Posted on 04/08/2006 3:22:43 PM PDT by Shuttle Shucker
Mexican lawmakers won backing from the nation´s largest business group for a bill to increase competition in industries ranging from telecommunications to manufacturing, paving the way for passage as early as this month.
The legislation, which would increase fines for anti-competitive practices, limit appeals and force repeat offenders to sell assets, may be voted on by the Chamber of Deputies Economy Committee on April 18, said Jorge Luis Hinojosa, a member of the committee. The full house would vote two days later, barring significant changes, and the Senate by the end of the month, he said.
Teléfonos de México SA, the fixed-line telephone company controlled by Carlos Slim, is among companies in Mexico whose high prices are limiting the nation´s ability to compete, central bank Governor Guillermo Ortiz said March 8.
The proposed law is aimed at curbing such dominance to help spur economic growth and create jobs, said Eduardo Pérez Motta, chief of the anti-trust agency. "It´s a law that will have a big impact on the country´s competitiveness, on growth, on employment and with very clear benefits for consumers," Pérez said in an interview late Thursday.
The lower house committee on Thursday reached agreement on the bill with the Business Coordinating Council (CCE for its intials in Spanish) )and the antitrust agency, Hinojosa, a member of President Vicente Fox´s National Action Party, said in an interview on Thursday. The law would increase fines to as much as 10 percent of annual sales and create incentives for executives to bring forth evidence of anti-competitive practices, said Pérez.
The agency would have the power to make visits to companies to verify compliance and could break up companies that repeat offenses, he said. "Mexico has been losing competitiveness and a lot of it is because inside the country there hasn´t been competition," said Hinojosa. "The intention of this law is to give incentive inside Mexico so there are no monopolies and to give access for more competition in markets."
Companies backed the bill after lawmakers agreed to require a court order for verification visits and to limit the visits to information previously cited, said Oscar Fitch, a member of the business council. Business executives also demanded clearer definitions under the law for terms such as monopolistic practices and efficient markets.
"We´re now all in agreement," said Fitch, president of the Mexico-City lobbying firm Fitch & Asociados. "It´s a step forward because it´s a more modern law, it gives us more legal certainty and there´s less discretion on the part of authorities."
Telmex said in a statement it declined to comment on the law while it´s still under debate in Congress. The number of appeals from companies that use several courts to delay implementation of decisions may drop by 30 percent under the new law, Pérez said.
re: "It's significant because in the past it was rather unheard of for a govt. official to act so patriotically down there"
Minor disagreement. A significant part of the PAN party has ALWAYS been pro-capitalist, pro-competition. The problem is that the mercantilist/socialist PRI and the trotskyite/green PRD have a majority of the seats in the legislative branch. And, of course, a few PAN party members can't agree tactics.... when to advance the runner and when to swing for the fences.... sound familiar to our conservatives?
The challenge and opportunity is in framing the debate. Notice how the illegal immigrant community is very free market... But because the free market political leaders lack the courage of their convictions... and lack the concept of getting out in front of the parade, the rhetoric of the free market immigrants is being ripped-off by the leftist ANSWR types. Ripping off somebody else's movement is a carefully taught tactic in leftist classes on the strategy and tactics of organizing. That is what we see happening.
What is tragic is that so many people on all sides don't realize what is happening.
I agree with what you posted and I thank you for having given this thread's contents some thought. We may win this struggle yet, and turn back the tide of statist malaise's overtaking all of Latin America. The United States Trade Representative could help, don't you think?
Fox is saying he's still going for "la enchilada completa"
http://www.oem.com.mx/elsoldemexico/notas.asp?urlnota=110406fox
Eeks, I need a translation.
Mexico doesn't have to take care of the poor, jobless, illiterates, etc., because they're already in the US. Only the Spanish/white oligarchy and some of the middle class are left. The middle class is already packing for the trip north, however, so Mexico will only have to 'take care' of the wealthy oligarchy.
I hate Mexico. (If they were all Russians or Hottentots, I'd feel the same.)I hate democrats and globalists. (I'm not having a good day.) All those ridiculous American flags yesterday, and the 'I love America' shouts orchestrated by the left, Hispanic rights org's and dems. Notice the word, 'illegal' was absent from yesterday's discussions. 'Immigrants and compassion' was quoted on every newscast as if anyone trying to uphold the law is a vicious, hateful racist. It's nothing less than invasion and an attempt at a power grab by dems and libs who don't give two cents what happens to this country.
I forgot to piont out that the US is going to 'rebuild Mexico's infrastructure', thank you very much, Vicente Fox. Another job Mexicans don't feel like doing, so the US has to do it for them.
That's 'point'. Sorry. Minidachshunds at the keyboard.
Mexico's poverty rate's at over 60% by some estimates.
http://babelfish.altavista.com (online translator)
Thanks. They have highlight-proofed the text, can't copy and paste. Will read later and struggle with my Spanish to understand.
I don't recall that the article was particularly worthwhile, just that it used your nick. But here's a brand new article from one of Mexico's leading papers online, stating that McCain is confident that his immigration proposal will get passed:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/342378.html
The silly thing is...they have plenty of oil, just little or no investment in seeking new finds. Socialism and nationalism in oil is BS. It's the centerpiece of their political control in that nation, and one of the reasons that country sucks at life.
It's their constitution--that's the problem, and those invested in the given status quo.
The petro monopoly continues to exist in large part because the unions and protesters in general down there still get away with blocking traffic when they seek to protest something. Most Mexicans DETEST this sort of thing and I think it's only a matter of time (hopefully after July 2nd's federal elections) before it's not only outlawed but punished. Then we'll see what happens to Mexico's monopolies, labor unions or not. ;-)
^
A fellow gringo pioneer in Mexico City just e-mailed this to me, rather gleefully (as if we're getting through to the media at last):
FOX NEWS just ran a segment on what's wrong with Mexico. Of course the local Mexican
people interviewed blamed the government and corruption (even as the two rather monopolistic Mexican television networks won't air such commentary in depth). They said that with all of
Mexico's resources, the government must be inept. Then the
reporter spoke about the ridiculously high phone, petroleum and electricity prices, and how hard it still is to fire useless employees in Mexico (because labor unions can still block traffic with their protests and with impunity). The
reporter also stated that the powers that control Mexico always used the U.S.A. as
an economic outlet (if not a scapegoat), going so far as to print maps on how to cross the
desert. Then there was an excerpt of how right-wing Mexican presidential candidate Felipe Calderon said that Mexico needs to create more jobs. The reporter
concluded his report by asking sarcastically "maybe the Mexicans should not be
demonstrating in the USA but instead in Mexico?"
Now that's what I call fair and balanced! :-)
Interestingly enough, even Hillary kind of "gets it" where Mexico's nearly omnipotent oligarchs are concerned:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/411104p-347791c.html
"[Mrs. Clinton] said she favors a "carrot-and-stick" approach with Mexico to provide that government and its "oligarchs" the incentives to give Mexicans more and better jobs in their own country."
Well, half of Mexico's federal congress just approved this new federal competition (antimonopoly) law with minimal changes:
http://www.el-universal.com.mx/notas/345205.html
The Senate is poised to pass it on Thursday and I doubt Vicente Fox will veto it if that happens. Carlos Slim's oligarchical armor may begin to crack despite being #3 on Forbes' global list of billionaires.
In other news, right-winger Felipe Calderon is now leading in some presidential polls going into tonight's first televised presidential debate of the season (in which Leftie AMLO is not even participating, cowardly enough).
Well well well! Mexico's new anti-monopoly bill (with actual teeth!) is now law:
http://www.el-universal.com.mx/notas/345805.html
Mexican reformers got the umph that they needed from us loyal neighbors North of the Rio Grande who helped drive home the message to the masses (that formerly bucked such reformers) that it's high time for Mexico to create more jobs in its own wealthy (but monopoly-plagued) country. Mexico's phone monopoly TelMex can no longer get away with price gouging while claiming to be the only truly Mexican company, a trait that supposedly entitled it to continue with its predatory practices.
What's the next step in making our Southern neighbor less dependent upon our own country's jobs, and better able to buy more from us? Other than hoping that a communist won't win the presidential elections this July 2nd, I think it's time we demand that Mexico open up its own immigration laws to our gringo entrepreneurs and retirees. If you haven't read this list of some of the discrepancies between our laws and theirs yet, brace yourselves:
http://www.directory.com.mx/immigration
Rush Limbaugh touched on some of these matters with his impressive "Limbaugh Laws" a few weeks ago. I've not seen the double-standard played up in the media lately though, even as amnesty may get approved on the Hill here in the states by the end of May. And as you know, Bush is the first president in centuries to go this long without vetoing a single bill. Ike Eisenhower had a GOP-controlled Congress, too, but he nevertheless vetoed (while also warning us of govt. contractor abuse$ in his famous farewell address). Wasn't it Ben Franklin who said the people have the govt. that they deserve?
Thanks for the ping. I suggest posting the above in this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611802/posts
That is where we round up all the news on immigration and Mexico.
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