Comparto esta reflexión sobre los desafíos de la concertación política en América Latina a través de una mirada a la CEPAL, la OEA y la CELAC globalitika.mx/post/oea-cepal…

Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal gives an exclusive interview to the Rio Grande Guardian at his 2nd Bi-National Roundtable Program event. riograndeguardian.com/villarreal-rgv… via Rio Grande Guardian

Huge shortage of workers in Santa Fe, NM. Couldn’t get breakfast because diner didn’t have a chef; restaurant only offering to go meals due to lack of wait staff; hotel room not cleaned due to lack of maids. Time to open the border.

TxDOT's Pharr District office would like to get Military Highway up to interstate standards. riograndeguardian.com/podcast-everyt… via Rio Grande Guardian

We’re hearing that Greg Abbott and Gov. Cabeza de Vaca have just about reached an agreement that Tamaulipas will inspect northbound trucks. News conference in Weslaco to announce the deal this afternoon. So DPS inspections in South Texas can stop.

One of the fans that keeps the Mexican visitors cool while they wait to cross the Hidalgo-Reynosa Bridge is not working. It would be great if you could fix it, McAllen Bridge Board. It’s 97 degrees this afternoon and summer’s coming.

Bumped into RGV GOP stalwart Hollis Rutledge today. He said he knows he will get flak from his Democratic friends in South Texas but he could not resist this quip: “After the November midterms the Donkey will have to be listed as an endangered species.”

Hidalgo County is a Democratic stronghold. Yesterday I had a knock on the door from a GOP campaign worker. He left literature for CD 15 candidate Monica de la Cruz. In the 6 years I have lived at my address in McAllen I have never had a visit from a Democratic campaign worker.

Pleased to report Reynosa Mayor Carlos Peña Ortiz is delivering on his campaign promise to fix the flooding. His drainage project on Mahuatlan in the colonia Marte R. Gómez is not finished yet but it’s already working. During the heavy rains last week our house did not flood!

Hope Monica De La Cruz makes a decision soon on whether she’ll appear at Pharr Chamber’s CD 15 candidate forum on Oct. 27. I’m supposed to co-moderate with UTRGV’s Veronica Gonzales. If she’s not going to show up there’s a good journalism conference in Austin I’d like to attend.

“Manufacturers are urging the Legislature to create a modern, transparent, and accountable economic development program.”—TAM president Tony Bennett. Read more about our #txlege priorities riograndeguardian.com/texas-associat… via Steve Taylor

During McAllen Day at the Capitol, McAllenEDC CEO Keith Patridge visited the offices of numerous lawmakers. Every office had at least 3 staff members from the RGV. “If we could bring them home, Austin would shut down,” Patridge said, at RGV State of Real Estate Forum.

As per the Progress Times, counsel to Mission CISD told school board members not to talk publicly about the demolition of nationally listed Roosevelt Auditorium. In other words don’t engage with their bosses, the voters, the taxpayers.

Just been mailed a glossy flyer for the City of McAllen, TX’s MXLAN festival. Flyer says Duncan Woods will top the bill at an international economic summit. But it should read Duncan Wood, my neighbor from Kent. There’s no “s” on the end of Wood. Will be great to see him again.

Investment in #Texas & #Mexico. Thanks Steve Taylor & Rio Grande Guardian for addressing and amplifying the huge opportunity for Texas and the North of Mexico to grow, develop, and integrate their economies. Source: riograndeguardian.com/ramirez-im-the…

Missed this earlier but Steve Taylor has a deeper dive on the South Texas reaction to the HHS Medicaid STAR/CHIP procurement that woodlands drop three legacy children’s hospital-affiliated health and among other changes affecting coverage of 1.8M low-income enrollees. #txlege

Highlight of the week, for me, was meeting up with retired former Children’s Defense Fund-RGV executive director Luisa Saenz, at the Valley View-UTSA awards ceremony. Wow, what an honor. Like being in the company of Valley royalty.

It must be September.

Sadly, I do not live in City of Pharr but I just spoke to the librarian and he said their blazing fast Internet works well in the south side parking lot. So, I can now upload our news videos super fast from my car, 24/7!!!!

Has UTRGV produced an app that helps visitors how to find buildings on their Edinburg campus? All the buildings look the same.