The Auditoría Superior de la Federación (ASF) or the Mexican federal auditor, found that in Oaxaca in 2010, under then-Gover Ulises Ruiz, an "indeterminate" numbers of "teachers" affiliated with dissident Section 22 of the national teachers union SNTE are so-called aviadores, literally aviators or fliers, a term referring to those who draw a state salary yet never set a foot in the classroom, only "flying" in to pick up the check (the term in Argentina, if I recall correctly, is ñoquis, after the Italian dish traditionally eaten on the 29th)
Three hundred "commissioners" of the SNTE section 22 was also on the state pay roll, paid to perform administrative tasks for the state yet working for the union instead.
AFI reports that the inflated/bloated/faked employee rolls cost the state at least 40 million pesos last year, a sum that could have been spent on the Oaxaca education system, among the absolute worst performing in the country, rather on propping up the teachers union.
Carlos Marín, writing in Milenio, claims at least 10,000 out of the 70,000 employed as teachers in Oaxaca, are aviadores. The real cost of this nefarious practice thus remains to be seen.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
IFE: Hugo Valdemar broke Mexican electoral law; Sandoval Iñiguez exonerated
A decision of importance: The Federal Electoral Council (IFE), following a vote in its general council, declared that Hugo Valdemar, "spokesperson" for the Mexico City archdiocese, had indeed broken Mexican electoral law by calling on people not to vote for the party PRD.
This is truly a historic decision: A high-ranking member of the church found guilty of breaking Mexican electoral law. I cannot think of any comparable act in Mexican history.
At the same time, IFE exonerated Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, archbishop of Guadalajara for proselytizing/electioneering; the arch-reactionary archbishop had, to recall, accused Marcelo Ebrard of bribing the Supreme Court. Note that several processes against Sandoval remain open; he was only let off the hook for "electioneering."
IFE had first refused to touch the cases against Hugo Valdemar, "spokesperson" for the Mexico City archdiocese, and Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, archbishop of Guadalajara, claiming it had no jurisdiction over the matter, yet the Electoral Tribunal (TEPFJ) ruled otherwise and sent the case back to IFE, which in the end voted that Valdemar broke the law.
Now, let's see if any sanction will be applied by the Interior ministry, whose responsibility it would be to mete out one.
This is truly a historic decision: A high-ranking member of the church found guilty of breaking Mexican electoral law. I cannot think of any comparable act in Mexican history.
At the same time, IFE exonerated Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, archbishop of Guadalajara for proselytizing/electioneering; the arch-reactionary archbishop had, to recall, accused Marcelo Ebrard of bribing the Supreme Court. Note that several processes against Sandoval remain open; he was only let off the hook for "electioneering."
IFE had first refused to touch the cases against Hugo Valdemar, "spokesperson" for the Mexico City archdiocese, and Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, archbishop of Guadalajara, claiming it had no jurisdiction over the matter, yet the Electoral Tribunal (TEPFJ) ruled otherwise and sent the case back to IFE, which in the end voted that Valdemar broke the law.
Now, let's see if any sanction will be applied by the Interior ministry, whose responsibility it would be to mete out one.
Mexico State poll figures: Plenty of ammunition for AMLO's opponents
Some interesting figures from today's El Universal:
* 51 percent of the population rejects a PAN-PRD alliance, while a whopping 70 percent of PRD members and 61 percent of PAN members favor an alliance. Any wonder why AMLO fears actually asking the people, in the scheduled poll, whether such an alliance should proceed?
* Any PRI option is favored over any candidate not backed by both PAN and PRD
* But 42 percent of the polled say they could vote for a PAN-PRD-PT-Convergencia candidate, which is a higher percentage than that achieved by any PRI candidate
* Forty-three percent declares themselves independent; only 42 percent says they are unlikely to change their choice = Massive uncertainty, three months ahead.
Here is the direct link to a pdf file with range of scenarios and breakdowns.
Also, note that Josefina Vázquez Mota again declared she would not run for Mexico State governor.
She clearly has her eyes set on something bigger.
