The Fountains at Farah Shopping Center (Chico: marketplace, move, design)

[kidicarus89]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

It's amazing when I read about people complaining about large companies getting tax breaks. What those companies are doing are creating jobs and a job is better than no job. I think it's incredibly short sighted to just think about the tax break when people can be employed by the hundreds. Those people will go to work, pay taxes and make a contribution to the community.

So what if they're entry level jobs? Entry level jobs get paid entry level wages. Some people remind me of the Soldiers, PVT's and SPC's, about how Officers get paid so much more. What's the scope of their responsibility? Jobs like retail and fastfood are not meant to make enough money for you to feed a family of 5 and buy a house on the west side. It's a job that's for additional income or high school kids' first job.

If you want a higher paying job, get a college education and then some. Make your resume good, be a hard worker, be responsible, etc...

So tired of people complaining because they're not given everything they demand!

Whoever thinks life is hard here should visit a third world country to get an appreciation to how well we have it here.

Thank you. I'm so sick people who can't get the concept of the city giving up a little income upfront to get a ton of it later down the road. What they don't realize is that companies with high-paid positions have trouble locating to places like El Paso because we haven't invested in private industry, and there's very little to do entertainment option-wise. It's very hard for a recruiter to get outside talent to move here. Austin in the 70s was a dump, but they took huge risks (fixing up Town Lake, incentives to relocate in the downtown industrial districts, etc.) and now its the darling of the Texas tech industry, and has a booming economy. But it took risk and took decades to pay off. El Paso is now starting to realize this.

There's this old mindset among the (well, the older population) that city government responsibilities are only fixing roads, street signs, parks, etc. The U.S. is a post-industrial economy, and now cities have to distinguish themselves by investing in their downtown cores and fostering nascent industries to compete.

And to people who complain about low-wage jobs, there are plenty of great engineering positions at WSMR, Bliss and Holloman AFB, nursing jobs at local hospitals, and others. But if you don't have an in-demand college degree don't expect much.

[Army_Guy]

Originally Posted by kidicarus89

And to people who complain about low-wage jobs, there are plenty of great engineering positions at WSMR, Bliss and Holloman AFB, nursing jobs at local hospitals, and others. But if you don't have an in-demand college degree don't expect much.

Wait, you mean that employers aren't obligated to give under-qualified people high paying jobs?

What is it with this generation?

I have never seen so many people feel so entitled to the work/fortune of others.

One thing that governments usually do when they're strapped for revenue is increase taxes. That's a very shortsighted strategy. Maybe the tax increase will raise revenue in the short term. But when people start spending their money outside of that area, what do you have left? You've gone from some revenue to no revenue. And when you invest in business, it's a big time trickle down effect. It's not just the immediate jobs created by that business. Those are permanent jobs, there are also hundreds of temporary jobs such as construction, transportation that are needed to get to those permanent jobs. And when those permanent jobs happen, those people will need shopping options, grocery stores, gas stations, places to eat, etc... And they'll be spending the money in the community and keeping the revenue in the community.

And regarding the man who is investing his money into El Paso. It's his money and last I heard, it's still a free country so he can spend his money as he wishes! Who are you to say how he should spend his money?

[lipbalm]

Originally Posted by Chuco

Judging from your posts, you don't know anything you're talking about, period.

Foster, doesn't have to give his money away to help out local universities, buying baseball AAA teams that won't make him money for years, improving the Farah location which was basically a huge dead factory. He's done so much for this community and so yeah, I've never met the man, but I'll support him as long as he keeps helping El Paso move forward. On the other hand, what have you naysayers done for this community? What have you guys given back to try and keep El Paso competitive with other cities out there? Most of what you do, is just basically whine, complain about anything and everything and give out wrong information.

Even when it comes to positive things, these naysayers only find things to complain about.. how sad is that??

A few years back, I worked some months at Western Refinery with a contractor of theirs, so I know a bit about how well their employees are paid. Back then their employees were averaging $65,000 salaries a year, and that didn't include several large bonuses that were given to them throughout the year. I found this website that now says their average salary is up to $69,000 a year.

Western Refining Salaries | Simply Hired

Average salaries
Western Refinery: $69,000
National Average: $42,979
El Paso Average: $35,550

So where are you getting your info?? Because obviously you are not informed properly.

"5% BELOW the national average" LOL! Come on, if you are going to make something up, at least make it believable...

Hmm....here we go again using "average" salaries. Average should not be considered the only statistical measure of what is the true distribution of any particular data set. It would be useful to know the standard deviation, range, and median to get a better picture. Using the mean value alone is well, meaningless.

[katzpaw]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

And regarding the man who is investing his money into El Paso. It's his money and last I heard, it's still a free country so he can spend his money as he wishes! Who are you to say how he should spend his money?

I am a taxpayer and Foster demanded and got $12 million in tax breaks. Yes, he can spend his money as he wishes - as long he doesn't get government tax breaks.

[mistabinks]

But others will offer those tax breaks. Is it better to be firm and lose out?

[kidicarus89]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

I am a taxpayer and Foster demanded and got $12 million in tax breaks. Yes, he can spend his money as he wishes - as long he doesn't get government tax breaks.

Are you equally mad at energy companies getting billions of dollars in tax breaks? Manufacturing plants that are offered huge incentives to locate in certain congressional districts?

You should be more angry about massive sports stadiums getting built with billions of dollars in subsidization by taxpayers to essentially support the earnings of professional sports teams, which often ends up as a money-loser for the city itself. I'm looking at you, Jerry Jones. (And yes, the AAA El Paso team is subsidized, but it'll be owned by the City of El Paso and they'll make much more in ancillary revenue from that relatively small investment.)

[Army_Guy]

Originally Posted by mistabinks

But others will offer those tax breaks. Is it better to be firm and lose out?

I guess for some people, their pride is worth more than the welfare of the community?

[malamute]

Originally Posted by EPDUDE70

ive been hearing alot of rumors about cheese cake factory and twin peaks!

I'm hearing a very strong rumor that Joe's Crab Shack is going in there. That's about the only thing so far that I've heard that would have me heading over there. Most of those stores are already in El Paso. Some Longhorn Steakhouse also -- I've never been to one but they say it's good.

[malamute]

Actually the menu and prices at Longhorn Steakhouse don't look too bad, I might try it out sometime.

[Brian5dg]

The Outlet Mall in Canutillo has a nice destination/hangout atmosphere in the eveningshttp://meron.gcapc.com/6.jpghttp://meron.gcapc.com/7.jpghttp://meron.gcapc.com/8.jpghttp://meron.gcapc.com/9.jpg