Linda is writing from Puerto Vallarta; nonetheless, what she describes is exactly how our situation here is in Rosarito. We live completely at peace; we are not on the border, we are almost 30 miles Southwest of the border. Even Tijuana is shaping up.
I hope you enjoy reading this article and come see us!!!! Great opportunities are to be had right now before the prices go up. Some properties have already increased in their asking price because the real estate situation has improved quite a bit.
Life is good! Come join us, life is better by the ocean! Velia Amparo Rivas
One Journalist's View
By Linda Ellerbee
Sometimes I've been called a maverick because I don't always agree with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream all the time. The stream here is Mexico.
You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how dangerous Mexico has become, and, yes, it's true drug wars have escalated violence in Mexico , causing collateral damage, a phrase I hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent people, some of them tourists, have been robbed, hurt or killed.
But that's not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story.
I'm a journalist who lives in New York City , but has spent considerable time in Mexico , specifically Puerto Vallarta , for the last four years. I'm in Vallarta now. And despite what I'm getting from the U.S. media, the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel as safe here as I do at home in New York , possibly safer. I walk the streets of my Vallarta neighborhood alone day or night. And I don't live in a gated community, or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I live in Mexico . Among Mexicans. I go where I want (which does not happen to include bars where prostitution and drugs are the basic products), and take no more precautions than I would at home in New York; which is to say I don't wave money around, I don't act the Ugly American, I do keep my eyes open, I'm aware of my surroundings, and I try not to behave like a fool.
I've not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and, unbeknownst to me, did not slam the automatically-locking door on her way out. Sure enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into my house. A burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?
No, it was a local police officer, the "beat cop" for our neighborhood, who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure everything (including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me around the house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even under beds, to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that nothing was missing. He was polite, smart and kind, but before he left, he lectured me on having not checked to see that my friend had locked the door behind her. In other words, he told me to use my common sense.
Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New Orleans, and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of houses here, well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich Village, which is considered a swell neighborhood - house prices start at about $4 million (including the bars on the ground floor windows).
There are good reasons thousands of people from the United States are moving to Mexico every month, and it's not just the lower cost of living, a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel. Mexico is a beautiful country, a special place. The climate varies, but is plentifully mild, the culture is ancient and revered, the young are loved unconditionally, the old are respected, and I have yet to hear anyone mention Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Madonna's attempt to adopt a second African child, even though, with such a late start, she cannot possibly begin to keep up with Angelina Jolie.
And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but- in general - Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you smile at them, they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the street, they greet you back. If you try to speak even a little Spanish, they tend to treat you as though you were fluent. Or at least not an idiot. I have had taxi drivers track me down after leaving my wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had someone run out of a store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty cents. I have been introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a day dedicated to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death and birth - and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming a woman - with the same joy.
Too much of the noise you're hearing about how dangerous it is to come to Mexico is just that - noise. But the media love noise, and too many journalists currently making it don't live here. Some have never even been here. They just like to be photographed at night, standing near a spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some imaginary country from hell. It looks good on TV.
Another thing. The U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big bad bowl. Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state or city where this is taking place is rather like looking at the horror of Katrina and saying, "Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under water?" or reporting on the shootings at Columbine or the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the U.S. are shooting their classmates and all the grownups are blowing up buildings. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.
It would be nice if we could put what's going on in Mexico in perspective, geographically and emotionally. It would be nice if we could remember that, as has been noted more than once, these drug wars wouldn't be going on if people in the United States didn't want the drugs, or if other people in the United States weren't selling Mexican drug lords the guns. Most of all, it would be nice if more people in the United States actually came to this part of America ( Mexico is also America , you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine place Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can be.
So come on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think you'll like it here. Especially the people.
Mr Olmos was very gracious and his presence added a lot to the festivities.
Attachment(s): Edward James Olmos and myself.JPG
I had the privilege of exchanging a few words with the President of México, Mr. Felipe Calderón. It was a great honor.
Attachment(s): President Calderón as he approaches me.JPG
Yesterday we had the wonderful opportunity to see, listen to and shake the hand of the President of México, Mr. Felipe Calderón. Several personalities were present as well, including Mr. James Edward Olmos with whom I had a chance to exchange a few pleasantries with as well. It was a great day for Rosarito and for México's film industry. As there are updates to this news and more details are released, I'll keep posting them. I know Mr. Calderón pledged 17% incentives, which I believe is higher than many other nations of the world offer.
