Maggie's Madness Drug War Chronicles Baja California
A continuation of events surrounding the drug war and related social issues of Baja California and Mexico. Keeping an eye on Seig Heil Trump. We are still trying to restore all blogs from 2006 which were hacked by Linton Robinson and his team, famous for supporting the Baja Trump Towers on one of his real estate sites. Highlights of Paris-Simone's favorite music !!
My system simply could not take any more cortisone after shots in both knees every three months for ages supplemented with Diclofenac Sodium for pain. I'm slowly coming out of it, Monday at the Doctors then on Tuesday up to San Diego again for ultra sounds on both of my legs. They were checking for potential blood clots and the good news there were none but I am worn out.
If I had it to do all over again, I would have chosen to go the PRP route - however hardly any health insurance covers the PRP treatment and my knee was so bad it wouldn't have worked anyway. So, we're looking at at least one knee replacement in the next few months.
"It seems that the back of a first lady is now the hot place for White House messaging.
During
President Biden’s first in-person meeting with Prime Minister Boris
Johnson on Thursday, Jill Biden, the first lady, wore a black jacket
over her black-and-white polka dot dress as the leaders and spouses met
on a scenic overlook in the south of England.
The jacket had a single word on it: “LOVE.”
The
delivery method — if not the content of the message itself — was an
unmistakable echo of the time that Melania Trump, then first lady,
famously wore a jacket during a visit to children separated from their
parents at the southwestern United States border that said “I really
don’t care, do u?”
That
message, written in white letters on a green jacket, instantly became a
sensation as people sought to find meaning in the harsh-sounding words.
Mrs.
Trump’s spokeswoman later said that the message was intended as a slap
at journalists, not a comment about the conditions that the migrant
children were being kept in after her husband’s policy of separating
them from their parents.
But it was clear that Mrs. Trump — like Dr. Biden on Thursday — was well aware that her jacket would be noticed.
Unlike
her predecessor, Dr. Biden was quick to provide an immediate
explanation and context for her choice of a jacket and the message she
was trying to send. In comments to reporters traveling with the
president, she said that the jacket was intended to offer a “sense of
hope” to a world gripped by Covid.
“I
think that we’re bringing love from America,” she said. “This is a
global conference, and we are trying to bring unity across the globe.
And I think it’s needed right now, that people feel a sense of unity
from all the countries and feel a sense of hope after this year of the
pandemic.”
She did not, however, say
whether her jacket was intended as a rebuke of sorts to Mrs. Trump, or
even inspired by the previous incident. Asked about the comparison, her
communications director referred to her comments to reporters."
~~~~~
Cornball ? Nah, just as long as they don't send "hugs & kisses" which we all know usually turns to shite. After Melania, Jill Biden is as fresh as the dew of the morning, smart too.
My knee is a disaster, I have to hang in there until the middle of June and most likely longer, but I'm pretty much immobilized. I haven't said anything about the elections going on down here, basically because of the rash of candidates all across the nation who have been executed. More up to date, there have been 88 politicians executed during this election period and 34 of those were candidates. All being said and it is not over yet folks, AMLO is discouraging alarmism and yellow journalism by the Mexican press:
"President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador asked, this Thursday, May 27, that there be
“less sensationalism and sensationalism” in the media, given the
violence that is being experienced in the current electoral process.
“That
we also know that there are special circumstances like now, that there
is an election that is complicated because it is a political contest. There are interests. And
also the media, with the desire to thin the environment […] before it
was called sensationalism, now it is yellowishness, ”said the national
president.
"The
red note has a relevant role in the media, then, as there is now an
obvious political polarization, because all the conservatism was grouped
against our project, and the media have taken sides, because all this
is magnified, it is normal, it is a matter of the season, "added the
Tabasco politician.
“It
is very unfortunate that a candidate is threatened or attacked, the
candidate's family, or that they lose their life […] it is very sad,
under any circumstance, it is a sadness it is a pain for everyone. We cannot turn our backs on the pains of humanity. We cannot harden ourselves, we cannot become robots, we cannot harden our hearts, ”he said.
"We
have to make a call from the Government so that there is no violence,
that life be respected, that there is nothing more important than life,
it is the main human rights," said the President of the Republic.
"That
we all try to live in peace, that no one is attacked and that there is
also ethics in the media, less yellowing, even when there are
differences, like the ones we have, that we can resolve them with
arguments, with debate, respecting each other," said the head of the
Federal Executive Power, during his morning press conference.
López
Obrador assured that the recent cases of political violence in the
country are being investigated and that they will not go unpunished, in
addition to indicating that his government has established protocols to
protect candidates for popularly elected positions.
“Recently in Oaxaca they assassinated a candidate for Ocotlán. There are already detainees, the material authors. A social leader was murdered in Nochixtlán, the detainees are already there. A candidate from Cosoleacaque, Veracruz was assassinated, they are already in custody ”, assured the national president.
Finally, López Obrador pointed out that citizens must and cast their vote. "We
have to continue insisting that there is democracy, that there is no
electoral fraud and the best thing to avoid fraud is that we
participate," he said.
"When
you are not going to vote, the electoral raccoons, the electoral
criminals, have a better chance of imposing themselves, because they can
buy a vote and with a purchased amount of votes they can be enough to
succeed in quotation marks," the president added.
A TOTAL OF 34 CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN KILLED SO FAR
The
latest report from the communication and risk management consultancy
Etellekt indicated that, so far, the murder of 88 politicians in the
country has been reported, during the eight months that the current
electoral process has taken place.
Of
these, a total of 34 were aspirants or candidates for popularly elected
positions and 89 percent of these were opponents of the current local
government. In addition,
four were running for state councils and were opponents of state
administrations, and one last victim aspired to a federal council and
did not agree with the federal government.
In less than 48 hours there have been at least three assaults with bullets against candidates for a popularly elected office. The
most recent case is that of Alma Rosa Barragán, who was a candidate of
the Citizen Movement (MC) for the Municipal Presidency of Moroleón,
Guanajuato, and who was assassinated on Tuesday, May 25, while holding a
campaign rally.
Yesterday,
Wednesday May 26, José Alberto Alonso Gutiérrez, better known as
“Güero”, current candidate of the Fuerza por México party for the
Municipal Presidency of Acapulco, suffered an attack, on Avenida Costera
Vieja, of the Club Deportivo subdivision, of which came out unscathed.
