer, Qube Hotel Group; Himesh Jeram, Chief Executive Officer, Qube Hotel Group; Mark Iglesias, President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Agustín García, Jr., Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; and Ellie M. Torres, Secretary/Treasurer, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. The group was participating in the Tuesday, November 17, 2015 groundbreaking of the $10 million Marriott Towne Place Suites being built near the intersection of Professional Drive and Trenton Road. Not pictured is Mohan Tewani, Chief Development Officer, Qube Hotel Group. The new facility is the latest sign of economic growth in the city, which is also showing continued gains in its retail economy.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
Edinburg’s retail economy from January through October 2015 was 7.16 percent ahead of the same period last year, a figure that is almost double the the statewide average of all Texas cities, which came in with a 3.6 percent improvement when comparing the same 10-month periods, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. For the month of October 2015, the city’s retail economy registered a 7.55 percent rate of improvement over the same month last year, the EEDC added, according to data released on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. These figures are based on sales made in October 2015 by businesses that report tax monthly. Among its many duties, the Texas Comptroller’s office is the state’s chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator and treasurer. The 7.55 percent increase over the same month last year was the best showing among the Valley’s larger economies. During the first 10 months of 2015, Edinburg’s retail economy produced $20,245,270.46 in local sales taxes, compared with $18,891,654.50 for January through October 2014, resulting in the improvement of 7.16 percent. During October 2015, the city’s retail economy generated $1,568,278.46 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,458,157.23 for October 2014, representing the improvement of 7.55 percent, also according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The local sales tax is used in Edinburg to help pay for many city services, while the EEDC uses its one-half cent local sales tax to help generate economic development in the city. The amount of local sales taxes collected also helps reflect the strength of an economy, along with construction activities, per capita income, education, historical performances, and related trends. The sales tax, formally known as the State Sales and Use Tax, is imposed on all retail sales, leases and rentals of most goods, as well as taxable services. Texas cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts have the option of imposing an additional local sales tax for a combined total of state and local taxes of 8 1/4% (.0825).
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by Legislative Media | Dec 6, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Agustín García, Jr., Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Mayor Richard García; Claudio Motta, Operations Manager, Santana Textiles; R. Delfino Neto, President, Santana Textiles; Roberto Cantú, Chief Executive Officer, Santana Textiles, and Leticia Flores, Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. They were among a large contingent of political, business and community leaders who participate in the ribbon cutting, held on Thursday, November 19, 2015, celebrating the start of the first phase of a corporate investment of $50 million in north Edinburg.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
For the second consecutive month this year, Edinburg and McAllen shared the lowest unemployment rate among the Valley’s major economies, both coming in at 4.9 percent for October 2019, which also was the best showing for Edinburg for that month since October 2008, which also posted a 4.9 percent figure, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related. Also according to the latest data, which was released on Friday, November 20, 2015 by the Texas Workforce Commission, there were more than 35,000 people employed in Edinburg during the month of October 2015. The unemployment rate is a key indicator of the strength of the local economy. Edinburg’s latest showing was better than the U.S. unemployment rate for September 2015, which came in at 5 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000). Edinburg’s October 2015 figure of 4.9 percent continues a year-long pattern of positive reports: September (4.9 percent); August (5.1 percent); July (5.4 percent); June (5.1 percent); May 2015 (4.8 percent); April 2015 (4.6 percent); March 2015 (4.8 percent); February 2015 (4.8 percent); and January (5.1 percent). EEDC Board President Iglesias said new businesses, both small and large, continue to build or locate in Edinburg, which will result in continued job creation in the city.“On November 17, 2015, the Marriott Towne Place Suites broke ground near the intersection of Trenton Road and and I69,” Iglesias said. “This four-story, 95-room hotel represents a $10 million investment and will create 20 to 30 full time jobs when it opens for business in the fall of 2016, the same time the the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Edinburg begins its first semester – and with it, create more jobs as well.” In another related development, the Thursday, November 19, 2015 ribbon-cutting ceremony for Santana Textiles will lead to the creation of 300 high-paying jobs, according to the economic development contract signed by Santana Textiles with the EEDC. Agustín García, Jr., Executive Director for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, noted the importance of the project for the entire community, including farmers, the region’s university and South Texas College. The project also garnered a contribution of more than $1 million from the Texas Governor’s Office. The massive operation, with production buildings longer than a football field, is the only one of its type in Texas. Mayor García called it one of the city’s crown jewels, joining the list of ongoing projects such as the Bert Ogden Arena and a soccer stadium as well as the regional medical school and university. “These are investments that are calculated, studied. This investment right here was very minimal,” the mayor said of the city’s financial contribution, explaining Edinburg is expected to see a $284 million annual return via its economic impact. The Edinburg Santana Textiles facility is expected to become the largest in the country when it begins denim production. Despite challenging conditions in Brazil, the family-owned enterprise has thrived and is now able to use cotton grown in the Edinburg facility’s own region, which also creates additional indirect jobs. “The good news is they’re also very cognizant of our community; very compassionate about the people that live here and they’re very careful to be hiring across the board,” said Mayor García. “They hire veterans. They hire mobility-impaired individuals. They hire a cross-section of the community.”
