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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to |
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recognize February 12 and 13, 2013, as El Paso Days at the State |
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Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in the westernmost tip of the great state of |
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Texas, the city of El Paso combines a modern metropolis with the |
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charm born of its Spanish origins; the area was named El Paso by the |
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Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Onate because of the shallow place |
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in the river where the colonists crossed en route to Santa Fe, New |
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Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, The arrival of the railroads in 1881 ushered in an |
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era of prosperity, and El Paso became a flourishing frontier |
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community that has developed into a significant industrial, |
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commercial, and transportation city; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, semitrailers, trains, and planes transport |
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manufactured goods through the border cities at the Pass, just as |
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Spanish traders did in the 16th century when they guided ox-drawn |
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carts along the Camino Real from Mexico City to Santa Fe; and |
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WHEREAS, With a population of more than 665,000, El Paso is |
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the state's sixth-largest city and the 19th-largest city in the |
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United States; it lies on the Rio Grande north of Ciudad Juarez, |
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Mexico's fifth-largest city, with a population of over a million; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Nearby Fort Bliss, which celebrates its 165th |
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anniversary this year, has just completed the biggest |
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transformation in its history, with a 300 percent increase in its |
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population since 2005 and an investment of $5 billion in |
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construction for new, top-of-the-line facilities for incoming |
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personnel and their families, including a new billion-dollar |
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military hospital; at the forefront of the U.S. Army's |
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Transformation plan, the post has transitioned from a TRADOC to a |
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FORSCOM installation; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to making their city an even better place |
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to live and work, El Paso citizens voted in favor of three "quality |
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of life" bond propositions in 2012, approving $473,250,000 for |
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projects by one of the largest voting margins for such proposals in |
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any city in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, El Paso is a vibrant, bilingual community; its |
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residents enjoy a thriving fine arts community, exemplary |
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educational institutions, and many cultural and historical |
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resources and museums; and |
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WHEREAS, El Paso Days at the State Capitol provide an |
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opportunity to honor El Paso and its rich heritage, which today is |
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enjoyed by residents and vacationers of all ages; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 12 and 13, 2013, as El Paso |
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Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to Austin. |