AZ Alert: Lawmaker: Aid to Mexican States is Cheaper Than Border Security

Santa Fe New Mexican ^ | 01/10/2003 | Associated Press

[hsmomx3]

TUCSON, Ariz. - Economic aid targeted to 50 regions in just six Mexican states could cut illegal immigration to the United States in half, a Mexican congressman said Thursday.

Eduardo Arnal Palomera, one of four lawmakers from Mexico on a three-day trip to Tucson to meet with local, state, federal and Indian officials, said American contribution toward Mexico's economic development would be mutually beneficial in helping solve his country's illegal immigration.

Lack of jobs and economic desperation is what drives hundreds of thousands of Mexicans to cross the border illegally every year seeking jobs here, according to Arnal Palomera.

He said the situation is most difficult in the states of Oaxaca, Zacatecas, Puebla, Guanajuato, Guerrero and Chiapas.

"It's cheapest for the United States to help Mexico to grow" by stimulating jobs and industry there than to continue to pay for "security, helicopters, Border Patrol, fences, walls," Arnal Palomera said.

He said he planned to deliver the same message during a scheduled meeting Friday with southern Arizona Reps. Jim Kolbe and Raul Grijalva.

The delegation met with Gov. Janet Napolitano for nearly a half-hour behind closed doors to discuss illegal immigration-related issues, including efforts of private groups patrolling the Arizona border.

Congressman Tarcisio Navarrette Montes de Oca, who headed the delegation, said the group proposed creating a binational working group of state, local and federal officials "to study, analyze and propose an urgent solution" to soaring deaths of Mexican migrants trying to cross the Arizona desert.

A record 145 illegal immigrants died during the past fiscal year, including 83 of heat exposure.

Arnal Palomera said he and his colleagues were concerned that ranchers and groups organizing patrols along the Arizona border have weapons and could cause a confrontation with illegal immigrants leading to violence.

Navarrette Montes said he hopes "to find a win-win solution for both countries and promote protection for human rights and we are open to promote commercial and economic exchange."

The group also met with Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and the Tucson-Mexico Trade Office to develop new ways for improving trade activities - including improved rail connections.

©Santa Fe New Mexican 2003

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[Madcelt]

Ping!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Pre-911, helping Mexico could have been a win-win for Fox and Bush. Now, it's just too hard.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Lack of jobs and economic desperation is what drives hundreds of thousands of Mexicans to cross the border illegally every year seeking jobs here, according to Arnal Palomera.

OK so this is our fault? We have to spend billions of OUR dollars to fix it? I guess everyone figures we enjoy being a candy store for the world.

[Tacis]

Nonsense!! This is just a Mexican tactic to see it they can get a pool of gringo money to steal. The gringo money that did get through would simply say, "Look, if they are willing to send this too us, think how much we could get if we went up there."<p.There would NEVER be a word of thanks. Mexicans are arrogant and they have so little to be arrogant about.

[taxed2death]

"1/2 hour closed door session"

Geez, I wonder what un-Godly deals were struck there.

If I were an AZ resident, I'd probably serve a life sentance for stringing up any polititian on a light post like the old days, for giving one penny to the Mexican government.

Not only is our own government bloated and saturated with tax money, now we have to make our neighboring countrys' economy viable.

This is indeed the beginning of the end.

[discostu]

It's not a matter of fault it's a simple matter of solution. If we want to solve the problem that's the best solution, like most functional solutions determining who screwed up is really a waste of effort. I think it's a crappy answer too, but it's the one that'll work.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I think it's a crappy answer too, but it's the one that'll work.

You actually believe that throwing billions of dollars into Mexico will solve its problems? What has NAFTA done to keep illegals from coming here besides nothing?

It's time Mexico learned to stand on its own two feet, the US became a superpower without anyone's help. With all the resources that country has, they could and should be wealthy too.

[x1stcav]

This crap has got to stop.

This is no different than what the North Koreans are trying to pull: international blackmail.

I'd rather spend extra money militarizing the southern border and maintaining what little sense of soveriegnty we have left.

[discostu]

Throwing? No. But I do know that the most effective way to stop massive Mexican immigration (legal and otherwise) is to make Mexico a place worth staying in. People leave the country in droves because it's poor and they can't feed they're family. Wise spending can accomlish a lot.

NAFTA in this case is a red herring, at the time NAFTA went through Mexico still had hardcore socialists in charge and the first thing they did was outlaw requesting a raise. Whatever NAFTA could have done for them went away the minute that was done (I believe that law is now gone). Also when you have as much unemployment as they have it takes a LOT of new jobs before the fuller employment begins lifting the wage scale.

It is time Mexico learned to stand on it's own feet. But remember the mess they're in was created by 80 years of socialism, you don't fix messes like that overnight. It's all a matter of timing. Eventually, if they manage to avoid sliding back into socialism, they will stand on their own feet, but that's a long way off. With guidance (and greenbacks) from us that necessary time can be shrunk drastically.

As for the resources they don't have anybody with the capital to get to them, they're being smart and not giving them away to foreign interests, they know the resources are the key. It's like having $10 million buried in your backyard but not being able to afford a shovel and the only people willing to lend you one want control of what's found.

[kaktuskid]

MEXICO HAS OIL
MEXICO HAS LARGE MINERAL RESOURCES
MEXICO HAS EXCELLENT FARMLAND
MEXICO can take care of its own people...if its govt can get out of the way (like privatizing Pemex!)

[JustAnAmerican]

"It's not a matter of fault it's a simple matter of solution. If we want to solve the problem that's the best solution, like most functional solutions determining who screwed up is really a waste of effort. I think it's a crappy answer too, but it's the one that'll work."

The best solution is to round up all the SOB's and send them back to the third world toilet they came from, and tell the Libs and the Soccer moms to kiss our a**. Then seal the border,and start putting anyone who knowingly hires an illegal, in jail. If the government doesn't start doing what we hired them to do I am willing to bet that within 3-5 years you will see a civil war in this country the likes of which will make the civil war of the 1800's pale in comparision.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

You make a few moderately good points. But, will this be the final shakedown? No, really, I mean that. Will they promise and double-promise that this will be the final shakedown? Scout's honor?

OK. But, can we pay them in pennies?

[discostu]

Yeah right. Just round up a couple million people scattered randomly through out the nation and seal a 2000 mile long border on rough terrain. Easy stuff. I'm talking real world here not hypotheticals. If your solution were even remotely physically possible it would be the best solution, problem is there's no way it can be done.

[discostu]

No, the last shakedown won't occur until we say no a few times, that's just human psychology people (and nations) will continue to ask for handouts until you've proven they aren't getting anymore. The trick is to make this one work, so then we can say no without guilt (or give up and start saying no now, I'm hep to that).

[Reaganwuzthebest]

With guidance (and greenbacks) from us that necessary time can be shrunk drastically.

It isn't going to work because the environment that has created the mess in Mexico has shown no signs of going away. We cannot spend it into prosperity. Until they have created a system where the rule of law is supreme and free enterprise can thrive without government interference, giving them money is like throwing it down a black hole.

[discostu]

IMHO that's the kind of stuff the money should be spent on, creating the infrastructure necessary to actually have that kind of society.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Mexico has such abundant resources they could be as wealthy as Japan. They need more than a change of leadership, they need a whole new system.

[Centurion2000]

Hmmm .... so let's conquer it. Sell the resources, buy back the American debt and develop it.