Posted on 01/24/2004 8:52:50 AM PST by Theodore R.
Mayor comes home a hero
Times staff reports
Laredo Mayor Betty Flores arrived Friday from her three-day trip to Washington D.C. and brought with her $4 million in federal appropriations.
Mayor Flores headed home on a high note, bearing news that over $4 million in federal appropriations for Laredo were approved Thursday night by Congress via a congressional bill that contained Laredo earmarks.
The $373 billion spending measure contains an Omnibus Bill, which includes federal earmarks for the Gateway City specifically for transportation and mass transit projects.
"I want to thank our congressional leadership that continues to support Laredo and its needs. The money will help us initiate transportation and transit improvements that are crucial to maintaining our status as a trade-savvy and commerce-oriented port for North America," stated an excited Mayor Flores, who arrived in Laredo, late Friday.
"This was a bill that was decided at the last minute and while there are some parts of it that we did not agree with, the earmarks for Laredo are essential to our community and we welcome them," she said. "In these times, we have to take what we can get and run with it."
While in Washington, Mayor Flores was a guest at the State of the Union Address and attended the 72nd Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where she took the "valuable" opportunity to rub elbows with mayors from throughout Texas and the nation and share her "expertise" on homeland security and border issues.
"My humblest contribution to the conference (of Mayors) was border issues. Specifically, getting other cities to identify with southern border issues," Flores said. Flores added the contribution was significant because border knowledge (and funding) usually revolves around the northern states because very little is known of the southern borders.
Flores said people actually "looked up and paid attention," when she delivered her speech, adding it was largely because she had the support of a "huge" lobbying group, which included the private sector.
Flores said her speech on border issues (and homeland security) somehow brought the cities to relate to South Texas and Laredo.
"For example, the mayor from Idaho could relate because his potatoes cross through Laredo," Flores said, emphasizing she was able to communicate that connection (with the southern border) with northern cities.
"It opened various doors for us and people started saying, 'what is good for the border is good for us,'" she said.
Flores added the trip to Washington served to open various doors for improving the city of Laredo.
According to official's reports, the city of Laredo will use the four million in funds in a variety of transportation related projects to improve the flow of traffic and increase the safety of the traveling public.
One project, the ITS project, will entail the analysis and design of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
This project will reportedly integrate the city's and the state's ITS technology, resulting in safer intersections and improved flow of traffic.
The funds will also be used for the new El Metro Facility, which is expected to improve upon current services, and for additional phases of the West Laredo Multimodal Corridor Project.
The West Laredo Multimodal Corridor project is focused on resolving safety issues at train and vehicular traffic intersections.
The Congressional Budget office releases the official document on Monday, Jan. 26, 2004 at 12 noon.
01/24/04
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