I am attaching a picture of some of the personalities in the Presidium. In another two posts, I'll attach a picture of President Calderón and myself; and a picture of Mr. James Edward Olmos and myself.
President Calderon Pledges Incentives For Film Making In Rosarito and Mexico
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---President Felipe Calderón on Tuesday pledged incentives to attract more international film makers and productions to Rosarito and the rest of México.
Speaking to an audience of about 400 people, Calderon pledged an initial $20 million to strengthen the country’s film industry plus incentives to attract productions here from around the world.
Calderón made his remarks at Baja Studios in Rosarito, which was built for the production of the James Cameron’s "Titanic" and where portions of other blockbusters including "Master & Commander" and "Pearl Harbor" have been filmed.
The president was received for his visit by Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres. Other dignitaries attending included Baja Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan as well as many other government officials. Noted actor Edward James Olmos also was a featured guest.
“Rosarito has become a place of great importance for the film industry, and it is precisely why here we announce this program for the promotion of film production," Calderon said.
He stressed that the film industry has great importance in the global culture, as well being as being an excellent source for jobs, income and regional promotion.
“Rosarito has shown that it is possible to offer world-class services to the film industry,” Calderon said. “Productions here have brought international fame to the city.”
For his part, Mayor Torres reiterated the importance of promoting the film industry.
"We welcome the support of the President of the Republic, and we are convinced that this decree will make Rosarito even more attractive to other countries that are interested in filming here, “ Torres said.
Torres noted that film production can be a key to the area’s economic recovery as well as a boost for tourism.
Dignitaries also toured the Baja Studios production facility in the Popotla area of Rosarito.. It was built in the late ‘90s during Torres first term as mayor, specifically for the filming of "Titanic."
It has huge salt-water tanks as well as an ocean front setting. Baja Studios also contains a "Titanic" Museum and has been used as a theme park as well as for its production facilities.
Attachment(s): 1-Governor Osuna Millán, 2-President of México Felipe Calderón, 3-Owner of Baja Studios Mr. José Gallicot, 5-Mr. James Edward Olmos and 7-Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres.JPG
Mexico's passport mandate to be eased
Enforcement lifted for visitors to Baja
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A new Mexican government rule that U.S. visitors present passports when entering Mexico by land, sea and air will not be enforced at Baja California’s border crossings, authorities said Monday in Tijuana.
Francisco Javier Reynoso Nuño, the top federal immigration official in Baja California,said Mexico lacks the infrastructure to enforce the regulations at busy ports such as San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.
“We’re going to stay the same,” Reynoso said following a meeting with state officials worried about how the regulations could affect travel to Baja California.
The rules, set to go into effect March 1 in other parts of Mexico, will not be applied to short-term visitors along the northern border, Reynoso said. Likewise, cruise ship passengers who briefly disembark at Ensenada won’t be required to present a passport, he said.
The announcement of the new rules has come as Mexico has worked to increase security at its ports of entry. The federal government is in the process of installing a new electronic inspection system, known as SIAVE, at its land border crossings as a means of detecting illegal weapons and other contraband.
Southbound border waits have been growing longer in recent months as a result of SIAVE. Business groups in both Baja California and San Diego complained that the additional immigration inspection would create even longer delays, and further stifle commerce and tourism on both sides.
“We were very concerned,” said Oscar Escobedo Carignan, Baja California’s tourism secretary. “Things are going to continue the same. It’s good news for us.”
The regulations, announced this month by Mexico’s National Migration Institute, state that U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico “by air, land or sea” must present either a valid U.S. passport or passport card. U.S. permanent residents must also present documents proving their status.
Because of U.S. travel document requirements, most U.S. visitors to Mexico already carry passports or passport cards or trusted traveler documents such as SENTRI passes when crossing at the border.
“We recognize Mexico’s right to secure its borders, but they should be secured with the minimum interruption of commerce in both directions,” said James Clark, director of the Mexico Business Center of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
By Sandra Dibble, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Uh-Oh! A "Blue Moon" Ends the 00s
As twilight descends on New Year's Eve of 2009, a full Moon will rise in the
eastern sky for the second time this month (the first time came on December
2nd). Many people use the expression "once in a blue Moon" to mean something
that occurs rarely, and you might be tempted to call December 31st's big,
bright orb a "Blue Moon" too. While the former meaning can be traced back
centuries, the latter definition is much newer -- and it's wrong! At least
if you're a stickler about these things.
