TARIFFS ON MY TACOS? NOT IN MARGARITAVILLE !

When I visit Mexico and walk along the streets, I am always warmly greeted with “Buenos Dias” and a big smile by whomever I pass. No matter what their circumstances, the bulk of Mexicans are happy, family people with great work ethics. Many in my home town of Dallas, Texas claim that we need to build a monument downtown in honor of the Mexican labor force, as there would be no roads, roofs, landscaping, domestic help, or grand homes without their hard work. One of the promising aspects of recent immigrants is their willingness and gratitude for opportunities to work hard in order to feed and shelter their families towards a better future. There is no doubt that the Mexican labor force is willing to work at U.S. jobs that others have long decided are too dirty, too hard, too hot, and beneath them. Family is the driving force behind the incredible work ethic of the majority of Mexican immigrants, and there is no doubt that most Mexican workers would rather be home working in Mexico with their families.

Mexico is our immediate neighbor. History has demonstrated that in order to ensure peace, it is very important to develop your best relationships with the countries which abut your nation’s boundaries. Instead of straining ties with neighboring countries, we need to be strengthening our relationships. We have a free trade agreement with our northern neighbor, Canada, which was established in 1987. The U.S. extended the same tariff free trade and investment to include Mexico, with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994 between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In opposition to recent claims that NAFTA was a “bad deal” for the United States, 30 out of 50 states export primarily to Canada and Mexico and the U.S. has a trade surplus with both of these countries, as a result. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement for businesses and consumers on both sides of our borders. As to jobs, the average American does not seem to desire monotonous assembly line work, particularly now that many of the union benefits and boosted hourly wages have disappeared. NAFTA job dislocations have been minute, compared with the overall US unemployment statistics. While the U.S. continues to be the manufacturing arm at home, Mexico is providing the assembly line labor force in their nation. For example, the United States makes the auto parts which are assembled into cars in Mexico. In my opinion, this is a great example of industrial cooperation within a continent of free trade. We can’t have it both ways – not wanting to pay union wages nor significantly raise the hourly wage - yet, wanting to have consumer products affordably manufactured right here in the United States.

The U.S. is now part of a global economy and society. We are never going to return to an era where all consumer goods sold in the US are made in the US. In the future, I predict we will see each country focusing on specializing in exporting only certain products for world consumption. Meanwhile, as the world economy continues to evolve, why are we not imposing tariffs on the many un-regulated consumer products arriving from China, instead of considering imposing tariffs on our closest neighbor? Although immigration of Mexicans to the U.S. has recently declined, I have a different suggestion for reducing the amount of Mexican illegals still coming into the United States in order to work. Most people would always prefer to remain in their native country with a common culture, if they are able to provide for their families in a relatively peaceful environment. When Mexicans could no longer subsist from selling corn and growing food, and investments were not being made in southern Mexico due to the violence of drug cartels, fathers left villages to find jobs in the U.S. and send back money to their families. Most of these workers would rather be home in Mexico, if jobs were available. So why aren’t we having affordable toys, decorative paper items, coffee mugs, and clothing made in Mexico where product safety standards could be instituted and monitored by the US? At present, we have no idea or control over what chemicals or additives are introduced into the Chinese consumer goods that our children put in their mouths. If we don’t want illegal Mexicans coming across our borders, then we should be helping our neighbors create jobs which enable them to stay home with their families. Mexican goods and labor may not be as cheap as China’s, but quality control and safety would justify any slight increase in prices. Shouldn’t we import from our neighbors first in order to keep our continent strong?

Building walls is an aggressive action that only breeds animosity, not cooperation. Mexico is not our enemy. Physical wall building is an out dated method of solving illegal immigration issues. With the emergence of drones, individual jet packs, soon-to-be flying cars, and more-to-come technological advances, building a wall seems antiquated. Even the Great Wall of China, originally erected in about 250 B.C., did not effectively prevent invaders. As we sit today with a surplus trade account with Mexico, why would we want to alienate a country that can protect and buffer our borders? Instead of all the foreign investment and aid we provide countries abroad, which have no geographical alliance with the United States, why aren’t we investing in our immediate neighbor, Mexico, to become a stronger, industrial nation which can provide for its people and unite with the U.S. in defending North America? Instead of $14 Billion on a physical structure, why not spend that huge sum on more jobs at Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs Services, and Border Enforcement Services which are presently unable to handle immigration issues in the United States due to under staffing. Are our Mexican friends now going to be forced to hurl avocados over a wall so that Americans avoid getting unnecessarily taxed on food in order to pay for a wall with only psychological significance?