Joe Rutland wants suggestions as to how we can improve Laredo's image. His objective is to come up with a way of attracting more people to the Gateway City. But how do you do that when you have a former hospital CEO being accused of extortion and money laundering and the local media doesn't make a peep about it. Also, you have two police officers being investigated for allegedely working for a Mexican drug gang. And let's not forget that our only bookstore is closing.
Now, the local Univision (KLDO) news station did report on the civil suit filed against the CEO, but it doesn't count because competing news anchor Tim Gutierrez says that KGNS is the "Most Watched Newscast" in town. KLDO is just no match for Tim's alto-voiced prowess. LareDOS, a monthly publication, also reported on the extortion scheme but they don't charge for their work. Once they start charging for their online content will they be considered a legitimate news source like the Laredo Times.
So we've got a media blackout, the possibility of more corruption, and anti-intelectualism on our hands. "Rediscover Our Flavor" suddenly takes on a whole different meaning. But let's get back to the CEO story.
Here we have an event that is the stuff of 60 Minutes. It's a story that's bound for national attention and the Laredo Times, which employs Mr. Rutland, has nothing to say on the matter. Our image is in the care of those whose professional credibility is shot. My brain can only take so much irony. Seriously, how can we improve our image when our own media outlets can't follow through with what they're charged with -- reporting the news.
It's this false pretense we want to convey to people. By not reporting on this, we want to make people believe that Laredo is some border oasis with upstanding citizens, when in fact it's just another sleepy town, a pit stop on someone's itinerary.
The veil is lifted, and all we discover is that we're just as corrupt and complacent as the next guy. We purport to be a tight-knit community anchored in family values but the recounting of cops convicted of taking bribes from 8-liner businesses a few years back is a tale that just keeps repeating itself. Our family values are constantly being put to the test, and as of late our darker side is prevailing.
How one goes about improving this town's image is beyond me. Laredo is a concrete jungle with little going for itself. Sure I could entertain a visitor with a viewing of a movie at the Border Heritage Museum featuring El Santo. Or I could take him/her to a hockey game, but that can get old pretty quick. After that, there's not much left except the nachos.
10 comments:
I can't say I disagree with your assessment of the Bordertown.
Yet, speaking of irony, you misspelled "intellectualism."
Grade A posting!
You should writing more stuff like this.
I meant to misspell intellectual.
Haha.
Se me paso.
Thanks for the comment Anon.
Inspiration comes and goes.
The post was too ADD for me to completely understand. However, I think city leaders need to get real on making Laredo a travel destination and focus on the positives like international trade.
It's tough to promote Laredo when much of the negative habits of the other side of the river exist with our leaders. Everything is towards excluding outsiders, manana or taking kick-backs and looking the other way. The sad part is that other cities in Texas know that is true. I believe the best thing to promote in Laredo to the outsiders is the George Washington Birthday Celebration. I don't believe government funds should be used but that the organizations and citizens in Laredo should take the lead in inviting their members and families to Laredo.
The only true newspaper is LAREDOS the city has. Meg Guerra has huge balls to report the real local news and kudos for her for not charging on-line.Maybe the lame LMT should learn from MEG how real local news is done !
Kudos to LareDOS.
And I think Anon. is on to something there. Some people have a nasty habit of sending out chain e-mails about this or that.
You mentioned the WBCA. Now we have the RioFest, and the Guajolote Race is coming up. One thing we could do is text, or email, little updates to our friends and tell them to pass them on to non-Laredoans.
The Guajolote Race is in its third decade of existence but there is no website to promote it. The event does get a decent turnout but so much more could be done for practically no money at all.
one thing laredo isnt in a glass house, people are free to look into or look outside their homes, what happens in laredo stays in laredo, if it works for las vegas it should work for us.
___went to the free meal for the War Veterans at Casablanca sponsored by Martin Cuellar tonight, it was just a big political rally, everyone running for re-election was there, but the turkey meal was nice, no rice though . . .
The other website that has shown a lot of edged material is Lrd Sports Wire. They seem to hit the spot on a lot of their issues not covered well by the sports media in Laredo.
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