New services to ensure continued enjoyment of retirement

BAJA TIMES
Volume XXX, Number 94 December 1-15, 2008
HEALTH

Unique and Much Needed Services in Baja
New services to ensure continued enjoyment of retirement

Serena Senior Care opened its doors in spring of this year offering high quality assisted living, health management, and property care services in the Rosarito Beach area of Baja California, Mexico.

Don’t wait until it is to late! Many retirees from the United States, Canada and other parts of the world have been enjoying their retirement in Rosarito for years. Some have been here for over 20 years and as they age they have more difficulty dealing with normal daily activities. Entering in to these later stages in life may also require putting more attention to your health and being more proactive about taking care of yourself.

Some people choose to ignore these realities and don’t take any action, slowly losing the quality of life they used to enjoy. But others take action, and decide to keep enjoying life and not just surviving it. A good example is Peter Fowler, who will be 85 this winter. He moved to Rosarito four years ago and was enjoying life, and then he started to have some health problems and realized he needed help. Peter hired a caregiver, Gabriela, from Serena Senior Care and his quality of life increased. He is now enjoying his retirement again, “It was like a ton of bricks was lifted off my back,” says Peter. “Gabriela still comes by and simply makes life easy for me, in spite of my physical restrictions. We’re like family,” added Peter.

With the commitment to continually improve their services Serena Senior Care has announced new products that will undoubtedly become valuable resources to many. One of the services that many people have been asking for is an all inclusive assisted living facility, which is now a reality. Serena has now available a beautiful residence that is exceptionally equipped ready to host up to 15 residents. In this home, residents will have lodging, all meals, housekeeping, personal care by trained nurses and caregivers, supervision from a Geriatrician, social activities, physical therapy, and many other services.

This new service is a great value, with an affordable monthly fee that is about 50% the cost of comparable services in California, but with the distinctive warm hospitality of Mexico. Anyone interested in visiting the facility can RSVP for a tour directly at the Serena offices calling (661) 612 9090, or may go to their Open House on December 4th. “Nobody knows when the sky will fall, so knowing that Casa Harmony is available now, or for my final years, makes me feel safe and secure. I have peace of mind. Serena Senior Care has been good to me” conclude Peter.

Other times our loved ones need help and we become their caregivers, a task that takes its toll as time goes by. In these cases family caregivers need a break. For example, Virginia Anderson has lived in Rosarito for over 16 years and has been taking care of her husband after he become ill over ten years ago. Today Virginia has contracted a nurse from Serena Senior Care for one or two days per week giving her the opportunity to go out and do the things she enjoys, such as going to religious services and visiting with friends. “I am very pleased with the care my husband is getting when the caregiver comes to give me a day off. My husband likes the nurse very much and she seems to like him. Even though he can`t speak they seem to know what each other is saying” says Virginia.

New tools to make your life better: Since Serena Senior Care started they have demonstrated their commitment to becoming a true resource and a solutions provider for retirees in the region. They organized the first Health Fair focused on foreign residents and they launched the Serena Full Assistance Card that provides access to top medical services in the region and other services that give cardholders peace of mind such as road side assistance and emergency home repairs, all accessible through a 24- hour toll free number with bilingual operators. Recently they have added more services and discounts to the Full Assistance Card at some of the more prestigious restaurants such as Rincon San Roman at Real del Mar, That’s Amore, Cha Cha’s Café and others. Also they have increased the number of places where you can buy the card, such as the “Roma” pharmacies, International Mail Center, and Bajamart & Deli in Bajamar. The Card will soon be available in Ensenada, as well. You can find an updated list of places to buy and get discounts on their website, www.serenaseniorcare.com.

Other services now offered by Serena Senior Care are TLC and a Preventive Maintenance Policy. TLC stands for “Tender Loving CALLS”, a daily friendly call in English to check up on you and make sure everything is ok, or to make arrangements if you need something. This is a wonderful and simple service for those that live alone and want peace of mind that someone is looking out for them in case anything happens. The preventive maintenance program offers an inspection of your home to make sure that all the pluming, including gas, and electrical installations are working properly; to make sure all doors and windows work, and that there are no roof leaks. The inspections are done by trained technicians every 3 months. This is a perfect solution for those that don’t live permanently here or that are not the do-it-yourself type. If something needs repairs, Serena Senior Care can take care of it!

New services and new easy convenient ways to get them are one way that Serena Senior Care is proving its commitment to the Baja Retiree community in Rosarito and the North Baja coast. For more information contact Serena Senior Care at info@serenaseniorcare.com.

www.remax-baja.com

Developer of the year

Rosarito Beach Hotel Is Developer of the Year
For 271-Suite 17-Story Condo-Hotel Project

By Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The Rosarito Beach Hotel has been named Developer of the Year for its 17-story, 271-suite beachfront condo-hotel tower, which was inaugurated Aug. 2.
The award from the Baja California Meeting Point and the Baja State Secretary of Tourism was presented at an Oct. 23 banquet to hotel executive director Laura Torres and project director Somit Talwar.
The $55-million project which was completed in 18 months is the first condo-hotel to open in Baja, California. With its opening the Rosarito Beach Hotel, a landmark since 1925, became the largest resort in Baja, with 500 units.
“We’re very proud of this new addition,” said Ms. Torres. “Not only does it provide the option of ownership for the first time in the hotel’s history, it also greatly expands the lodging opportunities and amenities available to our guests.”
Added Mr. Talwar, “We were very pleased to complete this project on time, while maintaining the highest construction standards and a commitment to be earth friendly and energy efficient. At the same time, we were able to maintain a high level of sales.”
The condo-hotel project, also know as the Pacifico Tower, joins two other towers at the seaside resort.
One-bedroom to three-bedroom penthouse suites are offered for purchase at prices ranging from the high $100’s to $600,000. Owners have the option of placing their suites in a rental program when not in use, under a 50-50 revenue split with the hotel.
The condo-hotel Pacifico Tower feature a rooftop infinity pool plus another at ground level, poolside bars, a billiard room with bar, gymnasium and its own concierge. A rooftop restaurant with a panoramic views of the city and sea is planned.
All suites are fully furnished in contemporary Mexican décor, with original art from leading local painters.
In addition, owners and guests have access to all amenities of the legendary and historic hotel, including casual and gourmet restaurants, the elegant Casa Playa Spa, bars and entertainment.
“With the addition of the Pacifico Tower, we are able to offer a wide range of lodging options at various price points,” Ms. Torres said. “That enables us to tailor the hotel experience to meet almost every need and budget, from singles to couples and families.”
Since opening in 1925 the Rosarito Beach Hotel has hosted millions of guests, including such Hollywood luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Gregory Peck, plus dignitaries from around the world.

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Gustavo Torres
remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Mexico Unveils Emergency Spending To Combat Crisis

Mexico's President Unveils Emergency Spending Program To Combat Financial Crisis

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 15, 2008

AP) President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday unveiled plans for 53 billion pesos ($4.4 billion) in emergency spending on roads, schools, hospitals and an oil refinery next year to help Mexico combat the world financial crisis.

In a televised address, Calderon assured Mexicans the nation's banks are solid and haven't slowed lending to companies or individuals, despite a global credit crunch that has sent stocks here tumbling and seen the peso weaken to a record low against the dollar.

The $4.4 billion in additional investment for 2009 would be used "to build infrastructure projects that will bring direct social benefits to millions of Mexicans and help keep our economy on track," Calderon said.

The proposal, which was sent to Congress on Wednesday, "is not a financial rescue package, but will focus on strengthening the motors of our economy" to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis, he said.

The proposal includes 10 billion pesos ($837 million) for energy projects, including a new oil refinery. The refinery will be the first built in almost 30 years, he said.

The plan calls for spending 26 billion pesos ($2 billion) on building roads, houses, schools and prisons. It also would support small- and medium-sized businesses by expanding their credit and allowing them to bid in government projects.

Calderon said Mexico faces a 28 billion pesos ($2.3 billion) decrease in public income next year due to a drop in remittances, falling oil prices and a slowdown in tourism.

The emergency spending would be financed by changing Pemex's accounting rules, which if approved by Congress, would give the federal government an extra 78 billion pesos ($6.2 billion), he said.

Last month, the government sent Congress a $270 billion budget that assumed Mexican crude oil prices would average around $80 a barrel.

Oil income makes up about 40 percent of budgeted revenue.

Earlier Wednesday, Mexico's central bank moved to auction off $2.5 billion in reserves to prop up the struggling peso.

Bank of Mexico President Guillermo Ortiz said the bank received 59 bids of $1.7 billion. Of those, 31 were accepted for a total sale of $998 million. The bank will continue auctioning off the rest of the designated reserves on Thursday.

Ortiz said Mexican currency markets on Monday had fluctuations not seen since 1995, when the country was mired in its own banking crisis. But he emphasized that today, "Mexico's banking institutions are solid."

Wednesday's dollar auction came hours after the peso dropped below a record 14 to the U.S. dollar. It recovered to around 12 to the dollar after the bank's announcement, but was still down significantly since closing last week at 11.1 to the dollar.

If the peso falls more than 2 percent in value from the day before, the bank said it will auction off an additional $400 million more a day. Mexico's international reserves were at $84 billion on Friday.

Mexico's Treasury Department said in a statement late Wednesday it was lowering its 2008 economic growth outlook to 2 percent from 2.4 percent. It also revised its GDP growth forecast for 2009 from 3 to 1.8 percent.

Mexico's economy, long dependent on its northern neighbor, had weathered the global crisis relatively well until the peso's fall. The drop was the first strong sign that Mexico was in for a bumpy economic future.
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Gustavo Torres
remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

U.S. Vows More Help for Homeowners

By VIKAS BAJAJ
Published: October 23, 2008

With foreclosures mounting, Bush administration officials said Thursday that they were preparing to step up efforts to help struggling homeowners.
A senior policy maker told a Senate committee that the administration was working on a plan under which the government would offer to shoulder some of the losses on loans that are modified.

