I got a copy of the 2015 issue of Livability: Greater El Paso, Tx in the mail yesterday.
The magazine is sponsored by the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. The wrapper it was in had this statement: “We are pleased to provide this complimentary copy of our primary fulfillment piece for newcomer/relocation information requests.” At last a chance to see how the chamber helps promote new business.
The cover featured a handsome picture taken from the inside of our new ball park.
Some of the facets of our community that the magazine featured were:
“Exciting new projects are under way in El Paso’s downtown, which already serves as the epicenter of its art and entertainment scene, with a new ballpark, theaters, museums, main library and arts organization offices.”
They wrote about our All-America City Award in 2010 and about El Paso being the nation’s safest large city four years running.
Our 300-plus days of sunshine were mentioned.
Wonderful voters
“The $74 million ballpark is part of a $473 million quality-of-life bond measure that local voters overwhelmingly approved in 2012” according the magazine. Most of us missed that election.
Public schools
“Three public school districts serve the El Paso region.” They mentioned the El Paso, Socorro, and Ysleta districts. Maybe the chamber considers the Canutillo district to be outside of our region.
Well developed
The “Business Spotlight” featured Jordan Foster Construction, Texas Gas Service, River Oaks Properties, Mimco Inc. and Hunt Companies Inc.
My favorite quote was “From an economic development standpoint, people look for predictable operating environments…And that is what we offer in El Paso”.
No kidding.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
“predictable operating environments”…..yes, it’s predictable we are running out of ground water so plan on higher rates. It’s predictable home owners properties will be overvalued so plan on higher taxes. It’s predictable our local governments will increase their budgets every year and then provide less efficiant services. It’s predictable land surrounding the city will be sold to developers who will continue to increase urban sprawl and traffic congestion. At least we’ll have entertainment downtown with back alleys to drain our bladders.
LikeLike
It is also predictable that the funding deficiency in retirement plans for our police and fire departments will increase every year. In 2013, the El Paso city website reported an estimated deficiency of $357 million. The City ignored this accrued debt and instead spent millions of dollars in 2014 to build these “exciting new projects”. It is depressing to see how these millionaires featured in the “Business Spotlight” are considered the pillars of our community. We as taxpayers are legally bound to pay for their financial manipulations.
LikeLike
Guess they also forgot to add that the almost 1/2 BILLION $$$$$$ <> voters “overwhelmingly approved won’t be enough to cover the drunken Rabat the QOL trolley. That’s certainly predictable, no? Call us crazies!
LikeLike
** drunken TAB at the QOL trolley.
LikeLike
There are many school districts
El Paso
Ysleta
Socorro
Canutillo
Fabens
Anthony
San Eli
Clint
Fabens
Not to mention private non profit schools
LikeLike
Trust is a brand’s greatest asset. The El Paso Inc. also repeated this lie, as does the El Paso Chihuahuas’ MiLB website. I guess it’s historical revisionism. But it’s only been two years. Did they think we forgot?
Will prospective relocators trust anything else the Chamber tells them? Has the Chamber heard about the internet? Do they think business will relocate to El Paso without doing a web search?
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” — Joseph Goebbels
Sorry to go all Godwin’s Law on you, but it seemed appropriate.
LikeLike