Likewise,
Saraí Figueroa Ramírez, candidate for a local deputation in the XXI
District of Guanajuato, for the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM),
was the victim of an armed attack, when she was in the community of
Tócuaro, in the municipality of Acámbaro , to hold a campaign event.
Since
last week, two other murders of candidates have been reported,
including Arturo Flores Bautista, a candidate for trustee in the
municipality of Landa de Matamoros, Querétaro; and
that of Abel Murrieta Gutiérrez, candidate for the Municipal Presidency
of Cajeme (Ciudad Obregón) for the MC and former state attorney of
Sonora, assassinated on May 13.
In
addition to this, Omar Plancarte Hernández, PVEM candidate for mayor of
Uruapan, Michoacán, was deprived of his freedom, on May 25, when he was
at his ranch, located on the border between Zacapu and Purépero, in the
community of Caurio de Guadalupe. So far he has not been released.
"VIOLENCE HAS SHADED THE ELECTORAL PROCESS," SAYS INE
The
presiding counselor of the National Electoral Institute (INE), Lorenzo
Córdova Vianello, assured yesterday, Wednesday, May 27, during the
session of the General Council of said organism, that the violence has
overshadowed the electoral process.
"Violence
is the denial of democracy, which is the bet against the highest ideals
of democratic coexistence," said Córdova Vianello, in the session where
a minute of silence was observed to honor the memory of the murdered MC
candidate in Moroleón, Guanajuato.
The
INE also called on the authorities responsible to guarantee the safety
of the candidates and asked that "all cases in which the applicants have
been attacked, intimidated or killed be investigated thoroughly,
thoroughly and promptly".
AUTHORITIES PROVIDE PROTECTION TO 148 CANDIDATES
Rosa
Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, head of the Federal Government's Secretariat
for Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), reported, on May 21, that,
up to that moment, protection had been provided to 148 candidates for
different positions and entities, who have been threatened prior to the
elections to be held nationwide on June 6.
The
federal official explained that, of the total, 80 candidates were
guarded by state police, 52 by elements of the National Guard (GN) and
16 by other authorities of the various entities or municipalities.
“148
candidates have been given protection, of which 80 are from the state
governments, 48 from the National Guard, four from the National Guard
and the state, sometimes they want federal and state protection and 16
from other authorities that they can be municipal ”, said the head of
the SSPC.
Rodríguez
Velázquez highlighted that the threats and attacks against the
candidates were concentrated in Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, the
State of Mexico, Veracruz, Tamaulipas and Guerrero. It
also indicated that there were 398 cases under follow-up or attention,
of which 187 were for threats, 101 for some type of aggression, 13
murders and 11 short-term kidnappings.
In
addition to this, a total of 13 candidates had been assassinated, up to
that moment, during the current electoral process, and 398 cases of
complaints had been attended, 226 of men and 172 of women, said the head
of the SSPC."
~~~~~
You probably have already read reviews of the following report, but here it is in full version. Will return to the topics of violence here which is a surprise...normally during elections it tones down a bit, but we are well on our way to 150+ executions just in TIJ this month. Also, I'm sitting on articles regarding problemas between U.S. - Mex current policies. Okay, let's give this a shot:
Andrés Manuel López Obrador pursues ruinous policies by improper means
"IN A WORLD plagued by authoritarian populists, Mexico’s
president has somehow escaped the limelight. Liberals furiously condemn
the erosion of democratic norms under Hungary’s Viktor Orban, India’s
Narendra Modi and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, but barely notice Andrés
Manuel López Obrador. This is partly because he lacks some of the vices
of his populist peers. He does not deride gay people, bash Muslims or
spur his supporters to torch the Amazon. To his credit, he speaks out
loudly and often for Mexico’s have-nots, and he is not personally
corrupt. Nonetheless, he is a danger to Mexican democracy.
Mr López Obrador divides Mexicans into two groups: “the people”, by
which he means those who support him; and the elite, whom he denounces,
often by name, as crooks and traitors who are to blame for all Mexico’s
problems. He says he is building a more authentic democracy. It is an
odd creature. He calls a lot of votes, but not always on topics that are
best resolved by voting. For example, when legal objections are raised
to one of his pet projects—moving an airport, building a pipeline,
blocking a factory—he calls a referendum. He picks a small electorate
that he knows will side with him. When it does, he declares that the
people have spoken. He has even called for a national referendum on
whether to prosecute five of the six living ex-presidents of Mexico for
corruption. As a stunt to remind voters of the shortcomings of previous
regimes, it is ingenious. It is also a mockery of the rule of law.
The president’s scorn for rules is one reason the elections on June 6th matter.
He is not on the ballot; his single six-year term expires in 2024. But
the national legislature is up for grabs, as are 15 of 32 governorships,
most state assemblies and thousands of local posts.
Voters have a chance to rein in their president by rejecting his party,
Morena. It is not clear that they will. Most are dissatisfied with the
way the country is being run, but 61% approve of Mr López Obrador
himself. Many feel that he cares about ordinary people, even if he has
not materially improved their lives. The opposition parties have failed
to offer a coherent alternative. Morena is slipping in the polls, but
may retain its majority in the lower house, with the help of its allies.
The more levers he controls, the further Mr López Obrador can pursue
his plan to transform Mexico.
He has done good things, such as bumping up pensions and subsidising
apprenticeships for the young. Though a leftist, he has kept spending
and debt under control, so Mexico’s credit rating remains tolerably
firm. But he suffers from what Moisés Naím, a Venezuelan journalist,
calls “ideological necrophilia”—a love of ideas that have been tried and
proved not to work.
He has fond memories of the 1970s, when a government-owned oil monopoly
spread largesse around his home state. He is trying to recreate
something similar, by all but banning private investment in hydrocarbons
and forcing the grid to buy power from state sources first, no matter
how costly and filthy they are. He likes railways, so he is ploughing
$7bn into a diesel-burning boondoggle in his home region. Frustrated
with officials who fuss about rules and putting contracts out to tender,
he enlists the army to build his railway, run ports and fight crime. In
other countries, inviting the men with guns to handle huge sums of
public money with scant supervision has proved catastrophic, as any
Egyptian or Pakistani could warn him. But Mr López Obrador is notorious
for not listening to advice. His catchphrase in cabinet meetings is
“Cállate!” (Shut up).
