Mexico's capital, 9 states vote on nation's oil industry {referendum, privatizing Pemex}

A bitter debate on how to rescue Mexico's troubled state-owned oil company went directly to the people Sunday as residents of the capital and nine states voted in a nonbinding referendum on President Felipe Calderon's plan to open some portions of the petroleum industry to outsiders.

The vote, organized by the opposition Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, has no official bearing on energy legislation making its way through Congress. But opponents of Calderon's reforms hope a decisive "no" vote will force legislators to back off.

The balloting was the first of three so-called Citizen Consultation referendums over the next month that will eventually cover Mexico's 31 states and federal district. Organizers were gearing up for as many as 2 million people to cast ballots in the capital alone Sunday, although a light turnout was reported at some polling places.

Mexico City's historic center was bustling with poll workers wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "I decide," the referendum's slogan. A six-piece band performed "The oil isn't for sale," a popular refrain among Mexicans wary of privatizing Pemex, the state oil company.

A mix of urban youth, working people and seniors, some wearing sombreros and traditional garments, lined up at the outdoor polling stations. Some said they viewed participation as a civic duty.

"The petroleum . . . belongs to the people and to the Mexican nation," said Rafael Mendoza Villeda, an agricultural consultant. "We are defending the oil that's at the heart of the country."

Shoemaker Jose Picon Fuentes said he doubted that Mexico's industry could be strengthened with more private-sector help. "The people want the oil to stay in the hands of the state," he said.

Mexico has never been a friend of our United States.

Based on old pesos!

The looters of Mexico want to have the freedom to loot America.

After spending several years starting oil exploration
crews for Pemex, I think I have The reason Mexico has
become so bad.

I like the Mexican people in the fly over parts of Mexico.
The mid level and workers of Pemex are good.
It is the government and the high up in Pemex that are
the vultures and looters.

The peso was about 8 cents (12.5 to a dollar).
When Pemex found the sito grande, a very large oil pool
that covers parts of the states of Chiapas and Tabasco
also a long ways into the Gulf of Mexico.

Pemex borrowed billions to produce this great oil find.
The looters (government) stole most of the money and what
they did buy was junk oil rigs and drill pipe, etc.
1,000 pesos which was worth about $80 now will not buy
a coke (old pesos).
This was due to the looters stealing billions from the Mexican people.

Instead of overthrowing the looters the Mexican people
had an out, they had no weapons and they could cross into
America and have a much safer life.
This hurts both Mexico and America as Mexico lost some
of it’s hardest workers.
The gangbangers and welfare frauds also came over from
Mexico as they could rape and pillage at will.

The government of Mexico is propped up by the billions
sent back by the illegals and by our government having
borders that are too open.

The only chance I see to help America and Mexico is to
seal the border, deport the people who are not here
legally.
We also need to arm the Mexican people so they can have
a chance against the looters with their armies.

“But legislators for decades treated Pemex like a cash machine, siphoning its revenue while reinvesting little in exploration and development. Now Mexico has less than a decade’s worth of proven reserves remaining. Pemex lacks the expertise and capital to drill deep-water wells, which can cost more than $100 million.”
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PEMEX, the “state within a state” is an utterly rotten institution and a showpiece example of why government should not “own the means of production.”

It is the Death Star of patronage pits, a notorious polluter and so inefficient that it’s output has been declining for years. It requires new talent, honest management and joint ventures to make full use of its resources, none of which can happen unless the law creating it is reformed. But, as the article makes clear, Mexican politicians have always been good at blaming foreigners and yanquis for their people’s troubles and manipulating mindless nationalism.

PEMEX and Mexico’s public education system, are but two of the institutions that need to be reformed if Mexico’s people are ever going to have real opportunities in their own country.

Then again, I shouldn’t get to high hat here, WE after all have Fannie and Freddie...

That’s what someone needs to get into the heads of El Jorge and El Mavericko with their patronizing “noblesse oblige” attitudes towards Mexicans.

We are doing the poor and downtrodden of our friendly neighbor to the south NO favors by allowing this sick symbiosis to continue. It’s just propping up that rotten old oligarchy that’s been mismanaging the place and exploing the people and natural resources for 475 years. The only way their system will reform itself is if it absolutely has to. And it won’t ever have to as long as we provide the safety valve.

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