On the record is brought to you by Steve and Adele Dufilho San Antonio is a fast growing, fast moving city with something new happening every day.

That's why each.

Week we go on the record with Randy Beamer and the newsmakers who are driving this change.

Then we gather at the reporters roundtable to talk about the latest news stories with the journalist behind those stories.

Join us now as we go on the record with Randy Beamer.

Hi, everybody, and thank you for joining us for On the Record.

I'm Randy Beamer, and this week we're starting with San Antonio's mayor, Gina Ortiz Jones, who is just back from both Washington and Taiwan trips you've got.

We have a lot to talk about with an economic security advisory group, a voting commission.

You're working on, one thing I wanted to start with real quickly is in the headlines.

This week is the other night at a town hall.

You mentioned you would like the Spurs to pay for, police officers as part of the term sheet negotiations.

Tell us about.

That.

So I think that got conflated a couple things right.

One.

We pay for police officers, senior centers, etc.

out of our general fund.

Okay.

And so when we're thinking about opportunities to strengthen our general fund and strengthen our budget, yes.

If we had revenue sharing from the Spurs deal, that money would eventually go into the general fund to help us pay for things that we need.

So, look, we're the third poorest city in the country.

We better start acting like we are going to ask for things that we deserve more money into our general fund to pay for things that I think we all agree.

We need.

Was this part of people might say, well, that wasn't part of the term sheet.

Some of the other council.

Non.

Hold on.

It's a non-binding term sheet.

Right.

We're still negotiating.

Right.

So again as we were actually just before we started here, we were talking about hey how's that budget looking.

The budget's not looking great.

So let's be clear about what our community needs, what we deserve, what we're putting in.

And I think it's only fair, to think about again, the a lot of the revenue streams that are going to go that are going to, result as a result of the, of the new arena.

We've talked about this previously.

We've talked about naming rights.

Right.

We've talked about concessions.

We've talked about although all those.

Rejected by those who are in favor of the agreement.

So it's non-binding.

The term sheet is non-binding.

We continue.

Look, I was raised by a single mom, Randi.

You negotiate till the end, right?

And we have real needs.

And so this idea that we wouldn't ask for what our community needs and then just ask taxpayers to increase property taxes or do all these other things.

Let's ask for what we can get and let's go from there.

How long how often are you negotiating with them?

And I understand that.

The other day, Eric Walsh said that they hope to have the term sheet.

Finalized and before the council by the fall.

The Spurs have a new executive in charge, I guess, of the talks.

Is that a thing you do weekly or you will do every month or, you know, every day later in the month, later in the summer?

So it's largely the city manager that's responsible for negotiating.

But I think being clear about where there are, where ways in which we can help ourselves by making these asks, I think is is only fair.

Is it is beyond me why we wouldn't continue to ask for things that we know we need in our community.

Moving on.

The speaking of economics, economics, security advisory.

That's right.

And it was a kind of a high tech, group that you invited to be part of that.

So given my background on national security, but also recognizing the very unique advantages that we have here in San Antonio, I wanted a focused group that really helped us.

One, be more competitive in a couple of areas that are important for not only, our country and our communities economic security, but also for our national security.

So there's three foundational technologies that you will.

Anybody paying attention to where these things are going it's AI, right?

Artificial intelligence.

It's quantum.

Right.

So computing communications and sensing.

The third one is biotechnology.

And the fourth area that I think we really need to focus on is space manufacturing.

Right.

So we have natural advantages in each of these areas.

Right.

We've got a 99.

We've got 99,000 folks already working in advanced manufacturing fields.

We've got the second largest cyber presence outside of Washington DC.

And we've got obviously a very strong, biotechnology sector in large part tied to the defense sector.

And the working group is to basically advise the council on recruiting more.

So the council, I set up the Economic Security Advisory Group to help us understand what and what can we do to strengthen those elements that we already have in our community, strengthen them individually, strengthen the connections between.

Right.

There's certainly connections between AI, quantum and biotechnology.

And then how?

Yes, how can we be more competitive in attracting that investment into our community?

So it's a group.

Let me give you some sense of some of the folks that are in that group.

You've got the former chief of staff of the Air Force or the senior, military officer in the Air Force got the former white House surgeon general as part of that.

We've got great, cyber companies that are also working in that space already.

One of them actually traveled with me to, to Taiwan.

And then we've got Jim, the head of Port San Antonio, but there's 11 total that are part of that group.

And again, the idea is, yes, how can we be more focused in our investment?

