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| The old homestead home, built by our neighbour's grandfather in the mid-1930s on the grounds of the Hacienda de La Vega |
South Padre Island is full, as well, of island dwellers. Playa de Carmen, CanCun, Ixtapa, Mazatlan, Puerto Pen~asco, Los Cabos...and a hundred other well known and lesser known spots are full of Gringos and other foreigners. And South Padre Island, where the southernmost part of Texas meets the Gulf of Mexico, is full of people from San Pedro de Garza Garcia....the "rich city" of the Monterrey metroplex. Other well-heeled Mexicans go there during any extended Holidays, and during the Summer period. About a third of all the real-estate in the developable part of South Padre Island is owned by Mexican "old money"....a term that carries considerable positive value in these times.
In spite of slightly less than perfect weather, the crowds have been ample, the stores full, and the bars and restaurants from the standard first class to the ultra deluxe have been full. It is not quite like the Titanic speeding through the iceberg fields of the North Atlantic, because the Mexican economy and general situation is much better than four or five years ago. Pen~a Nieto and the PRI (centrist) party can take credit for winning a war that essentially began to be won by the previous administration. Pen~a Nieto can also take credit for passing the very needed reforms of the economic development of the energy sector of Mexico, and for the take-down of the horrid hag Gordillo from her ivory tower of corruption as head of the National Teachers' Union.
Other reforms have been made, as promised, and the Mexican situation is, by any measure, performing pretty well. The only failing, in the opinion of any Milton Freedman acolyte, is the insistence by the present administration in making everybody "pay his/her fair share". So, the upper levels of the tax bracket will have to dig significantly deeper during the coming fiscal year. Already, although the leftists hate for us to use this obvious fact and statistic, the wealthiest 10% of all Mexicans pay 80% of the central government income taxes. Those paying 99% of the Mexican income tax load are found within the top 25% of what are called in the euphemistic Mexican governmentese "contribuyentes"(contributors), as if there is a choice.
And all should be aware that Mexico's central government also has a 16% sales tax, nationally. It was recently uniformised to include the frontier with the United States where the various American States sales taxes are much lower. For many years the Mexican counties in Mexican States bordering the United States were allowed to have a federal sales tax rate of 11%, so as to tamp down, at least a bit, the impulse to cross the border to buy something. The Republic of Texas, with no income tax, does considerable revenue collection based upon an 8% sales tax, with a 0.25% local option aggregation.
So, nominally and theoretically, a buyer along the Mexican frontier can save an automatic 8% on a purchase in McAllen, from a purchase in Reynosa across the border. Much depends upon how long a person wants to rot in a bridge line in order to save a buck or two....the bridge fares roundtrip are now around 6.00 am. cur. and waits of 30 minutes to an hour are common coming into the Republic of Texas. Going into Mexico is more efficient because they use a Russian Roulette form of inspection, along with reasonable profiling. The American side uses the useless process of handling each individual personally, and each vehicle and all occupants personally.
It has long been the opinion of almost any reasonable observer that the huge lines could be alleviated by dogs, literally, and by machine validation via fingerprint identifier or similar technology. It is no secret to the commonly informed that the best ID functioning right now is the Mexican Voter's Registration...with 13 identifying elements and very advanced encryption. It could be processed along with a card American Visa in fractions of a second.
As it is right now, for instance, El Gringo Viejo can cancel a temporary importation permit for his vehicle a this second, and at the next second apply for another one and have the whole deal done in seconds...registered in Mexico City, and done. That is the kind of technology the Mexicans have in force and operating right now.
Our own manpower is badly deployed, and perhaps should be militarised, although my faith in the military of the United States after these last four or five years of active degradation leaves me wondering. Will the powers that be ever allow American Armed Forces to win wars and military actions. Like Viet Nam we seem to win a war only to leave the Victory to sour and be lost by marxist, American-hating politicians. The stand-downs in Iraq and Afghanistan are glaring examples...and our foreign policy alliances with the likes of the Muslim Brotherhood also show a lack of reason at the highest levels. Border security is certainly not any priority with this crowd...not in the least. Spend money, pat oneself on the back, and turn away....Not a very good policy structure, unless, of course, the intent is to allow the Republic to be penetrated by prevaricators, saboteurs, seditionists, and parasites.
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We pass along this evening the seditious recommendations made by our friends at the Texas Nationalist Movement. The cold chill that reasonable people have, tingling up their spine and soul and brain, that somehow a "reasonable compromise" will be made to resuscitate the Obama Socialised Medicine Initiative (OSMI). Reasonable, mature, and moderate Republicans can save this legislation. With their simple act of reaching across the aisle they can make America Safe for Mediocrity and Bondage. And they can feel good about having paid for Miss Flukie's birth control devices and medications with my granddaughters' money. If the winds are blowing in that particular direction when the time comes to repeal and rescind, we shall have the bumbling moderates stumble forth to address the Obsolete Medias' microphones to say,"This is not the fight we need to spend our political capital on. We need to wait until the really important vote to authorise the 45 trillion dollar debt ceiling, which is very necessary because if we don't approve that debt ceiling, the Hispanics and the Emperor of Japan, and the Professionally Unemployed for Disability Payments Now people will not like us."
So, El Gringo Viejo continues to help get the word out about our radical, really weird group of strange people who are afflicted with a disorder that is gradually in remission throughout the American Republic. It is still very common in Texas, however.
THE TEXAS NATIONALIST MOVEMENT LEGISLATIVE OFFICIAL WISH LIST:
In 2014, the movement would like to enact and make possible the following measures through legislation in the Congress of the Republic of Texas -
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THE TEXAS NATIONALIST MOVEMENT
Obviously the Texas Nationalist Movement is fighting to have a referendum on Texas independence. And the piece of legislation to get that done is priority. However, there are some other things that we'd like to see the Texas Legislature get done that are squarely within our mission.
Some are big and some seem not so big. Although there are some issues that catch our attention, like Open Carry, criminalizing TSA pat-downs, Border Security, and others, there are some issues that seem to get missed.
And while we have a list longer than Guadalupe River, here are five that, while they may not seem like big deal to some folks, they hold a special place in our heart.
The establishment of a gold depository
During the last session of the Legislature, an attempt was made to get some steam behind this effort. It was serious enough that it prompted the statist media to make fun of us for it. But the logic here is sound. Why keep Texas gold in non-Texas banks or depositories?
Seems like a simple proposition when you realize that some of the larger banks, including the Federal Reserve, are having a hard time repatriating the foreign gold reserves that they supposedly had under lock-and-key. Countries like Germany have requested their gold and the Fed has resorted to delay tactics rather than giving them physical possession of the gold.
Gold, even in this day and age, is a valuable store of wealth, not just for individuals, but also for States. Texas is no different.
This piece of legislation is critical to reestablishing our economic independence. The legislation has been drafted and introduced. It just needs to be passed.
The establishment of a State Bank
This particular issue is one that can't seem to get any traction in Texas. Legislators won't look twice at it for fear of the banking lobby's wrath. But the establishment of a State Bank is really another no-brainer that can have a tremendous impact on our economic independence.
What we are talking about here are not "State Chartered" banks. We've got that already. And maybe we're not even talking about an actual "State Bank". But let's look at the problem first and see what this means.
Every day, government at every level in Texas takes in revenue. That revenue is then deposited into a bank. More often than not, that bank happens to be some non-Texas bank. The money then sits in those accounts earning money for the non-Texas bank and/or gets loaned out to non-Texas businesses and consumers. Or worse yet, it gets invested into risky investment schemes that make a back alley craps game look like church bingo.
For years now, there has been a solution on the table. Marilyn Barnewall has been out preaching the gospel of State Banks and has pointed to a shining example - North Dakota.
North Dakota has had a State Bank for over 90 years.And rather than putting their deposits into some other bank, government revenue is placed into the State Bank. From there, the State can essentially do what the bank does. In focusing on loans to North Dakota business and industry and avoiding risky investment schemes, they have, in the midst of economic turmoil, generated surplus revenue allowing them to reduce taxes and create jobs.
Imagine what Texas could do with it's massive economy with a State Bank. The largest benefit of this, naturally, is pulling more money away from the Federal Reserve system and moving Texas toward economic independence. Some things that could be done short of establishing a State Bank are available. Mandating that government revenue could only be deposited into State Chartered banks would be a start.
Sales tax exemption for the purchase
of products manufactured in Texas
How would you like to see the return of manufacturing to Texas with unemployment hovering at ZERO? Yeah. Us, too.
Do you realize that it is virtually impossible to exclusively purchase products that are manufactured in Texas? Yeah. Us, too.
Tired of having to cut off the "Made In China" label when you give a gift?
Then let's prioritize products manufactured in Texas and, therefore, Texas businesses and Texas workers.
Texas already has sort of a start on this one with it's GoTexan program. It's a program that agricultural producers can sign up for that let's them label their food products with the GoTexan label. It certifies that the food product is grown in and produced in Texas. This is great, but since food is already tax-exempt, there is little to no incentive other than being die-hard Texas Nationalists.
However, extending this labeling to all products manufactured in Texas and extending tax-exemption to products with these labels, you create a financial incentive to manufacture in Texas, hire Texas workers and purchase Texas products.
I can live with 0% unemployment.
Allowing the sale of fireworks for
Texas Independence Week
This may not seem like a big deal in the scheme of things. But it is a travesty that you can buy fireworks to celebrate New Year's Day and the 4th of July, but not Texas Independence Day.
Every year it seems that Texas Independence Day gets less and less attention. It comes and goes as though it were Columbus Day. Even Secretary's Day gets more play than Texas Independence Day.
Apparently, there have been some attempts to get a bill passed to do this over the past few sessions, but it languishes and dies. And that's a shame because there are several fireworks manufacturers in Texas and Texas charities use fireworks stands as fundraisers.
Granted, fireworks for Texas Independence Day might not be a "sexy" issue, but it really is about reviving and preserving our culture and history.
And, frankly, we won't be happy until we can fire off some Texas Twisters on March 2nd.
Requiring all elected officials to take a certification
course on the Texas Constitution
before they take office
If we had a dollar for every elected official who, when faced with Article 1 Section 1 of the Texas Constitution, asked us, "What does that say?", we'd no longer have to charge membership dues.
The unfortunate fact is that all Texas politicians take an oath to a constitution that most don't read or understand. Too many fall back on the ol' "I studied it in college" excuse. But for the Texas Nationalist Movement that doesn't cut it.
In our organization, we require members to take a New Member Orientation where they learn the mission, vision and principles of Texas Nationalism. We require our leaders to take a Leadership course.
If we can do this in a private organization, why should we expect any less out of elected officials? We shouldn't.
What we would like to see is quite simple. Law enforcement officers are required to go to a police academy and receive a law enforcement certification before we turn them loose with a badge and a gun. We require citizens who carry a concealed handgun to take a class and get certified. Yet we hand over the sovereign power of the State to anyone who can fog a mirror and get enough votes.
The principle is simple. If an elected official has not read nor can they comprehend the Texas Constitution, they cannot take an oath to it. Therefore, it is not out of line to require elected officials to take a small certification course on the Texas Constitution before they are allowed to take the oath of office.
There is somewhat of a precedent for this. Constables who are elected have a limited number of days after their election to receive their peace officer certification.
We need a better breed of elected official. The proof - not one of them will see the wisdom in this proposal and file a bill to make it happen. We'll need Texas Nationalists in office to make that happen.
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We'll leave everyone at peace for a few hours. Preparation time has come for us to go back down to our little hideaway on the skirts of the Sierra Madre Oriental. More Later.
El Gringo Viejo
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