Across the Southwest, cities are taking strides to develop stronger partnerships with neighboring Mexico.
Tucson has announced an official liaison between the southern Arizona city and Mexico. Councilwoman Regina Romero expressed its significance to the Arizona Daily Star:
"The mayor and council recognize the importance of developing our business relationship with Mexico," Romero said. "This is an important economic development step for the city of Tucson."
The city has taken formal steps to build their relationship with Mexico for more than a year. A group, Tucson-Mexico Trade Coalition, has focused on developing ties between their city and the Northwestern Mexico Trade corridor.
To the west, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner continues making headlines with his dos ciudades, una región (two cities, one region) agenda.
On top of the opening of an official city office in Tijuana and a proposed “bat phone” connecting the two mayors, Filner recently suggested the sister cities share an area code. Via the U-T San Diego:
One way to truly become a binational region, Filner said, would be for Tijuana and San Diego to share the same area code — a move that would not only save the cost of calling long distance but also offer a powerful symbol.