The insurance program could cost tens of billions of dollars, according to a person briefed on discussions about the plan, and would be run by the Treasury Department under the $700 billion financial rescue bill Congress passed earlier this month.

The remarks about the plan, made by Sheila C. Bair, the chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, came as a new report showed that foreclosure filings jumped 71 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier. At the hearing, Congressional Democrats criticized the administration for not doing enough to help homeowners even as the Treasury and Federal Reserve have moved to inject hundreds of billions of dollars into banks and the financial system.

Ms. Bair, who has been one of the most ardent proponents of loan modifications, acknowledged that more needed to be done. “We are behind the curve,” Ms. Bair told the Senate Banking Committee. “We are falling behind. There has been some progress, but it’s not been enough, and we need to act and we need to act quickly and we need to act dramatically.”

Details of the plan are expected in the next week or two. Ms. Bair told senators that policy makers were contemplating creating standardized loan modification practices that would be used by mortgage servicing firms, which handle billing and collection on behalf of investors and banks. Loans modified under those principles would qualify for a partial federal guarantee. In other words, if homeowners defaulted on their loan again, part of the loss would be borne by the government. It was unclear whether investors or homeowners would have to pay premiums for that protection.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and the chairman of the banking committee, commended the program, which he said he wrote into the rescue package in consultation with Ms. Bair.

“This slender provision alone could help countless deserving Americans escape the foreclosure trap,” he said.

The guarantee program would be used alongside another element of the rescue plan that would have the government directly purchase and modify mortgages.

Since late last year, the government has tried various approaches to limit foreclosures, but analysts say those efforts have not done enough to stem rising defaults. A recent analysis by Rod Dubitsky of Credit Suisse, showed that 44 percent of borrowers whose loans were modified but whose monthly payment did not decrease fell behind on payments again in the next eight months. By contrast, that rate was 15 to 23 percent for modifications that lowered payments, depending on which loan terms were changed.

Why more loans are not being modified is the subject of heated debate. Some in the industry say it is hard to reach borrowers and many of them do not want to stay in their homes anyway. Advocates for low-income homeowners say servicing firms are overwhelmed by defaults. People on both sides acknowledge that modifications are complicated because most mortgages are no longer held by banks. Instead, they are packaged into securities.

The administration’s latest approach of guaranteeing loans appears to be intended to give the servicing firms an incentive to modify loans in ways that they may have been reluctant to do so far. The guarantee could strengthen the hand of firms in discussion with investors who are upset about modifications.

Earlier this summer, Congress created another program, Hope for Homeowners, that also offers government guarantees, though under different terms. In that plan, servicing firms that willingly write down delinquent loans and pay a premium can have the loan refinanced by new mortgages that are guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration. When homeowners eventually sell their homes, they have to share any profits with the government.

In the Senate hearing, Brian D. Montgomery, the F.H.A. commissioner, said that the program started operating on Oct. 1 but added that “it will take time for the lending community to get the program up and running.”

Earlier on Thursday, RealtyTrac, a default-tracking service, reported that foreclosure filings jumped by more than 71 percent in the third quarter, to 765,000, from the period a year earlier. There was a slight dip in filings in September, from August, but the company said that decrease was caused by new laws in some states like California and North Carolina that have delayed the start of some foreclosures. In Massachusetts, which enacted a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures three months earlier, default filings surged in September.

RealtyTrac tracks foreclosures based on court filings in 2,200 counties. Critics have said that multiple court filings on each home inflate its statistics. RealtyTrac says it adjusts its data to account for multiple filings.

At the White House, Mr. Bush’s press secretary, Dana Perino, warned that the country was in for “a rocky road” on “the employment front.” She also said the administration expects next week’s report on third-quarter gross domestic product “not to be a good one, and the next quarter could probably be tough as well.”

The remarks were significant, coming from a White House that has traditionally been reluctant to offer forecasts in advance of reports. But Ms. Perino said she was “just trying to be realistic.”

Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed reporting.

GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Legendary Rosarito Beach Hotel Offers $29 Introductory Rate Through Feb. 12

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The legendary Rosarito Beach Hotel, Baja’s largest and most historic resort, is offering a special $29 rate on standard rooms through Feb 12.
“We’re offering this largely to introduce people to the expanded and refurbished Rosarito Beach Hotel,” said Laura Torres, executive director of the 500-unit beachfront resort about 30 miles south of downtown San Diego.
The rate is the lowest offered since the 1990s, Ms. Torres said. Advance registration is required and availability limited. Fridays, Saturdays, holidays and select blackout days are excluded.
“The $29 rate applies only to standard rooms in our Coronado and Playas towers, but we expect that people will take the opportunity to visit our new Pacifico Tower while here,” Ms. Torres said.
The 271-suite 17-story beachfront Pacifico opened Aug, 2. The tower is a condo-hotel, where people can purchase a unit as well as stay as guests.
The $29 dollar offer, made possible in part by the dollar gaining strength against the peso, also is a way to reward loyal guests and counter some recent bad publicity about Baja.
“Coverage of Mexico’s war against organized crime has made some people worried about security in Baja,” Ms. Torres said. “We hope this offer will help make people aware that Baja remains a safe place for visitors.”
The Rosarito Beach Hotel opened in 1925 and was a popular stop for the Hollywood crowd, with guests including Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Rita Hayworth and Frank Sinatra.
It features two restaurants, a world-class European Spa, and folkloric ballet show on weekends. The resort has a quarter-mile fishing pier and hosted the Mexican surfing championships.
Rosarito Beach is a popular tourist destination which attracts more than a million visitors a year. Its lively downtown, rich in shopping and entertainment, is a short stroll from the hotel.
Attractions including the world-famous Puerto Nuevo lobster village and theme park of Xploration, where Titanic and Master & Commander were filmed, are just a few miles away.
“It’s fresh lobster season and a great time do some early holiday shopping,” Ms. Torres said. “With this $29 offer, there never will be a more affordable time to visit.”
Additional information is available on www.RosaritoBeachHotel.com

GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Mexican Pacific Coast Tourism Project to Outshine Cancún

By Barnard R. Thompson

The Mexican government has announced a major new tourism development
that will stretch along the Pacific Ocean coast of southern Sinaloa –
a project that will ultimately be twice the size of Cancún. A master
planned tourist area to rival not just Cancún, but too the Riviera
Maya that runs along the shores of the Mexican Caribbean.

President Felipe Calderón, with officials from the Mexican
government's National Trust Fund for Tourism Development (Fondo
Nacional de Fomento al Turismo, or Fonatur), made the announcement at
the September 29 opening of the Fonatur sponsored Mexican Real Estate
and Tourism Investment Expo, in Mexico City.

Provisionally called the Pacific Coast Integrally Planned Center,
infrastructure work is scheduled to begin during the first half of
2009, with the final stage of the phased developments to be completed
by 2025. This in much the same way that other Fonatur master planned
seaside resorts, such as Cancún, Los Cabos, Ixtapa, Loreto and the
Bays of Huatulco, have been done.

The 5,884 acre [9.2 square miles] Pacific Coast CIP will be in the
midst of the Sinaloa National Wetlands, in part on the near 5,000
acre Rancho Las Cabras, owned by former Sinaloa governor Antonio
Toledo Corro. The area is 80 miles south of Mazatlán and west of the
Mexico Highway 15 town of Escuinapa, in the municipality of the same
name. On land between the Pacific Ocean and lagoons and marshes
known as the Laguna Agua Grande, the area will include 7.5 miles of
beaches between the villages of Isla del Bosque and Teacapán to the
south on the State of Nayarit border.

The coastal area is well known locally for its beauty and
tranquility. Slightly inland from the coast, the estuaries, lagoons
and mangrove stands are surrounded by palm and tropical flora filled
valleys, with a notable abundance of birds and migratory waterfowl.
Deer, mountain lions and peccary, among other animals, are found in
the area.

And fishing is big in the region, commercial fishing (and shrimp
farming), and of course sportfishing. Several species of protected
sea turtles come to area beaches, and at sea among the many species
found are billfish, humpback whales and white sharks.

Of historical significance, there are large oyster shell mounds near
Teacapán that experts say were harvested by indigenous peoples living
in the area as long as 4,000 years ago.

The investment by the Mexican government is to be around MX$5 billion
pesos [US$465 million as of September 29], according to President
Calderón (who made the announcement before the current worldwide
financial crises came to a head, and the anticipated cutbacks).
Calderón added that the aforementioned Mexican public sector
investment should spark another US$6.638 billion in private national
and international investments.

First stage construction costs will be some MX$1.5 billion [US$139
million as of 9/29], according to a Fonatur executive, that will be
applied to 988 acres. That first phase is scheduled for completion
in 2012.

The President went on to say that the mega-development will
ultimately create 78,000 direct and indirect jobs. He also said
estimates are that the Pacific Coast CIP will attract nearly 3
million tourists by the year 2025, and US$2.8 billion in foreign
exchange.

Once completed the overall complex is to include four golf courses;
two marinas for a total of 1,000 vessels; 44,200 hotel rooms (hotels,
condominiums, etc.); a five mile beachfront walk; and a light
railway. Plus the possibility of a new airport is in the offing (or
the small airport at Teacapán could be expanded).

Based on what has been learned from other CIPs, such as Cancún,
hotels will not be allowed right on the beach. The required buffer
zone will be 300 meters. Hotels will also have a maximum height
limit of four stories.

Urban zones and shopping areas will integrate open space shielded by
law against construction, as will cultural centers and convention
facilities.

Emphasis will be placed on nature and the environment, with 25
percent of the total 5,884 acres dedicated as natural protected
areas, acreage that must be devoid of development. Furthermore, 109
acres of the surrounding wetland environs will be kept intact.
Regarding the lagoon and marsh areas, visitors will be able to enjoy
ecotourism activities via a series of canals and pathways.

As well, Pacific Coast CIP developments will have to meet marine and
land area environmental standards and requisites that are included in
the 2006 Marine Ecological Ordinance of the Gulf of California
Program.