"In modern usage, the second full Moon in a month has come to be called a
'Blue Moon.' But it's not!" says Kelly Beatty, Senior Contributing Editor
for Sky & Telescope magazine. "This colorful term is actually a calendrical
goof that worked its way into the pages of Sky & Telescope back in March
1946, and it spread to the world from there."
Sky & Telescope admitted to its "Blue Moon blooper" in its May 1999 issue.
Canadian folklorist Philip Hiscock and Texas astronomer Donald W. Olson had
helped the magazine's editors figure out how the mistake was made, and how
the two-full-Moons-in-a-month meaning spread into the English language.
Before 1946, a Blue Moon always meant something else. For example, says
Hiscock, sometimes it referred to an obvious absurdity. Quite a few old
songs use it as a symbol of sadness and loneliness. There's even a cocktail
called a Blue Moon; it's a mix of curacao, gin, and perhaps a twist of
lemon. And, exceedingly rarely, the Moon actually does turn blue in our sky
-- when a volcanic eruption, forest fires or dust storms send lots of fine
dust into the atmosphere.
Our 1946 writer, amateur astronomer James Hugh Pruett (18861955), made an
incorrect assumption about how the term had been used in the Maine Farmers'
Almanac -- which consistently used "Blue Moon" to mean to the third full
Moon in a season containing four of them (rather than the usual three).
By this definition, there is no Blue Moon in December 2009; instead, the
last one was in May 2008, and the next happens in November 2010.
But there's no turning back now. The concept of a Blue Moon as the second
full Moon in a month with two, as well as the third full Moon in a season
with four, are now both listed as official definitions in the 4th edition of
the American Heritage Dictionary (Houghton Mifflin, 2000).
By either definition, Blue Moons happen about once every 2.7 years on
average. The last occurrence of two full Moons in a calendar month was in
May 2007 (in North American time zones; the clock had already turned over to
June 1st in Europe and Asia.) The next will be in August 2012.
The last time a second full Moon last fell on New Year's Eve was in 1990.
If you want to tell your readers, listeners, or viewers that this Thursday's
full Moon is a Blue Moon, go right ahead. Pretty much everyone else will
too. The newer, "wrong" definition is simpler and handier for most people to
grasp and use. "That's how the English language shifts. You can't beat back
the tide," quips Sky & Telescope Senior Editor Alan MacRobert. "Not when the Moon is pulling the tide."
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/about/pressreleases/80285282.html
Effective December 9th 2009, there was a updated ruling proposed that could require much more documentation than before to receive a "Zero Capital Gains Tax Exemption in México when you sell your property".
Take a moment and examine your Bank Trust and all your utility bills and make sure the name is consistent with the Trust. Your FM3's or FM2's should be kept current and it is also suggested you have and keep your bank statements from a Mexican Bank to further prove you are a full-time resident in order to claim this tax exemption in the future.
Take the time to verify everything is in order and if you have a bill-paying service paying your utilities make sure the names are the same. As Realtors, this is where we can get surprised when the bill paying service or new owner never changed the utilities into their name and it can have an adverse effect on a transaction.
México gives this tax exemption to only those who have the México property as their primary residence and one of the ways they verify that is by "usage" on your electric bill. If your electricity and water bill have minimum amounts on them monthly, then it is obvious the property is not a primary residence. PRIMARY RESIDENCE is the key factor here.
You may have only one capital gains tax exemption in a year's time. The Notary MAY have a Seller sign a document that you have been a full-time resident for the Notary's file.
# 2: The New York Times came two weeks ago and took photos of one of the homes in Rosamar for a January feature story in their International Real Estate Section. They called today to verify the ownership questions the writer had. It sounds like it will be a very positive story.
# 3: The new 6-lane road along the border going to Playas is almost finished, but the turn to get to Rosarito and Ensenada has changed. It is best to be in the far right lane (by the military) and you will be in the right spot to get to the Toll Road. There is a new stop light there and the TWO LEFT lanes will take you into Playas. GET TO THE RIGHT LANE.
# 4: With Health Care issues going on in the USA, Mexico is working to attract some Medical Tourism with some great care and much lesser fees. Here is an interesting link for a Puerto Vallarta group of expatriates with a hip replacement for $13,000.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec09/mexico_12-28.html
If you'd had questions about non Mexican Nationals legally owning property (land, homes) in México, the answer is a resounding YES!
Please see this important document that explains it all.
