The transition between the Bush Administration and the Obama Administration is less than seventy days long. In that time, as government appointments are considered and the strategy for the first 100 days is finalized, the Obama Administration needs to consider how it will handle issues that were not as widely discussed in the last part of the campaign but are certainly important for the country. I offer my own perspective and suggest an El Paso-centric set of issues that are worthy of inclusion in the first 100 days agenda.

Comprehensive immigration reform is likely to take more than 100 days, however it should be seeded early in the new administration. And more importantly voices of regional figures should be included in the process. Thus far the move to construct the border fence has reflected a certain level of arrogance on the part of national policy makers failing to consult and act upon recommendations of those on the ground in communities like El Paso. To be sure our community is not of a homogenous voice on the issue, but to date the inclusion of a local dialogue has not been a priority for the Bush White House. The president’s own rhetoric, showcased in a border tour here in El Paso along the fence line in 2005, reflected an inconsistency between the language of higher security and language exempting guest workers. This inconsistency plagued the ensuing legislative debate and was a factor leading to the ultimate failure of HR 4437, the Sensenbrenner Bill, to clear the Senate. President Obama would be well served to “revisit the scene” so to speak to address his administration’s plans for reform as well as to consider how the border fence project physically and psychologically impacts interconnected border communities such as ours.

Along with immigration reform various officials in the new Obama Administration, including President Obama himself, should conduct a United States-Mexico border tour from South Texas to Southern California. Despite President Bush’s relationship with the border from his time as governor of Texas, the Bush Administration did not focus a great deal of consistent attention on the United States-Mexico border, except in the form of security policy. The Obama Administration could accomplish a number of things with concentrated efforts to better understand the United States-Mexico border. First, there are a number of pressing economic and social issues that need to be addressed along the border including environmental degradation and the need to diversify the economies of border communities. Poverty levels continue to rise in border communities and while it will be impossible to resolve those issues, a White House committed to social change can surely begin to task resources better and more efficiently to our communities. Second, attention to the border region is political currency with which to shore up the relationship between the United States and Mexico. Ambitious plans to gird the political relationship between the countries suffered because of Sept. 11 and there continues to be uncertainty in the ways the two countries are interacting. The El Paso-Ciudad Juárez metropolitan area has and can continue to be an important space with the social and intellectual resources to facilitate a broader set of linkages between the countries. Third, of the United States-Mexico border states New Mexico essentially was the only state to receive direct attention by the presidential candidates with California, Texas, and to an extent Arizona, left unchallenged. A border tour would go far to recharge political capital for a new administration and would be an explicit sign that red Americas and blue Americas are not as important as the United States of America to paraphrase Obama’s campaign standard.

Across the country newly registered voters, often in the 18-29 demographic, made tremendous efforts to participate in this year’s election. The Obama campaign benefited from these young people and the Obama Administration needs to be cognizant of how these voices can be incorporated into advancing an agenda for change. Public service will likely be a hallmark of this administration and in many ways a mutually beneficially policy of engaging young El Pasoans, particularly those finishing their college degrees should channel these people into government service. Representation of El Paso at the elected level is important, but in many ways adding our voices to the mechanisms of government policy with El Pasoans working in Congress and in federal agencies will undoubtedly mean more attention for the region. The spirit that motivated so much youth participation should be fostered, particularly in El Paso, where our youth are growing up biculturally and binationally.

A final thought about how El Paso figures into a national agenda; the possibilities for our relationship with the Obama Administration will be judged to some extent by how our elected politicians, county Democratic Party officials, and donors engaged the Obama campaign. Political capital is all about relationships and actions driven by those relationships. By the time the general election period started, most of these figures were on board for the Obama campaign. However during the hotly contested primary a large block of El Paso’s political establishment, whether by default or design, backed Senator Hillary Clinton. I suspect that this factor will not be forgotten by those guiding the Obama Administration. The reality is that in El Paso we need to have a serious discussion about how we all impact the region’s role in national policy. That discussion needs to be strategic and requires unity in voice and in action by the local Democratic Party and its various offshoots and to a large extent needs to reflect ideas and dialogue with the local Republican Party as well. Both parties should seriously consider engaging their respective consistencies post the election to debrief and to strategize about the political future both locally and in relation to the new presidential administration.

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Dr. Richard D. Pineda is Assistant Professor of Communication and Research Fellow, Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Research, University of Texas at El Paso.