* 51 percent of the population rejects a PAN-PRD alliance, while a whopping 70 percent of PRD members and 61 percent of PAN members favor an alliance. Any wonder why AMLO fears actually asking the people, in the scheduled poll, whether such an alliance should proceed?
* Any PRI option is favored over any candidate not backed by both PAN and PRD
* But 42 percent of the polled say they could vote for a PAN-PRD-PT-Convergencia candidate, which is a higher percentage than that achieved by any PRI candidate
* Forty-three percent declares themselves independent; only 42 percent says they are unlikely to change their choice = Massive uncertainty, three months ahead.
Here is the direct link to a pdf file with range of scenarios and breakdowns.
Also, note that Josefina Vázquez Mota again declared she would not run for Mexico State governor.
She clearly has her eyes set on something bigger.
Damning poverty figures from Oportunidades: Almost 5 million fell into poverty in Mexico
Salvador Escobedo, head of the hugely successful poverty-alleviating program Oportunidades, said that the number of poor in Mexico increased from 42.6 to 47.4 million in Mexico, in the years 2006-2008.
Also, more people moved into the "extreme poverty" category- the figures went from 13.8 to 18.2 million - and Oportunidades are reporting a very disturbing increase in malnourishment and anemia.
These are some brutal and shockingly high figures, as they don't even reflect the full impact of the economic crisis that began in 2009 and lasted almost through 2010.
While Oportunidades, a conditional cash-transfer program under the ministry of social development, has in general been highly successful in areas such as reducing infant mortality, improving nutrition for children, raising school enrollment and reducing drop-out rates, and so forth, where a cash subsidy from the federal government is conditioned on mothers enrolling their children in school and taking them (and themselves) for vaccinations and check-ups, it is only, as Escobedo rightfully noted, a program of poverty relief, but not a program to eradicate poverty itself: it's full budget still does not exceed 5 billion dollars. Perhaps congress should consider raising its budget, as well as temporarily loosening the enrollment criteria to cast as wide of a net as possible:
In Mexico in 2011, millions are literally starving.
Also, more people moved into the "extreme poverty" category- the figures went from 13.8 to 18.2 million - and Oportunidades are reporting a very disturbing increase in malnourishment and anemia.
These are some brutal and shockingly high figures, as they don't even reflect the full impact of the economic crisis that began in 2009 and lasted almost through 2010.
While Oportunidades, a conditional cash-transfer program under the ministry of social development, has in general been highly successful in areas such as reducing infant mortality, improving nutrition for children, raising school enrollment and reducing drop-out rates, and so forth, where a cash subsidy from the federal government is conditioned on mothers enrolling their children in school and taking them (and themselves) for vaccinations and check-ups, it is only, as Escobedo rightfully noted, a program of poverty relief, but not a program to eradicate poverty itself: it's full budget still does not exceed 5 billion dollars. Perhaps congress should consider raising its budget, as well as temporarily loosening the enrollment criteria to cast as wide of a net as possible:
In Mexico in 2011, millions are literally starving.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
51 out of 68 PRD federal deputies back the Mexico State poll
51 out of the 68 PRD federal deputies took out an ad where they lined up behind the planned Mexico State poll, where voters will say yes or no to the proposal of a PRD-PAN electoral alliance in the state.
That's a surprisingly high number - three quarters of the party's entire legislative group of the lower chamber, to be exact. The internal PRD factions that adamantly oppose actually asking the people what they want rather than to claim to know their will beforehand, appear to be in a clear minority.
That's a surprisingly high number - three quarters of the party's entire legislative group of the lower chamber, to be exact. The internal PRD factions that adamantly oppose actually asking the people what they want rather than to claim to know their will beforehand, appear to be in a clear minority.
Wave of resurgent nuclear power also hits Mexico: CFE projects two new nuclear plants
Nuclear power is making a comeback, and Mexico is no exception: The CFE, the state-owned federal electricity company, announced plans to build two more nuclear plants in Laguna Verde, in Veracruz state, home to Mexico's sole electric power-generating nuclear plant, in operation since 1990, as part of President Felipe Calderón's clean power energy. Long-term plans of new plants in Sonora were also announced.
It's going to cost, though: So far, $4.5 billion is an estimate. Yet if the alternative is fossil-powered fuel plants, when it comes to pollution it's hard to argue against nuclear plant on environmental grounds.
Atomic energy - it ain't going away anytime soon.
It's going to cost, though: So far, $4.5 billion is an estimate. Yet if the alternative is fossil-powered fuel plants, when it comes to pollution it's hard to argue against nuclear plant on environmental grounds.
Atomic energy - it ain't going away anytime soon.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
PRD internal battle update, in mercifully brief,bullet-point form
* After Alejandro Encinas made it clear he would follow AMLO on his "leave of absence," from the PRD, AMLO made it clear that "these are times of definitions, and the same applies to Encinas."
* AMLO said if Encinas will not join his "movement" lead a PT-Convergencia candidacy, another candidate will replace him.
* Encinas has declared that it would be up to the party organs to decide who the candidate will be. Will that also include respecting the outcome of the upcoming citizen poll on the alliances?
* Twenty-eight out 32 state branches of the PRD rallied around national party president Jesús Ortega, demanding respect for the decisions of its national council.
* Many state branches openly criticized AMLO's complete lack of respect for the decisions of said organs; the Oaxacan PRD went as far as to call AMLO a "traitor and a defamer" for his recent actions.
* The IDN faction, led by the infamous Bejarano-Padierna couple, said it would take the PRD to the TEPJF electoral tribunal for breaking the party statutes - quite ironic given that if there is any corriente within the PRD which does exactly as it pleases and ignores votes it loses, its the IDN.
* IDN, which like AMLO always seem to know what "the people" want, said it would not participate in the planned vote over the possible PAN-PRD alliance. Why bother actually asking the people?
* Jesús Ortega, PRD leader, asked, "Do you remember the famous Juanito of Iztapalapa? You can't treat Alejandro Encinas this way. Or anyone.... this is symptomatic of authoritarian behavior. You cannot say that, 'I am the State,' 'I am the party,' 'I am the truth' - it is not like that in politics. He should calm down."
* And finally, perhaps the most newsworthy item: Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas declared, during the presentation-promotion of his recent book (more on that later), that AMLO should "take charge of the party, of the designation of a candidate for the governorship of Mexico State, and of designating a presidential candidate for 2012," in order to avoid a party rupture. The proposal is so unrealistic it that for now I'll leave it without comments.
* Asked about 2012, Cárdenas responded, "I don't know what I will do in 2012."
* AMLO said if Encinas will not join his "movement" lead a PT-Convergencia candidacy, another candidate will replace him.
* Encinas has declared that it would be up to the party organs to decide who the candidate will be. Will that also include respecting the outcome of the upcoming citizen poll on the alliances?
* Twenty-eight out 32 state branches of the PRD rallied around national party president Jesús Ortega, demanding respect for the decisions of its national council.
* Many state branches openly criticized AMLO's complete lack of respect for the decisions of said organs; the Oaxacan PRD went as far as to call AMLO a "traitor and a defamer" for his recent actions.
* The IDN faction, led by the infamous Bejarano-Padierna couple, said it would take the PRD to the TEPJF electoral tribunal for breaking the party statutes - quite ironic given that if there is any corriente within the PRD which does exactly as it pleases and ignores votes it loses, its the IDN.
* IDN, which like AMLO always seem to know what "the people" want, said it would not participate in the planned vote over the possible PAN-PRD alliance. Why bother actually asking the people?
* Jesús Ortega, PRD leader, asked, "Do you remember the famous Juanito of Iztapalapa? You can't treat Alejandro Encinas this way. Or anyone.... this is symptomatic of authoritarian behavior. You cannot say that, 'I am the State,' 'I am the party,' 'I am the truth' - it is not like that in politics. He should calm down."
* And finally, perhaps the most newsworthy item: Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas declared, during the presentation-promotion of his recent book (more on that later), that AMLO should "take charge of the party, of the designation of a candidate for the governorship of Mexico State, and of designating a presidential candidate for 2012," in order to avoid a party rupture. The proposal is so unrealistic it that for now I'll leave it without comments.
* Asked about 2012, Cárdenas responded, "I don't know what I will do in 2012."
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