His disdain for expertise has made government less competent. His
tree-planting scheme has encouraged farmers to chop down old trees so as
to be paid to plant new ones. His policy of “hugs, not bullets” for
gangsters has failed to reduce a stratospheric murder rate. For all his
railing against graft, Mexicans report as many demands for bribes from
officials as before.
He was woefully slow to respond to covid-19 and spent far too little on cushioning its economic effects. According to The Economist’s estimates, Mexico has suffered 477,000 excess deaths from the pandemic, one of the worst rates in the world; and its GDP
shrank by 8.5% last year. The country should be poised for galloping
growth. Multinationals are eager to diversify their supply chains away
from China, and Mexico is a manufacturing hub next to the United States,
which is entering a stimulus-stoked post-covid boom. Yet investors are
wary.
They fear the uncertainty of rule by presidential whimsy. Mr López
Obrador is undermining checks on his power. He leans on advertisers not
to support fault-finding media. He cuts the budgets of watchdogs, or
stuffs them with his supporters. Last week he said he would replace the
central-bank governor with someone who favours “a moral economy”. He has
threatened the body that runs elections.
The next three years will determine the depth and duration of the damage
he does to Mexico and its democracy. He is barred from seeking
re-election, but is trying illegally to extend the term of a friendly
supreme-court judge. Critics fear he wants to set a precedent for
himself. Mexico’s institutions are strong, but may buckle under
sustained assault by a zealot with popular support. The country escaped
de facto one-party rule in 2000. Given the risk, voters on June 6th
should support whichever opposition party is best placed to win,
wherever they live. The opposition parties should work together to
restrain the president.
Learn from your mistakes
They
should learn from him, too. He is popular partly because they did a poor
job of helping those left behind during the long boom that followed
economic liberalisation in the 1980s; and also because much of the
ruling class really is corrupt. Mr López Obrador’s ad hoc, lawless
approach has not made Mexico cleaner, but he has highlighted the need
for a clean-up.
The United States needs to pay attention. Donald Trump did not care
about Mexican democracy. President Joe Biden should make clear that he
does. He must be tactful: Mexicans are understandably allergic to being
pushed around by their big neighbour. But America ought not to turn a
blind eye to creeping authoritarianism in its backyard. As well as
sending vaccines, unconditionally, Mr Biden should send quiet warnings. ■"
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "The false messiah"
~~~~~
He is as stated, insanely popular. Well the good news is that San Diego sent down 10,000 of the J&J vaccines for the maq workers. At least if they get sick, they won't die.
~~~~~
Update 05/28:
Wouldn't be fair if we didn't print out AMLO's response to The Economist:
"President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador described, this Friday, May 28, as “stupid
and liar” the cover of the British magazine The Economist, which he
titled 'The false messiah of Mexico', in which he points out that the
Tabasco politician is “a danger to Mexican democracy ”.
“They
were dedicated to praising the corrupt politicians of Mexico, because
they are always conservative, now they are upset because people are
supporting a transformation, they take this silly cover, very rude, of
course a liar, calling me 'the false messiah' and still lacking Ethics
call Mexicans. that they do not vote for what we can represent ”, indicated the national president.
“It is as if I go to the UK and ask the English to vote for my friend Jeremy Corbyn from the Labor Party. I can't do that, it's up to the English, why don't they even respect the forms? It is a very angry state of mind, because changes are taking place in the country, ”insisted the Mexican president.
The
head of the Federal Executive Power pointed out that foreign
publications such as The Economist, kept silent during the alleged
looting in Mexico during the neoliberal period, dedicating themselves to
applaud what was done in previous federal administrations.
“They
put me on the cover, I even felt very important, those who supported
the neoliberal model for a long time, which is nothing more than a
pillage policy, and these foreign magazines or newspapers were dedicated
to applauding the neoliberal policies, they are very upset. in favor of
privatization and always kept silent in the face of the corruption that
prevailed, "he added.
“Those who looted Mexico are very upset because the people said enough. We
have to be respectful but at the same time differentiate ourselves, we
are not the same, it is our morality that we have to preserve, ”argued
López Obrador, during his morning press conference.
President
López Obrador described as "stupid and liar" the cover of the British
magazine The Economist, where he is placed as a "false Messiah" and a
danger to democracy in Mexico.
- Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga) May 28, 2021
EBRARD RESPONDS TO THE ECONOMIST
Marcelo
Ebrard Casaubón, head of the Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE),
responded to the British magazine The Economist, which published in its
printed edition an article entitled 'The false messiah of Mexico', in
which he points out that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is "a
danger to democracy" in Mexico.
“Just a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of talking with the international editor of your magazine. I
took the opportunity to present the fundamental points of the profound
political, economic and social transformation that Mexico has been
experiencing for two and a half years, ”said the Mexican Foreign
Minister.
“We
spoke, among other topics, about the efforts that, as a government, we
are undertaking to get out of the COVID-19 pandemic, about our
constructive relations with the United States, as well as our vision to
detonate development in the south of our country. and Central America
and the political situation of the country in general ”, added the
Mexican official
In
a letter posted on his Twitter account, the head of the SRE stated that
the international editor of The Economist "was not sensitive to just
one of the arguments" he gave him.
"On
the contrary, a few days before the elections in which we Mexicans will
freely elect our representatives, your media publishes a couple of
articles in which it is invited to vote against the president and his
party," Ebrard Casaubón added.
“The
opinion and the call are surprising, not because of the ideological
position of its milieu, but because of its virulence and argumentative
fragility. Behind these it
seems to permeate the vision that the majority of Mexican society,
especially those with fewer resources, is wrong and supports those who
should not, ”insisted the chancellor.
“Today's cover is the synthesis of exasperation. It is known that the results of the election, as happened in 2018, will not match what you want. Recently
it was predicted that López Obrador would hardly reach power and that,
should the Mexican electorate elect him, it would lead the country to an
inexorable economic failure, characterized by devaluation,
hyperinflation, indebtedness and a direct clash with the United States,
"he added the holder of the SRE.
Ebrard Casaubón said that “none of this has happened. On
the contrary, the government of President López Obrador has fulfilled
its promise to prioritize and refocus spending on the poorest, as he
always promised. At the same time, it has maintained fiscal discipline and sound public finances, ”said the federal official.
“It
achieved, for example, historic increases to the minimum wage, while
keeping inflation at bay and sustaining the stability of the currency. At
the bilateral level, it has managed to build in a short time a
relationship of respect and collaboration with the administration of
President Joseph R. Biden ”, emphasized Ebrard Casaubón.
“The failure of the elites to understand López Obrador today seems to repeat itself on its pages. These
paint a bleak outlook for the country, but lose sight of the fact that
although the Mexican economy, like that of the rest of the countries,
suffered the ravages of the pandemic,
it will grow around 6% this year, without having contracted debt. ,
keeping the finances healthy and with historical numbers of Foreign
Investment ", indicated the chancellor.
In
his letter, the head of the SRE recalled that the British weekly
questions the government response to COVID-19, “but the effort through
which Mexico managed, in a matter of months, to more than double its
capabilities of hospital care and have timely and universal access to
the vaccine, "he said.
"Not
for nothing, Mexico is currently the tenth country with the highest
number of vaccines applied to its population, which, incidentally, has
maintained its support for the president in difficult hours," added
Ebrard Casaubón in his letter to The Economist .
“But
perhaps the most striking of the texts, because of how absurd it is, is
the suggestion that President López Obrador has somehow undermined
Mexican democracy, when what he has done is precisely the opposite. Many
of your readers will remember that Mexico was until not so long ago an
authoritarian country, without freedom of the press, or free elections,
which moved to democracy thanks to the push of many Mexicans, among
which López Obrador stands out, ”said the foreign minister.
“Their
decades-long struggle against a closed system has resulted in a strong,
plural and diverse democracy, in which, as never before, the population
is consulted directly on substantive issues. This
happens on a daily basis, for example, in the United States, where
controversial proposals are voted on together with the election of
candidates, ”he explained.
“As never before in history, in Mexico there is full freedom of the press and of thought. In
an unprecedented exercise, President López Obrador is accountable to
the public and maintains a circular dialogue with the press. The
levels of criticism of President López Obrador are incomparable with
those of his predecessors (just open any Mexican newspaper) and,
nevertheless, this is the most popular president of Mexican democracy,
”he replied.
“There
are two possible explanations why a government like that of President
López Obrador remains with a high margin of approval, even after having
gone through difficult times. The
elitist view, defended ad nauseam, is that these majorities are wrong
and do not know what is really good for them, ”the foreign minister
analyzed.
“Another,
perhaps the most obvious but surprisingly little considered, is that
the majority of people are favoring a system that for the first time has
them as a priority. Isn't
it time to question that it is the elites who are angry and exasperated
with President López Obrador and not the majority who feel represented
and defended that are wrong? ”Asked the head of the SRE.
“We
are living in turbulent times and, undoubtedly, there is still much to
do to defeat the pandemic, achieve the definitive takeoff of the economy
and fulfill the promise of closing the gross social gap, but the
assessment of Mexicans is that we are going for good way and that we are
achieving it. Perhaps it
is time for the exasperated elites, paraphrasing an article in your
magazine from some years ago, to understand that they are not
understanding ”, concluded his letter Ebrard Casaubón.
I share with you a letter sent to The Economist on the occasion of the articles and cover published today: https://t.co/Inw59wbqHJ
President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador is "a danger to democracy" in Mexico, said
the British magazine The Economist in an article entitled "The false
messiah of Mexico" and published on the cover of its print edition.
The
European publication considers that the head of the Mexican Federal
Executive Power has escaped the focus of attention of authoritarian
populists, such as Viktor Obran, from Hungary; Narendra Modi, from India; and, Jair Bolsonaro, from Brazil.
“In a world plagued by authoritarian populists, the president of Mexico has somehow escaped the spotlight. Liberals
furiously condemn the erosion of democratic norms under the Hungarian
Viktor Orban, the Indian Narendra Modi and the Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro,
but they hardly notice Andrés Manuel López Obrador ”, highlights the
British magazine.
The
Mexican president “does not make fun of homosexuals, nor does he attack
Muslims, nor does he incite his followers to set the Amazon on fire. He has the merit of speaking loudly and frequently on behalf of Mexico's dispossessed, and he is not personally corrupt. However, it is a danger for Mexican democracy ”.
“López
Obrador divides Mexicans into two groups: 'the people', that is, those
who support him, and 'the elite', whom he denounces, often by name, as
scoundrels and traitors guilty of all the problems from Mexico. He says he is building a more authentic democracy. It is a strange creature ”, highlights The Economist.
The
British magazine criticizes the insistence of the Mexican president
that the people decide on matters that in most cases are convenient for
their government. “He chooses a small constituency that he knows will side with him. When it does, it declares that the people have spoken. It is a mockery of the rule of law ”, he says.
For
the British media, López Obrador's contempt for the rules is one of the
reasons why the elections on June 6 are important, because it gives
voters the opportunity to stop him, rejecting Morena, a party founded by
him.
And
although López Obrador's name is not on the ballot and his only
six-year term expires in 2024, the integration of the federal
Legislative Power is at stake, as are 15 of the 32 governorships, most
of the local congresses and thousands of municipal offices, highlighted
The Economist.
The
magazine also speaks of a mockery of the rule of law, because the
Tabasco politician calls many votes, “but not always on issues that are
better resolved by voting. For
example, when legal objections are raised to one of his favorite
projects - the transfer of an airport, the construction of an oil
pipeline, the blockade of a factory - he calls a referendum ”.
The
Economist asserts that only when a small part of the electorate
supports him, López Obrador “declares that the people have spoken. It
has even called a national referendum on the advisability of
prosecuting five of the six living former presidents of Mexico for
corruption. As a trick to remind voters of the shortcomings of previous regimes, it's clever. "
The
British publication maintains that although the Mexican politician "has
done good things", he suffers from what the Venezuelan journalist
Moisés Naím calls 'ideological necrophilia', which means "love for ideas
that have been tested and have shown that they do not work." .
According
to the magazine, López Obrador is known for not listening to advice,
and that, supposedly, his slogan in Cabinet meetings is "Shut up!" In
addition, he says that one example of what has made the Government of
Mexico less competent is the Sembrando Vida program, which has
encouraged farmers to cut down old trees so that they are paid to plant
new ones.
Another
example, continues The Economist, is the policy of "hugs, not bullets,"
which has failed to curb the "stratospheric murder rate," and despite
their criticism of corruption, "Mexicans report so many demands for
bribes from officials as before ”.
Likewise,
López Obrador "was regrettably slow to respond to COVID-19 and spent
very little to cushion its economic effects," since according to
estimates by the British magazine, Mexico has suffered an excess of 477
thousand deaths from the pandemic, one of the worst rates in the world.
In
addition to this, although Mexico is a large manufacturing center along
with the United States and multinationals are eager to diversify their
supply chains outside of China, the publication notes that investors are
cautious with the country given "the uncertainty of governing by
presidential whims ".
The
Economist noted that while Donald Trump did not care about Mexican
democracy, current President Joseph Biden should make it clear that he
did, and that the US should not turn a blind eye to the progressive
authoritarianism in its backyard. ", So other than sending vaccines,
unconditionally," should send silent warnings.
"The
next three years will determine the depth and duration of the damage he
does to Mexico and its democracy [...] He is prohibited from seeking
reelection, but is illegally trying to extend the term of a friendly
Supreme Court judge," the magazine added.
The
publication pointed out that López Obrador is undermining the controls
of his power, and gave as an example that last week he said that he
would replace the governor of the Bank of Mexico (BANXICO), with someone
who favors "a moral economy", in addition to threatening the National
Electoral Institute (INE).
Critics fear that he wants to set a precedent for himself. Mexico's
institutions are strong, but they can give in to the sustained assault
of a fanatic with popular support, ”insisted The Economist.
Given the risk, June 6 voters must support the opposition party that is best positioned to win, wherever they live. The opposition parties should work together to stop the president, ”emphasized The Economist.
The
magazine noted that it is not clear if voters will vote against the
Tabasco politician, since although the majority is dissatisfied with the
way the country is being administered, 61 percent approve of López
Obrador himself, since “many feel who cares for ordinary people, even if
they have not materially improved their lives.
Is it just me or do you think AMLO looks a tad sheepish.....
Ya'll remember 09/26/14 - the slaughter of the 43 Normalista students, right? Well, thanks to Kamala Harris who handed over a file to AMLO from the U.S., more information has been revealed about this atrocity:
President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador revealed, this Friday, May 28, that the
file sent by the United States Government regarding the Ayotzinapa case,
contains the statement of a detainee in that country, related to the
disappearance of the 43 students of the Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos
de Ayotzinapa.
The
national president indicated that the document was sent to Alejandro
Encinas Rodríguez, undersecretary of Human Rights and Population in the
Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) and in charge of the Presidential
Commission of the Iguala case.
"It
is a file of a person detained in the United States linked to these
events, I am not judging, we do not know if he is responsible or not, he
is a witness, and the file is already held by Encinas, Alejandro
Encinas, the undersecretary of the Interior," added the Tabasco
politician.
"It
will also be at the disposal of the Prosecutor's Office that was
integrated for this purpose of knowing where the young people of
Ayotzinapa are and also the group of advisers who are helping us to know
the truth about these unfortunate events," he said.
However,
during his morning press conference, the president said that he could
not provide more information, since the case is handled by the Attorney
General's Office (FGR), and that said institution is responsible for
reporting on the matter.
"I
do not have more information and I do not want to be reckless, it is a
delicate matter, you know, we were doing well in the investigation, very
well," said López Obrador, who only explained that the file has
important information regarding the disappearance of 43 normalistas , on
September 26, 2014.
“Yes,
it is a part of an entire investigation that has many components,
something very professional is being done and the most important thing
is that it is acting with rectitude, without hiding anything, without
impunity prevailing or the desire to protect people. he will find out
what happened and we will report when the investigation is more
advanced, "said the president.
On
May 24, López Obrador revealed that days before he received part of a
file sent by the United States Government regarding the Ayotzinapa case,
which was requested from Vice President Kamala Harris, during the
virtual meeting that both held on the 7th. of this same month.
Without
detailing the content of the document, the Mexican national leader
assured that he was about to receive what is missing in the information,
because, according to what he said, there is cooperation on security
matters with the US government.
The
Tabasco politician indicated that he has not "removed his finger from
the line" for said information, for which he asked the United States for
support, after the Presidential Commission for Truth and Access to
Justice in the Ayotzinapa case (CoVAJ) requested.
"The
human rights commission asked me to make a request with the United
States Government to obtain a file that those authorities have and I
asked the vice president to help us, I want to take this opportunity to
thank you because you have already sent me part," said the president .
In
addition, during his morning press conference, López Obrador assured
that his government continues to work to clarify what happened on
September 26, 2014, in Iguala, Guerrero, because, according to him, they
did not act with rectitude and the authorities lied when trying solve
the case.
“I can't say more, we already have the answer, we spoke with her [Harris] about 15 days ago. I made the proposal and a week later we had part of the file and they are about to send us the rest. There is cooperation in these cases and we are going to continue like this, ”said the national president."
~~~~~
I'm for that bro - let's stay together.
And, of course we are disgusted with the Republican revisionist account of January 6,2021.
So here's the deal: for over three weeks I've been taking two 75mg doses of Diclofenac Sodium (Voltaren) as prescribed for brutal knee pain, the cortisone shots only last maybe if I'm lucky just a bit over a month. Last week, it hit me. I had a horrible reaction to this drug, I completely swelled up, headache, my feet were so swollen I could not walk or even stand in addition to being loopy. I stopped immediately and was put on Lasix 80mg. for three days. I was drinking tons of water, using ACV, soaking in epsom salts, exhausted.
Following that, on Monday I went in for two more cortisone shots and was told I need a knee replacement. The cortisone didn't actually kick in until three days later. Now, I'm barely able to walk across the hall, but no pain so far, just stiffness. We have to wait another three months of me hobbling around like a snail, although the turmeric helps.
Plus we were looking forward to a road trip up north to scout out places to live after June 15th when CA opens up, but it doesn't look like that will happen. However, are going to make a point to go out and enjoy some real soulfood (if I can walk) out at Jay's Southern Cafe in Jacumba...the hotsprings are not open though.
~~~~
Meanwhile in between times, I have been bookmarking what seems to be not just a little bickering between Mexico and the the Biden Administration on social , labor & environmental issues, and of course, the violence here. I won't be able to list all of these at one time; let's start off with the sea turtles for right now.
