Posted on 04/03/2006 12:16:03 PM PDT by Rockitz
Certainly there are many poor people in Mexico, since perhaps half the country lives in poverty. However, the nation as a whole is quite rich — see the documented facts listed below — and could well finance the sort of improvements in education and infrastructure that would better the living standards of all Mexicans. But the Mexican ultra-rich, like telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim shown here, don't like to tax themselves for investment the country badly needs for infrastructure and education, and it helps them greatly that the American taxpayer has been forced to support Mexicans living in the United States.
Interestingly, the Forbes list of billionaires published in 2006 showed Carlos Slim moving up to the number three spot among the world's richest men.
Every dollar spent in U.S. taxes for social services for illegal aliens frees up additional cash to be sent south as part of the annual remittances which provided $20 billion in 2005. According to the CNN news show Lou Dobbs Tonight (3/21/05), "Remittances, as they're called, are expected to become Mexico's primary source of income this year, surpassing the amount of money that Mexico makes on oil exports for the first time ever."
So when el Presidente Vicente Fox complains that the "dignity" of Mexicans living illegally in America requires that they receive free healthcare on the U.S. taxpayer's dime, he is really talking about increased remittances to keep their whole corrupt system afloat.
Consider these relevent facts:
• Mexico has the second-highest highest Gross Domestic Product in Latin America, after being #1 for several years over second-place Brazil.
• When measured in GDP per capita, Mexico ranks #1 as of 2005, ahead of Chile and Venezuela.
• According to Forbes magazine, a substantial proportion of Latin American billionaires, 10 out of 26, were Mexican as of 2005.
• Mexico raises less revenue through taxation than nearly any other Latin American country, just 12 percent which is one reason why the nation's wealth is not better utilized. By comparison, the United States takes in 25-28 percent of its gross domestic profit in taxes. Even Brazil taxes itself at twice the Mexican rate.
• Economist Gary Hufbauer of the Institute for International Economics has remarked, "It's up to Mexico to solve its problem, and basically the wealthy classes do not want to tax themselves, period. While I'm not usually an advocate for larger government, Mexico is a country where public investment, done wisely, could pay huge dividends."
• Mexico expert Prof. George Grayson of William and Mary College calls Mexico an "immensely wealthy nation."
• Mexico's economy is the world's tenth largest.
• When the ruling party needed a hefty sum for the 1994 election, Presidente Salinas leaned on a group of rich businessmen to write $25 million checks each at an infamous dinner party, where contributions totaled a staggering $750 million by evening's end. Compare that with the measly $150 million campaign chest in spring 2004 that President Bush had accumulated after three years in office.
• Freedom House notes the cost of corruption: "According a recent study by the Mexico chapter of Transparency International, some $2.3 billion-approximately 1 percent-of the country's economic production goes to officials in bribes, with the poorest families paying nearly 14 percent of their income in bribes."
• Ricas y Famosas — Rich and Famous is a book of photos that takes a peek at the hidden world of the Mexican ultra-rich. Photographer Daniela Rossell used her membership in the exclusive club to reveal the decadent lifestyles of blonde women in gold lamé. It is a shocking view of the most extreme ostentatious wealth among great poverty.
• Sure Things in Mexico: Death, Taxes and Evasion According the recent rankings released from the IMD International, the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development placed Mexico at 56 out of 60 economies examined, largely because of a dearth of investment in everything from infrastructure to education. Due to its pathetic tax collection, Mexico cannot even buy schoolbooks or pay its police enough to live on, much less invest in its future.
• Lou Dobbs Tonight Transcript (12/16/04) The CNN news show shines a light on Mexican wealth. Particularly noteworthy is Prof. Grayson's remark: "There is a small economic elite who live like maharajas, and there's a political elite that protects them. Our border provides an escape valve which really lets the Mexican political and economic elite off the hook in terms of providing opportunities for their own people."
• While US Focuses on Iraq, Mexico is Collapsing June, 2005, and the symptoms of Mexico's failure as a state are accumulating. The recent takeover of border city Nuevo Laredo by the Mexican army because of the breakdown in law and order was so obvious.
Interestingly, Defense chief Donald Rumsfeld is guided by a secret Pentagon report which identifies Mexico as a potential failed state in the making.
For more, read "Mexico's Rich Don't Like To Pay Taxes — They Think You Should."