But also, you know, are there things that we need to be thinking about in the context of the budget and the context of the bond, but even local policies that we can do that we can, undertake locally?

It was really important.

Let me just say it was really important to set that up.

And as we went to Taiwan, the interestingly enough, the president there, President Ly, had his own strategic focus areas.

Now his were established in 2024, but his five focus areas AI, semiconductors, military, security and surveillance, as well as next gen communications.

So six G. So, you know, I think there's a real recognition, in communities.

And to do so at whatever ever level you can to focus on these industries that are critical for our economic international.

So a trip to Taiwan came out of that.

Who did you meet with?

Yeah.

So I spent a couple of days.

So if you'll remember though, this was really a follow on effort.

So last fall I hosted, the Taiwan Electric and Electronic Manufacturing Association.

They were here on a trade delegation, if you remember.

We weren't originally on that trip, but I was able to get San Antonio on that, on that visitation.

So we hosted them.

They got a small sense of of what's possible here in San Antonio.

So this trip really dovetailed onto that.

So a couple of days in Taiwan, meeting with some of their very senior government officials, we were hosted, for example, by the deputy foreign minister.

So who's the deputy that essentially the number two of our of our State Department, as well as with some of their economic development groups.

Right.

And so we met with, with those entities.

We talked about, again, what is possible in San Antonio.

What I have found around is people know Houston, they know Austin, and they know Dallas, but they do not know San Antonio.

Yeah.

And yet.

Well, I mean, we've the thing is, we've had efforts.

They have not I would argue I'm just going to say it flat.

They have not been as aggressive as they need to be.

And I'll and I won't forget the initial conversation.

One of the initial conversations I had was with Governor Abbott, which is, he said flatly, San Antonio needs to up its economic development game.

And I have found that to be true.

Frankly, in my nine months in office.

And so setting up the Economic Security Advisory Group, frankly, going to Taiwan and talking about, hey, this is what we're doing in terms of power generation, this is what we're doing in terms of people.

This is what we're doing in terms of being good partners, right?

The incentives that are possible in our community.

So, we frankly, are already having some some scheduling, some follow on visits from some of those entities to come here.

And we look forward to that being a good relationship.

Trip to Washington last week.

What came out of that?

Who did you get to meet with there?

Yeah.

So, interestingly enough, when I was in Taiwan, one of the things that I am spending a lot of time kind of thinking about how what role the city can best play in shaping that, is the Usmca review this very important trade deal?

Again, between us, Mexico and Canada, critical obviously, for companies like Toyota, Toyota.

But I also found it was critical in talking to some of the Taiwanese companies.

They were also looking very closely, about how that that deal, what would happen with that deal to determine whether they put something themselves in Texas or in Mexico?

Unfortunately, I was disappointed, engaging with some of the, the federal entities like, hey, where is this on your radar?

And it's not these things that are so critical to our economy, our long term economic strength.

There wasn't as much attention as I would have hoped there would have been.

But I did carry that point and say, hey, I just came from Taiwan, right?

These folks, I mean, Taiwan is ready to invest based on what's happening at the federal level.

So they've got a $250 billion investment package on top of another $50 billion just in defense entities.

So these folks are ready to go.

The challenge that those Taiwan Taiwanese companies have is there is uncertainty in the market if there is uncertainty, for example, if that Usmca trade deal is only extended for a year, no one is making billion dollar investments year by year.

Right?

So we really need certainty in that trade deal.

That was the message I carried to, to those in Washington on the Hill and others, to ensure that we are as competitive as we can possibly be in bringing that investment to San Antonio.

I also took time.

This is Military City, USA.

Also took time, to sit down with for example, Senator Duckworth.

Senator Duckworth is a real champion for veterans and so wanted to again and I we stopped by the VA as well just again reiterating our our need for that additional VA facility.

I get my own care at Audie Murphy.

I know that that facility is frankly due for for an upgrade, as well as some of the other things that they're working on, you know, support, Representative Tucanos, Bill, that would essentially make it easier for veterans, for active duty to seamlessly transition into being a veteran.

Right.

No need for additional paperwork.

Just what is that?

Frankly, automatic enrollment and why that's important is because when you look at the number of veterans in 2000, I think was 23, is the report that I looked at.

When you look at the number of veterans in 2023 that unfortunately killed themselves, a big chunk of those folks were not receiving the benefits that they had earned, and maybe that'd be easier if folks were automatically enrolled.

So good work happening on that front.

Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of the federal attention is on making it, making it harder for people to vote.

And I wish we could get to that voting commission as well as the budget if you have time next time.