"The
US State Department suspended, yesterday, Friday, April 30, the
certification for shrimp from Mexico caught on the high seas, because,
as it argued, the Mexican sea turtle protection program is no longer
comparable to that of the United States.
The
US withdrew Mexico's certification in the shrimp fishery, due to the
inappropriate use of Sea Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) by the offshore
fleet. With this measure, Mexican merchants are prohibited from exploiting wild shrimp to US territory.
Published
in the US Federal Register -in public notice number 11419-, the
suspension of the certification of Mexican shrimp from the high seas
would put exports of the crustacean to the United States at risk, which
according to data from the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission
(CONAPESCA) added 30 thousand tons during 2020, with a value of 300
million dollars, since Mexico is the sixth exporter to that country.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States
(NOAA, for its acronym in English), made 4 inspection visits during two
years (2019-2021), to Campeche; Mazatlan Sinaloa; Puerto Chiapas; Puerto Juárez, Quintana Roo; Puerto Peñasco, Sonora; Salina Cruz, Oaxaca; San Blas, Nayarit; and, to Tampico, Tamaulipas, in which irregularities were found in the use of TEDs.
“From
these visits, the observers from the United States determined certain
observations related to deficiencies in the instrumentation of the TED
NOM in around 106 observed networks,” as reported by CONAPESCA in a
statement.
Since
the end of 2018, when the government of President Andrés Manuel López
Obrador began, CONAPESCA disappeared the special group of federal
officials that throughout the year was dedicated to training the crew of
the ships, in the correct use of TEDs.
For
now, the only countries authorized to export meat to the US are:
Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama and Suriname. "For
nations, economies and fisheries not included in the list, only shrimp
harvested from aquaculture are eligible to enter the United States," the
US government indicated.
In
response, the Government of Mexico communicated that it is carrying out
preventive and corrective actions to regain certification, for which
the competent authorities such as CONAPESCA, the Federal Attorney for
Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) and the Secretariat of the Navy (
SEMAR) are giving training courses to fishermen.
Through
a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER)
emphasized that more aggressive inspection and surveillance programs
will be installed to prevent bad practices in shrimp fishing in the high
seas from continuing to take place.
"As
part of the process to follow, it will be essential to transmit to the
United States Government, no later than the month of August, the action
plan with all the documentary evidence of the actions carried out by the
Government of Mexico," said the SADER.
However,
during the suspension of certification from the United States to
Mexico, which coincides with the closure of this species, trawl shrimp
may not be exported for any reason until the certification is recovered."
~~~~
You probably already know to boycott shrimp down here coming from the Sea of Cortez because of the blatant slaughter of the Vaquita.
BTW, if you get a chance and it is on sale, try out the frozen Argentine wild-caught shrimp, to die for. So, the question remains, will Mexico comply ? They do not like being told what to do, period.
~~~~~
A quick update on the drug war in our area:
No es bueno... as of today, we are up to 116 executions in TIJ this month, that number includes the mysterious assassinations of two retired officers of SEDENA (unclear if they were associates of General Cienfuegos) and the fifteen killed on last Tuesday the 18th in a PERIOD OF 16 HOURS.
Still, according to Reuban who just returned from Cabo with Carmen...zee plane was loaded with Gringos who are obviously not fans of the State Department. (;
I'll be back with more stats, my knee is cramping up sitting here.
"Here in New Hampshire, the real governing is done at the town level
by Boards of Selectmen, a council of elected officials who ride herd
over the rawest, purest form of democracy practiced in the country.
Majority vote rules, proposals are raised at “town meeting” and
subsequently voted on by whoever raises their hand. Sometimes the room
is packed, other times most seats go empty, but decisions are always
made by the ones who show up.
Last night, for a brief moment, President Biden’s address to a joint
session of Congress looked like one of those New Hampshire town
meetings. Here stands Biden, asking the Board for funds to purchase a
new city plow so the streets can get cleared faster after a storm.
Better for business and safer for families, is his argument, and it is
sound. Oscar Wilde would recognize the scene in an eyeblink.
The mirage, alas, was punctured by the image of Ted Cruz’s eyes rolling up in his head
like a guy who’d spent too much time in Cancun. Yes, this was Congress
in all of its squalid glory, the man at the podium was the president,
but the difference between now and last year is the difference between a
friendly shoulder rub and being devoured by a hammerhead shark.
“Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President,” said Biden as he began. Those
words had never been spoken in that chamber before. It was an intense
moment, a piece of long-awaited history, and seemed to promise a day to
come when all three seats in that upper podium will be occupied by
women.
As for the content of the speech, well, it was a time warp all its
own. Biden’s list of policy proposals represents something of a rewiring of the American experience,
from work to family to school to medicine and science, from
transportation to elder care. Much of what he proposed came thanks to
the sustained pressure of progressives, which started the minute Biden
won the nomination.
It was that very slate of markedly progressive proposals that kept
the Republicans in their seats as if they were nailed to them. Even
behind his mask, the smile on Bernie Sanders’s face when Biden said,
“Health care is a right, not a privilege,” could be seen from space.
Could Biden have asked for more in his proposals? Absolutely, and
progressive members of the House are marshaling their forces to see if
they can improve upon them. “Congressional Democrats are planning to
pursue a massive expansion of Medicare as part of President Biden’s new
$1.8 trillion economic relief package,” reportsThe New York Times, “defying the White House after it opted against including a major health overhaul as part of its plan.”
To underscore this effort, newly elected progressive House Rep.
Jamaal Bowman offered a rare Democratic rebuttal to a speech delivered
by a Democratic president. Bowman praised Biden for his accomplishments
to date, before daring him to do more. “The proposals that President
Biden has put forward over the last few weeks would represent important
steps — but don’t go as big as we’d truly need in order to solve the
crises of jobs, climate and care,” said Bowman. “We need to think bigger.”
“With Democratic control of Congress and the White House,” reports Sharon Zhang for Truthout,
“Bowman said now is the time to pass the bold policies that he
highlighted in his speech. He mentioned climate bills, such as the Green New Deal for Public Housing and Green New Deal for Cities,
introduced earlier this month by fellow progressive colleagues,
including Ocasio-Cortez, to provide funding for more climate-friendly
public housing and cities. Bowman also drew attention to the THRIVE Act, a $10 trillion infrastructure and climate justice bill of which Bowman is a lead sponsor. The bill, Bowman said, could potentially create 15 million union jobs to help the U.S. economy bounce back while at the same time addressing the climate crisis and environmental justice issues.”
There will be more of this, you can count on it, because Biden to
date has revealed a very important aspect of his leadership style: When
it comes to some issues, at least, he can be pressured and he can be
moved. Progressives in Congress intend to use their influence at this
unique juncture to maximum effect.
Pundits on the non-Fox networks heaped praise upon Biden and
his soft, unassuming delivery. After four years of screams and rants
from that podium, an hour of just business, the people’s business, was a
balm. Comparisons to Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” and even Franklin
Roosevelt’s “New Deal” were bandied about.
The president can certainly take that as a compliment, but he ain’t
no LBJ, and he ain’t no FDR. Not yet, anyway… and in a very important
sense, he should hope to rise above those legacies if he can. Johnson’s
grand plans were devoured by a ruinous war in Vietnam, and Roosevelt
only achieved his lofty goals after cutting deals with racists and
secessionists which exacerbated the horrors of the Jim Crow South.
The nose count does not favor the president at present. “Democratic
senators had a 23-seat advantage during Roosevelt’s presidency and a
36-seat advantage during Johnson’s,” according to The Atlantic’s
Ronald Brownstein. That, simply, makes legislative life a hell of a lot
easier. Also, and not for nothing, but neither LBJ or FDR had a Joe
Manchin lurking like a pulmonary embolism, waiting to find a place to
clog up the works.
Biden’s slim majorities, and the short timetable to election 2022,
make the road to fulfilling his intentions fraught with peril. Speeches
like this are always wish lists. Last night, the president wished for
the moon and stars. Now we see how much of it he can get.
The Republican rebuttal by Sen. Tim Scott provided a vivid counterpoint to the agenda set forth by the president. No policy ideas were offered
beyond the rote recitation of right-wing culture war grievances.
According to Scott, the violent divisions loose in this nation are the
fault of Democrats. He said this in response to a speech delivered in
the chamber that was sacked by hyper-violent Trump voters only four
months ago.
At bottom, last night contained an important element of defiance: a full-throated declaration of war
against the rancid legacy of Ronald Reagan. “Trickle-down economics has
never worked,” the president announced to a mighty roar from half the
chamber. Forty years of supply-side feed-the-rich economics has
delivered us to this shabby estate, and the agenda laid out last night — if realized — would at long last begin to dismantle that legacy.
Former President Clinton can take note, too: The era of big
government is back, maybe. The idea that government can help has been
well-served since January, as Biden’s vaccine program has succeeded
beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. Infection rates are dropping
across the board, and while we have many masked miles to go before we
sleep, we are in this better place because competent government has
finally served the people like it is supposed to.
The wind at Biden’s back, even with his slim congressional
majorities, is the simple fact that his proposals are wildly popular.
Combine that with the increased public trust in government that has
erupted in 2021, and Republicans face a grim task trying to throw rocks
in this road. They will, of course they will, but ‘22 is coming, and the
people are watching like hawks."
~~~~~
~ From PBS:
Brooks & Capeheart - April 30, 2021
~~~~~
And keep in mind, David Brooks IS a Republican - the good kind though. Anyways, no progress so far on the COVID vaccines for the Health Workers (Doctors & Staff) in Rosarito, my knee is completely gone & projects are not being finished, Paris gets her stitches out tomorrow, Totsie's eye is much better, my stitches come out on Sunday & oh surprise...making tacos over the weekend, grinding my teeth over the super radical left for chastising Biden over "not doing enough" or classifying him as an "Empire" President and the resistant GOP.
I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid, I just want him to succeed. Good Luck Joe !
Will be back with the April totals for the local drug war - I can say this: There seems to be between TIJ & Ensenada a race to tie as far as the executions go, I have never seen that before.
UPDATE/edit: 05/03/21:
We are all waiting to read or hear more developments on the horrible smuggling boat crash in front of the tidepools on the tip of Point Loma. Who was the Captain, where was the boat embarked (and with that many people going aboard you mean to tell me no one noticed or even said anything? Unless that was done under the cover of darkness in an isolated area), the conditions of the victims and their nationalities. Any idiot would know about the rough conditions there and not to pilot into and onto a freakin reef, wow. Also, I feel bad they booed Mitt Romney, what jerks. Liz Cheney has some gumption, way to go !
Meanwhile, caught this this morning - check it out & will be back soon with the drug war stats:
"Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A new ABC News/ Ipsos poll
finds that 64% of Americans are optimistic about the next twelve
months. It is the first time we have felt that way about ourselves since
before George W. Bush crashed the economy by deregulating everything.
“Morning in America” was the slogan of the minor Hollywood actor and
right wing opponent of working people Ronald Reagan, who shilled for the
rich and cut their taxes, denying key services to everyone else.
Reagan and Reaganism were mirages disguising an all-out assault on the
US constitution in the form of the Iran-Contra scandal, in which Reagan
sold the ayatollahs Pentagon weapons under the table and used the money
to fund far right wing militias in Nicaragua.
Being Hollywood, Reagan was about the images. His team were good at
glossy photos of sunrises and of Mr. Reagan on horseback. Reagan’s
policies put the poverty rate up from 11% in the 1970s to as high as 15%
in the 1980s, before it fell to 13% later in the decade. Reagan began
the process of breaking the unions, which has driven workers’ salaries
and benefits into the basement ever since. Reagan deregulation of
banking led to the Savings and Loan Scandal, which foreshadowed the much
huger mortgage finance scandal under Bush. Reaganites, as Alan
Greenspan later admitted, have trouble conceiving that a banker would
steal from his own bank (they don’t have much of an imagination, much
less common sense). It was actually midnight in America for a lot of
people.
Joe Biden is actually bringing morning to America, and may be the
perfect anti-Reagan. Subdued rather than flashy, owner of a mean dog,
with a low level of tolerance for malarkey, Biden isn’t giving us
photo-shopped pictures of sunrises.
He’s giving us vaccinations and jobs, thus gradually bringing to an
end both the pandemic and the recession it caused. And making us
optimistic.