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by Legislative Media | Dec 2, 2015 | Politics
Featured: Darryl S. Johnson, Democrat for Waller County Commissioner, Precinct 3.
Photograph By PARIS KINCAID
Darryl S. Johnson, a legislative consultant with more than 30 years experience in the Texas Legislature and in Congress, says that as Waller County Commissioner, he would use his leadership skills and influential friends in the business and political corridors of power to benefit all voters in his precinct. Johnson, a Prairie View businessman, has filed for Precinct 3 Waller County Commissioner, calling himself “the only true Democrat” with a proven record of working for small business owners, university students, working families – people from all-walks-of-life. “Waller County, and especially Precinct 3, are blessed with the brainpower, willpower, and staying power to become a regional and statewide leader in higher education, economic development, tourism, and job creation,” said Johnson. “But we need someone with know-how, vision, and abilities to help us achieve a higher level of greatness.” The father of two daughters, Johnson said his campaign slogan reflects his honest approach to the challenges and opportunities in Waller County: “We have a lot of work to do.” Among his many strategies, Johnson said he would work closely with state and federal lawmakers to identify sources of funding from Austin and Washington, D.C., and secure millions of dollars for vital programs in Precinct 3, ranging from more money for transportation needs to filing state legislation to expand Prairie View A&M University. “I know where to look at our state capitol and our nation’s capitol for the financial resources we deserve in order to improve our economy, to create more jobs, to serve and protect our families and our future,” he said. “I know how the complicated systems work in the Texas Legislature and in Congress, and I will make them work for all of us in Precinct 3. No other candidate can deliver for us like I will.” Johnson said that he also would fight for programs that would provide needed financial and health care resources for senior citizens. “Older Texans have made a lifetime of contributions to our nation, and it is a sacred obligation of our society to help those who need it in their retirement years,” he said. “One of the actions I will take as a Waller County Commissioner is to set up town hall meetings with all constituents, including sessions specifically with senior citizens, not only to hear their concerns, but especially to learn from their wisdom what I can do to better serve them.” He also pledged to continue building the public’s trust in the Precinct 3 office by always meeting with constituents and being accessible and visible. “I will be the type of county commissioner who not only has an open door policy to my constituents, but more than that, I will always be out in my precinct visiting with residents,” said Johnson. “I won’t be a politician who you only see and hear around election time.” During his career, Johnson has worked for elected leaders in the U.S. Congress, Texas Governor’s Office, and Texas Legislature, and was a key consultant in 2010 for the Texas gubernatorial campaign of multi-billionaire Farouk Shami of Houston. He has also worked with state agencies such as the Secretary of State, Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Water Development Board, and Texas Water Commission. Among his community service roles, Johnson served as a Waller County representative to the Houston- Galveston Area Council, a regional organization through which local governments consider issues and cooperate in solving area wide problems, and served on the Waller County Airport Commission when the region was developing the idea for an airport in Katy. “Precinct 3 deserves someone with the abilities to address the Captains of Industry and the Titans of Politics, and partner with them to shape the laws, policies, and business decisions that will lead to prosperity for our region,” Johnson said. “What I have learned from decades of working with the Powers-that-Be is to always let them know that we have what it takes for them and us to succeed.”
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