For workers, at least 5,000 homes will be built, along with schools,
hospitals and facilities for needed community services.

Water will be provided through three separate systems, wastewater
treatment plants will be built, and each hotel will have to install
not only rainwater catchment receptacles, but too separate systems
for rain and wastewater drainage and control.

On an interconnected regional basis, highway improvements are planned
for the stretch of Highway 15 from Mazatlán south to Tepic, Nayarit
(and on to Tequila and Guadalajara; or southwest to the Bahía de
Banderas-Compostela Tourist Corridor and Puerto Vallarta). Too, the
road inland from Mazatlán to Durango is to be improved, all arteries
that will give area visitors, among others, easier access to tourist
and cultural sites, neighboring cities, mountain regions,
archeological zones, and indigenous communities.

And finally, for ocean going visitors, the Pacific Coast CIP is to be
in harmony with Fonatur's Sea of Cortez Plan, the system of Transient
Marinas, and the so-called Nautical Staircase.

——————————

Barnard Thompson, editor of MexiData.info, has spent 50 years in
Mexico and Latin America, providing multinational clients with
actionable intelligence; country and political risk reporting and
analysis; and business, lobbying, and problem resolution services

GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Baja port 'Punta Colonet' plan making gains

FREIGHT: Mexico has opened bidding on project that would siphon business from Long Beach, L.A.
By Kris Hanson, Staff writer
Article Launched: 10/13/2008 01:00:00 AM PDT


LONG BEACH - Nearly a year after announcing an ambitious plan to tap into the booming flow of trade between the U.S. West Coast and Asia, Mexican authorities have renewed a push to build a massive container port in Baja California.

The $5 billion project, proposed for a natural deep-water harbor near the small west coast fishing village of Punta Colonet about 275 miles south of Los Angeles, may one day compete with Long Beach and Los Angeles for a share of containerized freight.

In August, the Mexican government opened bidding for private development of port terminals and docks, and completed land-use and right-of-way negotiations with landowners in the area. They've also surveyed rail routes leading to the U.S. Southwest, and have organized a consortium of legal experts to help swiftly navigate trade, property and customs regulations.

Then, on Oct. 7, Mexico's Consul General in Los Angeles, Juan Marcos Gutierrez, participated in a panel discussion with port officials from Long Beach and Los Angeles to discuss the effort, and will be meeting with top West Coast port officials again this week at a retreat in Manzanillo, Mexico.

"This is the most ambitious infrastructure project of our time," Gutierrez said during the forum at Cal State Dominguez Hills. "It's something that's needed not only for Mexico, but for the regional economy."

Mexico believes that a port in Colonet would create up to 58,000 permanent jobs in Mexico, help upgrade the country's railway system and would, in turn, provide a cheaper, more efficient freight movement system for U.S. consumers and retailers.

It's expected that more than 95 percent of goods shipped to a Colonet port would be bound for the U.S. market via railway and through border crossings in Yuma, Arizona and El Paso, Texas.

Union Pacific, which controls an existing rail link along the Southwestern U.S. border, has been in talks with Mexico to participate in the project, but no deals have yet been signed.

As for marine terminal development and operation, at least one major international developer has expressed interest. Hutchinson Port Holdings, based in Hong Kong, is believed to be the project's most likely developer, but has yet to commit. Hutchinson could not be reached for comment, but Mexico is offering a 45-year terminal management concession to the highest bidder.

The Punta Colonet project, in the works for more than two years, seeks to capitalize on the estimated 30 million freight containers sent from Asia to North America annually - about 75 percent of which goes through ports in California, Washington and Oregon.

Port would serve U.S. market

Mexico's goal is to capture about 6 million containers annually at Punta Colonet, then ship them via rail to points within the U.S. Very little of the cargo would be destined for Mexico's domestic market, which is served primarily by ports in Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas.

The Baja port is the latest challenge to Long Beach-Los Angeles' longtime role as America's busiest and most lucrative seaport. The twin ports currently handle more than $350 billion worth of cargo annually, a figure representing about 30 percent of the nation's maritime trade worth.

Competition grows
The ports are already being challenged by a new container port in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, expansions in Tacoma, Washington and Oakland, California and a modernized Hampton Roads in southeast Virginia. In addition, the expansion of the Panama Canal - now under way - allows passage for larger container ships from Asia to ports in the Gulf.

But there remain cost and time-prohibitive barriers for sending Asia-originated freight through the Panama Canal. It takes an average 21 days to ship cargo from China to the U.S. East Coast, but only 12 to the West Coast. With high energy costs, the extra nine days at sea makes much such trade prohibitive.

By building an alternative western port and offering cheaper labor and less costly tariffs, Mexico hopes to lure shippers whose goods would have passed through California or the Panama Canal and destined for the American Midwest.

"The market we're (trying for) is east of the Rockies," said Gutierrez. "It's a share of that 45 percent or so of freight that (Long Beach-Los Angeles) carry that is headed inland."

Professor Kaye Bragg, a Cal State Dominguez Hills economics professor, said the Punta Colonet proposal only makes sense if projections of growth are on the mark. Based on 20-year trends, economists expect the volume of containerized goods between Asia and Long Beach-Los Angeles to surpass 36 million 24-equivalent containers, or TEUs, by 2020.

