New Gas Stations Are Opening

moisheh wrote:
"Mexico, love it or leave it. That's how it works here. If Canada is so great why do so many try to escape it in the winter? "

Chris you know that was a ridiculous statement! Snow and cold are 4 letter words!

Moisheh

Not ridiculous at all. It's so great, old age pensions, free healthcare for all, safety nets.

That's why they make it hard for you to stay out of the country for very long. You are chained to the benefits.

There's skiing, sledding, malls, outdoor snow camping, snow mobiles, the West coast isn't as cold as other parts.

Why are we constantly seeing so many ads for Mexican professionals to move to Canada? Why did they drop the strict visa requirements for Mexicans?

I like Canada, but it has way too many rules for us. Although I have to say that the old age pension is attractive.

"Mexico, love it or leave it. That's how it works here. If Canada is so great why do so many try to escape it in the winter? "

Chris you know that was a ridiculous statement! Snow and cold are 4 letter words!

Moisheh

" Sorry, but I believe your vision of Mexico is based on a very small swath. I just returned from Mexico City where the highways and avenues are packed. The majority of the cars are new. The same in Monterrey."

I've been traveling in Mexico since 1999, and the changes that have taken place in those 18 years astounds me. Selfishly, I liked it better with the roads less crowded - but that is selfish. I'm glad that Mexico's standard of living is improving and happy for the people there.

We travel by motorcycle for the time being and I'm having to book hotels months in advance just to be sure we have a room when we get there. Just a few years ago tumbleweed was practically blowing down the streets in Mazatlan's Gold Zone, now, it's busy again.
Maybe not so much for RV's, but tourism must be picking up quickly.

I posted this previously. Not the latest figures. Numbers have been increasing every month recently. What percent of fuel consumed in Mexico comes from the US?


http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_expc_a_EPM0F_EEX_mbbl_m.htm

US PETROLEUM EXPORT – THOUSAND BARRELS PER MONTH (add ,000 – in other words millions of barrels – at 42 gallons per barrel – or now over 500 million gallons per month of gasoline)
.....May-1.....Jun-16.....Jul-16.....Aug-16.....Sep-16.....Oct-16
Mexico
Finished Motor Gasoline
.....8,685.....8,427.....8,679.....11,329.....10,220.....12,077

15PPM DIESEL
.....4,952.....6,360.....5,288.....4,901.....7,561.....6,599

Diesel Greater than 15ppm but less than 500ppm
.....1.........1..........128.......110........523.......243

Diesel greater than 500ppm to 2000ppm
.....7..........1...........3.........7.........2..........13




.

That's Mexico and you choose to live here part of the year. I chose to make it my home. I do the best I can as an individual and contribute where and whenever I can. I too live in a rural area. People have and make choices.

You say Mexico has no safety nets, they have many starting with all the freebies I mentioned in the post. We have pension programs for every worker, we have social healthcare and Seguro Popular for those that work under the table. I listed a million times how it works and what people in need have to do. Spread the word where you live. Maybe fishing isn't a viable business anymore and learning a new skill would be better.

Mexico, love it or leave it. That's how it works here. If Canada is so great why do so many try to escape it in the winter?

You cannot compare Canada to Mexico. We in Canada have a social safety net that diminishes the affect of poverty. It is true that if you venture to Indian Reservations it is not much different than Mexico. I don't deny that there is a huge middle class. But just drive to all the fishing villages on the coast and nothing has changed. I wonder what the real statistics are for those who live well below the poverty line? Probably 25% of the population. Recently I have noticed far more beggars than in previous years. More shelters in the villages and the big cities. Yet the economy remains strong. So far!!! Maybe if the Governors in the Southern Mexican states had not ran off with hundreds of millions there would be something left to help the needy.
I see that Mexico is higher up in the most corrupt countries !

Moisheh

moisheh wrote:
"It's a good thing. Mexico will be better off in the end. It will take time to change the mentality of people accustomed to government rhetoric and false promises of handouts."

Chris: You cannot be serious. It is one thing to post some political rhetoric. It is another to ignore facts. When you travel Mexico do you see all the citizens driving a vehicle that barely makes it down the road? Quite often they only use the car once a week. The whole family empties their pockets and manages to find enough coins to by 4 or 5 litres of fuel. All of their food staples have become more expensive. Everything from Tortillas to vegetables. Yesterday it was announced that medications are going up as well. Where are people supposed to get the money to buy these necessities? I don't see your Conservative business owners giving them a raise. Nor do I see Nieto giving them free food! Your comments would be correct if we were talking about Canada where the basic minimum wage allows you to buy 5 gallons of gas with 2 hours of wages. How long will it take an Albanil ( not a Maestro, just a grunt) to earn enough money for 20 litres of fuel? Many of these guys work for 250 to 300 pesos a day. And please don't give me that nonsense about these fellows lacking an education. Your post shows a lack of sensitivity for the plight of millions of Mexicans. Fuel is going up early next moth. The Government has said that as long as the Peso keeps dropping ( than you Trump) fuel will go up every month. Every time fuel goes up so do most consumer items. This is a serious problem. There is no simple solution but it needs more than comments blaming the poor for their problems. They need help not preaching! Between Mexico's trade problems, corrupt Governors and an inept Federal Government Mexico has some serious issues. You are an intelligent educated person. How about a little compassion?

