By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas |...Early Sunday mornings at Starbucks on N. 10th Street means seeing some long-lost friend or a local celebrity. This morning, we ran into McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, perhaps the busiest public servant in the Rio Grande Valley.
In his first term in office, Mr. Villalobos is getting around the city and promoting both local business and international connections with neighboring Mexico. He's everywhere, as they say.
We asked him about plans for his political future, but, well, it is too-early to talk reelection.
"Any plans for a post beyond the city?" I asked him.
"Congress is too-divided," he said, putting that prospect aside.
He agrees that both major political parties - Republicans and Democrats - want those so-called "wedge issues" to maintain the societal divisions and ensure partisanship. It's a loser proposition, but that's the politics of our current era.
"Abortion, immigration, Ukraine," the popular mayor noted.
Those are three of the issues Democrats and Republicans keep in certain pockets for their own interpretation and use.
McAllen is moving along swimmingly. It is the RGV's best-managed and maintained city. No one along this section of the border argues that.
Mayor Villalobos can only hope that things stay on an even keel, or keep getting better, if and when he decides on another run for mayor...or for some other post...
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That's my Starbucks...always busy, always good.
ReplyDeleteYou don't want to be there weekdays at morning rush. It's packed and you wait and wait and wait for your drink!!!!
ReplyDeleteMayor is absolutely right..both parties spend too much time focusing on polarizing social issues that neither party is willing to compromise on...on both sides its an all or nothing narrative & for those politicos that do not concur 100% with their respective political platforms or disagree with members of their respective parties are referred to as RINOs or DINOs. We must focus & support those issues that resonate with all voters, not just a sect.....economic opportunity, investing in education, health care, public safety (including border security), infrastructure, immigration reform, just to mention a few. Many of those in office have lost the political focus of representing constituencies & country & not their political parties or their personal ideology.
ReplyDeleteConcur entirely...
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