MISSION, Texas - If the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas are marketed as one region a more compelling case can be made for inward investment.
This was the message Hidalgo County Judge delivered at a Buenas Tardes Luncheon event hosted by the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce.
“We’ve just added another tool to bring investment to this area, something that we call RioPlex,” Cortez said, explaining that the initiative is not meant to replace any one or any other group in the economic development sector.
“Rio Plex is nothing more than the Rio Grande Valley, the four counties in the Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico. And guess what? When we group all of those areas together, did you know that we have 13 international bridges, seven airports, three seaports. We even have a space port, many, many industrial parks, and so many other things,” Cortez said.
“So we think that our future is going to depend on us really marketing ourselves as a region and not just a single area. And that's what we're doing in Hidalgo County.”
Cortez started his remarks by claiming the best is yet to come.
“The good news is that we as a county, as a region, have not reached our full potential. What that means is our future can be and will be better than our past - if we do certain things,” Cortez said.
“But how can we reach full potential? Well, we're dealing with a very competitive global economy now. And in order for us to reach our full potential and give all of you the best opportunity possible, we have to create the proper jobs. We have to bring investment to this area so we can create the necessary wealth and well being that our citizens deserve.”
And how can the region be attractive in a global and competitive environment, Cortez asked.
“We can no longer try to get that investment by offering cheap labor. We have to offer smart labor,” he said.
Cortez pointed out that six percent of the people living in poverty in Hidalgo County are college graduates.
“A lot of our people that have graduated and gained that human capital had to leave the area to be rewarded for the education that they have. So we still have more work to do to get the right job.”
Cortez then read aloud a startling statistic.
“Let's look at the bottom of the pyramid of the people we have in Hidalgo County. Forty nine percent… are still living in poverty and do not have a high school education. So we have a big job to do.”
In response, Cortez said, the Prosperity Task Force was formed.
“It’s a group of many, many individuals, many organizations with basically two goals in mind. Number one is to identify the people we need to help, give them a path to create the human capital so we are able to provide the smart jobs… for people that want to come here and invest. But we have to do a good job and attract business because if we create that human capital and the jobs are not here, then all we're doing is creating for someone else.”
To help attract those businesses, RioPlex was formed, he explained.
Asked to give wrap remarks, Cortez said: “We can reach our full potential by thinking and working on a regional basis. I believe that is a for-certain thing, because we're much more competitive in the global economy that we're dealing with by marketing ourselves as a region.”
Editor's Note: Here is an audio recording of everything Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said at the Buenas Tardes Luncheon event:
