Hello All! An outreach event is being organized for our sister city Juarez, Chihuahua, and I would GREATLY appreciate everyone’s help! The event organizers are collecting old and new jackets, coats, blankets, gloves, and scarves that can be passed on to needy families in Juarez to get the families and children through these cold winter days. They have assigned a drop off day on December 16 at BEK Medical so anyone can drop off stuff there! If you cannot make it on the drop off date and would like to participate just comment on this post! Donations are also accepted. Just a small way we can touch these peoples hearts, and realize how blessed we are to have even a scarf! They really hope many of you participate and spread the word, a great way to spend the Holidays is giving to others.
Anyone who would like to go to Juarez on Christmas morning to distribute all of this personally to the families are more than welcome to come! You will need a passport, please post a message if interested!

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After much anticipation the Regional Economic Development Association has revived Regional Identity!!  Many people complain about this region but few choose to do something about it. We are here to make a difference and improve economic development in our region.

The Regional Identity (Ri) is a biweekly online magazine published by the Regional Economic Development Association. The magazine explores academic, business, and government issues in the Paso del Norte region.

The Regional Identity’s goal is to create a more active student body that engages in the issues that affect the Paso del Norte region. The magazine provides an outlet for students to voice their opinions and enables students to apply the knowledge and skills that they acquire in the classroom to the real world.

We are the voice for students in our region we are REDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year, the Mayor and City Council decided to pass an ordinance offering medical and family benefits to unmarried domestic partners. The ordinance received a backlash from several voters, most especially those from the Christian and religious right citing that the ordinance opened city benefits homosexual domestic partners.

Christian Pastor Tom Brown, founder of “Word of Life Church”, organized a local effort to have the ordinance overturned. With the help of his congregation and several other churches in El Paso, including the Catholic Diocese, the initiative was placed on local election ballot and passed by a 55-45% margin. The success of the initiative led to unexpected results and a new host of problems for City Council, city employees, and city retirees.

For the initiative to be placed on the ballot, the wording could not be discriminatory to any one particular group of people. Due to the generalities, the initiative asked that “only city employees and their families” receive benefits. The implication was that city retirees were also going to lose their benefits. Instead of repealing the benefits of the 19 unmarried partners who had filed for benefits, including two homosexual couples, retired police and firefighters were also set to lose their benefits unless City Council and the Mayor intervened.

City Council and the mayor have the power to vote to amend or overturn any ordinances on the city charter, even those approved by voter initiative. Once a judged ruled in favor of the voter initiative Mayor Cook moved fast to reintroduce the issue to city council. Two council members the mayor needed to overturn the new ordinance, Beto O’Rourke and Rachel Quintana, were soon being replaced by newly elected members. Before the new City Council took their seats the mayor and four representatives voted to overturn the El Paso voter initiative and give employee benefits to everyone. The vote that took place was not without its own new set of consequences.

Pastor Tom Brown stepped back on the public forum and argued that the Mayor and two remaining representatives need to be recalled. The new voter initiative to recall Mayor Cook and Representatives Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega is now underway. Pastor Brown would need 7000 voters to sign a petition to recall the mayor and 700 signatures for Ortega and Susie Byrd.

The passage of a city ordinance that affected a few people has now escalated and has an effect on the entire city. This has created a controversial situation that may end political careers and place the retirements of countless city works up in the air.

El Paso’s national profile is generally what many El Pasoans see when they live in this town: A “small” big city without a chance to grow in these harsh economic times. Despite what many people think of their town, this is not the case. El Paso’s growth is actually much more drastic that what most citizens notice. Let us take a look at the facts:

Myth #1 – You can’t find a job in El Paso.

While it is true that we currently have a 9.5% unemployment ratio, we are still under the national average, which is 9.6; in addition, before the 2008 market recession, we were close to full employment, with the unemployment ratio at 5.6% during 2007. It is important to remark that there is a trend which suggests that El Paso could come out of this high unemployment in the next 2 years or so.

Myth #2 – El Paso doesn’t have enough teachers.

Even though the quality of the school systems is always debatable, the number of education jobs has increased heavily since 2000. This is mainly due because of the Paul Foster Medical School, which has allowed a near 47% increase to the field. The opening of University Medical Center has also contributed to this increase.

