The Mexican consul in Los
Angeles proudly announced that nearly 300,000 Mexicans in the area have
benefited from his government's health referral program, which he says actually
saves the county money by encouraging immigrants to seek preventive care rather
than waiting for more expensive emergency treatment.
HOSPITALS IN MEX-OCCUPIED MEXIFORNIA FORCED TO PAY OUT BILLIONS FOR "FREE" MEDICAL FOR ILLEGALS. NOT ONE LEGAL VOTED FOR IT!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2011/07/california-pays-out-125-billion-on-la.html
“Mexico, a country where roughly 40% of
the population lives in poverty, has 10 people on FORBES Magazine's 2008 list
of the world's billionaires. While these individuals have made important
contributions to society via the expansion of services to marginalized areas, job
creation, and charitable donations, this concentration of wealth and economic
power hinders Mexico's ability to realize more and deeper levels of
competition in key industries.”
Posted: 09 Mar 2011 07:25 PM PST
The latest Forbes rich list has come out and it’s little surprise that the wealthy got even more money. But before we consider the details, let me bring up an interesting Wikileaks diplomatic cable on Mexico’s rich.
Analysts talk a lot
about how Wikileaks cables have harmed U.S. diplomacy. But I find myself
turning to them for renderings of inequalities in other countries, and tips
on corruption.
In any case, this
July 2007 cable
is titled “Who are Mexico’s Wealthiest Business Leaders,” and it starts out
thus:
“Mexico, a country where roughly 40%
of the population lives in poverty, has 10 people on FORBES Magazine's 2008
list of the world's billionaires. While these individuals have made important
contributions to society via the expansion of services to marginalized areas,
job creation, and charitable donations, this concentration of wealth and
economic power hinders Mexico's ability to realize more and deeper
levels of competition in key industries.”
The wealth of the
richest Mexicans represented 10 percent of the value of the nation’s gross
domestic product, the cable says.
It goes on to say
that some of the richest Mexicans took advantage of shortcomings in its
political system to expand their wealth and create private sector monopolies
while “leaving the average Mexican out in the cold.”
“The
negative aspects of this concentration of wealth and economic power cannot be
overlooked because many of these individuals control the monopolies and
oligopolies that hold back economic growth. SLIM, Salinas, and others have
used their influence to sway economic policy and work the system to further
their business interests and hinder their competitors. A World Bank report
found that billionaire-controlled companies in Mexico are more likely to be
involved in monopolistic practices and win amparos, or judicial stays, which
allow them to delay regulatory rulings against them while they mire the
process in appeals. The result is that SLIM still dominates the telecom
market; GE, NBC and others are unable to break into the broadcasting market;
and the Federal Competition Commission (Cofeco) remains unable to impose
significant penalties on anti-competitive conduct.”
If Forbes is
accurate, the concentration of wealth is increasing. While more than 40
million Mexicans live in poverty, the world's richest man, Mexican tycoon
Carlos Slim, saw his wealth expand ever more, growing to $74 billion. That’s
a rise of $20.5 billion in a year. Slim is in the photo above, to the right
of President Felipe Calderon. Slim’s businesses include telecommunications,
an airline, a bank, a construction company, department stores (including
Sanborns), restaurants, music outlets, insurance, auto parts, and ceramic
tiles.
Coming in at No. 39
on the rich list is another Mexican, German Larrea Mota Velasco and family,
with a fortune estimated at $16 billion. The chairman of copper and silver
miner Grupo Mexico saw his fortune climb $6.3 billion in the past year,
Forbes says.
At No. 66 on the
list is Alberto Bailleres Gonzalez, of the mining concern Industrias Penoles,
with $11.9 billion. At No. 112 is Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the tycoon owner of
TV Azteca, with $8.2 billion. At No. 268 is Jeronimo Arango with $4 billion,
largely accumulated from the sale of Cifra, their self-made retail chain, to
Wal-Mart. New to the list at No. 310 is Daniel Servitje Montull and family,
with $3.5 billion made from Grupo Bimbo, the world’s largest breadmaker. At
No. 512 is Emilio Azcarraga Jean, heir to the Televisa fortune with a net
worth of $2.3 billion. Then comes Roberto Gonzalez Barrera and family
with a $2 billion fortune from tortillas. At No. 993 is Roberto Hernandez
Ramirez with a $1.2 billion fortune from sale of Banamex, the bank. With a
slim $1 billion fortune (chump change!) is Alfredo Harp Helu at No. 1140, who
also made a fortune from the sale of Banamex. Tied in last place at No. 1140
is Joaquin Guzman Loera, the head of the Sinaloa narcotics cartel.
So which one is the
most admirable and which is the biggest rogue?
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