El Paso Strong! Donald Trump wasted time and money visiting one of America's safest cities

US Mexico border in El Paso

https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/opinion/2019/02/08/letter-to-the-editor-trumps-el-paso-trip-waste-time-reader/2815866002/

Donald Trump’s El Paso trip was a waste of time and money

Donald Trump should be notified that his trip to El Paso will be a waste of time after his lies about our great El Paso city at the State of the Union address. Our leaders, in particular Mayor Dee Margo, and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar have called out Trump on this. Simply thinking that it is good that Trump is coming and “should see for himself” is not viable. 

Trump spouted out unity and then made outlandish, deliberate lies.

We know the facts about the wall, fence or barrier. After all the facts are revealed, a request to build a wall is ludicrous.

David Segura  West El Paso

El Paso, Texas, transcends the US-Mexico border, opinion by El Paso Mayor Dee Margo. 

While others (Trumpzi zealots) embrace building a wall, the people in El Paso, Texas, are a community that transcends the border. 

While some are concerned about our proximity to Mexico, we choose to celebrate it. While others embrace building a wall, we remind them a fence already exists.

He says the community has consistently been ranked as one of the safest in the U.S. Although Trump, in his recent State of the Union address, claimed the border fence is the reason for these accolades, it is not true and it presents an incomplete picture. 

Our city police's community-relations efforts and the cooperation between our law enforcement agencies contributed to making our city a safe place to live and work before border fencing was put in place. In fact, between 1996 and 2006, the number of reported violent crimes fell by more than 34 percent. 

Mayor Margo describes how El Paso is a safe city

Construction on the border fencing in El Paso did not start until 2008 and it was completed by mid-2009. The barrier between El Paso and Juárez, Mexico, has appeared to act as a deterrent for nonviolent crime, but it is our community’s investment in our public safety and the dedication of our law enforcement agencies that continue to keep us safe.remind them a fence already exists.

Our community has consistently been ranked as one of the safest in the U.S. Though President Donald Trump, in his recent State of the Union address, claimed the border fence is the reason for these accolades, it is not the full picture.

Our city police's community-relations efforts and the cooperation between our law enforcement agencies contributed to making our city a safe place to live and work before border fencing was put in place. In fact, between 1996 and 2006, the number of reported violent crimes fell by more than 34 percent. 

Construction on the border fencing in El Paso did not start until 2008, and it was completed by mid-2009. The barrier between El Paso and Juárez, Mexico, has appeared to act as a deterrent for nonviolent crime, but it is our community’s investment in our public safety and the dedication of our law enforcement agencies that continue to keep us safe.

El Paso is the 11th-largest U.S. land port and the city has multiple land bridges that accommodate 20,000 legal pedestrians coming north daily and nearly 25 million people who cross in an automobile or on foot annually. The cross-border commerce between the international states is as important as the cross-border community. 

Contrary to what you may hear or perceive, El Paso's relationship with Mexico has ushered in an era of economic growth and regional participation. 

Today, dozens of Fortune 500 companies reside in Juárez, the Mexican city on the other side of our border fence, for manufacturing assembly. The maquiladora program, in which foreign companies like the United States operate factories in Mexico, has been a great benefit to El Paso. U.S. raw materials are sent to Mexico for manufacturing assembly and returned to the U.S. Duties are paid on the labor value added.

Instead of looking to vilify our community, I implore policy advisers from the federal government to visit El Paso. Talk with our residents, eat at our restaurants, walk our streets — a truly safe and international experience. When Trump visits El Paso, on February 11, 2019, let him see for himself. (MaineWriter- Dear Mayor Margo, unfortunately the Trumpzi cult didn't bother to look for the truth.)