Jan 31, 2011
Viva Mexico: Jose Clemente Orozco, master muralist, shines in an overwhelming exhibit in Mexico
Jose Clemente Orozco, master muralist, shines in an overwhelming exhibit in Mexico | La Plaza | Los Angeles Times: "The Mexican muralist Jose Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) is the subject of an immense and exhausting survey up now at a downtown Mexico City museum, the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso. A total of 358 pieces fill more than a dozen exhibit halls, including previously unexhibited drawings of studies for some of Orozco's most famous murals."
Globalization: North Carolina pursues trade, education links with Mexico
N. Carolina pursues trade, education links with Mexico - Fox News Latino: "The flow of trade and migration between North Carolina and Mexico has sparked 'unique' business and educational projects in the United States.
In 2009, total exports from North Carolina to Mexico reached $1.4 billion, according to figures from the state's office of representation in Mexico City. (This amounted to) 6.7 percent of North Carolina's total exports of food, machinery, textiles, petrochemical products, electronics and financial and banking services.
"All that has helped make Mexico the third biggest trade partner of North Carolina after Canada and China," director Laura Camberos said.
In 2009, total exports from North Carolina to Mexico reached $1.4 billion, according to figures from the state's office of representation in Mexico City. (This amounted to) 6.7 percent of North Carolina's total exports of food, machinery, textiles, petrochemical products, electronics and financial and banking services.
"All that has helped make Mexico the third biggest trade partner of North Carolina after Canada and China," director Laura Camberos said.
Immigration Politics - California: legislator files Arizona-style immigration bill
Another state bill "full of sound and fury," but one apparently "signifying nothing."
California legislator files Arizona-style immigration bill | bil - News - The Orange County Register: "A California lawmaker has introduced a bill similar to Arizona's tough anti-illegal immigration law, according to news reports.
The measure by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, would make it a crime in California to be in the country illegally, according to FoxNews.com.
The freshman assemblyman, who calls himself a minuteman from San Bernardino County, had pledged to introduce a bill similar to Arizona's SB1070. However, some analysts have said that AB 26 is unlikely to go far in a heavily Democrat-controlled Assembly, according to the San Francisco Chronicle."
California legislator files Arizona-style immigration bill | bil - News - The Orange County Register: "A California lawmaker has introduced a bill similar to Arizona's tough anti-illegal immigration law, according to news reports.
The measure by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, would make it a crime in California to be in the country illegally, according to FoxNews.com.
The freshman assemblyman, who calls himself a minuteman from San Bernardino County, had pledged to introduce a bill similar to Arizona's SB1070. However, some analysts have said that AB 26 is unlikely to go far in a heavily Democrat-controlled Assembly, according to the San Francisco Chronicle."
Immigration Politics: South Dakota Introduces Immigration and Birthright Citizenship Bills
South Dakota jumps on the bandwagon.
Immigration Crackdown & Reality: In immigration reform, arguing against workplace raids
This is a followup on today's LA Times editorial.
"What I would like to say to the American people, or the listeners, is that we don't come here to steal; we didn't come here to steal anybody’s job; or steal anything from anybody. We came here to work and we work hard for what we work. I could see if we were out there on the streets stealing somebody's money that they would say that we came to steal. But we didn’t come to take anything away. We came to support our children and support our parents. Have they not ever had to work to support their children and support their parents, wouldn’t they do it too?"
Immigration Crackdown: Illegal immigration enforcement program takes heavy toll on Hispanic populations
Illegal immigration enforcement program takes heavy toll on Hispanic populations: "A controversial program that deputizes local police officers to enforce immigration laws sent the Hispanic population plummeting in many places across the country, including Prince William and Frederick counties, according to a new report released Monday by the Migration Policy Institute. ...
The study by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute focused on seven places - including Prince William and Frederick - that have adopted the federal 287 (g) program ...
Although ICE has said it prioritizes the deportation of people with serious criminal backgrounds, some of the jurisdictions participating in the program seek to remove as many undocumented immigrants as possible, regardless of criminal background, the study found." Washington Post
The study by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute focused on seven places - including Prince William and Frederick - that have adopted the federal 287 (g) program ...
Although ICE has said it prioritizes the deportation of people with serious criminal backgrounds, some of the jurisdictions participating in the program seek to remove as many undocumented immigrants as possible, regardless of criminal background, the study found." Washington Post
Immigration: Human trafficking hard to prove, hard to stop
Human trafficking hard to prove, hard to stop - San Antonio Express-News: "CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Authorities know that thousands of men, women and children are trafficked into Texas. Proving it in a court of law is another matter.
Cases involving human trafficking are hard to tease from prostitution and illegal immigration cases and are harder to prosecute unless a victim informs on the case. Investigators say victims are compelled into involuntary servitude, captivity or prostitution, according to an article in the Sunday edition of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
'They may be victims of trafficking that do not even know it,' Sean McElroy of Homeland Security Investigations told the newspaper."
Cases involving human trafficking are hard to tease from prostitution and illegal immigration cases and are harder to prosecute unless a victim informs on the case. Investigators say victims are compelled into involuntary servitude, captivity or prostitution, according to an article in the Sunday edition of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
'They may be victims of trafficking that do not even know it,' Sean McElroy of Homeland Security Investigations told the newspaper."
Immigration Politics: Resumption of workplace raids is unnecessary.LA Times editorial
This editorial misses the point about "illegal" immigration. The inadequacy of legal options for temporary worker migration needs to be addressed in order to eliminate the false category of "illegal immigration."
Illegal immigration: Resumption of workplace raids is unnecessary - latimes.com: "In his State of the Union address, President Obama renewed his call for comprehensive immigration reform, and said he was ready to work with Republicans and Democrats 'to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows.' If the president and other advocates of reform are to succeed, they must emphasize border protection and enforcement as well as legalization.
'Comprehensive' reform must be just that: a combination of legalization for immigrants already in the country and new measures to prevent illegal immigration in the future."
Illegal immigration: Resumption of workplace raids is unnecessary - latimes.com: "In his State of the Union address, President Obama renewed his call for comprehensive immigration reform, and said he was ready to work with Republicans and Democrats 'to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows.' If the president and other advocates of reform are to succeed, they must emphasize border protection and enforcement as well as legalization.
'Comprehensive' reform must be just that: a combination of legalization for immigrants already in the country and new measures to prevent illegal immigration in the future."
Immigration Politics: Kentucky immigration bill's practicality is questioned
Another state where political reality may trump anti-immigration rhetoric.
House Local Governments Chairman Steve Riggs, D-Louisville, said the Senate might have approved Senate Bill 6 earlier this month 'as a symbolic vote to deal with illegal immigrants.
'What I wonder about is if they considered how practical it is to implement,' he said."
Collateral Damage: Killing of innocent teens remembered in Juarez
Killing of innocent teens remembered in Juarez - CNN.com: "Dozens of people attended a memorial in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, commemorating the one-year anniversary Sunday of a house party massacre that left 15 people dead."
Mexican Politics: Mexico's left wins western state in setback for PRI
Mexico's left wins western state in setback for PRI | Reuters: "Mexico's left appeared to hold onto a governorship in the country's western hinterland on Sunday in a sign the main opposition party still needs to show voters it has modernized to win the presidency in 2012.
In the shadow of harrowing drug violence, voters in Guerrero gave the leftist Party of Democratic Revolution, or PRD, victory over the powerful Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, one of six state elections ahead of next year's presidential race.
Both parties claimed victory on Sunday night and accused the other of trying to rig the vote. But with 45 percent of the vote counted, the PRD's candidate Angel Aguirre won 57 percent of the ballot, Guerrero State Electoral Institute said on its website"
In the shadow of harrowing drug violence, voters in Guerrero gave the leftist Party of Democratic Revolution, or PRD, victory over the powerful Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, one of six state elections ahead of next year's presidential race.
Both parties claimed victory on Sunday night and accused the other of trying to rig the vote. But with 45 percent of the vote counted, the PRD's candidate Angel Aguirre won 57 percent of the ballot, Guerrero State Electoral Institute said on its website"
Whack-a-mole: Is Mexico's Brutal La Familia Cartel Dead or Just Lurking?
Is Mexico's Brutal La Familia Cartel Dead or Just Lurking? - TIME: "If the banners hanging from bridges in the western state of Michoacán this week are to be believed, Mexico's horrific drug war has turned a hopeful corner. The signs declared that one of Mexico's most feared drug cartels, La Familia Michoacana, was disbanding after body blows from a federal offensive that is believed to have killed the group's leader in a shoot-out last month. ...
Already in January 2011, Mexico has seen almost 1,000 narcomurders. The problem, says Luis Astorga, a drug-war expert at the National Autonomous University in Mexico City, is that 'the capture of capos doesn't necessarily mean defeat for the cartels. It just means new criminal coalitions, new alignments, and that process can lead to more expansive waves of violence, not less.'"
Already in January 2011, Mexico has seen almost 1,000 narcomurders. The problem, says Luis Astorga, a drug-war expert at the National Autonomous University in Mexico City, is that 'the capture of capos doesn't necessarily mean defeat for the cartels. It just means new criminal coalitions, new alignments, and that process can lead to more expansive waves of violence, not less.'"
Jan 29, 2011
Immigration reform: Economic downturn opens a window
An OpEd by Peter H. Schuck, who teaches at Yale and New York University law schools.
MexicoBlog Editorial: Welcome to PepsiLand - the Globalization of Mexcio Speeds Up
When we moved to Michoacán, México almost three years ago, we naively thought we were leaving the corporate U.S. behind. My wife was completing a consulting contract with Pepsi, but that was, we thought, the only left-over. However, as we rode from the Morelia airport to our newly adopted home and passed through numerous pueblos and into city, virtually every white wall welcomed us with the "all-American," red, white and blue logo of Pepsi, joined by the words, "Bienvenidos a Michoacán. Pepsi."
As we began to settle into our new home, we noticed the presence not only of Pepsi, but also its rival, Coke. Both had big distributing centers in town and their bottles and cans could be found in the remotest pueblo in the surrounding mountains. Walmart moved to town shortly after we did. The Kansas City Southern Railroad de México runs by our house, carrying containers full of Chinese goods from the Pacific port of Lázaro Cárdenas (named after the local son and presidential hero who nationalized Mexico's oil in th 1930's - and who must now be rolling over in his grave). The railroad runs to the U.S. Soon we learned that some 18,000 U.S. companies do business in Mexico and how tied Mexico is to the U.S. since trade liberalization - epitomized by NAFT - opened the country to the world economy. We discovered globalized Mexico.
NAFTA has disappeared from the U.S. political agenda, but other Latin American trade agreeements are moving to the fore in Washington. And since the New Year, we have noticed an upsurge in articles about various and varied concrete actions being taken by the U.S. government, the Mexican government, the World Bank, and international corporations to promote further integration of the Mexican economy with the U.S. and the global economy.
These include the re-opening of U.S.-Mexico talks on Mexican truckers being alllowed into the U.S., maquiladoras in Ciudad Juarez "rebounding" in spite of the drug war, Mexican state governors and leading business leaders attending the inauguration of the anti-immigrant governor of Texas, Rick Perry, and talking business with him and other Texans and U.S. businesses opening new factories in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the World Bank is loaning Mexico $752 million to build high-tech infrastructure and the Mexican economy minister is exploring trade deals with China, while Mexico benefits from rising wages in China. And this week, the third largest soft-drink bottling company in the world was created by one Mexican company purchasing another. It sells Coke through out Latin America. Mexico is the world's largest per-capita consumer of Coke. (That's why Pepsi has those ads on every public wall. Coke doesn't need any.) And, oh yes, the Kansas City Southern Railroad, which has half of its business in Mexico, announced that it is doing really well.
All this seems to say that the Great Recession is over as far as the plutocrats are concerned. And it's full steam ahead for globalization. (Excuse the metaphor, but as we write this, the Kansas City Southern train is blowing its whistle while passing our door.)
As we began to settle into our new home, we noticed the presence not only of Pepsi, but also its rival, Coke. Both had big distributing centers in town and their bottles and cans could be found in the remotest pueblo in the surrounding mountains. Walmart moved to town shortly after we did. The Kansas City Southern Railroad de México runs by our house, carrying containers full of Chinese goods from the Pacific port of Lázaro Cárdenas (named after the local son and presidential hero who nationalized Mexico's oil in th 1930's - and who must now be rolling over in his grave). The railroad runs to the U.S. Soon we learned that some 18,000 U.S. companies do business in Mexico and how tied Mexico is to the U.S. since trade liberalization - epitomized by NAFT - opened the country to the world economy. We discovered globalized Mexico.
NAFTA has disappeared from the U.S. political agenda, but other Latin American trade agreeements are moving to the fore in Washington. And since the New Year, we have noticed an upsurge in articles about various and varied concrete actions being taken by the U.S. government, the Mexican government, the World Bank, and international corporations to promote further integration of the Mexican economy with the U.S. and the global economy.
These include the re-opening of U.S.-Mexico talks on Mexican truckers being alllowed into the U.S., maquiladoras in Ciudad Juarez "rebounding" in spite of the drug war, Mexican state governors and leading business leaders attending the inauguration of the anti-immigrant governor of Texas, Rick Perry, and talking business with him and other Texans and U.S. businesses opening new factories in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the World Bank is loaning Mexico $752 million to build high-tech infrastructure and the Mexican economy minister is exploring trade deals with China, while Mexico benefits from rising wages in China. And this week, the third largest soft-drink bottling company in the world was created by one Mexican company purchasing another. It sells Coke through out Latin America. Mexico is the world's largest per-capita consumer of Coke. (That's why Pepsi has those ads on every public wall. Coke doesn't need any.) And, oh yes, the Kansas City Southern Railroad, which has half of its business in Mexico, announced that it is doing really well.
All this seems to say that the Great Recession is over as far as the plutocrats are concerned. And it's full steam ahead for globalization. (Excuse the metaphor, but as we write this, the Kansas City Southern train is blowing its whistle while passing our door.)
Against Whack-a-mole: Former presidents, intellectuals seek strategy beyond war on drugs
The Latin American Commission on Drug Policies is expanding to become the Global Commission. They are against the U.S. and U.N. whack-a-mole prohibition/war on drugs strategy. As the Latin American Commission, they proposed legalizing marijuana. Will they go beyond that to advocating legalization of all illicit drugs?
The Canadian Press: Former presidents, intellectuals seek strategy beyond war on drugs: "A private commission of politicians, intellectuals, business leaders and health experts hopes to end drug abuse through a new strategy — one that assumes the U.S.-led war on drugs and U.N. approaches aren't working.
The new Global Commission on Drug Policies turned conventional thinking on its head during their first two day meeting that ended Tuesday in Geneva. Former presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil — the commission chairman — and Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico say the war on drugs in Latin America has failed and suggest a radical reform focused on prevention and education.
The 15-member commission also includes Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson and writers Carlos Fuentes of Mexico and Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru."
The Canadian Press: Former presidents, intellectuals seek strategy beyond war on drugs: "A private commission of politicians, intellectuals, business leaders and health experts hopes to end drug abuse through a new strategy — one that assumes the U.S.-led war on drugs and U.N. approaches aren't working.
The new Global Commission on Drug Policies turned conventional thinking on its head during their first two day meeting that ended Tuesday in Geneva. Former presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil — the commission chairman — and Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico say the war on drugs in Latin America has failed and suggest a radical reform focused on prevention and education.
The 15-member commission also includes Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson and writers Carlos Fuentes of Mexico and Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru."
Whack-a-mole: Drug Bust Shows Argentina-Europe Trafficking Ties
Those Argentinian drug moles are really classy!
Drug Bust Shows Argentina-Europe Trafficking Ties - NYTimes.com: "The Spanish authorities in Barcelona seized an executive jet from Argentina this month that was carrying about 2,000 pounds of cocaine. An Argentine company specializing in private medical transfers, Medical Jet, was operating the plane, which was being flown by pilots whose fathers were generals during Argentina’s bloody dictatorship.
Investigators in Spain and Argentina have remained tight-lipped about the inquiry, but questions have swirled around the possible involvement of Argentine military officials and politicians who flew on Medical Jet, and deeper connections to Colombian and Mexican drug cartels....
“Argentina has become a producer and exporter of cocaine over the past five years, and Europe is looking to Argentina for cocaine,” said Claudio Izaguirre, president of the Argentine Anti-Drugs Association, a nongovernmental group in Buenos Aires. Mr. Izaguirre said that six drug cartels had set up shop in Argentina in the past five years, two from Colombia and four from Mexico."
Drug Bust Shows Argentina-Europe Trafficking Ties - NYTimes.com: "The Spanish authorities in Barcelona seized an executive jet from Argentina this month that was carrying about 2,000 pounds of cocaine. An Argentine company specializing in private medical transfers, Medical Jet, was operating the plane, which was being flown by pilots whose fathers were generals during Argentina’s bloody dictatorship.
Investigators in Spain and Argentina have remained tight-lipped about the inquiry, but questions have swirled around the possible involvement of Argentine military officials and politicians who flew on Medical Jet, and deeper connections to Colombian and Mexican drug cartels....
“Argentina has become a producer and exporter of cocaine over the past five years, and Europe is looking to Argentina for cocaine,” said Claudio Izaguirre, president of the Argentine Anti-Drugs Association, a nongovernmental group in Buenos Aires. Mr. Izaguirre said that six drug cartels had set up shop in Argentina in the past five years, two from Colombia and four from Mexico."
Immigration Politics - Texas: El Paso leaders decry state immigration legislation
More state politics that make it not so easy to pass state anti-immigrate legislation .
El Paso leaders decry state immigration legislation - El Paso Times: "Texas Gov. Rick Perry is turning Texas into an outcast by elevating immigration issues to an emergency level and by insisting that local law enforcement officials be allowed to enforce immigration laws, El Paso's four highest-ranking elected officials said Friday.
If Perry and the state Legislature pass such laws --some of which have already been filed -- El Paso's status as the safest city will be jeopardized, said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas.
Reyes was one of four city-wide elected leaders who gathered Friday in El Paso to blast Perry's immigration agenda. The others were newly elected state Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, newly elected County Judge Veronica Escobar and Mayor John Cook. All four said the governor's immigration agenda will hurt El Paso and Texas."
El Paso leaders decry state immigration legislation - El Paso Times: "Texas Gov. Rick Perry is turning Texas into an outcast by elevating immigration issues to an emergency level and by insisting that local law enforcement officials be allowed to enforce immigration laws, El Paso's four highest-ranking elected officials said Friday.
If Perry and the state Legislature pass such laws --some of which have already been filed -- El Paso's status as the safest city will be jeopardized, said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas.
Reyes was one of four city-wide elected leaders who gathered Friday in El Paso to blast Perry's immigration agenda. The others were newly elected state Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, newly elected County Judge Veronica Escobar and Mayor John Cook. All four said the governor's immigration agenda will hurt El Paso and Texas."
Immigration Politics: The untouchable topic of immigration reform
A British look at Obama's State of the Union speech, immigration politics and the reality of immigration economics. Distance does foster objectivity.
The untouchable topic of immigration reform | Stewart J Lawrence | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "In his widely-heralded State of the Union speech this week, President Obama stayed away from hot-button issues like immigration. And that's a shame, because nearly all studies show that immigration is a boon to the US economy. In fact, solving the current immigration crisis, some experts believe, could accelerate the nation's recovery, stimulating production and spurring job growth over the long haul.But, of course, that's not how rightwing Republicans see it. They insist that immigration – and immigrants – are a 'threat' to native-born workers, who, they insist, would gladly fill the 7m jobs currently held by illegal immigrants if only we drove them all out, and tightened border and workplace enforcement to keep more from coming."
Immigration Politcs: Arizona-inspired immigration bills lose momentum in other states
We, too, have been noting - and posting articles - that in a number of states, including Florida, Georgia and Utah, as local politcal dynamics emerge the momentum for anti-immigration legislation is running into some significant opposition.
State budget deficits, coupled with the political backlash triggered by Arizona's law and potentially expensive legal challenges from the federal government, have made passage of such statutes uncertain." Washington Post
Mexico’s Universal Health Care Is Work in Progress
Mexico’s Universal Health Care Is Work in Progress - NYTimes.com: "A decade ago, half of all Mexicans had no health insurance at all. Then the country’s Congress passed a bill to ensure health care for every Mexican without access to it. The goal was explicit: universal coverage.
By September, the government expects to have enrolled about 51 million people in the insurance plan it created six years ago — effectively reaching the target, at least on paper.
The big question, critics contend, is whether all those people actually get the health care the government has promised."
By September, the government expects to have enrolled about 51 million people in the insurance plan it created six years ago — effectively reaching the target, at least on paper.
The big question, critics contend, is whether all those people actually get the health care the government has promised."
Whack-a-mole vs. Legalization: Obama says drug abuse requires broader policy response
Obama: drug abuse requires broader policy response | Reuters: "President Barack Obama said on Thursday that fighting drug abuse demanded a broad public health effort to curb demand for narcotics, but repeated his opposition to outright decriminalization.
He said it was worth looking at the allocation of resources between law enforcement and health programs, but vowed not to let up on traffickers."
Globalization: Spate of Trade Deals Move Toward Passage
With Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, the Obama administration focused on the economy and global corporations wheeling and dealing again, globalization is revving up.
In his address, Obama urged Congress to act on pending trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the administration plans to submit the U.S.-Colombia FTA to Congress this year. Obama did not initially set a timetable in Tuesday's speech. ...
On Tuesday, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on the three FTAs. Chairperson Rep. Dave Camp pushed for a Jul. 1 deadline. "Implementation of their agreements and continued inaction on our agreements will result in further missed opportunities to create U.S. jobs," he said in a statement.
"Other major economies, including the E.U. and Canada, have signed, or are poised to sign, agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea," he explained. "America cannot afford to fall further behind and by standing still, we are doing just that." "
Globalization: The Merger Of Two Mexican Companies Will Create World's Third Largest Coke Bottler
Another article this week on Mexico as a center of global economic action.
Jan 28, 2011
Immigration Politics - Texas: Despite setbacks, clergy still push for immigration reform
Despite setbacks, clergy still push for immigration reform | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Just two days after President Barack Obama renewed a call for immigration reform, a group of Houston religious leaders said Thursday that despite a discouraging political climate, they see signs of change."
Immigrtation Politics - Nebraska: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Rally Decries LB48
NE StatePaper.com - ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Rally Decries LB48: "Held Thursday on the west steps of the State Capitol, the 45-minute UNITY rally decrying LB48 – an Arizona-style immigration reform bill that's been the talk of the Unicameral – drew at least 100 signs. At least three times that in supporters.
Nine speakers argued LB48 – which gives law enforcement broad powers to question and detain suspected illegal immigrants – is a dangerous “unfunded mandate” that implicitly endorses racial profiling and discrimination. "
Nine speakers argued LB48 – which gives law enforcement broad powers to question and detain suspected illegal immigrants – is a dangerous “unfunded mandate” that implicitly endorses racial profiling and discrimination. "
Immigration Madness: Over 30 arrested so far during Sheriff' Joe Arpaio's 18th illegal immigration sweep
Over 30 arrested so far during sheriff's 18th illegal immigration sweep - azfamily.com | Phoenix News: "A total of 31 people have been arrested by sheriff Joe Arpaio's deputies as of Thursday night during their 18th crime suppression sweep. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says they made 13 arrests earlier in the day and nine more in the evening.
Of those taken into custody one person had an outstanding felony warrant. Seven individuals were arrested for alleged human smuggling and one person was taken into custody by Immigration Customs Enforcement.
This is Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his posse members’ 18th crime suppression sweep that many feel target illegal immigrants. This is, however, the first sweep conducted by deputies that includes a newly-formed Illegal Immigration Enforcement Posse, a group of armed volunteers that were trained to report illegal activity."
Of those taken into custody one person had an outstanding felony warrant. Seven individuals were arrested for alleged human smuggling and one person was taken into custody by Immigration Customs Enforcement.
This is Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his posse members’ 18th crime suppression sweep that many feel target illegal immigrants. This is, however, the first sweep conducted by deputies that includes a newly-formed Illegal Immigration Enforcement Posse, a group of armed volunteers that were trained to report illegal activity."
Immigration Politics: Mississippi House OKs revised immigration bill
Mississippi House OKs revised immigration bill: "The bill says that during traffic stops or other encounters, a law enforcement officer could check the immigration status of a person the officer thinks might be in the United States illegally.
People who can't produce documents to show they're U.S. citizens, legal residents or visitors with visas could be jailed. Those found to be in the country illegally eventually could be deported."
People who can't produce documents to show they're U.S. citizens, legal residents or visitors with visas could be jailed. Those found to be in the country illegally eventually could be deported."
Immigration Politics - Florida: Lawmaker Dials Down Rhetoric in Immigration Talks
AMB editor's note: the suggested change in this Florida bill would seem to put it within the realm of implementing the federal Secure Communities program, in which fingerprints of arrestees are sent via the FBI to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lawmaker Dials Down Rhetoric in Immigration Talks: "The Legislature’s point man on immigration retreated substantially from an Arizona-style proposal Thursday, raising the possibility that law enforcement officers could only check a person’s immigrant status if he or she is being investigated for criminal wrongdoing."
Lawmaker Dials Down Rhetoric in Immigration Talks: "The Legislature’s point man on immigration retreated substantially from an Arizona-style proposal Thursday, raising the possibility that law enforcement officers could only check a person’s immigrant status if he or she is being investigated for criminal wrongdoing."
Immigration Politics: Arizona bill takes on birthright citizenship
Ariz. bill takes on birthright citizenship: "Arizona lawmakers, once again diving into the national debate over illegal immigration, proposed a bill Thursday that would challenge automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.
The proposal by Rep. John Kavanagh (R) is the second time this year lawmakers in a state have targeted the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. A similar proposal was filed last week in Indiana." AP/Washington Post
The proposal by Rep. John Kavanagh (R) is the second time this year lawmakers in a state have targeted the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. A similar proposal was filed last week in Indiana." AP/Washington Post
Collateral Damage: Mexican town's cops quit after colleagues beheaded
The Associated Press: Mexican town's cops quit after colleagues beheaded: "The police chief and all 38 police officers of a northeastern Mexican town have quit following a series of drug cartel attacks, including the decapitation of two of their colleagues.
Soldiers, state and federal police had been deployed to patrol General Teran, a town southwest of the industrial city of Monterrey, along a notorious drug-smuggling route to the U.S. border, said Mayor Ramon Villagomez."
Soldiers, state and federal police had been deployed to patrol General Teran, a town southwest of the industrial city of Monterrey, along a notorious drug-smuggling route to the U.S. border, said Mayor Ramon Villagomez."
Mexican Politics: Guerrero Mexico election: Guerrero election kicks off weighty Mexico political year
Guerrero Mexico election: Guerrero election kicks off weighty Mexico political year - latimes.com: "The balloting Sunday in Guerrero, which except for Acapulco is an impoverished rural state, kicks off elections in six states across Mexico that will set the tone for the 2012 presidential campaign.
The once-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, hopes to recapture Guerrero as part of a comeback bid that has built momentum with a number of electoral successes in the last three years.
The PRI aims to retake the presidency 12 years after the historic election that ended its seven-decade reign. This year's votes in Guerrero and elsewhere will serve as a gauge of whether the PRI can be defeated."
The once-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, hopes to recapture Guerrero as part of a comeback bid that has built momentum with a number of electoral successes in the last three years.
The PRI aims to retake the presidency 12 years after the historic election that ended its seven-decade reign. This year's votes in Guerrero and elsewhere will serve as a gauge of whether the PRI can be defeated."
Globalization: Auto parts manufacturer to build new $100 million plant in Mexico
Another example of U.S. - Mexico intergration in the context of the global economy
Magna to build new $100 million plant in Mexico - CTV Autos: "Auto parts marker Magna International Inc. (TSX:MG) is adding to its presence in Mexico by spending US$100 million to build a new plant to produce stamped and welded assemblies for several automakers. ... For example, Magna customer General Motors Co. recently announced a capacity expansion at an assembly plant in the region, where it manufactures the Chevrolet Aveo.
'The strategic decision to expand operations in Mexico is part of our long-term global strategy of developing in key growth markets,' said Magna CEO Don Walker.... Magna, which is receiving support from the Mexican government, already has 29 manufacturing plants and about 15,900 employees in Mexico.
Mexico is also close to the large U.S. auto market, which makes for efficient shipments by rail, while production costs, including labour, are cheaper than in Canada or the United States....
Carlos Guzman, CEO of the Mexican trade and investment agency ProMexico, said the government will focus on supporting Magna so that it can take advantage of the business opportunities in his country.
"Our government's interest is to make sure that investment in Mexico, from global leaders such as Magna International, are a success," Guzman said.
Magna sells auto parts to original equipment manufacturers of cars and light trucks in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. It has more than 92,000 employees in 25 countries."
Magna to build new $100 million plant in Mexico - CTV Autos: "Auto parts marker Magna International Inc. (TSX:MG) is adding to its presence in Mexico by spending US$100 million to build a new plant to produce stamped and welded assemblies for several automakers. ... For example, Magna customer General Motors Co. recently announced a capacity expansion at an assembly plant in the region, where it manufactures the Chevrolet Aveo.
'The strategic decision to expand operations in Mexico is part of our long-term global strategy of developing in key growth markets,' said Magna CEO Don Walker.... Magna, which is receiving support from the Mexican government, already has 29 manufacturing plants and about 15,900 employees in Mexico.
Mexico is also close to the large U.S. auto market, which makes for efficient shipments by rail, while production costs, including labour, are cheaper than in Canada or the United States....
Carlos Guzman, CEO of the Mexican trade and investment agency ProMexico, said the government will focus on supporting Magna so that it can take advantage of the business opportunities in his country.
"Our government's interest is to make sure that investment in Mexico, from global leaders such as Magna International, are a success," Guzman said.
Magna sells auto parts to original equipment manufacturers of cars and light trucks in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. It has more than 92,000 employees in 25 countries."
Globalization: Kansas City Southern Railroad sees 2011 gains, Mexico growth
We post this article because it is a concrete demonstration of the increasing integration of the Mexcian and U.S. economies. We also post it because we live near the Kansas City Southern de Mexico tracks and see all those container cars go by on their way to the U.S.
Kansas City Southern sees 2011 gains, Mexico growth | Reuters: "U.S. railroad Kansas City Southern (KSU.N) reported quarterly results that beat forecasts as commodity shipments rose, and said revenue should grow in the low double digits this year. Mexico, where the company generates nearly half its revenue, will remain important, analysts said. ...
... The Kansas City, Missouri-based company's international holdings include Kansas City Southern de Mexico, a primary Mexican rail line that connects the United States and Mexico.
"They've got great prospects for 2011, particularly in Mexico as a lot of multinational companies are either establishing a brand new presence in Mexico or bolstering their presence," said BB&T Capital Markets analyst Neal Deaton."
Kansas City Southern sees 2011 gains, Mexico growth | Reuters: "U.S. railroad Kansas City Southern (KSU.N) reported quarterly results that beat forecasts as commodity shipments rose, and said revenue should grow in the low double digits this year. Mexico, where the company generates nearly half its revenue, will remain important, analysts said. ...
... The Kansas City, Missouri-based company's international holdings include Kansas City Southern de Mexico, a primary Mexican rail line that connects the United States and Mexico.
"They've got great prospects for 2011, particularly in Mexico as a lot of multinational companies are either establishing a brand new presence in Mexico or bolstering their presence," said BB&T Capital Markets analyst Neal Deaton."
Globalizatiion: Mexico gets helping hand from costlier China labor
Analysis: Mexico gets helping hand from costlier China labor | Reuters: "The Mexican economy is getting a helping hand from unlikely allies: Chinese workers whose rising wages are leading more companies to build factories in Mexico.......
Mexican factory wages are now about 14 percent higher than those in China, the Mexican finance ministry estimates. In 2002, officials calculate they were 240 percent higher, canceling out Mexico's natural advantage of proximity. ...
(This is) a positive sign for a country which has been in China's shadow for the last seven years in terms of U.S. import share and is also battling to control drug-related violence.
For the first time since China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001 and became an exporting superpower, Mexico posted a bigger gain in U.S. market share than its Asian rival during the first 11 months of 2010. Mexico probably ended 2010 with just over 12 percent of the U.S. import market, its largest share ever."
Mexican factory wages are now about 14 percent higher than those in China, the Mexican finance ministry estimates. In 2002, officials calculate they were 240 percent higher, canceling out Mexico's natural advantage of proximity. ...
(This is) a positive sign for a country which has been in China's shadow for the last seven years in terms of U.S. import share and is also battling to control drug-related violence.
For the first time since China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001 and became an exporting superpower, Mexico posted a bigger gain in U.S. market share than its Asian rival during the first 11 months of 2010. Mexico probably ended 2010 with just over 12 percent of the U.S. import market, its largest share ever."
Immigration Politics: Minorities Prepare for Redistricting Battle
Minorities Prepare for Redistricting Battle - WNYC: "Minority communities are arming themselves with mapping software, census data, and the intricacies of the Voting Rights Act to ensure that they get their say when districts are redrawn this year. They're determined to elect representatives in Congress, the state Legislature, and on the local level who will vote with their concerns in mind."
Collateral Damage: Missionary Shot to Death in Mexico
Texas - Missionary Shot to Death - NYTimes.com: "An American missionary couple was ambushed by gunmen on a highway in Mexico about 70 miles from the border on Wednesday, and the woman was fatally wounded, according to the police in Pharr, Tex. The gunmen opened fire when Samuel L. Davis refused to stop his pickup truck at an illegal roadblock near the town of San Fernando. His wife, Nancy, was shot in the head. Mr. Davis sped to the border and raced across the international bridge at Pharr, going the wrong way against traffic, to deliver his wife to the American authorities. It was too late. Ms. Davis, 59, died at a hospital in McAllen. The couple live in a rural hamlet northeast of Pharr and had done missionary work in Mexico for years. They maintained a second home in Mexico."
Jan 27, 2011
Immigration Madness: Arizona vigilante killings: Mother of Brisenia Flores describes border vigilante killings
Arizona vigilante killings: Mother of Brisenia Flores describes border vigilante killings - latimes.com: "Even as this city continues to mourn the victims in the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, another tragedy took center stage Tuesday, as opening arguments began in the trial of a member of a Minutemen group accused of killing Brisenia Flores and her father, Raul Flores Jr."
Legalization: Responding to LEAP, Obama Says Legalizing Marijuana and Other Drugs a "Legitimate Topic for Debate" (Press Release)
The President makes it official. We can debate legalization. We didn't need his permission. (He's following President Calderon of Mexico, who gave Mexicans permission last summer.) The question is whether he and his administration are going to participate in the debate that has been going on for some time or misrepresent and denigrate it, as "drug czar" Gil Kerlikowski and Secretary of State Clinton did again this week.
The President then went on to say that he sees drug abuse as a public health issue and that a shifting of resources is required, away from the traditional approach of incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders."
Mexican Politics: Mexico's presidential campaign: Saddling up for the trail to Los Pinos
Mexico's presidential campaign: Saddling up for the trail to Los Pinos | The Economist: "Candidates are jostling for party nominations, and lieutenants are preparing for the election of six governors this year, the first of them in Guerrero state on January 30th. Already the main question is whether anyone can prevent the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which ruled Mexico as a one-party state for seven decades until 2000, from returning to Los Pinos, the presidential residence."
Whack-a-mole: The New Way to Smuggle Drugs Across the Border
Those drug moles sure are inventive!
The New Way to Smuggle Drugs Across the Border | The Atlantic Wire: "patrol agents in Arizona have seized a large catapult that smugglers were allegedly using to launch large packages of marijuana from Mexico to a remote area in Arizona."
The New Way to Smuggle Drugs Across the Border | The Atlantic Wire: "patrol agents in Arizona have seized a large catapult that smugglers were allegedly using to launch large packages of marijuana from Mexico to a remote area in Arizona."
Whack-a-mole: Is the drug war creeping into Mexico City?
Is the drug war creeping into Mexico City? | La Plaza | Los Angeles Times: "None of the large-scale operations -- or wild shootouts -- that have become common elsewhere in Mexico have occurred here, making Mexico City somewhat of a haven from the drug war that has left more than 34,000 dead.
But this week the Mexican military pursued drug-trafficking suspects in operations smack in the middle of the sprawling capital."
But this week the Mexican military pursued drug-trafficking suspects in operations smack in the middle of the sprawling capital."
Immigration Politics - Florida: Arizona-style immigration law results in clash with Gov. Rick Scott
Arizona-style immigration law results in clash with Gov. Rick Scott | The State Column: "A top Florida Republican state official said earlier this week that the state should not consider implementing an Arizona-style immigration law.
Adam Putnam, the newly installed commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, opposes Florida Governor Rick Scott’s support of an immigration under consideration.
“Florida is the capital of the Western Hemisphere. We’re a destination for investment capital, international tourists, international research and development and from Latin America in particular,” Mr. Putnam said recently. “We have to be very careful about how we approach this issue.”"
Adam Putnam, the newly installed commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, opposes Florida Governor Rick Scott’s support of an immigration under consideration.
“Florida is the capital of the Western Hemisphere. We’re a destination for investment capital, international tourists, international research and development and from Latin America in particular,” Mr. Putnam said recently. “We have to be very careful about how we approach this issue.”"
Mexican Politics: Right and left join forces in Mexico governor's race
There is a long-standing tradition in Mexico of making political alliances across ideological lines for pragmatic ends.
Right and left join forces in Mexico governor's race - Fox News Latino: "With less than a week to go before the balloting, the right-wing National Action Party agreed to back the candidate of a leftist coalition in the race for governor of the southern Mexican state of Guerrero.
The rightist party, known as the PAN, said it accepted the pact with the Guerrero Unites Us coalition 'to form a democratic coalition government with the aim of ensuring social development, progress and public safety.'
PAN gubernatorial candidate Marcos Efren Parra dropped out of the contest in favor of Angel Aguirre, standard-bearer of the coalition formed by the left PRD, Labor and Convergencia parties.
With Parra's withdrawal, the race comes down to Aguirre and Manuel Añorve, nominee of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI."
Right and left join forces in Mexico governor's race - Fox News Latino: "With less than a week to go before the balloting, the right-wing National Action Party agreed to back the candidate of a leftist coalition in the race for governor of the southern Mexican state of Guerrero.
The rightist party, known as the PAN, said it accepted the pact with the Guerrero Unites Us coalition 'to form a democratic coalition government with the aim of ensuring social development, progress and public safety.'
PAN gubernatorial candidate Marcos Efren Parra dropped out of the contest in favor of Angel Aguirre, standard-bearer of the coalition formed by the left PRD, Labor and Convergencia parties.
With Parra's withdrawal, the race comes down to Aguirre and Manuel Añorve, nominee of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI."
Immigration Politics - Mississippi: Officials fear being sued under status law
Local politics gets sticky.
Officials fear being sued under status law | The Clarion-Ledger: "City and county officials are concerned the Arizona-style illegal immigration legislation passed by the Mississippi Senate could open up local leaders to costly lawsuits if a citizen doesn't feel they are doing enough to enforce its provisions.
The Senate bill, which is awaiting House action, says a legal resident of the state may bring an action in Circuit Court to "challenge any official or agency ... that adopts or implements a policy that limits or restricts" enforcement of federal immigration laws. Monticello Mayor David Nichols called that provision "pretty extreme.""
Officials fear being sued under status law | The Clarion-Ledger: "City and county officials are concerned the Arizona-style illegal immigration legislation passed by the Mississippi Senate could open up local leaders to costly lawsuits if a citizen doesn't feel they are doing enough to enforce its provisions.
The Senate bill, which is awaiting House action, says a legal resident of the state may bring an action in Circuit Court to "challenge any official or agency ... that adopts or implements a policy that limits or restricts" enforcement of federal immigration laws. Monticello Mayor David Nichols called that provision "pretty extreme.""
Immigration Politics: The Economic Case for Inclusive Immigration Reform
Steve Ralls: The Economic Case for Inclusive Immigration Reform: "Current immigration laws are forcing some American citizens to quit their jobs, sell their homes and leave their own country. That's right: American citizens. More than 36,000 of them, who happen to be lesbian and gay and have a partner from another country, face the unimaginable choice of leaving their country -- and their jobs -- behind, or tearing their families apart." Huffington Post
Whack-a-mole: 2011's Top Risks: In Mexico, the drug war heats up
2011's Top Risks: In Mexico, the drug war heats up - By Ian Bremmer and David Gordon | The Call: "An increasingly ferocious and costly battle with drug cartels will continue to occupy much of the Mexican government's time and resources in 2011. There's a serious risk of more dramatic episodes of violence -- including of higher-profile assassination attempts on government officials, security forces, and business figures." Foreign Policy
Whack-a-mole: Failure to curb drug war exposes Mexico’s weakness
Failure to curb drug war exposes Mexico’s weakness | Viewpoints - Houston Chronicle: "The reason that the Mexican government has not been able to make any substantial progress is that the money generated from this illegal drug trade is estimated to be between $8.3 billion and $24.9 billion. This capital is used by criminal bosses to elect and influence officials at all levels of government.
Mexico does not have the ability to confront this political problem because it does not have a just and, more importantly, transparent institutional infrastructure necessary to enforce its own laws. The most obvious example is its notoriously weak and corrupt criminal justice system."
Mexico does not have the ability to confront this political problem because it does not have a just and, more importantly, transparent institutional infrastructure necessary to enforce its own laws. The most obvious example is its notoriously weak and corrupt criminal justice system."
Jan 26, 2011
Viva Mexico: Carlos Fuentes' 'Destiny and Desire': Mexican myth from a severed head
Carlos Fuentes' 'Destiny and Desire': Mexican myth from a severed head - KansasCity.com: "I'm the thousandth severed head so far this year in Mexico. I'm one of fifty decapitated heads this week.
Josue Nadal, the colorful, poetic, and exceptionally loquacious narrator of Carlos Fuentes' 'Destiny and Desire,' is uniquely situated to tell his whole life story from beginning to end: He's dead.
More precisely, he's a severed head who, in the opening pages of the novel, finds himself - sans body - dumped on a beach, 'lost like a coconut on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, along the Mexican coast of Guerrero.'
Fuentes' magisterial novel of ideas is hard to describe: It's a take on Gustave Flaubert's 'A Sentimental Education,' about the intellectual awakening of two young men.
But it's also an exciting, and ultimately very bloody, Cain and Abel thriller.
It's a potent political and moral critique of contemporary Mexico, which has been embroiled in a vicious four-year drug war that has led to more than 30,000 deaths (12,456 in 2010 alone)."
Josue Nadal, the colorful, poetic, and exceptionally loquacious narrator of Carlos Fuentes' 'Destiny and Desire,' is uniquely situated to tell his whole life story from beginning to end: He's dead.
More precisely, he's a severed head who, in the opening pages of the novel, finds himself - sans body - dumped on a beach, 'lost like a coconut on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, along the Mexican coast of Guerrero.'
Fuentes' magisterial novel of ideas is hard to describe: It's a take on Gustave Flaubert's 'A Sentimental Education,' about the intellectual awakening of two young men.
But it's also an exciting, and ultimately very bloody, Cain and Abel thriller.
It's a potent political and moral critique of contemporary Mexico, which has been embroiled in a vicious four-year drug war that has led to more than 30,000 deaths (12,456 in 2010 alone)."
Immigration Politics - Georgia: Court challenge predicted for Arizona-style bill aimed at illegal immigration | ajc.com
Court challenge predicted for Arizona-style bill aimed at illegal immigration | ajc.com: "Georgia will almost certainly be forced to defend itself in court if it enacts Arizona-style legislation aimed at illegal immigration, several observers predicted Wednesday.
Charles Kuck, an Atlanta-area immigration attorney and past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said Rep. Matt Ramsey’s proposed legislation is unconstitutional, and he predicted the federal government would sue to block it if it becomes law.
“Absolutely, there will be a court challenge on that language,” Kuck said. “This is no less unconstitutional than the Arizona statute.”" Atlanta Journal Constitution
Charles Kuck, an Atlanta-area immigration attorney and past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said Rep. Matt Ramsey’s proposed legislation is unconstitutional, and he predicted the federal government would sue to block it if it becomes law.
“Absolutely, there will be a court challenge on that language,” Kuck said. “This is no less unconstitutional than the Arizona statute.”" Atlanta Journal Constitution
Immigration Crackdown: Children of immigration detainees protest outside fed building
Children of immigration detainees protest outside fed building - KNDO/KNDU Yakima, WA |: "YAKIMA, Wash- Backlash continues from last week's ICE raids that put 30 people behind bars for immigration violations. Dozens of students from Ellensburg set up in front of the federal building in Yakima Tuesday afternoon. They were protesting the immigration raid that put some of their family members behind bars.
At about 11am the students walked out of their classrooms, and made the 45 minute drive to the federal building where their mothers, father, brothers, and sisters appeared in court for immigration violations.
Both of seventeen-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez' parents were taken. He and his younger brother are living with his nineteen-year-old brother.
'It's really hard for him because he just graduated from high school', says Gonzalez."
At about 11am the students walked out of their classrooms, and made the 45 minute drive to the federal building where their mothers, father, brothers, and sisters appeared in court for immigration violations.
Both of seventeen-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez' parents were taken. He and his younger brother are living with his nineteen-year-old brother.
'It's really hard for him because he just graduated from high school', says Gonzalez."
Immigration Politics: Call for immigration reform not likely to be answered
About President Obama's State of the Union comments on immigration
'I know that debate will be difficult and take time, but tonight, let's agree to make that effort,' Obama said in his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.
Obama's call for reform comes as legislatures in Texas and several other states eye Arizona-style enforcement measures to crack down on illegal immigration.
Obama said he will be 'prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the"
Immigration Politics: How Much Do Anti-Immigration Bills Really Cost?
How Much Do Anti-Immigration Bills Really Cost? | CommonDreams.org: "Legislators across the nation are considering passing bills to fight illegal immigration, citing its costs to taxpayers. But two recent reports point to the high price of legal battles that could ensue.
“Jurisdictions would spend substantial amounts of money to pursue proposals that in most cases are going to lose in the courts,” said Angela Kelley, vice-president of immigration policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress (CAP).
The two reports, put together by CAP and the Southern Poverty Law Center, document the financial, economic and social costs to cities of immigration bills that were found unconstitutional by the courts."
“Jurisdictions would spend substantial amounts of money to pursue proposals that in most cases are going to lose in the courts,” said Angela Kelley, vice-president of immigration policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress (CAP).
The two reports, put together by CAP and the Southern Poverty Law Center, document the financial, economic and social costs to cities of immigration bills that were found unconstitutional by the courts."
Mole Whacker In-chief: An Interview With Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske
On Monday, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton got the drug issue all wrong when she equated legalization with decriminalization and said it wouldn't work because the drug cartels would only make more money. Now the "drug czar" gets it equally wrong with his nonsequiter that increasing addiction in the U.S. to prescription drugs proves that legalizing currently illegal ones wouldn't take money away from the cartels. Please explain, Mr. Drug Czar, just how the two are connected!
He also talked about the drug-related violence in Mexico, which many here say is the byproduct of the United States’ insatiable appetite for illegal drugs. Some say legalizing narcotics here would effectively siphon the power away from Mexican cartels. Not true, says Kerlikowske, citing as proof the growing addiction here to prescription — but legal — drugs that are taxed and regulated."
Jan 25, 2011
Whack-a-mole vs. Legalization: Border Patrol Agent Fired for Uttering Forbidden Truths
He got whacked for speaking the truth.
Border Patrol Agent Fired for Uttering Forbidden Truths - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine: "Last week Bryan Gonzalez, who worked as a U.S. Border Patrol agent in New Mexico from October 2007 until September 2009, sued his former supervisor for firing him because of opinions he expressed about the war on drugs. In April 2009, according to the complaint (PDF), Gonzalez remarked to a fellow agent, Shawn Montoya, during a break that 'legalization of drugs would end the drug war and related violence in Mexico.' He added that 'the drug problems in America were due to American demand for drugs, supplied by Mexico.'"
Border Patrol Agent Fired for Uttering Forbidden Truths - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine: "Last week Bryan Gonzalez, who worked as a U.S. Border Patrol agent in New Mexico from October 2007 until September 2009, sued his former supervisor for firing him because of opinions he expressed about the war on drugs. In April 2009, according to the complaint (PDF), Gonzalez remarked to a fellow agent, Shawn Montoya, during a break that 'legalization of drugs would end the drug war and related violence in Mexico.' He added that 'the drug problems in America were due to American demand for drugs, supplied by Mexico.'"
Whack-a-mole: Mexican government: La Familia cartel in retreat
Vamos a ver. We'll see.
Lawmakers and drug war experts expressed skepticism about the banners, saying the message could be a ploy to divert the focus of federal security forces away from the cartel, known for beheadings and bold attacks on police and soldiers." Jan. 25, 2011
Laura's Blog: A Man of Peace: Don Samuel Ruiz 1924-2011
It was a remarkable mass for a remarkable man.
The news spread rapidly yesterday morning of the death of Bishop Samuel Ruiz. He died at the age of 86, the day that marked 51 years since his ordination as Bishop of the Diocese of San Cristobal. By 2:30 the Mexico City church had filled with an unusual group of religious leaders, peace activists and figures who have marked Mexican politics over the years. All recalled their work alongside Tatik ("father" in Tzeltal) with a bittersweet blend of loss and gratitude.
I sat in the pews, listening to the first strains of "métale a la marcha, métale al tambor, métale que traigo un pueblo en mi voz..." (Join the march, join the drum, join in, I carry the people in my voice...) watching the faces of hundreds of committed people who in various moments of a long and full life walked alongside Don Sam, El caminante. A history that changed Mexico forever flooded into the room.
Bishop Raúl Vera recalled that Samuel Ruiz arrived in the state of Chiapas to face a reality he had not imagined, a reality that many in Mexico didn't know existed. He set out to travel to the far corners of the region-- not an easy task--and saw with his own eyes the scars of the plantation-owners' whips on the backs of indigenous men and heard the accounts of how young girls were routinely forced to have their virginity "tested" (lost) by the owners when they decided to marry, among other terrible examples of the feudal conditions his new parishioners suffered. He encountered a system of oppression and brutality that changed his life and he decided the system had to change, through the word of God and an intense social commitment.
It's worth mentioning that Bishop Raúl Vera came to know his counterpart when the Church sent him as a "coadjutor" to Ruiz in 1995, presumably to temper his radical influence. The opposite happened. In what Vera describes as a conversion experience, he encountered the conditions that had led Don Samuel to embrace a church of and for the poor and soon became a partner in bringing the church down to the people and building a movement to allow its indigenous members to gain their rightful place in the church and in society. To this day, Don Raúl remains as a successor to the work of Don Samuel; now based in Coahuila, his is a strong voice in defense of a human rights as Mexico suffers a new phase of violence and repression.
Next, Father Heriberto Cruz recounted that the reflection among some members of the church, initiated in large part by Don Samuel and his experience in Chiapas in those early days, did not just center on the traditional concern of how the church could alleviate the burden of its members. Ruiz and others began to ask themselves what role the church itself played in their oppression and how to break that oppression. A deep critique of the role of traditional methods of evangelization in suppressing indigenous culture followed. Ruiz learned to speak Tzotzil and Tzeltal and became conversant with other indigenous languages of the region. He insisted on respect for indigenous cultures--another factor that would bring him into conflict with some elements of the Church that criticized what they viewed as the excessive syncretism of his theology and practices.
Don Samuel Ruiz formed part of and led a movement within the Roman Catholic Church that based its theology on the Vatican II commitment to greater lay participation, the "option for the poor" that shifted attention to the need to serve the historically downtrodden, and the idea that the church cannot ignore injustice without being complicit.
These would become the principles he acted on. As mediator in the Zapatista indigenous uprising of 1994, Ruiz helped create the conditions for the new indigenous movement that marked not only Mexico but the world. His work as leader of the National Mediation Commission (CONAI) led to an unprecedented dialogue that resulted in the San Andrés Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture, signed and later violated by the federal government. The Accords stand as a tribute to his work and the work of scores of indigenous leaders. They also stand as a tragic reminder that the word of the powerful cannot be trusted. But the spirit of emancipation and peaceful dialogue codified in the Accords survives in the individuals gathered at the mass for Don Samuel Ruiz, one of the principal architects of the peace process, and among the thousands of indigenous people who wait to receive his remains in his beloved state of Chiapas.
Don Samuel insisted that the church of the poor needed a human rights organization in Chiapas faced with the extreme human rights violations taking place. In 1989, he founded the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center for Human Rights. The Center's mission is to "walk alongside and at the service of the poor, excluded and organized people who seek to overcome their socioeconomic and political situation, by taking direction and the strength from them to contribute to their project of building a new society where people and communities fully exercise and enjoy their rights." The mission embodies the strong belief that the church cannot be separated from the struggle for social justice and that it should play a supporting role rather than pronouncing from on high.
These beliefs often put Bishop Ruiz at odds with the powers-that-be in government and in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. They also made him a target of the local caciques, or rural bosses, that ran Chiapas with a iron hand and lorded over the lives of indigenous peoples. He faced aggressive attacks on his character with magnanimity, and patiently continued to build from below. The Diocese became an example of the leadership role of indigenous peoples in defining a new church and empowering communities and the 1994 Zapatista uprising catapulted his patient labor onto a world stage, as the long-ignored demands of indigenous peoples became the lens through which to conceive of a new society.
There were, of course, efforts to dismantle the deep processes of empowering indigenous people within the church and within society. The Mexican government sent in troops and launched military offenses against the communities well after the truce with the EZLN. Meanwhile, the Vatican began to attack the practice of making indigenous men deacons within the church--a centerpiece of effort to break down the distance between indigenous communities and a distant and privileged hierarchy, to literally change the face of the church. When the Roman Catholic hierarchy decided not to name Bishop Vera to the San Cristobal diocese following the retirement of Don Samuel, which would have been a natural choice but for the politics involved, it was seen as an indication of the desire to suppress the progressive religious movement in Chiapas. More recently a plan to divide the San Cristobal diocese has led to suspicions that the hierarchy seeks to weaken Mexico's only diocese guided by the Second Vatican Council's decision to promote a closer relationship to the social and political context of parish members.
There was a deep sense of loss among the those attending the mass, but few tears. Over the years, many people feared that Don Samuel would become a martyr rather than die a natural death. He received death threats and created enemies among those who abhorred the idea of a church that championed the rights of the poor and indigenous peoples, since their own power and wealth rested on preserving near-slavery conditions. Bishop Ruiz accepted the risk to his own life. His death at 86 ended a journey on earth that was consistent and effective in following his convictions and that touched and inspired thousands of people who will carry on. The liturgy on Monday did not dwell on the loss, but rather emphasized the meaning of his life and the Catholic belief that he passed into a higher realm.
Bishop Samuel Ruiz's remains have been sent to San Cristobal, Chiapas to be buried in the Cathedral. Surely he will be welcomed there by the indigenous people he walked alongside over the years. Some fifteen thousand indigenous people came down from the mountains to bid him farewell in 2000 when Ruiz left Chiapas, in a testament to the relationships he forged and his role in their lives and their movement for liberation.
This final farewell reminds us that Don Samuel's deep commitment to indigenous rights and social justice is not some folkloric moment in Mexico's colorful past, nor is his life merely a chapter neatly written into our religious and social history. His is not a legacy. Something that hasn't died leaves no legacy.
Although many of the people present at his mass have gone on to other battles and fronts, Don Sam's death is a reminder of the enormous tasks still pending. Bishop Vera began the mass by stating "in these dark times, a star has been lifted." Somber nods from the congregation--mostly human rights defenders and Catholics who work with the poor--reflected agreement that Mexico faces one of the worst moments in recent history for the poor, indigenous and vulnerable, and that Don Sam's example gives hope and strength.
This reminder brings a renewed sense of responsibility to act. It encourages us to see through the darkness of the times and seek each other out, just as he helped bring together the many diverse individuals that went out to honor him yesterday. The passing of the "Bishop of the Poor" urges us to keep walking the path he cleared and to forge new paths of peace and justice.
The news spread rapidly yesterday morning of the death of Bishop Samuel Ruiz. He died at the age of 86, the day that marked 51 years since his ordination as Bishop of the Diocese of San Cristobal. By 2:30 the Mexico City church had filled with an unusual group of religious leaders, peace activists and figures who have marked Mexican politics over the years. All recalled their work alongside Tatik ("father" in Tzeltal) with a bittersweet blend of loss and gratitude.
I sat in the pews, listening to the first strains of "métale a la marcha, métale al tambor, métale que traigo un pueblo en mi voz..." (Join the march, join the drum, join in, I carry the people in my voice...) watching the faces of hundreds of committed people who in various moments of a long and full life walked alongside Don Sam, El caminante. A history that changed Mexico forever flooded into the room.
Bishop Raúl Vera recalled that Samuel Ruiz arrived in the state of Chiapas to face a reality he had not imagined, a reality that many in Mexico didn't know existed. He set out to travel to the far corners of the region-- not an easy task--and saw with his own eyes the scars of the plantation-owners' whips on the backs of indigenous men and heard the accounts of how young girls were routinely forced to have their virginity "tested" (lost) by the owners when they decided to marry, among other terrible examples of the feudal conditions his new parishioners suffered. He encountered a system of oppression and brutality that changed his life and he decided the system had to change, through the word of God and an intense social commitment.
It's worth mentioning that Bishop Raúl Vera came to know his counterpart when the Church sent him as a "coadjutor" to Ruiz in 1995, presumably to temper his radical influence. The opposite happened. In what Vera describes as a conversion experience, he encountered the conditions that had led Don Samuel to embrace a church of and for the poor and soon became a partner in bringing the church down to the people and building a movement to allow its indigenous members to gain their rightful place in the church and in society. To this day, Don Raúl remains as a successor to the work of Don Samuel; now based in Coahuila, his is a strong voice in defense of a human rights as Mexico suffers a new phase of violence and repression.
Next, Father Heriberto Cruz recounted that the reflection among some members of the church, initiated in large part by Don Samuel and his experience in Chiapas in those early days, did not just center on the traditional concern of how the church could alleviate the burden of its members. Ruiz and others began to ask themselves what role the church itself played in their oppression and how to break that oppression. A deep critique of the role of traditional methods of evangelization in suppressing indigenous culture followed. Ruiz learned to speak Tzotzil and Tzeltal and became conversant with other indigenous languages of the region. He insisted on respect for indigenous cultures--another factor that would bring him into conflict with some elements of the Church that criticized what they viewed as the excessive syncretism of his theology and practices.
Don Samuel Ruiz formed part of and led a movement within the Roman Catholic Church that based its theology on the Vatican II commitment to greater lay participation, the "option for the poor" that shifted attention to the need to serve the historically downtrodden, and the idea that the church cannot ignore injustice without being complicit.
These would become the principles he acted on. As mediator in the Zapatista indigenous uprising of 1994, Ruiz helped create the conditions for the new indigenous movement that marked not only Mexico but the world. His work as leader of the National Mediation Commission (CONAI) led to an unprecedented dialogue that resulted in the San Andrés Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture, signed and later violated by the federal government. The Accords stand as a tribute to his work and the work of scores of indigenous leaders. They also stand as a tragic reminder that the word of the powerful cannot be trusted. But the spirit of emancipation and peaceful dialogue codified in the Accords survives in the individuals gathered at the mass for Don Samuel Ruiz, one of the principal architects of the peace process, and among the thousands of indigenous people who wait to receive his remains in his beloved state of Chiapas.
Don Samuel insisted that the church of the poor needed a human rights organization in Chiapas faced with the extreme human rights violations taking place. In 1989, he founded the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center for Human Rights. The Center's mission is to "walk alongside and at the service of the poor, excluded and organized people who seek to overcome their socioeconomic and political situation, by taking direction and the strength from them to contribute to their project of building a new society where people and communities fully exercise and enjoy their rights." The mission embodies the strong belief that the church cannot be separated from the struggle for social justice and that it should play a supporting role rather than pronouncing from on high.
These beliefs often put Bishop Ruiz at odds with the powers-that-be in government and in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. They also made him a target of the local caciques, or rural bosses, that ran Chiapas with a iron hand and lorded over the lives of indigenous peoples. He faced aggressive attacks on his character with magnanimity, and patiently continued to build from below. The Diocese became an example of the leadership role of indigenous peoples in defining a new church and empowering communities and the 1994 Zapatista uprising catapulted his patient labor onto a world stage, as the long-ignored demands of indigenous peoples became the lens through which to conceive of a new society.
There were, of course, efforts to dismantle the deep processes of empowering indigenous people within the church and within society. The Mexican government sent in troops and launched military offenses against the communities well after the truce with the EZLN. Meanwhile, the Vatican began to attack the practice of making indigenous men deacons within the church--a centerpiece of effort to break down the distance between indigenous communities and a distant and privileged hierarchy, to literally change the face of the church. When the Roman Catholic hierarchy decided not to name Bishop Vera to the San Cristobal diocese following the retirement of Don Samuel, which would have been a natural choice but for the politics involved, it was seen as an indication of the desire to suppress the progressive religious movement in Chiapas. More recently a plan to divide the San Cristobal diocese has led to suspicions that the hierarchy seeks to weaken Mexico's only diocese guided by the Second Vatican Council's decision to promote a closer relationship to the social and political context of parish members.
There was a deep sense of loss among the those attending the mass, but few tears. Over the years, many people feared that Don Samuel would become a martyr rather than die a natural death. He received death threats and created enemies among those who abhorred the idea of a church that championed the rights of the poor and indigenous peoples, since their own power and wealth rested on preserving near-slavery conditions. Bishop Ruiz accepted the risk to his own life. His death at 86 ended a journey on earth that was consistent and effective in following his convictions and that touched and inspired thousands of people who will carry on. The liturgy on Monday did not dwell on the loss, but rather emphasized the meaning of his life and the Catholic belief that he passed into a higher realm.
Bishop Samuel Ruiz's remains have been sent to San Cristobal, Chiapas to be buried in the Cathedral. Surely he will be welcomed there by the indigenous people he walked alongside over the years. Some fifteen thousand indigenous people came down from the mountains to bid him farewell in 2000 when Ruiz left Chiapas, in a testament to the relationships he forged and his role in their lives and their movement for liberation.
This final farewell reminds us that Don Samuel's deep commitment to indigenous rights and social justice is not some folkloric moment in Mexico's colorful past, nor is his life merely a chapter neatly written into our religious and social history. His is not a legacy. Something that hasn't died leaves no legacy.
Although many of the people present at his mass have gone on to other battles and fronts, Don Sam's death is a reminder of the enormous tasks still pending. Bishop Vera began the mass by stating "in these dark times, a star has been lifted." Somber nods from the congregation--mostly human rights defenders and Catholics who work with the poor--reflected agreement that Mexico faces one of the worst moments in recent history for the poor, indigenous and vulnerable, and that Don Sam's example gives hope and strength.
This reminder brings a renewed sense of responsibility to act. It encourages us to see through the darkness of the times and seek each other out, just as he helped bring together the many diverse individuals that went out to honor him yesterday. The passing of the "Bishop of the Poor" urges us to keep walking the path he cleared and to forge new paths of peace and justice.
Whack-a-mole: Hillary Clinton Interview With Televisa
*** Here is an interview by Mexican television with Secretary of State Clinton during her visit to Mexico yesterday, Jan. 24. The interviewer challenges her controversial "Mexico is like Colombia" comment made last year and she "clarifies" it.
She also says that the drug war "is not a national security issue in a traditional sense. It’s a border security issue, and for that reason it’s something we take very seriously. It’s an organized crime issue, ... "
Her responses to questions as to whether drug sale and consumption should be legalized and to marijuana legalization side-step the questions, turning them into ones of decriminalization that, she says, won't work because the cartels would still be making huge sums of money. Unfortunately, the interviewer does not follow-up on her evasion of the questions. Legalizing sales would, of course, eliminate the cartels' mega-profits.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I don't think that will work. I mean, I hear the same debate. I hear it in my country. It is not likely to work. There is just too much money in it, and I don't think that – you can legalize small amounts for possession, but those who are making so much money selling, they have to be stopped. They can’t be given an even easier road to take, because they will then find it in their interest to addict even more young people. Mexico didn’t have much of a drug problem before the last 10 years, and you want to keep it that way. So you don’t want to give any excuse to the drug traffickers to be able legally to addict young people."
Immigration Politics - Wyoming: Bill before Legislature stirs controversy
Immigration bill before Wyoming Legislature stirs controversy: "CASPER, Wyo. - Law enforcement officials around the state say a proposed illegal immigration bill, similar to the one passed last year in Arizona, is an unfunded mandate and would be difficult to enforce.
Known as House Bill 94, the bill allows for legal Wyoming residents to challenge local and state officials in district court if it seems that those officials are not fully enforcing federal immigration laws. If an official is found to be not enforcing those laws, local or state governments could be fined anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per day that enforcement is not in effect. ...
Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak said local law enforcement does not have the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. That authority falls to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"A lot of people think that the immigration laws . . . we can enforce those," said Kozak. Cheyenne police have a zero-tolerance policy for undocumented immigrants who have committed a crime, he added. If an undocumented immigrant is detained by local law enforcement, those authorities will call ICE, according to Teton County Sheriff Jim Whalen. ICE will then come to take that person into custody, Whalen said."
Known as House Bill 94, the bill allows for legal Wyoming residents to challenge local and state officials in district court if it seems that those officials are not fully enforcing federal immigration laws. If an official is found to be not enforcing those laws, local or state governments could be fined anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per day that enforcement is not in effect. ...
Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak said local law enforcement does not have the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. That authority falls to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"A lot of people think that the immigration laws . . . we can enforce those," said Kozak. Cheyenne police have a zero-tolerance policy for undocumented immigrants who have committed a crime, he added. If an undocumented immigrant is detained by local law enforcement, those authorities will call ICE, according to Teton County Sheriff Jim Whalen. ICE will then come to take that person into custody, Whalen said."
Immigration Politics - South Dakota: Republicans set to unveil immigration control bill
Republicans set to unveil immigration control bill | argusleader.com | Argus Leader: "Several South Dakota Republicans disappointed with immigration enforcement uncertainties in the state plan to debate the issue in the Legislature with the introduction of Arizona-style enforcement legislation. ...
The bill would make it a crime to knowingly transport, house or hire anyone in the country illegally, according to its author, Rep. Manny Steele, R-Sioux Falls. It will be introduced Wednesday, the deadline for new bills."
The bill would make it a crime to knowingly transport, house or hire anyone in the country illegally, according to its author, Rep. Manny Steele, R-Sioux Falls. It will be introduced Wednesday, the deadline for new bills."
Immigration Politics - Indiana: Arizona-style immigration bill slated for Indiana statehouse hearing
Arizona-style immigration bill slated for Indiana statehouse hearing - wsbt.com: "Lawmakers have scheduled a hearing for a proposal one Indiana state senator says would lead to an Arizona-style crackdown on illegal immigration in Indiana. ...
Delph's proposal would require police to ask for proof of citizenship or immigration status if they had a reasonable suspicion that a person is illegally in the country. The bill would also require that official state documents are issued only in English in most cases.
And the bill includes... punishment for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Companies could lose their business license after a third offense." AP
Delph's proposal would require police to ask for proof of citizenship or immigration status if they had a reasonable suspicion that a person is illegally in the country. The bill would also require that official state documents are issued only in English in most cases.
And the bill includes... punishment for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Companies could lose their business license after a third offense." AP
Immigration Politics: Utah activists, religious leaders ask lawmakers to push for federal immigration reform
Utah activists, religious leaders ask lawmakers to push for federal immigration reform | Deseret News: "... local religious leaders called for Utah lawmakers to put pressure on the federal government to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
'We believe that we need to bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and provide them with an earned pathway to permanent residency, to protect family unity, and ensure the just and equitable treatment of all people,' said the Rev. Steven A. Klemz of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, who organized the leaders for a news conference at the Capitol." Jan. 24, 2011
'We believe that we need to bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and provide them with an earned pathway to permanent residency, to protect family unity, and ensure the just and equitable treatment of all people,' said the Rev. Steven A. Klemz of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, who organized the leaders for a news conference at the Capitol." Jan. 24, 2011
Immigration Reality: Texas stiffs kids -- and culprit is lack of will, not immigration
Group: Texas stiffs kids -- and culprit is lack of will, not immigration | Trail Blazers Blog | dallasnews.com: "
'Inadequate state funding drives the state's poor outcomes for children -- immigrants do not,' says a press release from Texans Care for Children, trumpeting 'A Report on the Bottom Line: Conditions for Children and the Texas of Tomorrow.'