Myth #3 – People have stopped buying due to the recession

Despite the fact that there was an approximate $800 thousand decrease in consumer spending in 2009, that number is at its highest point in the past decade with a near 1.2 million increase, leading to an $8.6 million total. It should also be noted that this amount is on track with El Paso’s rising sales prior to the recession.

While some economists still debate over the timeline of the recession, one thing can be understood; El Paso is coming out of this recession stronger than ever.

Source: REDCO Business Barometers, 2011

Today, as I crossed at 7:50 because I had an exam, the student line was open. I just walked all the way down the bridge and into the Customs area. The line was unusually short. Normally, I would’ve taken my earphones, turned on my cell phone, and sent everybody and everything to oblivion, with the obvious exception of me and the artists singing in my ear. But, to add to the odd day I was having, I forgot my earphones. I decided to eavesdrop in other people’s conversations, but even that was useless: everyone around me was a Lydia Patterson’s student. Clusters, both big and small, of high school students go to school at the same time as us college students. So, I decided to think about my exam. This is not normal for me, although it seems to be a normal thing for everyone to study for a test, read books, and even do homework on the daily commute to school.

Then it was time for me to go with the CBP officer. I went and he asked the same things he always asks me: where am I going, what do I study, and what am I bringing from Mexico. They always talk in Spanish with an American accent even when they are of a Hispanic origin and with a last name such as Garcia, Venegas, or even Perez. Now, when I cross as a tourist, not a student, they always ask me “which visa is the one you got stolen? This one or the other one?”

About two months ago, my Passport was stolen. I left my backpacks carelessly in my dad’s car, he went into a convenience store, and returned to a broken window and to none of my backpacks. Luckily, everyone was really helpful, and I do mean everyone: The police (in case you haven’t noticed, I live in Juarez and my backpack was stolen here), everyone at the Office of International Programs, to whom I extend my utmost appreciation, as they answered me every question I had, and helped me contact my professors; my professors, who also helped me get on track and minimize my absences; the U.S. Consulate and the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores in Mexico. Everyone made my odyssey end as quickly as possible and be the least damaging to my academic career.

Caption: As the lights went out we united as one.

Ruby Mijares, owner of Fudge-n- More spoke to us about how she has been able to keep the family owned business firm and traditional for her customers, in this harsh economy.

For ten years she has been dedicated to provide to her customers good quality deserts for any occasion. Favorites include chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, and of course, fudge.

Ruby has managed to keep her business running with a simple motto: “a day at a time”. She has dedicated to make her place feel like home; which it’s evident when you enter her store, located at 914 N. Mesa St: a small locality, filled with motivating cards and figurines, showing also a lot of Miner Pride. Ruby makes people feel welcome and special by treating everyone as part of her family. “I think about what I’m going to give them [her customers]”, she said.

In the background, her older son helps her with the making of the treats. “My other children help me when they can”. She also keeps photo albums of most customers that enter the locale.

She spoke to us about an incident that shows her dedication to her customers. A fire broke out in a building in the same street as her store. The fire department closed the block and prevented her to fulfill a major order requested for that day. After getting permission from the fire chief to enter her building, she was able to get her kitchen utensils and meet the order in time. “I never reject an order no matter how big”, Ruby says proudly.

To satisfy the best seller item on her menu, the chocolate-covered strawberries, she buys the strawberries anywhere she can. These are sold year round, however, they are most popular around Valentine’s Day, one of the strongest, if not the best time for her business.

Ruby invites us to feel the passion she puts in her place to make her customers feel welcome and part of a family

From experience, I have learned that it is a lot easier to open a business in the United States than in Mexico. Everything is simpler and you can do it all through the internet and in fifteen minutes you have your business. The whole system is made to work for the consumer and we would have never expected such the great demand that we have here and the facility that we have witnessed to opening your own business. Opening a business in Mexico can carry a more tedious process.

We can’t give up on Juarez. Unfortunately, it’s a very sad situation and for thirty years we have been giving it our all and to see what is happening in Juarez is a very lamentable feeling. Thanks to God we had the opportunity to move to El Paso and unfortunately millions of people do not have the opportunity to move because they are trying to earn a living by getting by each day. However, I think that with the new governor, things have a chance to turn around. Maybe not drastically, but there is hope that maybe they can have the capacity to solve the problem. We are expecting a lot from them. We are currently in hard times but it is important to still maintain hope.”