Interesting statements by the head of the
Mexican Population Control Council have seen publicity in both México and
the United States. The Council Secretary General is Elena Zuniga, a member
of the Fox administration who spoke at a U. N. Population Fund conference.
Briefly, Zuniga states the migration increase from México (largely to
the US) coincides with increasing security on the southern common border.
Interesting. She went on to state that "The effort to increase control of
the (US) border had not reduced migratory flows one little bit."
She states that "demographic" pressure and the lack of jobs in México
fuel the migration. She further predicts that when those pressures
decrease and with economic growth and reduced birthrates, the flow will
decrease. She says, "We will not be able to sustain the growth in
migration." She states that México's population is growing at 1% per year,
but will drop to 0.59% per year by 2030. By the way, México has one of the
or the lowest birth rate in Latin America. Emigration is expected to fall
to about 360,000 per year from the present 400,000 by 2030.
First, the statements appear that Zuniga is cheering on the migrants.
While slight changes in meaning can occur in translation, the idea matches
President Fox's calling these migrants "heroes of México", because of the
amount of remittances that they send home to México. This is México's
second highest source of foreign income. Billions of dollars only exceeded
by México's oil sales.
Arie Hoekman, the Population Fund's Mexican representative, states
that "lately, we are seeing a greater flow in undocumented migrants with
very low educational levels." He also states that "In some areas, they've
stopped working the land, and live off the money (remittances)".
This said, we can draw a few conclusions. First, it would seem that
so far, border control in the US has not been very effective. Second, we
should ask some questions as to why. And we should state one thing; the
majority of these migrants are not going north to go on welfare. They are
working. If not, there would not be that volume of remittances being sent
south.
So let's ask some whys:
Money, well spent, is the answer to many of México's problems. México
is the 5th largest world oil producer, yet the profits are drained to
support a bloated and expensive government bureaucracy and a bloated labor
force of the Oil Company. México has the highest worker to barrel produced
ratio of any major oil producer in the world. Why not run the Oil Company
(Pemex) as a business instead of a political tool? Why not trickle down
some of this money to improve education and rural infrastructure to
provide jobs and production productivity in the areas where most of the
northward migration takes place? Instead of trying to look for money from
outside, why not use Mexican money to make México a better place to live?
México has one of the lower tax collection rates ratios of the GDP
than other Latin American countries. As said before, México permits an
"informal", nontax paying economy of more than 30% of its GDP. This is
ridiculous. Just think what a fair and efficient tax collection system
could do for the national good. Why don't we show the political courage to
move Mexico into the modern world for tax collection?
Speaking to improving México's internal economy, why not make a real
effort to develop a national market as China is doing? A strong national
market can be the major engine of improving the welfare of all Mexicans.
Yet, our political and business class prefers to keep things as they are.
Why? But to have a larger national market, more people have to have the
opportunity to make more money to spend in that market. Something about
providing the opportunity for people to make more money in the first place
like Henry Ford pushed. He wanted people to be able to afford his autos.
Why do we pay many of our politicians more that politicians in a far
richer nation, the US? We have governors that make more that the US
president. Our retired presidents receive pensions of around $1 million
dollars a year. We had a mayor of a small hard scrabble suburb of México
making more than any governor in the country. For a country with as high a
poverty rate as México does, how can we afford so rich a political class?
And speaking about the privileged political class, why do we have a
legal system that grants total immunity from the law while in office?
There are numerous examples of where the most flagrant abusers of the law
escape any prosecution by keeping themselves constantly in one office
after another. Something like the corrupt French system.
According to the president of our Supreme Court, México awards the
justice system here one of the lowest percentages of the GDP of any Latin
American country. Why? Isn't justice a priority?
Our national policies either forces or encourages our poverty class
to migrate and then send money home to their families. Is this something
to be proud of?
A national group of young political activists (representing 45% of
registered voters) is pressing for election reforms including the right of
recall if a politician fails to perform. Isn't this a good idea?
One would hope that our next president, whoever he may be, would give
some positive answers to these questions. And quit looking to foreigners
to bail México out.
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Richard N. Baldwin T., a HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com/)
contributing columnist, lives in Tlalnepantla, Edo de México. E-mail at:
R1041643422@aol.com
By
Richard N. Baldwin T. /HispanicVista.com