There is a storm in El Paso and it has been here for a while. Storms can be perceived as bad and good. With the bad, we usually associate dangerous lightning, strong winds, and flooding rains. The good can be looked upon as beneficial rains, cooler temperatures, and clean air. Now what is a perfect storm?
A perfect storm is when individual elements come together at the same time to form something disastrous or in my new definition, something good.
Let’s look at the bad perfect storm that has been hanging over the Sun City. Here are our main elements that have just so happened to team up and create what has been El Paso for the last few decades.
- Corruption
- Poor attitude
- Border violence
- Isolation
- Mass exodus of homegrown talent
That was hard for me to write, but it has been what this city has experienced in the past. Now, no need to focus anymore on that because we read about it everyday in the newspapers and listen to it on the radio and T.V.
So what does El Paso’s Good Perfect Storm look like? Here are the core elements:
- Opportunity
- Isolation
- Border Town
- Growing University
- Revitalizing Downtown
- Alternative Energy
- Medical School
- Expanding Ft. Bliss
You might be wondering why isolation is on both lists and why being a border town can be a good thing. Isolation has actually benefited El Paso in a few ways. Since it acts as a buffer, our economy hasn’t suffered like cities on the West & East Coasts. This is one reason why our real estate market hasn’t suffered as bad as other locations and why we haven’t seen mass layoffs. Being a border town is also a strong point. Juarez will eventually emerge from the turmoil…how long it takes, nobody knows. However, when they do, the Paso Del Norte region should be looking to become one of the strongest economic regions in the world and if we don’t, we can only blame ourselves.
As a city/county we should ( and I think we are) be aggressively courting alternative energy companies to our area and be looking to prop up our business. While I like San Antonio and Austin, there is no need for those towns to try and become the Solar Capitol of Texas…we are the Sun City!
We need to strike while the iron is hot and capitalize on these opportunities. Let’s increase the quality of life so that businesses will be more apt to move here, our own citizens will be willing to stay here, and the doctors who come out of med school will be willing to settle down in this multicultural city.
El Paso is a great town, it just needs more people to believe in the potential for its success. There are issues that need to be dealt with, that is for sure, but the opportnity is now and if we wait to long to act, it will pass us by and won’t come around for decades.
photo by uglyagnes; click pic to visit profile
If you believe in El Paso, show your support by voting yes in the poll. It is going to take a city coming together to make it to the next level. There are a group of people who believe in this city and are willing to make that happen…will you join us, will you believe?
My name is David and I am living El Paso.
3 responses so far ↓
Joserey1701 // June 13, 2009 at 4:41 am |
David,
I like your ideas and your thoughts. You hit it on the nail concerning the bad perfect storm hanging over El Paso for the last five decades.
Thanks for creating this site and I hope lots of people are visiting it. Keep up the good fight of faith and dont let this town bring you down.
thanks!!
livingelpaso // June 13, 2009 at 7:33 pm |
Thanks for reading Joserey, I appreciate your comments!
Rico // October 27, 2009 at 11:38 pm |
dear david,
GO MINERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11