Texas "is not a poor state," with median household income of about $50,000 in 2009, placing us roughly in the middle of the pack. But Texas ranks near the bottom in child well-being, as measured by national groups ...
"... we found many factors can be linked to a state's positive or negative ranking for child well-being," it said. "Several issues within a state's control, like education, health care, and levels of investment in public structures, had significant links to child well-being, while the presence or absence of immigrant populations did not."
The bottom line of the group's Bottom Line report: a headline on page 6. "We are the only state to possess the means but not the will to better serve our people," "
'Inadequate state funding drives the state's poor outcomes for children -- immigrants do not,' says a press release from Texans Care for Children, trumpeting 'A Report on the Bottom Line: Conditions for Children and the Texas of Tomorrow.'
Texas "is not a poor state," with median household income of about $50,000 in 2009, placing us roughly in the middle of the pack. But Texas ranks near the bottom in child well-being, as measured by national groups ...
"... we found many factors can be linked to a state's positive or negative ranking for child well-being," it said. "Several issues within a state's control, like education, health care, and levels of investment in public structures, had significant links to child well-being, while the presence or absence of immigrant populations did not."
The bottom line of the group's Bottom Line report: a headline on page 6. "We are the only state to possess the means but not the will to better serve our people," "
Immigration Politics: Colorado bill more like Arizona’s
The Durango Herald 01/25/2011 | Immigration bill more like Arizona’s: "Colorado Republicans have imported more of the Arizona immigration law into the Legislature, including parts that a federal judge has already struck down in Arizona.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, said Colorado Republicans tried to learn from Arizona’s experience to craft a bill that can pass the Legislature and stand up in court.
His House Bill 1170 would direct local police to try to determine whether a person entered the country illegally, require immigrants to carry their alien-registration documents and make it a crime for illegal immigrants to work or apply for a job in Colorado."
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, said Colorado Republicans tried to learn from Arizona’s experience to craft a bill that can pass the Legislature and stand up in court.
His House Bill 1170 would direct local police to try to determine whether a person entered the country illegally, require immigrants to carry their alien-registration documents and make it a crime for illegal immigrants to work or apply for a job in Colorado."
Immigration Crackdown: Feds, state lawmakers take different tack on immigration
Feds, state lawmakers take different tack on immigration | ajc.com: "A top federal immigration official for Atlanta said her agency will stick to its priority of deporting violent criminals amid efforts by state lawmakers to crack down on a broader variety of illegal immigrants in Georgia.......
... the federal government -- which is responsible for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants -- has limited resources and can’t catch all illegal immigrants, said Felicia Skinner, the director for detention and removal operations for the Atlanta field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
So the agency is focusing on deporting those convicted of violent crimes, including killers, rapists, kidnappers and robbers." Atlanta Journal Constitution
... the federal government -- which is responsible for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants -- has limited resources and can’t catch all illegal immigrants, said Felicia Skinner, the director for detention and removal operations for the Atlanta field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
So the agency is focusing on deporting those convicted of violent crimes, including killers, rapists, kidnappers and robbers." Atlanta Journal Constitution
Collateral Damage: Researcher projects 5,000 will die in Ciudad Juarez in 2011 | La Plaza | Los Angeles Times
Researcher projects 5,000 will die in Ciudad Juarez in 2011 | La Plaza | Los Angeles Times: "An artificial-intelligence model generated by a university researcher in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, projects that 5,000 people will be killed in the violent border city this year. The same model projected at the start of 2010 that 3,000 would be killed in the greater Juarez area, a figure that eventually reached 3,111 -- about a 94% accuracy rate."
Viva Mexico: Mexico bishop and indigenous champion Samuel Ruiz dies
BBC News - Mexico bishop and indigenous champion Samuel Ruiz dies: "The Mexican bishop and indigenous rights campaigner, Samuel Ruiz Garcia, has died at the age of the 86.
He passed away in hospital in Mexico City from complications arising from respiratory problems and diabetes.
Samuel Ruiz served as bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas for four decades.
He was best known for his role as mediator in the conflict with Zapatista rebels, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize several times."
He passed away in hospital in Mexico City from complications arising from respiratory problems and diabetes.
Samuel Ruiz served as bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas for four decades.
He was best known for his role as mediator in the conflict with Zapatista rebels, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize several times."
Collateral Damage: Why Hillary Clinton flagged judicial reform as 'essential' to Mexico's drug war
Yes, the police and judicial systems of Mexico desperately need to be reformed, but that will not end the drug war. In fact, the drug war is a huge diversion of financial, human and political resources from the reforms that Mexico needs to enact to become more of a democracy and a protector of human rights.
During her high-profile trip to Mexico, Clinton applauded, on more than one occasion, an ongoing effort in Mexico to reform an outdated criminal justice system, saying it is key to success in the drug war.
“A well-equipped, well-trained judicial system is essential,” Clinton told reporters after meeting with Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa in the central state of Guanajuato. “We stand ready to assist in that work.”
The statements were welcomed by policy experts who have been fighting for years to overhaul inadequate investigation, trial, and detention systems known to encourage torture and allow hardened criminals to walk free. Some said the speech may signal a shift in focus for the Obama administration, which has allocated scant funds to promote structural reforms in Mexico compared with military aid through the $1.6 billion Merida Initiative.
“The message seems to be more about structural [changes] and not only material resources,” says Carlos Rios, professor of criminal procedures at Mexico’s Center for Economic Research and Teaching." Jan. 25, 2011
Jan 24, 2011
Collateral damage: The war on drugs' female victims
The war on drugs' female victims | Rodrigo Camarena | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "While Mexico's authorities might continue to successfully obscure the extent of the country's increasing violence toward women, the rising death toll and public outrage make this task increasingly difficult. ...
As Mexico enters its fifth year of conflict and escalating militarisation, the country's ability to ensure basic protections for its citizens – and, in particular, for those most at risk – has never been less certain. If Mexico's political class is intent on improving its reputation for governance, it should focus less on muddling with the figures and more on resolving the nation's problems." Jan. 24, 2011
Whack-a-mole: Know Your Drug War: $15 Billion in 2011
This article details where the anti-drug money goes.
Viva Mexico in the Drug War: Pink bikers fight Mexican drug war by helping poor
Pink bikers fight Mexican drug war by helping poor | Reuters: "A group of middle-class Mexican women on pink motorcycles is handing out food and medicine to the poor in one of the world's deadliest cities to both protest and allay the widespread deprivation it says is fueling the violence.
Braving drug gang turf wars in Ciudad Juarez that have killed some 6,700 people since 2008, including hundreds of women, the club that calls itself 'Las Guerreras' (The Female Warriors) rides out on custom-made choppers every Sunday to dangerous neighborhoods that ring the factory city bordering El Paso, Texas." Jan. 24, 2011
Braving drug gang turf wars in Ciudad Juarez that have killed some 6,700 people since 2008, including hundreds of women, the club that calls itself 'Las Guerreras' (The Female Warriors) rides out on custom-made choppers every Sunday to dangerous neighborhoods that ring the factory city bordering El Paso, Texas." Jan. 24, 2011
Collateral damage: Gunmen kill seven at Mexico soccer match
Very sad to say, but declaring "We Are All Juarez" and building soccer fields isn't going to end the drug war.
AFP: Gunmen kill seven at Mexico soccer match: "CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Gunmen who attacked a group of youths playing soccer killed seven people in this violent northern border city, the local prosecutors office said Monday. ...
AFP: Gunmen kill seven at Mexico soccer match: "CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Gunmen who attacked a group of youths playing soccer killed seven people in this violent northern border city, the local prosecutors office said Monday. ...
The gunmen arrived at the soccer match in three vehicles and fired 180 rounds, "leaving three youths without life, and four others died later in local hospitals," the Chihuahua state prosecutor's forensic medicine service said. Two other youths were still hospitalized with wounds.
The stadium where the shooting occurred was inaugurated just four months ago as part of a campaign called "We are all Juarez" that the local government has hoped will help stem a wave of drug-related violence." Jan. 24, 2011
Jan 23, 2011
Globalization: U.S.-Mexico Trucker Dispute Takes a Step Forward
This article points out the political dynamics of business interests versus union interests regarding the U.S. now re-opening negotiations with Mexico to implement the NAFTA provision that allows Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.
Whack-a-mole: Colombia stepping up anti-drug training of Mexico's army, police
*** This important article brings to light how the U.S. is out-sourcing the training of Mexican military and police to Colombia. This makes it possible to side-step Mexican objections to the U.S. military being sent into Mexico. It also keeps U.S. involvement below the political radar in the U.S.
Most of the training has taken place in Mexico, Colombian and American officials say. But in a sign of how serious the threat posed by the Mexican cartels has become, an increasing number of Mexican soldiers and policemen are traveling (to Colombia) to train with Colombia's battle-tested police commandos. ...
Colombia's new role provides the Obama administration, which pays for part of the training and has a close alliance with Colombia, with a politically viable way to improve Mexican security forces without a substantial American military or police presence in Mexico. Placing U.S. forces there would be politically contentious in Mexico even as Washington commits hundreds of millions of dollars to help smash powerful drug cartels.
'The American military can indirectly do a lot more through the Colombians than they politically would be able to do directly,' said Roderic Ai Camp, an expert on Mexico's military at Claremont McKenna College in California. 'Given the loss of half of Mexico's national territory to the United States in the 19th century, and the Mexican army's hesitant cooperation with their American counterparts, the Colombians are a logical proxy.'" Jan. 22, 2011, Washington Post
Whack-a-mole: Organised crime in Central America: The rot spreads
When the moles get whacked in Mexico, they just move next door to Central America.
Organised crime in Central America: The rot spreads | The Economist: "BATTLEFIELDS aside, the countries known as “the northern triangle” of the Central American isthmus form what is now the most violent region on earth. El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, along with Jamaica and Venezuela, suffer the world’s highest murder rates (see map). The first two are bloodier now than they were during their civil wars in the 1980s.
Organised crime in Central America: The rot spreads | The Economist: "BATTLEFIELDS aside, the countries known as “the northern triangle” of the Central American isthmus form what is now the most violent region on earth. El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, along with Jamaica and Venezuela, suffer the world’s highest murder rates (see map). The first two are bloodier now than they were during their civil wars in the 1980s.
Organised crime is now the main cause of the bloodshed. Central America forms a bridge between Colombia, the world’s biggest cocaine producer, and Mexico, which is the staging post for the world’s biggest market for the drug—the United States. As pressure has mounted on the mobs, first in Colombia and now in Mexico, Central America has attracted more traffic." Jan. 20, 2011
Globalization: In Juarez, maquiladora manufacturing on the rebound _ but drug violence dangers still loom
In Juarez, maquiladora manufacturing on the rebound _ but drug violence dangers still loom - latimes.com: "CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Despite a weak U.S. economy and a drug war that has turned this city into Mexico's deadliest, the maquiladoras are on the rebound.