Velia Amparo Rivas
Attachment(s): ForeignOwnershipMethods12-01-2009.pdf
En route to security summit, Rosarito mayor is crime victim
By Diane Bell, UNION-TRIBUNE COLUMNIST
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at midnight
Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, 73, says he became a crime victim for the first time last Thursday.
And the crime wasn’t in Mexico. Torres parked his 2008 GMC sport utility vehicle at San Diego’s Fashion Valley mall to do some shopping. He was on his way to the second Binational Mayors of the Californias Summit in Santa Ana.
His SUV, parked in a covered lot near Macy’s, was locked and the alarm was activated, but a thief still was able to get in and steal the mayor’s traveling bag, briefcase and two cell phones. Also missing was Torres’ portfolio and papers for the meeting he was about to attend.
One of the topics on the summit agenda was binational security — though security at U.S. shopping malls during the holiday season was not among the items scheduled for discussion.
Torres, who owns the Rosarito Beach Hotel, said he mentioned the theft to a mall security guard but, because of his tight schedule, didn’t have time to file a formal police report or view parking lot videotapes.
“I have insurance, so my items were covered,” he said yesterday. “But I just wanted them to know. Maybe they could prevent it from happening to someone else.”
He said his SUV, which is equipped with bulletproof glass, was undamaged, and he thinks the thief may have used an electronic entry device.
“I have never before been burglarized or robbed, or had anything stolen from me,” said Torres, Rosarito’s first mayor when the city incorporated in 1995. He served one three-year term then and was re-elected in December 2007.
Fashion Valley spokeswoman Francine Miley, while not commenting on the Torres break-in, said auto-related incidents have decreased significantly since the mall installed security cameras in all parking areas in 2008. Guards patrol by vehicle, by Segway and on foot.
DECEMBER 7, 2009
Cuba Gooding Sr. Named Goodwill
Ambassador, Receives Rosarito Key
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Noted singer Cuba Gooding Sr., was presented a key to Rosarito and named a goodwill ambassador for the city by Mayor Hugo Torres at a weekend concert here.
"I am humbled by this, it means a lot to me," said Gooding, who is best known for his 1972 super hit "Everybody Plays The Fool" as lead singer of the Main Ingredient. He also is the father of well-known actor Cuba Gooding Jr.
Mr. Gooding, who has a vacation home in Rosarito, said he is troubled because some in the U.S. have gotten the impression that Rosarito is unsafe because of the government's crackdown on drug cartels and wanted to help correct that impression.
He told the mayor that he and his family would work to spread the word in the United States that Rosarito is a safe, wonderful, warm and welcoming place. "We're going to get Mexicans and Americans loving each other," he said.
Mayor Torres said the presentation was being made to Mr. Gooding "because of the great work you are doing and because we love you."
The effort to have Mr. Gooding named goodwill ambassador was organized by Baja Times editor Laura Wong and other Rosarito residents, including members of the city's large expatriate community.
As well as helping promote Rosarito in the U.S. and the world, Mr. Gooding said he also would bring other well-known '70s groups including the Temptations for concerts in the city. Mr. Gooding still tours several months a year.
Mayor Torres made the presentation to Mr. Gooding during a Saturday night dinner concert at Reuben's Palm Grill, in the Cantamar area of the city.
A full house of about 100 people enthusiastically watched the concert by Mr. Gooding, who was accompanied by the two backup singers of the Main Ingredient, a four-piece band and an emcee.
Cuba Gooding Sr. with Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres at a meeting the week prior to the concert. Photo by Laura Wong.)
The proclamation presented to Cuba Gooding Saturday night by Mayor Torres follows:
Rosarito Goodwill Ambassador Cuba Gooding Sr.
WHEREAS Cuba Gooding Sr. is internationally known for his music, including the 1972 hit "Everybody Plays the Fool",
WHEREAS Mr. Gooding loves Rosarito, has a vacation home here and is dedicated to helping promote the region,
WHEREAS Mr. Gooding has graced the Rosarito area with several performances and plans more here in the future,
WHEREAS Mr. Gooding is a distinguished and valuable member of Rosarito's large expatriate community,
We on this day and for the future proclaim Cuba Gooding Sr. a Goodwill Ambassador for Rosarito.
