by Tina Grazier
A recent article about the intentions of the new president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, serves to remind us that the will plays an important roll in the accomplishment of goals.
MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Felipe Calderon won’t be fighting for migration reform when he meets with President Bush next week. Instead, he will be spelling out what he intends to do to keep Mexicans at home. *** If implemented, his proposals could help transform Mexico from a labor-exporting country with relatively low growth, productivity and wages into an investment-rich, job-producing economy with better living standards for its 107 million people, nearly half of whom still live in poverty. *** Unlike Fox, Calderon has shown he can rally lawmakers and others behind his plans: Congress unanimously passed his 2007 federal budget and he has united state governments behind a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking. *** Among other things, he has proposed labor, energy and judicial reforms to encourage investment, promote competition and create jobs; improved tax collection to generate more revenue to fight poverty and improve education; universal health care and support for small and medium-size businesses. *** “Curing” migration will take many more than his six years in office, Calderon says. With this in mind, he set the goal of boosting Mexico’s per-capita income from the equivalent of about $8,000 today to around $30,000 by 2030.
My hat is off to this man who has such great expectations for his countryand plans that, if implemented, will make both of our nations stronger. The difficult part, as GWB has discovered, is winning, and then keeping, the interest and will of the people to see it through. Like Bush, he faces opposition from powerful social and political forces…and yet he has said, It won’t be easy. It won’t be fast, but yes, it is possible.
Bravo! The world desperately needs leaders like this…and citizens with a strong enough will to see things through.