Re the March 14 article Doral: ‘No’ to Spanish as an official language: The city of Doral recently debated making the city officially bilingual in order to attract more business.

In 2009, Forbes ranked Doral as second among the top 25 towns in America in which to live well. It said that Doral had one of the nation’s highest concentrations of small businesses per capita, especially surrounding aerospace and logistics, mainly because of its proximity to Miami International Airport.

It also showed the drawback of having very few cutting-edge companies developing new technologies or creating new fields. Its rank for venture-capital cash and patents were low.

Last year, the Business Insider promoted a debate to try to determine the 15 hottest American cities of the future. Doral was not there.

Forbes recently referred to the college town of Austin, Texas, as the next biggest boomtown of the United States. It is the third fastest growing city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with high rates of job creation. Austin is also a hip, artsy town that attracts artists, students, intellectuals and creative types. Its population is about 10 times that of Doral, of which 35.1 percent are Latinos. This means that Austin’s Latino residents are three times that of Doral’s population as a whole. Is the Spanish language the main attraction of this city? Is it the responsible factor for its future? Absolutely not.

The future of any city requires great people and great ideas. The environment and quality of life are basic conditions needed to have a successful city. It is imperative for a successful city to attract young, creative talent by providing access to high-paying jobs, technology development and the arts.

It is important for such cities to encourage major companies to establish their headquarters there and offer access to new graduates.

It is naive to think that the city alone can work on its future; it needs a partnership with neighboring cities, the county and the state. It is myopic to think that expansion depends on a language. It is a narrow political move with no economic effect. History proves that. It will be better for our elected officials to spend their time and energy on other aspects that are critical for the future of our city.

Norberto H. Spangaro,

director, Doral

Community Coalition