December 5, 2010 Mayor Hugo Torres, Playas De Rosarito
Ron Raposa
Cell: (619)948-3740
ronraposa@hotmail.com
Dia De La Virgen Guadalupe Guest Author - Rebecca M. Cuevas De Caissie
On December 12th, El Dia De La Virgen de Guadalupe is celebrated throughout México and all of Latin America. The celebration and devotion of Hispanics to La Virgen de Guadalupe, especially amongst the Mexican community, has spread to where the veneration and devotion to the Virgin Mary is a staple amongst all Catholics around the world, most notably in the Americas. This is the story of how the Virgen de Guadalupe became the icon she is today and how El Dia De La Virgen was conceived in México.
Let’s begin with the name Guadalupe and the origins of it. Guadalupe is a small village in Spain famous for its fortress-like monastery, founded in 1340, occupied by Hieronymites from 1359 to its dissolution in 1832. Later Guadalupe was reoccupied by Franciscans in 1928. Guadalupe stands on a spot where it is said that a Sheppard in the early 14th century found an effigy, believed to have been rendered by St. Luke, of a black virgin. The veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe reached its pinnacle in the 15th and 16th centuries when she was made the patroness of the whole of Hispanidad, the territories conquered by Spain in the Americas, by Spanish Navigators before setting out on their voyages.
The most widely accepted, though not the first, account of the appearance of the Virgin Mary in South America is the Nican Mopohua written in Náhuatl, the indigenous language of Meso-American nations such as the Aztecan Empire. The Nican Mopohua was told by many people living in the region of Tepeyac and recorded by historians; it describes the meeting between La Virgen and San Juan Diego in 1531 which was only ten years since the México region had been conquered by Spanish conquistadores.
Juan Diego was a widowed convert to the Roman Catholic religion and was on his way to the monastery or “to attend to divine things” passing the hill of Tepeyac when the sky turned bright and he began to hear “singing on top of the hill, like the songs of various precious birds”. He stopped wondering if it he was in “Xochitlalpan”, a Meso-American Náhuatl expression for heaven. At the end of the song he claims to have heard the call of a woman from the top of the hill where he saw a lady whose “clothes were like the sun”. He prostrated himself before her and was asked where he was going to which he replied that he was going to her home of Tlatelolco to hear the sermons of the friars. The woman went on to identify herself as “the eternally consummate virgin Saint Mary, mother of the true deity, God, the giver of life, the creator of people, the ever present, the lord of heaven and earth”. She then asked Juan Diego to relate to the Bishop her wish to have a temple built on the hill of Tepeyac where she would attend to the “weeping and sorrows” of “you and all the people of this land, and of the various peoples who love me”, “in order to remedy and heal all their various afflictions, miseries and torments.”
According to the legend, Juan Diego carried her message to the Bishop Juan de Zumárraga and upon cross-examination which, I would imagine in that day, have been more of an interrogation, Juan was asked to produce evidence as to his claim. When he was unable to produce the required evidence his story was rejected. From this point on, he, being afraid of displeasing the deity, avoided the area and traversed the other side of the hill where he was reportedly again to meet with La Virgen. She instructed him to gather a bunch of Castillian Roses from atop Tepeyac hill in his tilma (cloak) and return to the Bishop. He was instructed not to put the roses down until he was in audience with the Bishop and this would provide proof of her miraculous presence. Accordingly during that time Castillian roses were uncommon in that region as well as this having taken place in the middle of winter made the abundance of roses told of in this story truly a miracle. Juan Diego did as he was told and when he delivered the roses to the Bishop the stories state that both he and the Bishop we amazed to find the image of La Virgen emblazoned on the fabric of his tilma. The virgin who appeared was given the name of La Virgen de Gudalupe and shortly thereafter a Basílica bearing her name was built on that site in 1531.
Our Lady of Guadalupe still underpins the faith of Catholics in Mexico and the rest of Latin America, and she has been recognized as patron saint of México City since 1737, with her patronage extended piece by piece until it included all of America by 1946. Much of the recent increase in Marianism in the Catholic Church, including the call to recognize Mary as co-redemptrix, stems from the cult of Guadalupe.
Today many devotees make the pilgrimage to the Basílica de Guadalupe, some crawling on their knees for miles, to pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe, make promises and seek guidance. It is said that she can cure almost any sickness and many problem drinkers go there to promise her that they will never drink again. The majority of these pilgrims claim to find the strength to fulfill their promises and find the answers that they seek.
