CNN 2010-02-05

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's talk about how your stimulus¹ money is helping² or not helping across America. We're going to the local level here, talking with three mayors. The mayor of Laredo, Texas, Raul Salinas, also Mayor James Baker³ of Wilmington, Delaware and Elkhart, Indiana, Dick Moore joining us. Three cities, three mayors, three stories about your money.

Thanks, guys, for being here.

Mayor Salinas let's start with you just because most recently we did the story about the last little bookstore in Texas. You know, it's been tough. You've had to deal with the literacy problem and then we hear that you're losing your bookstores. Has the stimulus money helped you at all with regard to fighting the illiteracy⁴ problem?

MAYOR RAUL SALINAS, LAREDO, TEXAS: Well, while I'm very disappointed what happened with the bookstore in Laredo. We've been working very hard to get petitions. The reason the bookstore was closed was not because of Loredo economy, it was closed because of business decisions with the corporate⁵ headquarters.

But we've had a number of petitions, but I don't think that's had an effect. But I am very confident that in the near future that we will have a new bookstore in Laredo because there's a lot of enthusiasm. We're on the border. But maybe we can find a way to maybe get some stimulus money. But what we have done, we received over $209 million and that's going to generate and has generated 700 jobs for us in Laredo.

And that's important because it has a ripple⁶ effect. When we got two major projects, one was a mobility⁷ program at Quatro Vientos (ph). We also, $48 million for a utility plant, Jefferson Plant in Laredo. Those are creating like 700 jobs, those projects. And that's important because it has a ripple effect on other commercial businesses. So it's very impacting.

We have a very good economy in Laredo. Our unemployment is at 8.6 while other cities along the border, for instance, McAllen is 11.2 unemployment, Brownsville at 10.5. So we have been very, very fortunate and the money that we have received has been very positive because it is stimulating⁸ jobs and is helping us for infrastructure⁹ purposes. PHILLIPS: OK.
 

1 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

5 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

6 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

7 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

8 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。