And that is what the American people want. Reagan made it
fashionable to threaten the middle class that the Democrats would raise
their taxes. What he and his successors wouldn’t admit was that cutting
taxes on the rich hobbles the government and prevents it from providing
needed services. It also promotes vast inequality in American society,
creating a small class of billionaires well placed to buy our
politicians and capture policy while shipping jobs overseas to add
further to their obscene piles. Republicans so worshiped the idle rich
that they even thought an unbalanced real estate developer who kept
going bankrupt and was terminally corrupt and fatally incompetent would
make a good president.
The Ipsos/ABC poll suggests that this GOP scam may finally have run out of steam. In their poll, a majority, 52%,
said that right now, having the federal government spend money to help
the economy, even if it increases taxes, is more important.
A plurality said taxes should be kept the same even if it meant preventing the government from helping the economy.
That’s right. A majority of Americans thinks the government can and
should rescue us from the Trump pandemic/recession, even if it means
raising taxes.
Reaganism, if it is not dead, seems to be on life support.
Then there was the Republican tactic that was applied to Obama, of
saying ‘no’ to everything and then blaming Obama for not accomplishing
anything. In 2016, the public had a chance to punish the GOP for this
obstruction and for trying to take away people’s health care and other
benefits. They didn’t seem, however, to know who the bad guy was and
actually rewarded Mitch McConnell for torpedoing anything that seemed
likely to help everyday folks as opposed to Koch Industries. The
Republicans in Congress kept telling Obama they would support some bill,
but then after they got him to water it down, they still voted against
it. Since Obama seemed not able to deliver anything to his
constituents, some of the latter turned on the party. There is always
party competition, but the freeze-out of Obama on the Hill surely was
unprecedented.
President Biden campaigned on bipartisanship, and his programs
certainly have the support of large numbers of Republicans. But most of
the Republicans in Congress do not actually represent their
constituents back home, or at least don’t primarily do so. They
represent the big corporations who pay for their campaigns. And many of
those corporations and the billionaire class whose vehicles they are
hate Biden like the devil hates holy water. I say “billionaire class”
but there are really only 724 of them. Each Republican congressional
representative and Senator represents roughly 2.8 billionaires. And they
don’t want Biden to raise their taxes or convince people that
government can do things better than their corporations can.
So not a single Republican voted for Biden’s Covid relief measure,
and most likely none of them will vote for infrastructure or anything
else Biden tries to accomplish.
But the American people seem finally to have Mitch McConnell’s number.
Asked, “Do you think Joe Biden is doing too much, too little, or
about the right amount to compromise with the Republican leaders in
Congress on important issues?” a majority of 51% said that Biden is
doing “about the right amount.” Another 9% thought he was bending over
backward with the Republicans a bit too much. So 60 percent say
Biden is being perfectly accommodating of his colleagues across the
aisle. Only 39 percent disagree, which is to say, the third of
Americans who are Republican Party members plus a few independents.
Most independents are clearly breaking the other way.
Asked, “Do you think the Republican leaders in Congress are doing too
much, too little, or about the right amount to compromise with Joe
Biden on important issues?” over two-thirds, some 67%, said “too little”!
So they know who is obstructing bipartisanship this time, and they don’t think it is the president.
A quarter of Americans think the country is more united since
January, and nearly half think it at least isn’t more divided than it
already was. Among those who think it is more united, 87 percent give
credit to president Biden.
Only 28 percent think America is more divided, which would mean that not even all Republicans think that."
——
I'll say it again...Good Luck Joe ! Stay Safe Y'all...
We are waiting for Biden's address to Congress & I'm having a heck of a time trying to type due to a pretty bad finger injury which I'm taking antiobiotics for- also, Totsie had a foxtail in her eye which had to be taken out and she hates the eye drops, Paris had her foot bandage changed and she is still on meds, sick to death of it poor baby.
Meanwhile, here is an analysis of Biden's first 100 days in office from....
However, I think the State Department needs to tell their employees to be careful not to run over the bodies thrown onto the the Scenic Highway between Ensenada and TIJ. There have been four in the past few days, you can read about the fourth one in the report following this report.
As far as the drug wars in our region, what can I say ? It is bad . In Tijuana, we are up to 150 executions this month, bringing the YTD total to 634 deaths.
I think it is pretty clear why we want to leave...the violence and the ocean contamination among other issues.
~~~~~
How many of you have been to the Red Cross in Rosarito Beach for emergency health issues? Here is a link in case you're not familiar with the Mexican Red Cross. Several years ago in the middle of the night I stepped on a large piece of glass and went to the RB Red Cross & although at that time there was a long line of people waiting for emergency treatment, the line moved pretty fast and I received excellent treatment. My neighbor fell and broke his hand, he was treated there; Mike was bit by a dog here at SADM and went to the RB Red Cross and was treated professionally (plus 10 stitiches). Seven days ago, I cut my finger on an open can putting trash in the can. Well, more like a deep slash.
So once again in the middle of the night we drove to the Red Cross. No long waiting line this time, just the best absolute best professional service. The Doc cleaned up the finger, numbed it and applied six stitches and an anti-biotic. We had a lot of fun laughing and making fun of Trump (although we shouldn't be laughing that hard kiddos), and I asked the Doctor if she and her staff had received COVID-19 vaccinations. Nope.
This early afternoon we returned to have the stitches removed - which were not removed, they need to stay in another four days. But I asked again, this time a different Doctor and staff - how many had received COVID-19 vaccinations? The answer was shocking again, not one of them including the ambulance drivers, the paramedics or EMT's.
How can it be that these essential front line people who provide emergency services to our community cannot get vaccinated ? It is just like the second Doctora said, "they forgot about us."
Please donate to this essential and wonderful organization and spread the word...I can't because as a foreigner legally living here, I am not allowed to be involved in Mexican affairs.
Stay Safe ya'll.
~~~~~
UPDATE/edit: 04/29/2021
I know you remember these guys
Anyone remember Hurricane Katrina? Back then, we could still surf and swim in front and there really was still I think an aura of innocence and hope surrounding Mexico and the future, even at that late date. I wish it could be that way again, but time flies and slips like sand between our fingers. Probably many of you have already thought about this and I am ashamed I did not mention it before. Here is the Wiki breakdown of the Mexican Aid, including their Red Cross to assist in the Katrina aftermath:
Simply put, it is payback time. The best I can do is write letters to the U.S. officials and of course donate, hope ya'll do the same and maybe the Mexican power people can put a foot on the gas and get these front line Doctors and Staff their shots. Let's go ! Gracias !
