Rio Grande alley officials welcomed members of Congress recently with hands outstretched — one held out in welcome, the other asking for money. We trust the lawmakers found that the local officials made a compelling case; we understand, however, that this region has to compete with every other part of the country for limited tax funds.
To address all of the Valley’s needs we can’t depend so much on federal allocations; we need to continue doing everything we can to help ourselves, by working to attract and develop business development and strengthen our local tax base.
Members of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Economic Disparity & Fairness and Growth toured the Valley last week to assess local infrastructure needs. They toured Valley colonias — neighborhoods that lack such basic necessities as paved roads, drainage systems and street lighting. They then held a hearing June 17 at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council to hear from local elected officials.
They heard that we have many needs and officials here believe the Valley hasn’t received the attention and support it needs.
It’s safe to assume that officials throughout the country will make the same argument; everybody surely wants more than they’re getting, but that’s the nature of fighting for federal allocations. In the Valley, however, the argument has merit. It remains one of the nation’s fastest growing regions, requiring infrastructure development to expand as rapidly as possible to keep up with population gains. At the same time this is one of the poorest areas of the country, which means local tax revenues don’t match levels found in other parts of the U.S.
Proof of the inadequacy of our support system can be seen whenever a large storm hits the Valley; flooding is fast and widespread, causing millions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic also revealed a widespread lack of internet access. When campuses closed and schools switched to remote learning programs, they found that thousands of families didn’t have internet accounts, or even computers. School districts had to scramble to acquire tablet computers and get them to students, and they placed hundreds of specially equipped buses throughout Valley neighborhoods to serve as signal routers to provide Wi-Fi signals to neighborhoods that didn’t have it.
Other infrastructure needs abound, especially in cities where officials still utilize historic buildings that are more than a century old and need to be maintained.
Congress, however, can only do so much; federal allocations essentially will serve as bandages that buy time for local officials to find other ways to address their needs.
This is where the need for continued economic development and diversification is crucial. South Texas has made strides in recent years in the areas of retail sales and the new, burgeoning aerospace industry, but more investment is needed to raise business revenues and create more, better-paying jobs that enable residents to be more active consumers.
The more we can do to become self-sufficient, the less we will need to beg for federal dollars.