But appreciate your time, mayor.

Gina Ortiz Jones, thank you very much for coming in.

And good luck with the budget.

Thanks, Randy.

With all the allegations recently against the late labor leader Cesar Chavez, Cesar Chavez days have been canceled.

Cesar Chavez streets are being renamed.

That in San Antonio is going to happen here to talk about that is the president of the San Antonio Conservation Society.

Louis better thank you for coming in.

I'm glad to be here.

Randy.

And this was Durango Street before it was renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

That's correct.

What's the conservation Society's view on, what it should be, because the city is basically asking for input.

Well, it's a great opportunity that we have at this point in to to reassert the name Durango.

Our position has been always the fact that it's an instrumental name.

It has the culture of the heritage.

It was named 18 1881 Durango.

So a certain segment when HemisFair came along, they established this boulevard that would connect 35 and ten on one side and 37 on the other, and it was named Durango Boulevard.

Now, other people have said, well, because it was Cesar Chavez, it was a farm worker.

It was a labor leader.

That is part of our heritage as well.

And that should be preserved by naming it something like Willie Velasquez or in the town of Yucca.

Figures in the past here.

What would you say to that?

That that's a part of history that should be honored.

Well, and indeed, there are many opportunities to honor elements and individuals and actions from our history.

But the best way to do that we have, you know, even taken a position, there are new roads, new buildings, new structures.

There's opportunities to recognize and salute those accomplishments.

But this is a historic road.

It was a southern boundary of the original 36mi² of the city of San Antonio, and it and many other names that haven't been given, names from Mexico, locations, individuals and it's that heritage that we want to continue.

It sets the character and the tone.

And so that's why we wish to have it return to Durango.

If people don't remember that was an issue when it was named, Cesar Chavez was the conservation society against that?

I don't recall, very much.

So, in fact, we sought an injunction to, to block it.

And so that was in in 20 2018, I guess.

And so there's some actions that went back trying to in preserve the historic nature of the names, and also the invitation to find somewhere else to name it.

But it was settled at the end of 2018.

The fact that while the city would change the name, but at the same time the city changed their policies on changing street names, they modified their code such that any street inside that original 36mi² of the city, San Antonio, or a major thoroughfare or other historic district, and trying to get those streets changed, they would have to go to the Historic and Design Review Commission and get their permission and authorization and approval first before it ever go to the city of San Antonio.

What do you think is going to happen?

What kind of reaction have you have you had to your suggestion of Durango.

Overwhelming endorsement and appreciation, the fact that we're taking this public position and really trying to get it reestablished.

And and I find it interesting because I'll be speaking with the city council on the same issue, but they've send out a survey to the citizens, which is fantastic.

But the very first question is, what should it be named?

It starts with a question.

Would you like to choose Durango or something else?

And so that's kind of so.

That's the default.

Yes.

I think it is.

And everybody I've talked to is in favor of it.

Some people I know have never called into Durango, but, it's really an opportunity to reassert that cultural heritage that means so much.

Coming up, a big, event important to the, Conservation Society is now also.

Or as you pronounce it, Neosho.

Night in old San Antonio, the fundraiser for the Conservation society.

But this year, again, it's a lot of each year there's a lot of construction there.

What would you tell people who might be thinking of coming downtown for that?

I tell people to come down no matter what, because there's so much to see.

That's changed.

How is it affecting Diosa?

It has constrained some of our space available to us.

Now, we've been assured by the city that Alamo Street will be available in time of our event, because that starts on the 21st.

Go to the 24th, you know, that Tuesday through Friday.

And so it's important for us to have trucks and space and as well as, booth space.

The lobby assembly hall is not available to us.

So sauerkraut bean has moved into another space.

So all your favorite areas are there and your favorite foods are there.

You may have to have a little adventure to figure out where we shoehorn them in.

And so our concern is the fact that it's going to be a great time.

We want everybody come down, enjoy it, rain or shine.

We're going to be having the best time ever.

And there's so much to see in that whole area.

So don't be afraid to come down.

There is parking.

Oh yeah.

Just be patient.

Be patient.

And again the city is doing what they can to help identify where parking is available and such as that.

But, it's certainly that, you know, preservation celebration that we really enjoy.

Look forward to Alamo Street opening, which, by the way, intersects with Durango.

That's correct.

Okay.

That's right at the corner.

And you'll find me.

Thanks very much to Lewis Vetter or the San Antonio Conservation Society president.

Thanks.

My pleasure to be here.

Thank you.

This week, a federal judge permanently blocked a presidential order last year that had stopped funding for NPR and PBS Public Broadcasting System.

We are part of that here.

And joining us to talk about that, what it means is, Arthur Emerson, the president and CEO of Clarin TV.

Thank you very much for coming.

Randi.

It's a pleasure.

Thank you for helping us, sir.

Tell us what this order means from this judge.

Well, this past Monday, us District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that the, the presidential executive order to defund public broadcasting was unconstitutional.

That means that, that the funding that was clawed back ultimately by the federal government shouldn't have been clawed back.

The money that was already allotted to PBS.

And through the year 2027, public television and public radio were already funded, and that money was already earmarked.

And in the bank, however, it was clawed back as a result of that ruling.

So what this district judge ruled is that that was not right.

Now, what that could mean is that in time, not any time soon, that money may be reinstated, but I don't think it will happen in the next 5 to 10 years.

Number one, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, who funneled the money was closed, several years ago because there was no flow of money.

There was no use for their operation to continue.

And that was confusing in itself, Randy, because the announcement was that the Corporation for Public Public Broadcasting had ceased operations.

But that's not PBS or NPR.

That was just the bank that funneled the money.

And people might have been confused also, that most of the money for Clarin and all of, PBS stations didn't come from the federal government.

And obviously now doesn't, I guess you could say that the stations were I don't want to say weaning themselves off.

Right.

But it's it's locally owned basically.

Now, every station for public television and every radio station for NPR are locally owned.

They're locally operated with an independent board.

And what this ultimately means is that we have to operate without any, federal funding, which means that we are relying on our members and our donors.

And we're quite, we're we're headed in that direction quite well.

We're diversified and clear in as most television and public radio stations are, we have any sources of revenue.

And what that means is that we have to work a little harder to equal that loss from the federal government, which amounted to about 17% of our budget.

And that was last year when that CPB, dissolved itself.

There was a lot of, you know, headlines about it.

So people stepped up and are stepping up.

Do you think with this latest ruling, though, they might get confused and think, well, the money's coming back, Randy.

That is, perfectly stated.

This may mislead people to think that we're going to get this money back because it was unlawful and unconstitutional, but, the likelihood of that happening anytime soon is not likely.

Not at all.

If it if the good fortune should reinstate federal funding, it might take as much as a decade before we see the final of that money, because it has to go through channels, it has to go through Congress again.

It has to be funded again.

Then it has to find a a bank, such as a Corporation for Public Broadcasting to distribute that fund those funds.

And that takes time.

So we don't anticipate that we're going to have that those those moneys back anytime soon.

And so while this is being hailed as a, you know, freedom of the press issue, and there's no retribution for what someone says or should say, whether it's political or not, or deemed that way.

At the same time, the practical effects could, could hurt in a way.

Some of the stations, if philanthropies say, think, well, they don't need the money.

That is exactly right.

We hope that, we continue to, earn the respect and the support from our publics because the federal funding isn't coming back.

And my opinion in the next foreseeable 5 to 10 years.

All right.

Well, thank you very much, Arthur Emerson.

President and CEO.

I should get your name right.

President.

And your title president and CEO of MTV.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Randy.

On reporters roundtable this week, Chris Tomlinson, the state columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle, is here.

We've been talking about water for obviously decades in Texas, in San Antonio, but in Corpus Christi right now, there is a new level of urgency we haven't seen before.

Tell us about what's going on down there.

So two things are intersecting at once.

You have, one of the worst droughts in the history of South Texas as the Coastal Bend region.

And then you have this unprecedented build out of refineries and petrochemical facilities that all need water.

And, there's not enough water to support the industry and local residents.

So potentially, by this time next year, Corpus Christi could actually be out of water.

And so we think that's that's ridiculous.

How could they be out of water?

They're on their coast.

They've talked about a desalination plant for years.

But why are they here?

It's their water.

Water everywhere.

None to drink.

Because the water in the ocean is salty.

And if you want to access that water, you have to get rid of the salt.

So one proposal, made over a decade ago was to build a desalination plant where they use energy and filters to take the water, seawater turned it into freshwater.

That started out as a $160 million project and ballooned into a $1.1 billion project that city officials decided was too expensive.

So they voted it down.

They voted it down, and now they don't have enough water.

And no alternative.

So what do you mean?

They could run out of water?

They could literally run out of water.

Governor Abbott has stepped into this as well.

What?

What is going to happen?

You think.

So?

Governor Abbott's very angry about the city Council's decision not to spend taxpayer money to build this desalination plant, which, to be honest, would only serve the petrochemical industry.

