Maybe you read this in the El Paso Times:
El Paso’s Hispanic, bilingual workforce was a major selling point for Dallas-based Pacific Union Financial officials picking El Paso to open a mortgage-fulfillment center next year and creating 699 good-paying jobs over five years, the company’s founder said.
The El Paso area has a “skilled workforce, a diverse workforce thirsting for opportunities,” Evan Stone, Pacific Union founder and chief executive officer, said before a Monday morning press conference announcing the company’s expansion plans. “The bilingual workforce was a big factor,” in the selection, he added.
“We believe the quality of people, the quality of education, the quality of the city in general and the resources the city provides is second to none; very differentiated, very unique,” Stone said during the press conference at the El Paso County Courthouse.
The El Paso City Council and El Paso County Commissioners Court Monday morning approved giving $366,203 in tax incentives and cash grants over 10 years to Pacific Union to open the facility and create the new jobs.
Okay, now how about this part:
The center’s jobs will pay an average of $23.32 per hour, or about $48,500 per year, according to city information.
However, to get the tax incentives, the company is only required to pay at least 90 percent of its El Paso workforce at least the median county wage of $13.11 per hour.
Wow. Do you know of any other company in El Paso that employs 700 people with an average salary of $48,500 a year? That would be almost $34 million in salaries, and on top of that they’d have to pay benefits.
And let’s not kid ourselves. This is a call center. There are going to be a lot more jobs that pay
$13.11 than $23.32 an hour.
But the City of El Paso sits right there in City Hall and lies to us. Again.
Why should we believe anything they tell us?
Some people would be happy with $13.11 an hour job. We weren’t all lucky enough to be born wasps.
Also, you talk big game, what would you do differently? Don’t bring up the arena, this has nothing to do with it.
I’d develop programs that develop the citizens, either through the arts or education. And that $180 million for the arena (indeed, that $475 million for the QoL projects) is money we don’t have for other programs or projects.
El Chuqueño is four years old. I’ve presented these ideas before. Don’t come into the movie halfway through and get pissed off because you don’t understand the plot.
I’ve worked plenty of jobs where I didn’t make $100 a day. Plenty. What’s a fireman make?
Unfortunately for me, I got thrown into the crab pot later than everyone else so, forgive me if I don’t understand the plot. Please enlighten me on these ideas you have unless, of course, you’d like me to fend for myself? Sounds familiar.
Also, I am not pissed. I am just curious on what other ideas you have that would make the City a better place. So, we’re talking about programs that develop the citizens’ work skills for Companies to come to El Paso for a workforce? Or we can develop into an artsy City like Santa Fe or (cringe) Austin? Please explain how that improves the QoL for the City all around (I am defending the 2012 bonds, I just want some insight). If you don’t want to post my comments, at LEAST engage in an intelligent conversation via email.
The average salary for fireman/firewoman in El Paso, Tx, according to this website https://www1.salary.com/TX/El-Paso/Fire-Fighter-salary.html, is $39,579 a year. Broken down, (to 40 hours a week) it’s $19.02 an hour. Before you say “but they work overtime!”, that is not the point. $19 an hour is a decent wage.
Send me your email address.