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First stop this Free Trade stuff.. Charge a high tariff to bring goods into this country if the company is an American company relying on cheep labor of other countries. Or rewrite it to be fair to American Workers, bring jobs back to the USA. I would rather spend 1-5 bucks more on a product knowing it is employing an American, then pay a low price to support some other country.
Second pass laws like Arizona and go after employers who hire illegals.. also anyone housing them. Once the freeloaders are gone, it will improve.
Once you take them 2 steps, give tax incentives to companies to move back to the US.
The problem is we give so much help to other countries we forget to help ourselves. Time to cut them off and see how well they do with out big Daddy USA funding their civilization.
I was born and raised in el paso. Left in 97 and will never go back! Moved to Austin,
found a world of opportunities and now own my own business. Something that was
impossible to achieve in ep. I keep telling my family members and friends that there
is a world beyond the bounderies of ep. But, I have come to realize that most people
in ep are satisfied living in a dead city, a border city, close minded city, flee market
mentality city etc. etc. runned by incompetent politicians. El paso never changed while
I was living there and It will never change. El pasoans have always tried to convince
themselves that ep is a better city than San Antonio but the majority have never visited San Antonio and for the most, the majority of ep citizens have never been outside of ep.
EP will never become a great city like Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston. Simply because it is a border city with no econimic dynamics and the majority live in poverty.
I hate to be so negative, but it is the Simple Truth.
One more thing. 20 years from now people will be talking about the same issues that
have plagued this city since I was living there while the rest of the world progresses.
Cheers to those that have taken the courage to move out and find a better life!
I'm curious what you think could be done to solve this problem. It may be easy to comment about the ills of this city when you live nowhere near it and are doing nothing to help reverse the trend. Just what is your position? Do you long to return and are frustrated that you can't find adequate compensation/quality of life/etc? Or are you really that bitter? I don't know why anyone who only sees the negative in this city (whether they live here or not) just don't go find the greener pastures and get over it. I did the same, then realized that El Paso was my home and I was going to come back and make a difference, however insignificant it may actually be.
2. The educated
People who complain that there aren't any good jobs and the pay sucks despite their having a degree, well if there aren't any jobs for you then get out of town for a few years. The fresh air will do you some good. If by chance, you decide to come back older & wiser and wanting to give this town a chance, I commend you. If the compensation is still not to your satisfaction, then take that newfound experience and put it to use and make your own opportunities. This city is at a turning point and it will be on the backs of those who are willing to take a chance and fight for their hometown.
Not bitter at all friend. I love where I am at now and plan on making a new life here (just wish my mom would move out here too ). I do agree however that only a better educated workforce will be the key to turn things around for EP. If you dont have that no amount of private/public investment can change things.
I'm curious what you think could be done to solve this problem. It may be easy to comment about the ills of this city when you live nowhere near it and are doing nothing to help reverse the trend. Just what is your position? Do you long to return and are frustrated that you can't find adequate compensation/quality of life/etc? Or are you really that bitter? I don't know why anyone who only sees the negative in this city (whether they live here or not) just don't go find the greener pastures and get over it. I did the same, then realized that El Paso was my home and I was going to come back and make a difference, however insignificant it may actually be.
I see the problem from two directions.
1. The uneducated
People who complain that there aren't any jobs and the pay sucks without having a college degree, well go and get educated. I was in that situation, working service jobs and living paycheck to paycheck. It came down to that I wasn't going to live that way anymore and went to school. Many years later, I've finished grad school and have been a working professional for several years now. Yes, you can be successful. Even here in El Paso.
2. The educated
People who complain that there aren't any good jobs and the pay sucks despite their having a degree, well if there aren't any jobs for you then get out of town for a few years. The fresh air will do you some good. If by chance, you decide to come back older & wiser and wanting to give this town a chance, I commend you. If the compensation is still not to your satisfaction, then take that newfound experience and put it to use and make your own opportunities. This city is at a turning point and it will be on the backs of those who are willing to take a chance and fight for their hometown.
Trying to change all that gets to be a vicious circle -- bring in the high-paid and highly educated and they won't like the atmosphere of this mostly Spanish speaking border town and they'll just pack up and leave. Yet -- it's difficult to make changes in that direction without bringing them in and getting their wages up.
I don't think it's just wages and you're not going to get this town up to the level of Austin or Boston any time soon -- not in education, not in entertainment. Plus we're geographically isolated. It's a whole days drive to just about anywhere -- and a lot of people won't prefer that. Plus it's not very green and what lush green valleys there were are being plowed under to build housing subdivisions after housing subdivisions.
People who are used to large green yards, lakes, water recreation, lots of trees aren't going to like it here even with some high wage jobs.
I think El Paso should have tried to be a low tax city, low crime city (including property crime) and tried to attract retirees but that wasn't the case.
I think El Paso a couple decades ago was a more attractive town to live in -- the smaller neighborhoods, the mountains, the lush green valleys -- but that's all being turned into urban sprawl. And El Paso a couple decades was not as tilted toward the Mexican language and ways, it had a better mix.
