Thread: Panelists: U.S. should help Mexico create jobs

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/14839491.htm

Posted on Sat, Jun. 17, 2006


IMMIGRATION
Panelists: U.S. should help Mexico create jobs
The Mexican border would be less of a problem if the United States would help create jobs south of the Rio Grande, panelists told a convention of Hispanic journalists.
BY LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
Associated Press

The United States can build a wall to keep immigrants out, but it must work more closely with Mexico if it has any hope of reducing the massive flow of illegal immigrants, panelists including CNN anchor Lou Dobbs and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson told Hispanic journalists Friday during a national conference in Fort Lauderdale.

Dobbs, who has campaigned intensely to strengthen border security and stop illegal immigration, blamed Mexico for the large numbers of immigrants crossing the borders.

''Mexico is a shame for its people, for what it's done for its people in the last 30 years,'' he said, adding that it ''exports its poor to the United States,'' while failing to provide jobs and education for them.

But Richardson, a Democrat, said Washington needs to work more closely with the Mexican government on joint antismuggling efforts, joint patrols and job creation.

''What's wrong with Mexico creating, along with our assistance, jobs along the border?'' he said to a group of more than 2,000 writers, editors and broadcasters at the 24th annual convention of the National Association of Hispanic journalists.

Richardson said the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was supposed to help provide jobs in Mexico, has not brought the promised prosperity.

Former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda, an opponent of NAFTA, agreed. He pointed to prosperous European Union countries that have invested heavily in poorer neighboring countries to successfully avoid mass immigration.

''We thought at the time it should have been part of NAFTA,'' said Castañeda, ``but we can still do it.''

Mexicans remain by far the largest group of undocumented migrants at 5.9 million, or about 57 percent, according to an analysis of government data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a private research group. Some 2.5 million others, or 24 percent, are from other Latin American countries.

Castañeda said that if conservative Mexican presidential candidate Felipe Calderon -- whom he supports -- is elected next month, he will likely follow President Vicente Fox's efforts to work closely with President Bush to reduce illegal immigration.

He said leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party would more likely take the traditional Mexican government stance: ``It's not our problem. It's your problem.''

Dobbs dismissed the notion that Mexico was seeking to stop immigration and asserted that the United States can and should act unilaterally.

''The president says we can't deport people. The fact is that we can,'' he said. ``The president says we can't build a wall across our borders. The fact is we can.''

In a moment that elicited laughter throughout the audience, Richardson turned to Castañeda and said in Spanish, ''Listen Jorge, are you going to let him go on like that,'' referring to Dobbs' criticism of the Mexican government.

During the debate Castañeda said Mexico is not just losing its poor.

''We are losing our brightest, our most adventurous and most entrepreneurial,'' Castañeda said.

The debate comes as chances are looking increasingly slim that the House and Senate will reach a compromise bill before the November midterm elections.

The Senate passed a bill last month that would provide a path to citizenship for some of the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, while allowing others to obtain renewable three-year guest worker visas. But House leaders now say they want to extensively review the Senate bill. The House's law-enforcement version lacks any provisions for eventual citizenship or temporary workers status.

U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services head Emilio Gonzalez had been scheduled to join the debate but canceled his appearance about two weeks ago. USCIS spokesman Dan Kane said Gonzalez ''had a scheduling conflict and he was unable to make that conference.'' He would not say what the conflict was and declined to comment further.

Where in the world did the whole idea that the US is responsible for Mexico come from?

The US owes nothing to Mexico and does not HAVE to do anything for Mexico!

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Where in the world did the whole idea that the US is responsible for Mexico come from?

The US owes nothing to Mexico and does not HAVE to do anything for Mexico!
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I agree with that 100%. I say if we have any responsibility at all it's simply telling them to get their act in gear and we aren't hand-holding anymore. They have resources and people and money. It's just corrupt and they have to get a grip on that. It's THEIR problem. Even if we did....the corruption would destroy our efforts and they'd still be where they are now.

''We are losing our brightest, our most adventurous and most entrepreneurial,'' Castañeda said.

If the individuals sneaking across are your "brightest, our most adventurous and most entrepreneurial,'' then Mexico is in worse shape than even I thought.

I guess he doesn't realize that our bar is considerably higher.