Posted on 11/13/2005 5:11:34 PM PST by dennisw
President Bush announced he will begin the long-awaited Congressional push of his immigration-reform proposal. This brought new hope in Mexico that at long last President Fox's 2000 campaign promise may still be kept before next year's presidential elections. His PAN party could well use the victory, as it is in desperate need of a major achievement in its effort to hold on to the presidency, which as of now looks dismal.
It has long been held by most countries that immigration policy must be based on what is best for the country, not for the immigrant.
Mexico's immigration policy is very much based on this concept, as it should be. It is not easy for foreigners to simply apply for and receive a work-permit visa. Even to purchase a vacation home whether through title or a bank-trust (fideicomiso) in the foreign ownership forbidden zones requires a visa and proof of income from outside Mexico. Such visas are easy to obtain but must be renewed annually and do not permit holders to work in Mexico. Foreigners retiring in Mexico to obtain a visa must show proof of no less than $1,500 per month, and such a visa will not allow them to work.
Like the U.S. and other countries, Mexico does make it easy for certain individuals to obtain permanent residency (and eventual citizenship) allowing work in certain professions or for executives of multinational companies working in Mexico, business, industrial and real estate investors, etc. Such visas are clearly in Mexico's best interest, but like in the U.S., a low-income foreigner looking to immigrate to Mexico to compete with low-income national workers has no chance of being welcomed.
However, Mexico wants - no, insists - that the best U.S. immigration policy is one that considers what is best for Mexican immigrants and Mexico, while paying only lip service to their needed reforms negating the need for Mexicans to seek economic asylum in the U.S. And this is of course where the friction comes in. But, the U.S. bears much of the blame for spoiling Mexico on this issue.
I describe it as "spoil" because for decades the U.S. looked the other way while generation after generation of Mexican governments showed a high degree of competence for helping themselves to the wealth of their nation but limited competence on managing their vast country's assets. For 70 years the U.S. was well aware that Mexico's political system was under an institutional authoritarian and corrupt dictatorship and did and said nothing.
And, while supposedly guarding the border, it was miraculous how, after the cancellation of the Bracero program, during agricultural high seasons border guards seemed to evaporate, allowing a steady flow of workers in the country. And this, too, spoiled Mexico because that flow of workers acted as the steam-valve on a pressure-cooker holding social unrest at a minimum. This also allowed Mexico to ignore investing on needed economic development infrastructure to create more jobs that in turn would have kept more people home. With each succeeding administration the situation grew worse, and more and more Mexicans sought economic opportunity in the U.S.
While our government was indifferent to the plight of the Mexican people, the Mexican worker spoiled many U.S. industries. Do you want someone to work 60 minutes an hour and not complain - to the contrary, be grateful for the job at half the rate paid domestic workers? Hire Mexicans. Do you want someone to pick vegetables in temperatures over 100 degrees? Hire Mexicans. Do you want someone to pour hot tar on roofs in the heat of summer? Hire Mexicans. Do you want someone to clean better than 20 hotel rooms a day? Hire Mexicans. Do you want someone to clean over 30,000 square feet of office space in a shift? Hire Mexicans.
Fox's administration is well aware of the U.S. dependence on low-wage, hard-working Mexicans and feels he has a strong hand insisting that Mexicans already here be granted residency, and create a guest-worker program allowing several hundred thousand more workers to legally enter the U.S.
This again lets the Mexican government off the hook from investing on job creation infrastructure, while gaining close to $20 billion annually on remittances sent home by Mexicans in the U.S.
So let's hear from Mexico. What are you going to do to better the life of your own people so they won't have to leave?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Osio, editor of HispanicVista.com, at Posiojr@hispanic.sdcoxmail.com.
Used to be in this country, there was a place to go for those who are, at best, semi-skilled labor. Not any more. Mexicans are absolutely taking over all of the low skill jobs that used to be stepping stones for Americans to use to build a better life, or just to earn a decent, though not great, living.
Anyone who has observed mexican illegals here in this country knows that they are primarily a hardworking God-fearing people with plenty of potential. Mexico has been blessed with a hard-working people, and abundant natural resources. There is no reason that it couldn't join the first world nations of the world, except for the ingrained culture of kleptocracy and corruption maintained by its ruling class.
The United States has facilitated this culture of corruption by not speaking out forcefully against it, and serves as a safety valve for the mexican government that would otherwise have to deal with a restive citizenry if this safety valve didn't otherwise exist. I've come to the conclusion that one of the drivers behind our acceptance of this corruption in our southern neighbor is related to a certain extent from the 'soft bigotry of low expectations'. I really like that phrase, as it is so descriptive of so many things in our society that drives wrong-headed thinking.
We don't expect better out of the mexican government because the 'elite' classes in this country seem to think they aren't capable of better. It's time to implement some tough love to bring the kleptocrats into the 21st century. If we don't we'll continue to pay the price for it.
My best friends wife is an apartment manager here in Indianapolis, and recently was sent to learn Spanish so she could better deal with the large number of Hispanic residents. There are also certain areas here in town where you drive down the street and all you see are business signs in spanish.
I have a Hispanic friend in construction who gripes about the quality of illegals' work.
All true from you!!!
A quick search will expose Dane as an "open border, cheap immigrant slave labor is good for the US" type.
You are correct about Illegals in the housing industry. A family I know just bought a new home from a large developer who uses lots of Illegals in their construction. Problems with this new home are too numerous to mention but suffice to say, the nerve racking experience of buying a new home was positively nightmarish. The capper was, some of these "good laborers" used my friends new home as their personal flop house. Toilets overflowing -no water on yet- and trash everywhere.
Was this house cheaper than those from other developers in the area who do not use illegal labor? Of course not.
Oh, I'm still fighting but sometimes I need a break from the threads to keep what's left of my sanity. ;^)
ping
Mexico is America's parasite.
Meanwhile, from the south comes the populist Chavez to make siren music to the ears of the Mexican downtrodden.
Fox must engage in verbal warfare to keep the music away.
There are going to be bad problems between Mexico and Venezuela.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
BTTT
They still do...read this
I've been doing the same exact thing. Guess we're just "doing the jobs that no illegals will do right".
"I've been doing the same exact thing. Guess we're just "doing the jobs that no illegals will do right"."
I coudn't have put it better!
Thanks!
Bumpin' your post!!
Excellent response!
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