From the El Paso Times: "Juárez will soon be the object of a U.S. marketing campaign to channel money to the violence-torn city.
The Paso del Norte Group is registering a logo and the slogan "Amor por Juárez" (Love for Juárez) as two important parts of the effort. Juárez's city government granted it the rights for a campaign loosely patterned after a promotional effort that helped New York City rebound from economic chaos.
The logo already appears on bumper stickers across El Paso. It is a right hand making a peace sign and holding a heart.
"Amor por Juárez" merchandise will go on sale as soon as July at a shop at Mesa Street and Mills Avenue in Downtown El Paso."
And who will pay for this? Why, of course, we are: "This motivated high-level politicians to talk about Juárez. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Mexico City to discuss social development.
After that, the U.S. State Department, through its Agency of International Development, granted $1.53 million to the Paso del Norte Group to become the leaders of the fund-raising project for Juárez."
http://www.elpasotimes.com/juarez/ci_15330896
Juarez sits across from El Paso, TX and it is the murder capitol of Mexico, in which there are many competitors. Last year, there were over 3000 murders in Juarez.
Don't get me wrong, I do feel for the people of Juarez. I went to Juarez a few years ago and the poverty is horrendous.
But for the U.S. government to give Juarez and their allies in El Paso over $1,500,000 in taxpayer money for a feel good campaign is outrageous. They compare this to the campaign of I love New York, many years ago. I'm sorry, but I just don't think the drug dealers and smugglers really don't care about some slogan with a pretty picture.
Sen. Reid, Rep.'s Titus and Berkley, how do you feel about this?
Everything Old Is New Again
13 minutes ago
As people flee Juarez, they come to El Paso. NPR did a story a few days ago about a family of Mexican-Americans who live on the U.S. side of the border while the father (a U.S. citizen) works as a lawyer in Mexico (he is not licensed to practice law in the U.S.). He expressed concerns about his family's safety and said that his children will stay in the U.S. He does not always feel safe going to work, but he has no opportunity for a career in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of people along the border with family ties and jobs in Mexico and citizenship rights in the U.S. If they do not feel safe keeping those jobs in Juarez, El Paso will gain a bunch more unemployed people with no health insurance. If a feel-good campaign will convince some of these U.S. citizens to stick it out in Juarez and keep their jobs rather than flee to El Paso, it might be money well spent.
First, I don't think there are a lot of people living in the U.S. and going to Juarez for work. This lawyer has to be the extremely rare exception with the wages being the reason. A nurse makes about $40 a day in Juarez. A cop, $20. Laborer, about $10. A lawyer may be an exception, but that is about it.
ReplyDeleteSecond, if Juarez wants a "I Love Juarez" campaign, then they should pay for it, not the U.S.
Right now, there are not a lot of people fleeing Juarez to go to El Paso because it is very difficult to go from Juarez to El Paso, except to shop. With all the ICE around and other federal cops around, they don't settle in El Paso, instead they spread throughout the U.S. A feel good campaign is not going to stop them and a silly saying is not going to stop the killing. There is a difference between the barbaric killers in Juarez and NYC's problems in the 70 and 80's.