MCALLEN, Texas - State Rep. Terry Canales, a three-term chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, is perhaps best known for securing millions of dollars for transportation in the Rio Grande Valley.
However, he told the audience at a Rio Grande Valley Partnership event on Wednesday evening that henceforth his priority will be water.
The event, held at the Radisson Hotel in McAllen, was titled “Rio Grande Valley Legislative Appreciation Reception.” Other legislators at the event were state Senators Juan Hinojosa and Morgan LaMantia, and state Representatives R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra and Armando Martinez.
“Today, you all bring us here to recognize our efforts and I'm very grateful. But I would be more grateful if everybody would join me in one cause from here until the foreseeable future. Everybody in this room,” Canales said.
“Everybody in this room is a stakeholder. Everybody in this room is a mover and a shaker. You are here because you care, because you're involved. You know things work.”
Canales continued: “Water. Water is our future. And the Rio Grande Valley is running out of it quick. If you don't think so you need to speak with the people that are in charge of water.
Canales said the Legislature lost two of its biggest advocates for water due to retirement, Reps. Lyle Larson and Eddie Lucio, III. Because of this, Canales said, he took it upon himself to get informed on the issue and to educate his staff.
“I asked the people involved in water, how does the Rio Grande Valley get water? The response was extreme weather events. That's code for luck. And if we're dependent on luck for the future water, we don't have a plan, ladies and gentlemen.”
Canales said the Valley should be planning the future of water now.
“And I will tell you that that should be our focus. It's nice to have great roads. It's nice to have infrastructure. But we don't have life if we don't have water.”
Canales said his door will always be one to constituents and stakeholders to discuss whatever is important to them.
“You can come to me with all your issues. You can come to me with everything that's important to you and we will focus on everything's important to you. But if you're not focused… if everybody in the Valley is not focused on the future of water, then you haven't prioritized life.”
After Canales had finished his speech, RGV Partnership President Daniel Silva thanked him. "Thank you for that awareness and that challenge,” Silva said.
Incidentally, last year, the RGV Partnership held a huge regional event at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg that was attended by Gov. Greg Abbott. Elected officials, along with community and business leaders, were invited to discuss the future of the region. It was at this event that the Partnership adopted the motto, One Region, One Voice. There was no discussion of water at the event.
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