Therefore, if Punta Colonet siphons six million TEUs from Long Beach-Los Angeles, it represents only a share of future growth, and not a chunk of current volume - potentially making competition less hostile and more collaborative.

Don Snyder, the Long Beach port's trade relations director, said that although labor costs and regulatory pressures will likely be less in Mexico, developers will need to recoup their investment costs, which may drive up transportation and dockage prices to levels comparable in Southern California.

"Someone's going to have to amortize the cost of building that rail track, building those terminals, building the infrastructure," Snyder said. "When you add those costs in, plus the transportation costs of using U.S. rail inside the States, is there a great savings?"

Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero, who visits Mexico this week to discuss regional trade, says projects like Punta Colonet represent the competitive realities of global trade.

"Everybody is developing megaports ... you see it in Asia, Europe, South America," Cordero said. "People are looking for their share. The difference this time is we have a big project being developed next door."

Snyder sees it as a stimulus to continue improving local port facilities and transportation links.

"Competition is a good thing because it keeps everyone sharp," Snyder said. "Our goal is to have the most efficient supply chain and be a leader in terms of helping introduce technologies that save fuel, pollute less and make the most economic sense for our customers."

Gustavo Torres
gustavotorres@remax.net
1-866-588-2252
www.remax-baja.com

Flow to river channel to drop; irrigation uses seen

By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

September 26, 2008

TIJUANA – It sits on a hillside miles from San Diego, rising above tightly packed colonias in Tijuana's fast-growing eastern end. Despite its distance from the border, the new Monte de Los Olivos sewage treatment plant has been drawing applause in California.
Expected to begin operation within a month, the $9 million plant will at full capacity treat the waste of some 265,000 residents to a tertiary level, clean enough for irrigation. Together with a smaller but similar plant, La Morita, set to open this year, Monte de Los Olivos will dramatically decrease the flow of untreated sewage down the Tijuana River channel that leads to the border.

The operation of the two plants also will relieve Tijuana's main sewage treatment plant, the over-burdened Punta Bandera facility south of Playas de Tijuana. By the middle of next year, officials hope the operation of the new plants will largely eliminate the coastal discharges of untreated sewage at Punta Bandera.

“This project puts Baja California at the vanguard of sewage treatment in Mexico,” Baja California Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán told a crowd of more than 300 gathered for yesterday's inauguration ceremony at Monte de los Olivos.

The plant's opening marks the first step in an ambitious state-led reclamation project for Tijuana that will take years to develop. The city's 1.4 million residents look to piped-in water from the Colorado River to meet more than 90 percent of their water needs, and the state has been hard-pressed to expand the region's supply.

By using treated water for irrigation and industry, the state hopes to save the Colorado River water for residential and commercial purposes. But before they can proceed, they need to build a network of pipes to deliver the reclaimed water, and find enough users.

No one disputes that the plants at Monte de los Olivos and La Morita, which will treat sewage in the Tijuana River watershed, represent a major step forward for the city. Financing for the two plants, along with a third scheduled to open next year in southern Tijuana, is through a low-interest loan from the Japanese government and Mexico's federal government. The builder is a Mexico City-based company named Fypasa.

Initially, only 10 percent of Monte de los Olivos' output capacity will be used for reclamation, said Hernando Duran, head of the state public service commission in Tijuana, known as CESPT. The state is setting up a system that will pipe any of the unused treated effluent for discharge into the Pacific Ocean south of Punta Bandera.
“While the system is designed, it's not fully ready,” Romo said. “Overall, it's a very good sign, but people should not expect results by tomorrow.”

Within four years, Duran said the hope is to be using at least three-fourths of Monte de los Olivos' capacity in reclamation projects. Beyond that, the state is also studying the possibility of piping some of the reclaimed water to a point above Tijuana's RodrNguez Dam, allowing it to filter through into the reservoir.

“They deserve a huge amount of credit for what they've done,” said Bart Christensen, senior engineer with California's State Water Resources Control Board, and his agency's border coordinator. “They have the same goals as San Diego, but they don't have the resources San Diego has. They have to be really creative to get their infrastructure implemented in Tijuana. This really demonstrates Mexico's commitment to addressing their own waste water infrastructure needs.”

Despite progress, Tijuana's sewage flow continues to exceed the city's treatment capacity. Cross-border sewage spills have for decades been a contentious issue, as incidents in the Tijuana River basin are likely to be felt across the border in the Tijuana River estuary in Imperial Beach. Though dry weather flows have largely been eliminated, cross-border sewage flows during wet weather continue to shut down South Bay beaches.

Monte de los Olivos “is a critical facility that's necessary to meet Tijuana's waste water treatment needs today and in the future,” said Su Cox, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has been working closely with CESPT on a plan to connect an additional 34,000 residents in eastern Tijuana to the sewer system.

“The thing that's great about this is that it addresses environmental health and public health needs on both sides of the border.”