These assembly-for-export plants that crank out everything from brake pads to plasma TVs for U.S. companies are opening new facilities, expanding existing ones and hiring more employees. Some firms looking for lower costs have even begun shifting production from China back to Juarez." Jan. 22, 2011
These assembly-for-export plants that crank out everything from brake pads to plasma TVs for U.S. companies are opening new facilities, expanding existing ones and hiring more employees. Some firms looking for lower costs have even begun shifting production from China back to Juarez." Jan. 22, 2011
Jan 22, 2011
Mexican Politics: Mexico Tempted to Shift From Tortillas to Ethanol
Mexico Tempted to Shift From Tortillas to Ethanol - IPS ipsnews.net: "Farmers' protests and the rise in corn tortilla prices in late December put temporary brakes on the Mexican Senate, which was preparing to lift the national ban on utilising maize to make fuel alcohol, or ethanol.
The policy shift is included in the bio-energy bill that former senator Mario López Valdez had pushed for two years. He is now governor of the northwestern state of Sinaloa. The bill was approved in committee by all political parties and presented to the Senate on Dec. 9.
The non-governmental campaign 'Sin Maíz No Hay País' (roughly, 'without maize, there is no Mexico') issued an alert against the legislation, which ultimately was put on hold, while in the last days of 2010 the price of the corn tortilla -- a staple in the Mexican diet -- shot up 50 percent." Jan. 22, 2011
The policy shift is included in the bio-energy bill that former senator Mario López Valdez had pushed for two years. He is now governor of the northwestern state of Sinaloa. The bill was approved in committee by all political parties and presented to the Senate on Dec. 9.
The non-governmental campaign 'Sin Maíz No Hay País' (roughly, 'without maize, there is no Mexico') issued an alert against the legislation, which ultimately was put on hold, while in the last days of 2010 the price of the corn tortilla -- a staple in the Mexican diet -- shot up 50 percent." Jan. 22, 2011
Immigration Legislation: U.S. Issues New Rules for Temporary Immigrant Workers
U.S. Issues New Rules for Temporary Immigrant Workers | Feet in 2 Worlds : "This week, the U. S. Department of Labor quietly issued a final rule that affects wages for immigrant workers who are in the U.S. under the H-2B temporary non-agricultural worker program. It’s a little-advertised change that could significantly raise the wages paid to immigrant workers covered by the program, generally those performing lower-skilled jobs in industries such as landscaping, construction, restaurants and hotels. But some say the change may have a much wider economic impact.
The number of H-2B visas is capped at 66,000 per year. Currently employers are required to pay H-2B workers the prevailing wage in their industry. Now, by requiring the highest wage in some categories, DOL says that the new rules will better protect U.S. workers. Jan. 21, 2011
The number of H-2B visas is capped at 66,000 per year. Currently employers are required to pay H-2B workers the prevailing wage in their industry. Now, by requiring the highest wage in some categories, DOL says that the new rules will better protect U.S. workers. Jan. 21, 2011
Globalization: Mexican leaders signal their solidarity with Texas
An interesting look at the joint economic interests of Texans - and their governor - and Mexican politicians and businessmen next door.
But it wasn't just Texans in the audience for this inaugural. A number of Mexico's governors and top business executives stood with us, underscoring the importance of our southern neighbor to Texas, our shared security and our intertwined economies."
Immigration Crackdown: The limits of enforcement
A Washington Post editorial
If the current policy turns up the heat on corporations, so much the better; they may in turn increase pressure on Congress to reform America's broken immigration system. As it stands, that system ignores the fact that millions of undocumented workers play an integral role in the economy and that the nation needs a realistic mechanism for admitting sufficient numbers of low-skilled employees to fill jobs that Americans don't want, even with the nation suffering from high unemployment.
As long as Congress refuses to act, the problem will continue to fester." Jan. 22, 2011
Immigration Politics - Utah: Debate draws cheers, jeers from crowd
Immigration debate draws cheers, jeers from crowd | Deseret News: "Some of the most ardent and articulate voices on the issue of illegal immigration in Utah and what to do about it sounded off Friday night in a lively debate, making plain that any solution to the problem will be hard fought.
Hosted by the Sutherland Institute, the event ... was intended as a prelude to Monday's start of the Utah legislative session, which is expected to be the stage for a variety of competing bills tackling the subject." Jan. 22, 2011
Hosted by the Sutherland Institute, the event ... was intended as a prelude to Monday's start of the Utah legislative session, which is expected to be the stage for a variety of competing bills tackling the subject." Jan. 22, 2011
Immigration Crackdown: Raids shake up Washington college town
Now here, in central Washington State, (where migrants pick all those apples) is a humane reaction to the crackdown.
"I have children. How would I feel if it happened to me and they snatched me and sent me somewhere and left my kids behind?" said attendee Raymond Hall, CWU professor of African-American folklore. "Especially if the reason I came here in the first place was to make a better life for them."" Jan. 21, 2011, AP/Washington Post
Legalization: Mexico and the drug war - Commentary
An editorial from Missouri on the insanity of the drug war.
We could stop the violence here and in Mexico and everywhere else where illegal drugs are produced and sold into the huge U.S. black market. We could legalize drugs just as we did almost a hundred years ago with alcohol, when a similar black-market crime spree threatened our peace and tranquility." Jan. 22, 2011
Jan 21, 2011
¡Viva Mexico!: Native Craftswomen Harness Their Skills
MEXICO: Native Craftswomen Harness Their Skills - IPS ipsnews.net: "It took María de los Ángeles Carrillo, a native craftswoman from Mexico, eight months to weave a decorative junco reed basket, for which she won an 8,000 dollar prize from the Mexican government.
The 32-year-old Carrillo, a member of the Kumeyaay Native American people, belongs to the Grupo de Artesanos Nativos de Baja California (Group of Native Craftspeople of Baja California), which was founded in 2004 and has more than 140 members from the Kumeyaay, Paipai, Kiliwa and Cucapá communities in that northwestern Mexican state.
'Before, the craftspeople had to wait for someone to visit their community to buy their products,' said Kumeyaay Indian Javier Ceceña, director of the non-profit Native Cultures Institute of Baja California, which provides backing for the group of craftspersons.
'They would wait for a long time until someone would finally show up and buy their products at a really low price. So we organised,' he told IPS.
The Grupo de Artesanos Nativos de Baja California is one illustration of how Amerindian groups in Mexico are using their craftmaking skills and traditions to defend their cultures and earn incomes to improve their living conditions." Jan. 21, 2011
The 32-year-old Carrillo, a member of the Kumeyaay Native American people, belongs to the Grupo de Artesanos Nativos de Baja California (Group of Native Craftspeople of Baja California), which was founded in 2004 and has more than 140 members from the Kumeyaay, Paipai, Kiliwa and Cucapá communities in that northwestern Mexican state.
'Before, the craftspeople had to wait for someone to visit their community to buy their products,' said Kumeyaay Indian Javier Ceceña, director of the non-profit Native Cultures Institute of Baja California, which provides backing for the group of craftspersons.
'They would wait for a long time until someone would finally show up and buy their products at a really low price. So we organised,' he told IPS.
The Grupo de Artesanos Nativos de Baja California is one illustration of how Amerindian groups in Mexico are using their craftmaking skills and traditions to defend their cultures and earn incomes to improve their living conditions." Jan. 21, 2011
Collateral Damage: "In Mexico, We Have Let the Violent Ones Do the Talking"
An interview with the author of a book about the collateral damage wreaked by the drug war in Mexico
In her book, Turati gives a voice to people who have been widowed, orphaned, maimed or forced to leave their homes by the drug-related violence -- the invisible victims of a conflict that is bleeding the country white." Jan. 20, 2011
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Mexico January 24
Secretary of Sate Hilary Clinton has come to Mexico each year about this time. This article is interesting because is presents a Mexican point of view as to what the important issues are between the two countries: arms traffic, the NAFTA truck issue and anti-immigrant legislation in U.S. states.
The U.S. secretary of state and visited Mexico in March 2009 and 2010 to discuss various issues on bilateral relations and continue the dialogue begun by Presidents Felipe Calderón and Barack Obama.
Mexico has asked repeatedly for an US solution to the free sale of automatic weapons, as Mexican cartels take advantage of it to arm themselves, which has given them high firepower to face the Army and Police. In recent years, the U.S. - the biggest consumer of drugs in the world - has provided Mexico with arms, equipment and training for the war on drugs. This aid is valued at 1 billion 400 million dollars under the so-called Merida Initiative.
There has also been a heavy exchange of intelligence. Joined by close commercial and demographics ties, the two countries have, for several years, had a dispute regarding Mexican carriers being able to carry cargo to the United States.
The Mexican ambassador to Washington, Arturo Sharukan, this month stated that the priority of the Mexican diplomatic mission in 2011 is to face possible laws in the U.S. restricting the rights of undocumented immigrants, such as already approved in Arizona. Jan. 21, 2011
Immigration Reality: UN calls for Mexico probe into migrant train abductions
BBC News - UN calls for Mexico probe into migrant train abductions: "The UN human rights chief has urged Mexico to investigate the possible involvement of officials in the abduction of about 40 migrants.
Navi Pillay said the Central American migrants had been 'abducted in highly questionable circumstances' from a cargo train in Oaxaca state last month. ...
According to a statement from Ms Pillay's office, the train was first stopped by police and migration officials, who arrested 92 of the 250 migrants who had been stowed away. The driver of the government-run train then took money from about 150 who re-boarded, the statement says, but he also allegedly warned of "more problems ahead" as he had not been happy with what they had paid him.
Shortly afterwards, gunmen seized the train, robbing the migrants and kidnapping 40 of them, including at least 10 women and a child." Jan. 21, 2011
Navi Pillay said the Central American migrants had been 'abducted in highly questionable circumstances' from a cargo train in Oaxaca state last month. ...
According to a statement from Ms Pillay's office, the train was first stopped by police and migration officials, who arrested 92 of the 250 migrants who had been stowed away. The driver of the government-run train then took money from about 150 who re-boarded, the statement says, but he also allegedly warned of "more problems ahead" as he had not been happy with what they had paid him.
Shortly afterwards, gunmen seized the train, robbing the migrants and kidnapping 40 of them, including at least 10 women and a child." Jan. 21, 2011
Whack-a-mole: Mexican army: Tijuana-area drug trafficker caught
Another "mole of the week" gets whacked.
Juan Miguel 'El Boxer' Valle Beltran was arrested after the shootout in the seaside city of Playas de Rosarito, the Mexican army said. He was arrested with 13 suspected underlings, they said." Jan. 20, 2011
Rule of Law: Confessed suspect's murder acquittal throws Mexico's judicial reform into doubt
One of the huge transformations going on in Mexico is that of its judicial system. The centuries old, easily corrupted and dysfunctional "inquistional system" of closed trials - where a judge just reviews documents and decides on innocence or guilt - is being changed.
In the new system, being implemented state by state by 2016, trials are public, witnesses give oral testimony in response to lawyer's'questions, there are rules of evidence - including how confessions are obtained - and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. There are no juries. Judges still decide the outcome.
Here is an in-depth look at a higly visible case, tried under the new system, that has brought the basic problems of the judicial system to the fore in Mexico.
Instead, it became a rallying cry against impunity in a country where the vast majority of crimes still are not prosecuted. The victim's mother wailed 'No!' as the panel absolved defendant Sergio Barraza of murdering his live-in girlfriend, even though he had told at least half a dozen people that he killed her and described where he dumped her body.
Now, what has become known as the Rubi case has put Mexico's judicial reform on trial and has the entire country talking.
The judges, who were suspended and face impeachment, said they followed the law, which has strict standards for evidence. Mexico's old system, still in place in many parts of the country, fostered corruption and confessions extracted by torture. The now widely condemned judges say the new system failed only because underfunded and ill-trained investigators and police failed to build a case. They had to throw out what they called large amounts of circumstantial or illegally obtained evidence." Jan. 12, 2011
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