All of the water from that desalinated project would go to a plastics plant, to oil, refineries, that sort of thing.

And a lot of companies like Exxon have made an $8 billion investment expecting that water to be there.

And so that's got Abbott angry.

But at the same time, Corpus Christi is a very low income city.

It really can't afford $1 billion.

So this is the, you know, a rock and a hard place.

And talking about water supply.

And one of they could run out.

Now their water supply is different from Mars.

We get the Edwards Aquifer.

We have this diversity.

We have different, sources.

Now there's, storage of, I guess you would call it salty water down south that they could extract from the aquifer.

Where do they get their water?

Just like Corpus Christi.

Basically, they.

Have three lakes, right?

Corpus Christi being the largest.

They also depend on the Nueces River.

And all of those, sources of water are dropping, plummeting, I think, like Corpus Christi is now down to 10% of capacity.

And the city won't actually run out of water.

They'll have to start rationing it.

And so the question is, do we shut down all of these petrochemical facilities so that the people of, Corpus Christi can have enough water?

Because there's enough water for the people.

There's just not enough water for the big industry around the city.

What's happening with the city government first, before we get happen, what's happening with the state and what Abbott might do?

City government.

Obviously, again, that rock and a hard place.

Are they looking at voting anybody out of office there?

Are they is there a push within the city to do something?

Well, there's now a recall, petition for the mayor.

The governor has talked about seizing control of the city, stripping the city council of its authority, and basically him taking over city government to make sure this thing gets built.

But even then, it would.

It will take two years.

So the city water folks are drilling additional ground water wells.

They're looking at buying water from a desalination plant being built by a plastics company on the Nueces River.

And they're scrambling, asking where their city of San Antonio, their water system can, set aside some water to go down to Corpus Christi.

So there's a mad scramble for water.

And the question is, you know, it will rain.

How much will it rain and how soon will they run out?

And also if they look for water elsewhere, people remember here in San Antonio when we had the Vista Verde, and they're getting it right.

The pipeline took a long time to build.

So it's not just a matter of, okay, we'll get some from here, we'll get some from there and we'll pipe it in.

It's not possible, really.

Right.

The, that's why these new groundwater wells are the emergency, source for Corpus Christi.

They're going to have about 17 million gallons a day online by June.

But frankly, it's really about hoping for rain.

And as a columnist, you have the luxury of saying what you think and saying this person's right, that groups wrong.

What is your opinion on all this?

I think it's a sequence of of cascading, failures.

The city council should not have invited all these petrochemical, chemical companies to build all these facilities and promised them water, in the Houston Ship Channel, the refineries and the petrochemical facilities, they they get their own water, they treat their own water.

They take care of all that themselves.

City of Corpus Christi promised the water to these Petro Kim companies.

And now there's not enough water.

Frankly, I don't think the city taxpayers can afford another $1 billion on top of the $1 billion they're already spending on these new wells.

So, I think it's up to the petrochemical companies to come up with their own water and pay for their own plan.

If Abbott comes in and tries to take over the government, what what do you think would happen then?

Well, at that point, I think there's no doubt.

Yeah.

I think there's no doubt that Abbott will settle the tax.

The taxpayers of Corpus Christi, with the water bill.

Yeah.

I mean, they will they will build that plant and they will make the people of San Antonio.

I mean, the people of Corpus Christi pay for it through their water bills or through their property taxes.

One of the other and.

Briefly, is this canary in the coal mine about the rest of the problems in the state with growing data centers, we've heard about the problems of water and power.

The state is now looking at that.

State legislators are looking at that for the next session.

Is it going to be that severe in other areas because of data centers?

Obviously not like petrochemical companies, but.

You know, I think there's real potential because climate change is real.

The, the Texas is getting hotter.

It's getting drier.

Droughts are lasting longer and they're more severe.

And if we and if we have new record setting droughts at the same time that we add all the water hungry industry like data centers and semiconductor plants, then, yeah, we're going to we're going to be in the same place in Corpus Christi when the next big drought comes.

Well, thanks.

So I just to come back another time, we're more optimistic.

But it's great.

You you get at that inside the, a state columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle, Chris Tomlinson, thanks very much.

Thank you, Randy.

And thank you for joining us for this edition of On the Record.

You can watch the show again.

You can watch any previous shows.

You can also download this as a podcast.

Just go to KLRN.org.

I'm Randy Beamer and we'll see you next time.

On the record is brought to you by Steve and Adele Dufilho.