Highlights
Cost: The $9 million Monte de los Olivos plant will treat sewage from about 265,000 residents in eastern Tijuana.

Irrigation: The plant launches a major reuse project for Tijuana, and officials are installing pipes to distribute the water to green areas. Most of the flow will initially be discharged into the ocean.

Coastal discharge: The plant provides relief for the overburdened coastal Punta Bandera plant. Together with future La Morita plant and new sewage collection projects, the coastal discharge of untreated sewage from the Punta Bandera plant is near an end.

Cross-border: Cross-border sewage flows in wet weather will continue, but the concentration of sewage in those flows is expected to decrease.

Other projects: A third sewage treatment plant in southern Tijuana, a desalination plant in Ensenada that will produce 5.7 million gallons of water a day, and expansion of the Colorado River aqueduct.

www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico emerges as popular property investment for Canadians

Written by Property Wire
Thursday, 02 October 2008
Canadian property investors are increasingly investing in Mexico as they regard the US market as not a good prospect at the moment.
An increase in the number of flights from Canada to Mexico and a desire to avoid the volatility of the US market means more are buying second homes and investment properties further afield.

One investor, Doug Walker, had considered buying in Hawaii and the Caribbean. He wanted a holiday home to which he and his wife could eventually retire. 'We were looking for something special but we also wanted to make a good investment,' he said.

He has now bought a home overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the 18th hole of a private golf club on Mexico's western coast.

Walker is not the only Canadian looking to Mexico for a good investment. According to Alfonso Sumano, the Mexican Tourism Board's regional director for Canada, more and more Canadians are holidaying in Mexico and then deciding to invest.

This year flights arriving in Mexico increased by 9.2% and this has made Mexico an easy destination to reach and boosted interest.

'Canadians can leave home in the morning and be on the beach by lunchtime,' said Sumano. Although he could not provide any official statistics for the number of Canadians buying property in Mexico, he said the number had increased substantially.

At Querencia, the luxury gated community where Walker has invested, about 10% are owned by Canadians. Jorge Carrera, president and chief executive officer of Querencia, said he has seen an increase in interest from Canadians.

'My last five buyers have been Canadians. We haven't really targeted them but with the interest we are getting, we are looking to attract more Canadians,' he added.

He reckons that the strong Canadian dollar, low property taxes – just 0.25% of a property's assessed value – and a very low cost of living make Mexico an attractive location for property investors.

www.bajainvestment.com

Tiger Woods finds a way to keep busy

Since he can't play on a golf course right now, he's trying to design one instead.
Bill Dwyre
October 8, 2008
Tiger Woods had a circular stick in his hand in Southern California again Tuesday and waggled it confidently as he stood over a golf course.

It is not what you think. Tiger is not back, not quite yet.

The knee injury that will be forever etched in our memory as the focal point of his courageous and dramatic playoff victory on that Monday in June at Torrey Pines is still healing. He said his timetable for returning to the PGA Tour is still uncertain. He had surgery shortly after the U.S. Open.

"I can walk, the knee is good, we are right on schedule," he said. "There is no pain, and the work is on strength and mobility."

Well, no pain until the daily rehabilitation begins.

"Oh, man."

He rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"There is lots of work, hours a day. Man."

But it is the very nature of Eldrick Woods to be a tiger about staying busy, even while doctors are keeping him off the golf course. That's why he was here Tuesday. This was Tiger Woods, designer, rather than Tiger Woods, best golfer in the universe.

In a fancy room at a swank hotel -- the room filled with investment, developer and public relations types all dressed elegantly and a scattering of the opposite (also known as the media) -- Woods announced details about his part-time job.

He has designed a golf course on a spectacular piece of land along the Pacific Ocean, just south of Ensenada and about 70 miles south of San Diego. It is called Punta Brava (Wild Point), and is a $100-million project financed by entrepreneur and former NFL and NBA owner Red McCombs.

McCombs, in attendance, said, "When this was brought to me, I wasn't especially turned on. Then, they told me there was a good chance that Tiger would be involved. I said, forget it. It's over. I'm in."

Woods took a display pointer, stood next to an artist's rendering of a proposed Punta Brava, to be completed in about three years, and described something that sounded like it could eventually become the Pebble Beach of Mexico. Pebble Beach of California, of course, is public. Punta Brava will not be.

Woods talked about the elevation on the seven-mile peninsula that dropped from a 1,200-foot mountain to 300-foot ledges for villas and homes that overlook a golf course near sea level. That course, Woods said, will have an ocean view from every tee, fairway and green.

"Now, if you go and hit it in the bushes or the junk," he said, "maybe not."

He said that 12 of the tees or greens are right on the water, that tee shots on eight of the holes will necessitate hitting over water, and No. 18, a Pebble-Beach-like par five dog-legging left with the ocean on the left, may not be as difficult as it looks.

"Some of you will reach it in two," he said, looking away from the media people.

After they had run a video, showing Tiger standing on top of the 1,200-foot mountain and looking out to the ocean, and had finished the description, it was hard not to dash to the sign-up line for a villa. One unconfirmed rumor had several AIG executives, now with more time on their hands than Tiger, set to buy.