Well maybe this will. You live in a country that has an infrastructure ... schools ... roads ... cops ... airports ... seaports ... courts. Mexico, which can easily afford an infrastructure, simply does not have one worthy of the name.
Nothing is really functional in Mexico. It already is a socialist country on paper. In fact, to judge from the Constitution of 1910, it's fair to say that Mexico was the first communist country. That's on paper.
In real life, they don't take enough money from their economy to keep services up to a reasonable standard. The place is a home-less, road-less, hospital-less, law-less, hope-less hellhole.
Worst mistake we ever made was helping them dump Emperor Maximilian. He was probably Mexico's last chance to become a for-real country. Even he ran into heavy opposition from the elites, who simply do not want to allow "commoners" a chance to succeed. We put 30% of our GNP into taxes to keep the ship going. The Mexicans put in 5%. Hello?
Waddaya say we tax the hell out of those remittances? Maybe we can force the Mexican elites to start running the place like a country. The post says "Mexico is richer than Chile." Well, dude, Chile is one hell of a nice running, good-looking operation. Problems? Sure. But it's a for-real country. Mexico ain't.
Hear me well. I would not wish a punitive tax structure for these wealthy Mexicans, maybe even a fairer one than we have. But they should have to hold up their end of the continent a lot better. They are living off our taxes, not their own.
"There is no reason, other than corruption, for that nation to have so many poor. It's all so unnecessary"
It's not "corruption" as we understand the word, Mexico is a Communist country (Mao variety) in all but name.
Anyone with any indian blood is garbage and not allowed to have anything of consequence.
The Catholic church is used by the government to control the people, Until a Catholic was elected Governor of Northern Baja a few years ago there hadn't been one Catholic attain a position that high in over 70 years, they were all Masons and pure Spanish. I've know a number of them over the years and they have nothing but contempt for Mexicans and are not about to let them have anything.
Bingo
I remember the old Gallagher routine:
Mexico just discovered oil. They've had it for years, but they just discovered it.
"Mañana we will go looking for oil."
I have known for a long time that the super wealthy elite in Mexico blow ours away in terms of wealth and opulence.
I have also been saying for a while that one of the big reasons why we have so many illegals is because of the white Mexican elite wanting to ship their problems north, and forcing us to deal with them.
want to help the Mexican people out of poverty? We need to quit enabling the people who keep them impoverished.
Oh, and Mexico is the perfect example of a country in which the rule of law has broken down. Without law enforcement, a civilized society quickly breaks down into social and economic Darwinism. It's beneficial to a few, but quite detrimental to the society as a whole, and the majority of individuals that make it up. Without jurisdiction, enforcement is impossible. Without borders, jurisdiction does not exist. It's either strong borders, the UN, or total chaos (chaos inevitably leads to 'might makes right' vs. 'mob rules').
As sad as it seems....I think you might be right about Maximilian. Look at what kind of "leadership" Mexico has actually had over the last 140 years. Tragic.
No one's against infrastructure.
Spending trillions on Medicaid, welfare, entitlements and a huge inefficient bureacracy isn't spending on infrastructure.
Fox & Friends are just exporting the revolución that Americans won't do.
LOL
I just heard for the first time on the news over the weekend that Mexico is for the first time facing a severe labor shortage in the ag sector.
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Be Ever Vigilant!
They have one in the wings. Name is Manuel Lopez-Obrador (M-Lo), and he's up to his hips in bed with Chavez, Castro, all the playas. I frankly like the idea because then maybe we won't have the President out lips-to-glutes of the mexican strongman, and we can have a clear policy. (Why cant WE be the ones who have the strongman?)
^
Every thugocracy in the world tries to buy off their discontented by blaming the US. I wonder if Rome was in reality as nice as we try to be and everybody just trashed them.
So we KEPT THEM????? Sheeeze.
"I believe it was more like 69,000 they refused to take back."
How about filling the empty containers going back to China with them?
So, let me conjecture. The money that the campesinos send back is probably hit with a 10-15% moneychanging fee when the relative picks it up. If not more. Then they effectively have to spend it at the "company store" where the prices are all jacked up out of whack, and/or pay rent on the kinds of dumps you see in TJ. Anything left is probably taxed away.
Same damn thing as Africa. But closer to home and a lot closer to the bone.
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