At The State Capitol

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Upon reading that document remember the cry from the illegals "They are only here to feed their families". Then look at how Mexico brags about how strong it is financially. Who's getting lied to? Mexico has a lower unemployment rate than the US and its been that way for years.

[ilbegone]

Originally Posted by Jeanfromfillmore

Mexico has a lower unemployment rate than the US and its been that way for years.

There is lots of work in Mexico, however there is very little financial reward for labor - shit wages.

There was also talk about the safety in mexico right now, and there were reassurances that people who lived there feel safe.

This is unmitigated bullshit. I've talked to enough Mexicans about governmental corruption and criminal shakedowns for money. Cartels force ranchers off their property to grow pot, lots of people disappear without a trace.

They never mentioned the problems of drug trafficking, illegal entry, or crime that is the main reason we have a border that slows them down. Their interest is in money

Exactly.

[Ayatollahgondola]

Cal channel has the video of the committee meeting up for view. My commentary doesn't come up until the end at about 1:47.

http://www.calchannel.com/channel/viewVideo/2488

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Originally Posted by ilbegone

There is lots of work in Mexico, however there is very little financial reward for labor - shit wages.



This is unmitigated bullshit. I've talked to enough Mexicans about governmental corruption and criminal shakedowns for money. Cartels force ranchers off their property to grow pot, lots of people disappear without a trace.



Exactly.

This is some information most people don't know. This is the buying power of the citizens of both Mexico and the US for 2008 and 2009. These are the last years I could find the stats. You'll notice Mexico's personal buying power was better in 2009 than the US. As for their paying "shit wages" that is not necessarily the real facts when you see the stats. What is happening is the lowest of Mexico's labor force is being force to the US, but most in Mexico are being paid much better.

Purchasing Power per pop


2008 Mexico $12,400 US $13,780

2009 Mexico $13,900 US $13,820

[ilbegone]

Originally Posted by Jeanfromfillmore

This is some information most people don't know. This is the buying power of the citizens of both Mexico and the US for 2008 and 2009. These are the last years I could find the stats. You'll notice Mexico's personal buying power was better in 2009 than the US. As for their paying "shit wages" that is not necessarily the real facts when you see the stats. What is happening is the lowest of Mexico's labor force is being force to the US, but most in Mexico are being paid much better.

Purchasing Power per pop


2008 Mexico $12,400 US $13,780

2009 Mexico $13,900 US $13,820

I'm not sure what you are talking about.

This is what I've heard:

There's lots of work in Mexico, but there's no money... Some of those coming here have a very good life on the ranch, but there's no money. Those who do have money are extorted by various means, quite a few who have disappeared seem to have resisted extortion demands.

I read an article in the Press Enterprise a week or so ago I almost posted here, it's not a propaganda piece for American consumption. It was headlined something like Mexicans are the hardest working people in the world.

According to the article, the number of hours Mexican nationals work in Mexico to make the barest of living standards exceeds that of even the Japanese. A Mexican government official who was interviewed for the piece said that it demonstrated the failure of the Mexican nation towards its citizens.

There is no such thing as welfare in Mexico, if you don't work, you don't eat.

I've read about the failure of subsistence farming - in part due to government subsidized imported American corn, population overflow from the pueblos to the cities, the trash pickers of Mexico City. You can see that those who come here definitely know how to stretch a nickle.

It seems to me that people in Mexico are far more inclined to be concerned about the price of tortillas than following the stock market.

I've seen fences at tumble down farm housing in the San Joaquin made out of a fantastic array of materials woven into a tight structure, from sticks to pieces of old table and maybe the occasional scrap bumper. I've even seen a clothes wash basin / scrubbing board made out of stone in the back yard of Mexican Nationals living in San Bernardino.

You can't tell me that the majority of those who have nearly emptied whole pueblos in Mexico to come here do so because they have the same buying power in Mexico as Americans do in America with resultant equal living standards.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Originally Posted by ilbegone

I'm not sure what you are talking about.

This is what I've heard:

There's lots of work in Mexico, but there's no money... Some of those coming here have a very good life on the ranch, but there's no money. Those who do have money are extorted by various means, quite a few who have disappeared seem to have resisted extortion demands.

I read an article in the Press Enterprise a week or so ago I almost posted here, it's not a propaganda piece for American consumption. It was headlined something like Mexicans are the hardest working people in the world.

According to the article, the number of hours Mexican nationals work in Mexico to make the barest of living standards exceeds that of even the Japanese. A Mexican government official who was interviewed for the piece said that it demonstrated the failure of the Mexican nation towards its citizens.

There is no such thing as welfare in Mexico, if you don't work, you don't eat.

I've read about the failure of subsistence farming - in part due to government subsidized imported American corn, population overflow from the pueblos to the cities, the trash pickers of Mexico City. You can see that those who come here definitely know how to stretch a nickle.

It seems to me that people in Mexico are far more inclined to be concerned about the price of tortillas than following the stock market.

I've seen fences at tumble down farm housing in the San Joaquin made out of a fantastic array of materials woven into a tight structure, from sticks to pieces of old table and maybe the occasional scrap bumper. I've even seen a clothes wash basin / scrubbing board made out of stone in the back yard of Mexican Nationals living in San Bernardino.

You can't tell me that the majority of those who have nearly emptied whole pueblos in Mexico to come here do so because they have the same buying power in Mexico as Americans do in America with resultant equal living standards.

What you're comparing is the lowest rung, that is what is sent here from Mexico, not the average Mexican. As you know, 10% of Mexico is now here and it's not their average citizen. When you compare the average Mexican with the average American there is only a small difference in their buying power. Numbers don't lie. What you and most here in the US have been exposed to over the years is the lowest end of Mexico.

Mexico has Gucci, Prada and all the other high end stores just like Beverly Hills. But exposing just how wealthy Mexico is does not make for good propaganda.

I've seen people here in the US, in the outskirts of Bakersfield and Fresno that live in conditions about equal to those that we see in the commercials asking for donations for the poor in other countries. We have some very, very poor here. I was in what they called a "home" were the floor was made of broken plywood and the broken windows were covered with scraps of wood. But you don't see those places on the news, not unless they're in Mexico.

Mexico is the third richest country in the Americas, but all we're fed is that it is such a poor country, "they're so poor" crap. Those figures I gave are true, and the average Mexican in Mexico is not that bad off. Especially when you consider that Mexico has pushed much of its poor onto our soil. How much better would the average US citizen be if we were able to ship 10% of our country's poorest of poor off to another country. It would sure leave a lot of extra dollars in most of our pockets.

Take the time to look up just how "poor" Mexico really isn't. The other countries south of the US that are doing somewhat well are Chili and Argentina. There may be more, but I didn't have the time to look at all of them.

[ilbegone]

What is coming here is indeed the lowest class; the most ignorant, the least able to make it in Mexico - I've said that all along, and , for several reasons, Mexico is pushing it's poor into the United States, but there's not much of a middle class in Mexico. The developing Middle class was decimated by the oil bust of 1981 and the subsequent devaluation of the peso.

If you took wealthy Mexicans the likes of Carlos Slim and divided their combined wealth with the total population of Mexico you might have a decent per capita indication of wealth. but that's a false assumption, and just because there isn't general, widespread starvation doesn't mean there is a lot of money swirling around among the general population.

If there can be a favorable comparison made concerning "buying power" in a nation of extremely cheap labor (minimum wage $11.00 or so a day), it is only due to remittances from America and whatever money trickles down from the drug trade.

[Ayatollahgondola]

Stopped by the state capitol today. There were two events going on, but one was mainly the in-home services people screaming for mercy in regards to benefit cuts. Lots of people in wheelchairs, and some spanish chanting. I went inside and visited Tim donnely's office to make a request. I was treated ok in there today. the halls of the lower floor were awash in school kids. Hundreds of them. Don't know what that was about, however I'm sure it was a lobbying trip in addition to a field trip. I might mention the in-home people got rained on pretty good.
I couldn't stay long there because I had planned to attend a county supervisors meeting to protest a bit in regards to an appointment they were making to the fair housing advisory board. I actually made a difference in there today, but it is likely to be short lived. I'll update you on that one when it reconvenes on the 7th

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Originally Posted by Jeanfromfillmore

This is some information most people don't know. This is the buying power of the citizens of both Mexico and the US for 2008 and 2009. These are the last years I could find the stats. You'll notice Mexico's personal buying power was better in 2009 than the US. As for their paying "shit wages" that is not necessarily the real facts when you see the stats. What is happening is the lowest of Mexico's labor force is being force to the US, but most in Mexico are being paid much better.

Purchasing Power per pop


2008 Mexico $12,400 US $13,780

2009 Mexico $13,900 US $13,820

This is why Mexico is doing so well. Look up how that country is doing!