By Sal Osio, JD

Mi Punto de Vista

From the Publisher’s Corner

January 2010

                 The mayhem in Mexico – over 15,000 dead and countless injured and left destitute and terrorized – as a result of the war on illicit drugs, is for naught. The genocide will continue as long the U.S. consumer demand for narcotics persists. And persist it will. We cannot stop substance abuse dependents and recreational drug users from indulging in their appetite of choice. The Prohibition proved that. We only have to look back at the 20’s and 30’s in our country to realize that we cannot eliminate popular demand for drugs by legal fiat.

By Richard N. Baldwin T. /HispanicVista.com

   January 2010

From Mexico City

                   I originally addressed this subject in my column "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!" on 25 September 2009. But the corruption in Washington accounting in increasing, believe it or not. So, Let's call this, "Figures Don't Lie, But Liars Figure".
Let's first mention Obamacare, as Michele Malkin calls it. Mr. O told us that he would not sign a health "reform" bill unless it is "deficit neutral". Let's look at how the latest versions of this bill address this requirement

By Raoul Lowery Contrera

January 2010

                       Romaualdo Pacheco was sworn in as California Governor in February 1875. He was the first and only Hispanic Governor of California. He was also the first Hispanic State Treasurer from 1863 until 1867.  He was the first Hispanic California Lt. Governor from 1871 until 1875. He was also the first elected Hispanic U.S. Congressman and the first Hispanic ambassador to several foreign countries. He won all his elections and his ambassadorial appointments as a Republican.

By Steven J. Ybarra, JD/HispanicVista.com

   January 2010

   Notas por La Casa Politica

It is the end of a year and the end of the decade. Last night there was a blue moon. This is when there are two new moons in the same month.  There will not be another blue moon at the beginning of a year for nineteen years. As always, the older one gets, the more one looks back to see the road traveled.

This last decade brought us Dick Cheney, who was by all standards the worst person named Dick ever.

 By Carlos Luken

Many political analysts find incredible that Mexico, a country that won its independence from Spain some two hundred years ago, and is about to celebrate the first centennial of its revolution, is still considered a ‘developing democracy”.

What most fail to understand is that the old adage, “Old habits die hard” is an understatement when referring to Latin American politics.  The region’s history suggest that  several countries and their population have a high degree of tolerance to endure even the most autocratic regimes

Maldonado's nomination makes both parties squirm

 By Joe Armendariz

Assemblyman Pedro Nava has the same remedy for every problem facing California. Indeed, regardless of the question, Pedro's answer is essentially the same, create a new tax; hike an existing tax; or make a temporary tax wider, deeper, and permanent.  Nava's advice for every fiscal ill that we face is to ask all of us to pay more taxes and call him in the morning…at which point he will probably be well on his way to his next political office. 

In his bodybuilding days, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was known for playing mind games on his opponents to knock them off stride. He may have done the same thing last week when he nominated Abel Maldonado, a Republican state senator from Santa Maria, as the next lieutenant governor.

Among the legislators who must confirm his appointment for it to stick, some Republicans revolted, still angry that Maldonado had broken from their ranks to endorse tax hikes favored by Schwarzenegger and Democrats in past budgets. Some Democrats signaled that they too may balk rather than give Republicans the seat going into the 2010 statewide elections

Study: Findings Contradict Older Research Showing Low Rates

WASHINGTON (November 19, 2009) – Center for Immigration Studies has published a detailed report on immigration and crime based on a variety of recently released data, including some obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. The newer government data implies that immigrants have relatively high rates of crime. This contradicts older academic research that generally found low rates of crime. The overall picture of immigrants and crime remains confused due to conflicting information and a lack of good data.

CIS Report Attempts to Erase 100 Years of Data
 November 18, 2009

Washington D.C. - A new report from the restrictionist group, Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), Immigration and Crime: Assessing a Conflicted Issue, attempts to overturn a century's worth of research which has demonstrated repeatedly that immigrants are less likely than the native-born to commit violent crimes or end up behind bars. The CIS report focuses much of its attention on questioning the accuracy of the 2000 Census data used in two studies in particular: The Myth of Immigrant Criminality and the Paradox of Assimilation, published by the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) in 2007, and Crime, Corrections, and California: What Does Immigration Have to Do with It?, published by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) in 2008. However, CIS ignores not only the many other sources of data in these two studies, but the myriad studies from other researchers which have reached the same conclusion. 

 By Juan A. Ocasio Rivera

The unsuspecting governor, smack in the middle of an important press conference, missed being hit by a projectile by mere inches. The projectile? Not a bullet, but an egg. An outraged citizen calling himself "The Common Guy" ("el tipo común") interrupted the press conference by screaming in outrage at Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño and by throwing a slider that landed on a sign highlighting a new development project the governor was announcing. As officers locked the man in a bear hug and carted him off, and as the press swarmed this "Common Guy," it became clear that this public display of resistance was not only transcendental for its raw expression of pain and anger, but was also symbolic and representative of everyone's frustration and open outrage at the turn of events on the island

Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an Economic Powerhouse in Georgia and Tennessee

 Washington D.C. - The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an integral part of Georgia's and Tennessee's economies and tax bases and are a growing share of voters in each state. As workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, immigrants and their children are an economic powerhouse. As voters, they are a growing political force. As these states work towards economic recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping and growing their economic and political landscape.

 Administration Aims to Reassure Older Americans Fearful of Losing Access to Care

By Ceci Connolly

Washington Post Staff Writer

Senior citizens are emerging as a formidable obstacle to President Obama's ambitious health-care reform plans.

The discontent in the powerful and highly organized voting bloc has risen to such a level that the administration is scrambling to devise a strategy to woo the elderly.

By Steve Schaffer, COHA Research Associate

In what was to become a growing trend throughout much of Latin America, the Mexican government unleashed its security forces against the drug cartels several years ago in what ended up being a failed effort at interdiction. The strategy was then to change: On August 23, 2009, Mexico City announced that it would be eliminating jail time for possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.

By Lisa Girion

Los Angeles Times

California HMOs reject one out of five medical claims, according to an analysis by the California Nurses Assn. of data the companies submit to the state.

The analysis -- the first of its kind based on state government-collected data -- concluded that from 2002 through June 30, 2009, five of the largest insurers in the state rejected 31.2 million claims for medical care, or 21% of all claims.

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written,  The Mexican Perspective: Establishing Personal & Business Relations by Understanding Their Culture & Protocol,   a short but intensive E-book on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The E-book is also an in depth primer on Mexican culture and protocol for better understanding that allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals. Literally this book has been of immense help to thousands, you too can gain from Mr. Osio's lifetime experience.  ONLY $9.95

For information on purchasing, write to HVCstore@aol.com

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