Moisheh

What do you recommend? Continue to subsidize gasoline? Run the country into the ground like Venezuela with gasoline at .10 a gallon?

Mexicans consume 24,000,000 barrels of gasoline a month. That's a lot of fuel.

Sorry, but I believe your vision of Mexico is based on a very small swath. I just returned from Mexico City where the highways and avenues are packed. The majority of the cars are new. The same in Monterrey.

Mexico is much bigger and has a much larger middle class than anyone can imagine. When you rv and avoid major metro areas you see rural areas, low incomes, etc.

The same is true when we took our trip to Canada. Had we not ventured into major metro areas our vision would have been identical. Throughout the "great" southwest we saw abandoned towns, run-down shacks, people living off wages from McDonald's, food stamps and SNAP cards. People we talked too were second and third generation field workers picking potatoes and beets. The states were West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. We didn't go into major cities because we had the rv.

In Canada, more of the same as we headed across BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Mexico will adjust. It always does. The way out of poverty is the same in every country. It's my same old rant. Free education, free uniforms, free books, free breakfast, scholarships to universities (51% receive scholarships), free transport to school. What else?

I've worked in Texas towns where the schools have to provide dinner for students who return at 5 p.m. I don't know what the answer is not even for what some consider the greatest country in the world. They have the same problems.

You're beating a dead horse. Poverty is as old as human history. All I can do is "try" to help people find education. If they aren't interested, and many aren't, I can't help them. Nothing is for free and everything has a cost.

Again, I am not a rich American living in Mexico, I'm not retired and I get paid in pesos. I live like any other Mexican. I earn pesos, I don't have savings in the U.S. I have to live with this situation also.

In 1346 the area known as China to us today built the GREAT WALL. It's purpose was to stop migration of the Mongol Hordes who had a nasty habit of raping and pillaging.

It never worked. This one wont either.

Think about Big Bend National park. right on the Rio Grande and the border You can walk across the river into Mexico. Long a haven for RV'ers.

How will the wall affect our National Park? Much of the best scenery is on the Mexican side. Picture Santa Elena Canyon, hundreds of feet deep with the river running through it and only about 30 to 50 feet wide. Where will this wall go?

Think of the great wall, the Berlin Wall, the Maginot Line, None of them ever worked.

As an RV'er I will have to speak up to save Big Bend.

"It's a good thing. Mexico will be better off in the end. It will take time to change the mentality of people accustomed to government rhetoric and false promises of handouts."

Chris: You cannot be serious. It is one thing to post some political rhetoric. It is another to ignore facts. When you travel Mexico do you see all the citizens driving a vehicle that barely makes it down the road? Quite often they only use the car once a week. The whole family empties their pockets and manages to find enough coins to by 4 or 5 litres of fuel. All of their food staples have become more expensive. Everything from Tortillas to vegetables. Yesterday it was announced that medications are going up as well. Where are people supposed to get the money to buy these necessities? I don't see your Conservative business owners giving them a raise. Nor do I see Nieto giving them free food! Your comments would be correct if we were talking about Canada where the basic minimum wage allows you to buy 5 gallons of gas with 2 hours of wages. How long will it take an Albanil ( not a Maestro, just a grunt) to earn enough money for 20 litres of fuel? Many of these guys work for 250 to 300 pesos a day. And please don't give me that nonsense about these fellows lacking an education. Your post shows a lack of sensitivity for the plight of millions of Mexicans. Fuel is going up early next moth. The Government has said that as long as the Peso keeps dropping ( than you Trump) fuel will go up every month. Every time fuel goes up so do most consumer items. This is a serious problem. There is no simple solution but it needs more than comments blaming the poor for their problems. They need help not preaching! Between Mexico's trade problems, corrupt Governors and an inept Federal Government Mexico has some serious issues. You are an intelligent educated person. How about a little compassion?

Moisheh

Took an Uber across all of Mexico City today. Interesting to see the price changes at the different gas stations. I know it is regional pricing right now, but when you've never seen different pricing it's a bit strange.