Friday, June 21, 2013

Flood!

Piedras Negras, a city that is less than a mole from Eagle Pass, Texas had torrential rains last weekend. A small AP story appeared in a few news papers.

The rain came during the night and entire houses were filled and covered with water. The city received more rain than they usually get in six months. Picture a card-board house with a tin roof that is completely under-water. Picture a small cinder-block house that is completely underwater.

The downtown area was particularly hard hit, but most of the damage was confined to the rooftops, ceiling, and some low shelves. Downtown has a good drainage system and alarms sound when there is an emergency. Police drive the streets and warn the people in the better parts of town that there is flooding.

In the poor sections of town there are no alarms and no police warnings. Fortunately, the thunder and lightening woke some people and they woke their neighbors. There was only one death. But the damage to the poor was terrible.

From San Antonio, it does not sound like much. They lost their appliances and furniture. However, when standing inside a poor person's home that was hit with this storm, things are different. The couple that worked their entire lives and build a small cinder-block home in this neighborhood should have been a news story. Juan is 78 and physically handicapped (his words - sorry if he offends you). He can not walk without his cane and even then it is a struggle. Juan and his wife worked hard, their entire lives. They set aside a few pesos each week and then purchased a few cinderblocks. Eventually, they purchased cement, doors and windows and they built their own house. As the years passed they purchased a refrigerator, washer and some meager furnishings. Their entire house was covered with water. Marks on the walls show that the interior was filled with water. Every possession is ruined. They are retired and live on $96 a month!

Other homes and families told similar stories. Everyone is thankful that they awoke and ran to higher ground. Everyone that works, is back on the job. However, when the children return from school they come to a house that reeks of the odor of wet cardboard. The smell is nasty.

The people cannot prepare meals. No stoves, no firewood, and many pots, pans and dishes floated away during the storm. Local people organized a partial solution. Volunteers cook meals in huge pots, load them on to pick-ups and deliver them to the poor that are in need. One operation alone, delivers 3000 meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The meals are a 'poor person's meal' but the food is nourishing and very much appreciated. Because local merchants discount the food and the cooks and drivers are all volunteers the meals only cost us 10 cents.
That is right, we pay. Paper Houses Across the Border is paying for as many meals as possible.

This weekend millions of us will pay $20 to enjoy a movie and snacks. I can at least send $20 to provide 200 meals to these people.

Friday, June 14, 2013

In anticipation of Immigration Reform

Hundreds of people from deep in the heart of Mexico and from El Salvador, Guatemala and other Latin American countries are in Acuna, Piedras and probably most border cities with the intent of returning to the United States. They hope that they can piece together enough evidence to obtain legal status in the USA. Some told me that they hope to get lost in the huge flow of paper work because they know they do not qualify under the proposed bill.

The Mexican border-cities and towns are also flooded with deported Mexicans. Acuna experienced more than its share of repatriated Mexicans. Under a U.S. program to deter re-entry, our government flied many people that are deported from Arizona, to Del Rio, Texas - where they are dumped into Acuna. The idea is that they probably do not know anyone to help them cross in Acuna and will simply go home. The people that I interviewed said that because they do not know Acuna, they are desperate to return to the United States and will try to cross.

Meanwhile, Acuna has more than its share of strangers wandering its streets. The one migrant shelter in Acuna was built to help as many as 35 people for a few days. Often the numbers are between 50 and 100 people at this lone shelter.

A little discussed fact in all of the immigration reform proposals relates directly to the intent of these Bills. The intent is to resolve the issue of 11.5 million people on U.S. soil without authorization and to prevent more of the same. Nobody proposes what to do with the millions that are on U.S. soil without authorization and who will not qualify for legal status under the proposed legislation. All of the rhetoric about eliminating she shadow society did not result in any proposal that addresses this central issue.

Fences, more Border Patrol Agents and hammering employers may have an impact in the future, but for less taxpayer money the companies doing business with or owning factories in Mexico could be required by U.S. law to pay a living wage. A real living wage would do much more than any fence. It would also discourage companies from outsourcing our jobs. Hmmmm.