We knew Mayor Raul Salinas was going to appear on CNN but since I missed it through other channels, I looked for the CNN transcript and found it on Lexis-Nexis. So those who saw the actual interview – was this it? Is that all he said?
Mayor Salinas let’s start with you just because most recently we did the story about the last little bookstore in Texas. You know, it’s been tough. You’ve had to deal with the literacy problem and then we hear that you’re losing your bookstores. Has the stimulus money helped you at all with regard to fighting the illiteracy problem?
MAYOR RAUL SALINAS, LAREDO, TEXAS: Well, while I’m very disappointed what happened with the bookstore in Laredo. We’ve been working very hard to get petitions. The reason the bookstore was closed was not because of Loredo (sic) economy, it was closed because of business decisions with the corporate headquarters.
But we’ve had a number of petitions, but I don’t think that’s had an effect. But I am very confident that in the near future that we will have a new bookstore in Laredo because there’s a lot of enthusiasm. We’re on the border. But maybe we can find a way to maybe get some stimulus money. But what we have done, we received over $209 million and that’s going to generate and has generated 700 jobs for us in Laredo.
And that’s important because it has a ripple effect. When we got two major projects, one was a mobility program at Quatro Vientos (ph). We also, $48 million for a utility plant, Jefferson Plant in Laredo. Those are creating like 700 jobs, those projects. And that’s important because it has a ripple effect on other commercial businesses. So it’s very impacting.
We have a very good economy in Laredo. Our unemployment is at 8.6 while other cities along the border, for instance, McAllen is 11.2 unemployment, Brownsville at 10.5 so we have been very, very fortunate and the money that we have received has been very positive because it is stimulating jobs and is helping us for infrastructure purposes. PHILLIPS: OK. What about James Baker, mayor there in Wilmington, what do you think, sir? How much money did you get and is it working for you? Is it giving you jobs?
Que Fregados 
Watchout Bin Ladin is at the river front trying to get in Laredo !
Thanks for posting this transcript! I’m from Laredo as well and, FYI, am actually working on plans to open an independent bookstore in the city. I started a blog to chronicle these efforts, and would appreciate it if you would share the link with your readers and follow the blog yourself. The more supporters involved from the beginning, the more successful the bookstore will be. Thanks in advance! The link is http://laredobookstoreblog.blogspot.com