Not bitter at all friend. I love where I am at now and plan on making a new life here (just wish my mom would move out here too ). I do agree however that only a better educated workforce will be the key to turn things around for EP. If you dont have that no amount of private/public investment can change things.
Good for you. The point I was trying to make was that if people are unhappy here then I see no problem at all with trying to find what makes you happy. Meaning, you shouldn't feel any obligation to this city to stifle the brain drain. Life is too short. Just pointing out that it is possible to be happy here (careerwise) if you're so inclined. Obviously some career paths are more do-able here than others, so that is also something to consider.
Trying to change all that gets to be a vicious circle -- bring in the high-paid and highly educated and they won't like the atmosphere of this mostly Spanish speaking border town and they'll just pack up and leave. Yet -- it's difficult to make changes in that direction without bringing them in and getting their wages up.
I don't think it's just wages and you're not going to get this town up to the level of Austin or Boston any time soon -- not in education, not in entertainment. Plus we're geographically isolated. It's a whole days drive to just about anywhere -- and a lot of people won't prefer that. Plus it's not very green and what lush green valleys there were are being plowed under to build housing subdivisions after housing subdivisions.
People who are used to large green yards, lakes, water recreation, lots of trees aren't going to like it here even with some high wage jobs.
I think El Paso should have tried to be a low tax city, low crime city (including property crime) and tried to attract retirees but that wasn't the case.
I think El Paso a couple decades ago was a more attractive town to live in -- the smaller neighborhoods, the mountains, the lush green valleys -- but that's all being turned into urban sprawl. And El Paso a couple decades was not as tilted toward the Mexican language and ways, it had a better mix.
Honestly, people will go where the jobs are. And by the jobs I mean good paying professional jobs. Whether or not a prospective employee knows spanish or not will be irrelevant, unless they'll be working in a maquila. The biculturalism of this city is something the city should promote, that fact will not change any time soon. It's like being in old mexico without actually being there. Several of our friends from up north have commented what an interesting city we have. That aspect in particular is what makes this city unique. We're not "Anywhere USA". This is El Paso dangit. I know in the past I've complained about the lack of diversity here, etc. And frankly, depending on the day of the week my opinion can go either way. But the city should really see this as an asset. We need to promote our individuality on top of getting our people educated. That's how we'll move this city forward.
Lets say I want to work at McDonald's. Thats my ambition.. I can live in El Paso and work at McDonald's making minimum wage and be required to speak Spanish. Or I can move to lets say Gulfport Mississippi, or Seattle WA, or Boise ID, or some other place and get paid anywhere from $8.50 an hour to 10 bucks an hour for the same job I would of had here. I would also have not run into the Spanish Language blockade I do here. Heck in Mississippi, not only will I get paid $8.50 an hour to start, I will also get benefits, so I can take care of my family, and its a viable option for me seeking employment.
I worked for Securitas Security Services as a Field Supervisor, I was paid 15 an hour in Mississippi, I come to El Paso and I am offered $7.45 an hour for the same basic job. So there is the problem right there. Its the El Paso mentality.. pay less because were a border trash city, and thats just not right.
Lets say I want to work at McDonald's. Thats my ambition.. I can live in El Paso and work at McDonald's making minimum wage and be required to speak Spanish. Or I can move to lets say Gulfport Mississippi, or Seattle WA, or Boise ID, or some other place and get paid anywhere from $8.50 an hour to 10 bucks an hour for the same job I would of had here. I would also have not run into the Spanish Language blockade I do here. Heck in Mississippi, not only will I get paid $8.50 an hour to start, I will also get benefits, so I can take care of my family, and its a viable option for me seeking employment.
I worked for Securitas Security Services as a Field Supervisor, I was paid 15 an hour in Mississippi, I come to El Paso and I am offered $7.45 an hour for the same basic job. So there is the problem right there. Its the El Paso mentality.. pay less because were a border trash city, and thats just not right.
It's true that service jobs here suck. You won't get paid much and the requirement to speak spanish means those who are not bilingual have less of a chance. But just look at the waves of immigrant and 1st generation people here. Unfortunately, the majority are uneducated and will be fighting for these service industry jobs. That will keep wages down for that industry. There's a seemingly unending stream of workers willing to take those jobs. My suggestion for those in that situation is to get out as soon as you can. If you do have to take a service job, use it to put yourself through school. Education is so important I can't stress it enough. No one can ever take that away. And you will then be marketable for higher paid jobs whether or not you stay in el paso. I understand you came back to el paso for family so you may not be able to get out of town where your skills are better appreciated any time soon. Have you considered possibly a new career? Work full time and go to school part time. It will be a pain, trust me I know. Depending on how long you intend to stay here in the meantime this may or may not be worth your while..
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). I do agree however that only a better educated workforce will be the key to turn things around for EP. If you dont have that no amount of private/public investment can change things.
Meaning, you shouldn't feel any obligation to this city to stifle the brain drain. Life is too short. Just pointing out that it is possible to be happy here (careerwise) if you're so inclined. Obviously some career paths are more do-able here than others, so that is also something to consider.
