Placido Salazar

psalazar9@satx.rr.com

In letter to Congress, border officials voice concern over

Trump policies
By Steve Taylor

Share on FacebooBROWNSVILLE, RGV Border elected officials in Texas,

Arizona and New Mexico have written to members of Congress to ask that
they oppose President Trumps reckless policies regarding the southwest
border and Mexico.
The letter describes Mexico as a neighbor and trading partner. It denounces
plans to build a border wall and the suggestion that tariffs be imposed on
Mexican imports as a means to pay for the wall.
 Hidalgo Couny Ramon Garcia
The letter also says that retreating from the North American Free Trade Agreement
without engaging in good-faith negotiations with Mexico would cripple trade and
cause recessions in Border communities and elsewhere. It cites an editorial by the
Wall Street Journal that said, It took the United States nearly a decade to recover
from the economic wreckage of the last recession. A wealth-destroying trade war
with one of Americas closest partners would threaten that long-sought recovery.

The letter originated in El Paso and has signatures from El Paso County Judge
Veronica Escobar, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, and six state lawmakers from that
city. El Paso-based Borderplex Alliance has signed the letter, as have two chambers
of Commerce in El Paso.

The elected officials in the Rio Grande Valley that have signed the letter are Hidalgo
County Judge Ramon Garcia, Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez, Edinburg Mayor
Richard Garcia, and Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal.

Here are the officials that signed the letter:

Hon. Veronica Escobar County Judge, El Paso, Texas

Hon. Oscar Leeser Mayor, El Paso, Texas
Hon. Jose Rodriguez Texas State Senator, District 29
Hon. Joe C. Pickett Texas State Representative, District 79
Hon. Joe Moody Texas State Representative, District 78
Hon. Mary Gonzalez Texas State Representative, District 75
Hon. Cesar Blanco Texas State Representative, District 76
Hon. Lina Ortega Texas State Representative, District 77
Hon. Ramon Garcia County Judge, Hidalgo County, Texas
Hon. Efrain Valdez County Judge, Val Verde County, Texas
Hon. Sharon Bronson Chair, Board of Supervisors, Pima County, Arizona
Hon. Ann English Chair, Board of Supervisors, Cochise County, Arizona
Hon. David R. Saucedo County Judge, Maverick County, Texas
Hon. Maya Sanchez Mayor, City of San Elizario, Texas
Hon. Manuel Leos, Sr. Mayor, Village of Vinton, Texas
Hon. Javier Perea Mayor, City of Sunland Park, New Mexico
Hon. Martin Lerma Mayor, Town of Anthony, Texas
Hon. Ken Miyagishima Mayor, City of Las Cruces, New Mexico
Hon. Ramsey English Cantu Mayor, Eagle Pass, Texas
Hon. Joel Villarreal Mayor, Rio Grande City, Texas
Hon. Jonathan Rothschild Mayor, Tucson, Arizona
Hon. Richard H. Garcia Mayor, City of Edinburg, Texas
Hon. Antonio Tony Martinez Mayor, Brownsville, Texas
Hon. Arthur Clark Smith Mayor, City of Lordsburg, New Mexico
Hon. John F. Doyle Mayor, City of Nogales, Arizona
Hon. Benny L. Jasso Mayor, City of Deming, New Mexico
Richard Dayoub President/CEO, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce
Jon Barela CEO, Borderplex Alliance, El Paso, Texas
Cindy Ramos Davidson Chief Operating Officer El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Here is the letter:

Dear Honorable Members of the House of Representatives and Senate:

We write to you as members of the vibrant U.S. Mexico Border community. We are
asking you to stand with us to oppose President Trumps reckless policies regarding
our U.S. Border and Mexico, our neighbor and trading partner.

The Presidents recent executive actions and rhetoric threaten not only lasting
damage to our countrys relationship with Mexico but severe economic
consequences to Border communities and the United States as a whole. Specifically,
we note the following. The proposed Border wall is a colossally expensive and
ineffective deterrent to undocumented immigration and, given that such
immigration has been at historic lows, an unnecessary one at that. It will also divert
resources away from more productive pursuits, such as improving and modernizing
infrastructure at ports of entry, which are the lifeline of cross border trade. In short,
the wall, which will be paid for by the American taxpayer no matter what funding
scheme is ultimately employed, will create the illusion of security while providing no
economic benefit.

Retreating from NAFTA without engaging in good-faith negotiations with Mexico

would cripple trade and cause recessions in Border communities and elsewhere. As
the Wall Street Journals editorial board recently observed, It took the United
States nearly a decade to recover from the economic wreckage of the last
recession. A wealth-destroying trade war with one of Americas closest partners
would threaten that long-sought recovery.
In the face of recent threats to impose huge tariffs on Mexican imports, Mexican
officials are already discussing the possibility of abandoning NAFTA. Furthermore,
Mexico will no doubt immediately respond to a border tax with tariffs of its own or
begin buying elsewhere. This will severely impact the American economy.

As an example, the Wall Street Journal has observed that U.S. sales of food and
farm products to Mexico totaled a record $19.5 billion in fiscal year 2014,
representing 13% of all U.S. agricultural exports. Anti-Mexico rhetoric has already
had a chilling effect on the peso. A declining peso directly affects Border economies,
which are closely intertwined with their Mexican sister cities and the Mexican
economy as a whole, and it also will severely dampen U.S. exports to Mexico, the
second-largest destination for U.S.-made products.

In addition, a declining peso threatens to destabilize Mexico and halt its progress
toward establishing a mature economy. Selective changes to Americas immigration
laws or immigration policy will not address the fundamental flaws in our countrys
immigration system or make us safer. And, to the extent such changes include a
policy of arresting non-criminal immigrants or those with minor criminal records,
this will result in significantly increased expenditures on detention, the removal of
productive workers from the U.S. economy, and placing the immigrants family
members at risk.

We encourage you to visit the Border communities that will be impacted by

President Trumps tactics. We would welcome the opportunity for you to learn first-
hand about our already safe and secure communities as well as the economic
importance of the U.S. Mexico border. We have much to lose as a nation with the
approach that the President is taking and we urge you to stand up for our
communities and economy in the face of this divisive and dangerous antagonism
toward the Border and Mexico. Editors Note: The main image accompanying this
story shows border fencing in El Paso, Texas.

Steve Taylor is editor-in-chief of the Rio Grande Guardian