by Jorge Zavala
Managing Editor
Twitter: @ProfZavala, #Zavala4CHGO

After my interview two weeks ago with attorney Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing Trayvon Martin-young man assassinated by George Zimmerman,  I consider what he said in our conversation: no one should be above the law. Besides the Martin-Zimmerman case, an example of such would be the antitrust case against Carlos Slim.

Super billionaire and Mexico’s wealthiest resident, Carlos Slim, is facing a $1 billion fine over practices of his telecom company, Telcel. The company is charged with unfair pricing practices. Telcel is part of the “Slim monster empire” anchored by America Movil, which dominates 70 percent of Mexico’s mobile market. Carlos Slim, who owns Telcel, has been bogged down in court appeals and dispute for a year. Mexican federal competition commission, Cofeco, slapped Telcel, the cash cow of Slim giant telecoms with the record sanction in April 2011 after ruling the company charged excessive prices to wireless and wireless competitors to connect to its network.

Telcel appealed the fine and even managed to ban Cofeco’s President Eduardo Perez Motta from taking part in  a second vote, arguing that Eduardo Motta had made biased comments to the media. Cofeco said it was notifying the affected parties of its decision. If it ratifies, drops or modifies the fine against Slim, the world’s richest man would have some serious issues to consider.

While Slim remains the richest man in the world, he is not immune to the rules and regulations that govern society.

Why is it that the United States, often the nation that brags about how it defends human rights internationally, does not do anything to regulate companies such as ComEd, Nicor, Comcast, and Ford Motors, among others? Just to mention an agency, CUB (Citizens Utilities Board) is supposed to regulate ComEd and Nicor. CUB regulates the price rates of these companies yet for some reason allows them to abuse their pricing. ComEd uses Smart Grid, an instrument used to detect the occurrence of power shortages, as a means to increase pricing, stating that they need the extra money to fix their infrastructure. Smart Grid would allow ComEd to know where problems arise in their system. However, it is not the solution: it was tested in Park Ridge, Illinois and the power was gone for 3-4 days.

What ComEd needs to do is reinvest some of the profits it made over the years. ComEd needs to have its structure underground, but if it is not possible they need to update their equipment. This is not much to ask for considering how much people pay for their services. ComEd is charging an additional 97 cents per bill as of now. It does not only abuse the people with hefty charges but also has the authority to shut your service in case one doesn’t pay a bill.

ComEd does not seem to care if there is a sick relative at home who needs equipment connected to an electrical outlet or if one’s home is getting flooded and the water pump is not working because of lost electrical power. They will disconnect you. They do not claim responsibility for these and many other things. That is why we must demand that agencies like CUB regulate these companies that constantly abuse consumers. If CUB cannot do their job, it is very simple: let’s get rid of them. They are useless to us.

How can this country not do anything for its people? In the end, we are the ones that pay taxes and go out to fight for this country. Wars are not bringing about any positive changes to the local people. Instead, they leave us in debt. In legal cases, it is important that the facts are presented so that the court systems could take whatever means they consider necessary to enforce the law. As in the cases of Martin-Zimmerman and Carlos Slim, evidence needs to be placed for others to examine in order to take the most appropriate action.

Whether one is a working-class individual or the richest man in the world, it is crucial to acknowledge that we must hold everyone accountable for their actions and that no one is above the law.

by Jorge Zavala
Managing Director

First thing to remember is that we are a country built by immigrants. We are the land of opportunity, and when the U.S. became involved with World War II it was the Mexican workers that saved the U.S. economy while Americans were fighting overseas.

Until 1948, the US had an open-door policy with regards to immigration. It was back then when the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. was excellent. The U.S. has not been always been grateful for the support and assistance during a “man power shortage” Mexico helped with.

As a nation we are rather fickle when it comes to asking for help and what we do. Like in 1948, Americans are now in need of help and what do we do? We beat our wives, we scream at the kids. We blame immigrants for everything without looking at the lack of responsibility that is missing when it comes to businesses that are monopolizing all the money. Government assistance is not always present to facilitate such events.

We forget to acknowledge how good a neighbor Mexico has been. Last year, Mexico did over 400 billion dollars worth of business with the U.S. That’s more than Brazil and Argentina combined. Is this how you treat neighbors?

Even though the decline in undocumented immigration is no surprise, there are several explanations. The U.S. economic is weaker while Mexico’s economy is strengthening. Its growth demographic per capital is 15,000 dollars: a third of what Americans make. Some of Mexico’s competitiveness is due to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Because it avoids U.S. tariffs, Mexico’s exports are cheaper than China’s.

President Obama has spent more on immigration enforcement than his predecessor, George W. Bush. Obama has deported more than 400,000 immigrants in one year. What is surprising, however, is the drop in net legal migration. Obama has disappointed many Mexicans by failing to deliver on immigration reform. Instead, the Department of Homeland Security has spent over 250 million dollars building the nation’s largest fleet of domestic surveillance drones, such as fences, surveillance planes, and personnel. Clearly the Democrats talk about it in a tone that is much more appealing to Mexicans than the way Republicans talk about it. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the high rate of unemployment has caused Mexicans to return to Mexico.

The Pew Research Center shows we’ve clamped down on undocumented immigration, but it also shows that Mexicans don’t want to come here legally as much as they did before. Perhaps an increase in economic stability and steady jobs have allowed for Mexicans to flourish and remain in Mexico so as to decrease the overall numbers of immigration into the United States. It is actually a mixed picture.

What are we doing when an aging country creates a deficit of workers and a surplus of retirees who spend? Instead of preparing for the future we are trying to demonize undocumented immigrants, and hoping they self-deport. We seem to have forgotten that it is the spirit of acceptance and hospitality that has made America so attractive to legal immigrants for centuries.

by Jorge Zavala Sr.
Managing Director

I ask myself, why is it so easy to criticize someone and why is so difficult to praise them? In a debate I had with a well known columnist with regards to the 50,000 dead in Mexico due to drug trafficking violence, we had a disagreement about who the culprits were. If there were no consumers of drugs here in the U.S. then we would not have this violence in Mexico. The well known columnist tried to put the blame on President Felipe Calderon.

According to El Universal, a Mexican newspaper, the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico confirms that the last 49 people were killed by the drug cartel Los Zetas. This group is responsible for most reason killings in the states of Veracruz, Jalisco, Michoacán and Nuevo Laredo in Nuevo Leon. The municipality of Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon has been used as a clandestine trench to bury the remains of the Golf cartel killed by the Zetas.

Based on forensic evidence, the dead’s ages ranged from 20 -30 years old. Where would we be now if President Calderon had not declared war on the Cartel’s leaders?

The United States as well as Mexico have not done enough to prevent the use of drugs or their control. These wars have been going on before Calderon came in as President. But no one knew they existed as frequent because they had never been brought out to the public. A few people affirmed that Calderon made a mistake by going after the Cartel’s leaders. This caused a war among cartels for control of the market. It is easy to criticize, talk and write but to do something to make this world you think twice before you do anything.

This criticism of Calderon confirms that the media is more interested in negative publicity that sells then positive information.

Why don’t they write or talk about all the positive things Calderon has done? In the past 12 years, people have been able to buy an automobile, buy an apartment, build thousands of miles of new roads, new hospitals, schools and many more things. Additionally, there is more freedom of speech.

Why can’t we see the two perspectives?