This is the story of how La Virgen de Guadalupe became celebrated throughout México and Latin America, where the true miracle is that she has united the Hispanic population as well as Catholics throughout America in a common love and devotion. This was accomplished by that same steadfast love and devotion Hispanics approach every aspect of life and our traditions. It is said that 90% of Hispanics are Catholic but 100% are Guadalupanos and now maybe the same can be said of all Catholics throughout the Americas. It is the love we give to our Virgencita and that she gives to us that, as foretold in the legend, protected and kept us whole. This why we celebrate El Dia De La Virgen de Guadalupe is Amor (love).
For all your wants, desires and needs regarding relocating to México, please contact me; I want to earn your business and can guide you in all the aspects that the article below describes. I care.
Velia Amparo Rivas
Article by Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editor, International Living
Which foreign country will be the first in which Americans can use Medicare and Medicaid benefits?
México, of course.
It just makes sense. México is right next door to the largest market of health care consumers in the world. Some health services in México can cost 12 times less than what is charged in the U.S., experts say.
It's no wonder that Americans (and yes, Canadians, too) cross the Mexican border in frequently increasing numbers to avail of the high-quality but low-cost health care Mexico provides, including reduced cost prescriptions.
Already, the four largest commercial U.S. health insurers-with enrollments totaling nearly 100 million people-have either launched pilot programs exploring or offering overseas travel to countries like México for health services. Some smaller health insurers and brokers also have introduced travel options for hundreds of employers around the country.
It also makes sense that Americans should be able to use insurance benefits from Medicare and Medicaid in Mexico. And that ability may become reality very soon, says Bruno Ferrari, the chief executive officer of Promexico, México's foreign investment agency.
And he believes that within one year, the governments of México and the U.S. may have an agreement to let Americans use their Medicare and Medicaid insurance at Mexican health care facilities.
Already, 10 U.S. and Canadian companies have expressed an interest in building facilities to cater to Americans seeking to take advantage of low medical expenses, he says.
This is all good news for those of us who live in México and for anyone thinking about relocating or retiring there.
Anticipating the approval of both U.S. private insurance and Medicare/Medicaid programs in Mexico, real estate developers are getting in on the act, too. Many of them are creating special communities that cater to the health needs of foreign retirees, including assisted living centers.
Since México has been hard hit by the global economic meltdown, and the peso has recently lost 30% of its value against the dollar, there are deals to be had on real estate in México right now. (And on travel and just about everything else).
Health care, health insurance, and real estate opportunities in México were some of the subjects of discussion at the Live & Invest in México Seminar in Puerto Vallarta November 12-14.
There are many reasons why today's México makes sense for the retiree or investor. There truly will never be a better time in your lifetime to start a new life in México.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 27, 2009
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Mayor Hugo Torres in his second State of The City Address highlighted gains made in public safety and stated such improvements would continue to be the main goal of the administration.
Among accomplishments, Torres cited a 22 percent decline in crime from January to October of 2009 from the same period of the previous year, bring Rosarito to its lowest crime level in five years, the biggest gain in Baja.
Torres spoke Tuesday evening in City Hall plaza to an audience of hundreds that included Baja California Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan plus numerous state and federal officials as well as city residents.
The mayor cited reforming the police department, establishing tougher standards, more incentives for officers, strict guidelines for public officials, military and state law enforcement support as key to the gains.
Torres is in the second year of a three-year term that began in December of 2007.
The mayor also cited actions made to make the city more welcoming to visitors, including establishing a Tourist Police Force, bilingual parking ticket, ombudsman's office and special city department for visitor assistance.
Rosarito also has made strong efforts for its youth through new programs in the schools including expanded drug prevention, extensive sports programs and breaking ground for a Boys & Girls Club, the first phase of which is scheduled to open next year.
In city infrastructure, about $20 million is dedicated to paving of 189 city roads and new Olympic-sized pool constructed.
Council members Norma Gutierrez, Rosa Maria Cornejo, Manuel Cipres, Santiago Lepro and Rafael Crosthwaite also spoke of city accomplishments during the past two years.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ron Raposa
(619)948-3740 ronraposa@hotmail.com
U.S. Mailing Address:
2751 Lincoln Court
National City, CA 91950
This is the Executive Summary of the Binational Task Force on the United States-México Border.
It is a very important report prepared under the auspices of the Pacific Council on International Policy representing the US, and COMEXI, the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales, A.C. representing México. The Task Force 2 Co-Chairs, 2 Co-Directors, and 27 Members are a list of "Who's Who" in International Relations.
It's a little long, 19 pages, but it's worth the read. Hope you enjoy it.
This is the link: http://www.pacificcouncil.org/pdfs/COMEXEXECSUMM.pdf
Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving!