TOP TEN STUPIDEST THINGS I HAVE SEEN HAPPEN IN LAREDO

Here is my list of the top ten stupidest things I have seen happen in Laredo since I moved here in 1992.  This one was hard, as there are a lot of stupid things that have been done by elected officials and supposed city leaders in this town.

10. Not finishing the construction that would make Del Mar Blvd. 4 lanes from I-35 to Loop 20.

9.  Not making Loop 20 a limited access highway.  A limited access highway would have no stop lights and would require vehicle entry/exit to be handled via on/off ramps, just like I-35.  Now we are paying double to fix traffic issues, and the cost will continue.  No wonder TxDOT has no money.

8.  Put stop light at Yeary and Calton Road.  This has caused more traffic headaches than one can imagine.  The I-35/Calton road intersection has to be the worst in Texas, and maybe the United States.

7.  City councilman Pancho Casso demanding that a "staging" area be built along Santa Maria to stage trucks going to Mexico via I-35 and bridge 2.  (Pre-April 2000 when WTB built)  Casso said Mexican truck drivers would enter the staging area and leave in the order that they arrived on their own. 

6.  Webb County Commissioner's Court approving a "rain-making" machine for Webb County by unanimous vote.  Then two weeks later changing their minds after Heatwave Burler said the machine would not work and the citizens were in an uproar.  The commishs said they misunderstood the vote.

5.  The city of Laredo allowing TxDOT to put a covenant in the agreement to build the Camino Colombia Toll Road that would prohibit TxDOT from funding any roadway that would "compete" for traffic with the toll road.  Now, the city, or a developer will have to totally fund any roadway connecting I-35 with Mines Road near dead man's curve.

4.  The idea of building Bridge 5 in South Laredo for commercial vehicles.  Laredo just doubled the capacity at World Trade Bridge, and still has Camino Colombia for commercial traffic.  A third commercial facility is not needed, and may never be needed.  Also included in this item should be the note that some persons think a new bridge will bring in "new" revenue versus just taking traffic from one bridge and have it cross at another.

3.  The City of Laredo stopping the construction of Town Center.  Because of a dispute over an overgrown retention pond, which a local environmental group claimed was a wetland, the city council voted to stop construction of the Town Center on Loop 20 across from the airport.   The owners of the Town Center had actually started construction on the project, but local environmentalist fought back with a petition signed by school kids and parents who were told that Lake Casablanca was going to be polluted by the development, and that the beavers, and animal life in the wetland would die. The developer had planned to build a water retention system that was better than the original retention pond, and with more capacity to clean runoff water that might enter Lake Casablanca.   The environmentalist did not want to accept this fix, and still fought, and won the right to keep the retention pond intact.   Because of this action, Laredo lost out on the sales tax, property taxes, and jobs that would have been created by the building of a retail center composed of outlet shops.  Laredo also became known as a city who cannot be trusted, even after a contract has been signed.    Note:  The wetland is dry as a bone right now.  I wonder if the animals all died.

2.  The Laredo Chamber of Commerce asking that Nuevo Laredo be removed from highway mileage information signs on I-35, so Laredo would not be confused with Nuevo Laredo.  This action by the COC was designed to let travelers know there is a difference between Nuevo Laredo and Laredo.  The action was rescinded in two days after locals decried the action.

1.  The City of Laredo cutting funding of the Laredo Development Foundation by 50% in 2011 budget.  Laredo spends less than % .00325 on economic development.  Expect the number spent by the city to decrease in the 2012 budget cycle as the city will cut off all funding to the LDF.  When someone at city hall uses the phrase "It's for the children" remember that cutting off economic development funds will assure that our children will have no place to work in Laredo.