Designer Woods said he has purposely gone slowly in this aspect of his career.

"I told myself I would play on every continent before I started designing," he said. "I guess I have missed the Antarctica Four Ball, but otherwise, I've done it.

"I felt I owed that to myself and to the people who will play the courses to have as much experience as I can. I've talked to all the people who have done this. I've learned a lot, thought a lot about it, used the experiences I've had as a player.

"That's why Jack is so successful [at course design]. He was a cerebral player."

Player Woods said the doctors won't let him start swinging the club until January.

"I can't rotate the knee until then," he said, adding that his ideal would be to play one or two events before the Masters in mid-April.

"You just can't tell, once you start back, about things like swelling and soreness," he said. "That can set you back."

Once he gets back, there is little question that we will see more of the same fire and grit he used to fight his way down those Torrey Pines fairways that June Monday afternoon.

"I was supposed to go to Mexico on a site visit for this that day," he said, "But I was busy."

Indeed. Rocco Mediate and millions more remember.

www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico Tourism Indicators Up for the First Half of 2008

Posted on September 30, 2008

By: Lisa Coleman

Mexico is a survivor. It seems as much as the U.S. wants to focus on the bad, people still seem to see the good. Despite the steady stream of negative press, the tourists still come, the hotels still thrive, and more and more, people are considering a permanent move south of the border. For those of us who love and understand this amazing country, it’s a constant struggle against the media. They drudge through the daily public drug wars, the poverty, and mold a perception. Still Mexico pushes forward. They are fighting for their image, and for the life blood that is tourism.

It’s no secret things have been rough for Mexico in the last year. The media has made sure you heard it all. Well, I’ve got some good news to share…. people are still coming to Mexico. And the numbers prove the point.

In the first seven months of the year, Mexico received $8.475 million dollars in foreign currency, which signified a 6.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007.

• Almost 14 million tourists entered the country, an increase of 5.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
• As of July 2008, the country registered a total of 2.234 million workers in the tourism industry, which represents a 2.3 percent higher rate than the one registered in the same month in 2007.

During the first seven months of the year, there was an influx of $8.475 million dollars from the spending of foreign tourists, which signified a 6.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007, informed Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, Secretary of Tourism of Mexico (SECTUR).

According to the most recent data from the Bank of Mexico’s International Visitor Count, Secretary Elizondo said, in the January-July 2008 period, the country received 13.620 million tourists, a quantity that represented a 5.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007.

Likewise, the head of SECTUR said that the average spending of tourists who traveled further than the border - those who have the longest stays and greater spending - was of $788 dollars per trip, which represents an increase of 3.8 percent from 2007.

Secretary Elizondo emphasized the airline industry transported 26.5 million passengers between January and July 2008, 6.1 percent more than in 2007.

So there you have it… My sombrero is off to everyone involved with the tourism industry!

www.bajainvestment.com

Dylan Southworth wins 4th circuit of Las Americas Pro Am

Isaac Avila Cegobiano

Dylan Southworth : photo Isaac Avila Cegobiano

Copas Las Americas Stop #4

Dylan Southworth wins the 4th cup circuit of Las Americas Pro Am > Espanol abajo

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 September, 2008 : - - The local Sayulita Dylan Sourthworth was the fourth stop in Rosarito, BC. Dylan has to be #1 in the Copas Las Americas, now, for sure, he won the Nationals first place in Nexpa as well as in Cabo San Lucas in junior category, he is #2 in the Alas Latin Tour, he ended up #11 in the World Juniors. He only just turned 18 in July.

Sunday 14

With a clear day and a pleasant sun, Playas de Rosarito showed him to surfers with its good climate that we are welcome to this pleasant Mexican Tourist Destination, the waves had dropped slightly but maintained their good form until he reached the wind and conditions varied a bit but that was not an excuse for the surfers who came to compete with everything at stake for $ 81000 pesos to distribute prize.

In this final because they saw the surfers arrived in half an hour that they gave these young surfers staged an electrifying final where more than 800 people who were on the beach appreciated applauding the actions of surfers. The winner of this fourth stop was Dylan who became the first surfer to win two stops of the circuit. Child Congratulations!

WINNERS SHORT BOARD

1. Dylan Southworth $ 30,000 pesos
2. José Manuel Trujillo 20,000 “
3. Abel Estopin 10,000 “
4. Christian Corzo 7,000 “
5. Heriberto Ramirez 5,000 “
6. Raúl Medina 1,000 “
7. Diego Cadena 1,000 ‘
8. Angelo Lozano 1,000 “

BODYBOARDS

This category ran 12 heats before reaching the finals stressing the current National champion Yolanda White, who was the only woman to compete in heats of these men, demonstrating their good level to enter the first heat and move up to the final where they faced Jonatan Lopez, who is her husband and father of the little Helio
At the end came

WINNERS BODYBOARDS

1. Jonatan Lopéz
2. Jonatan Jimenez
3. Jorge Lopéz
4. Yolanda Blanco

www.circuitosurfamericas.com

Espanol

El local de Sayulita Dylan Sourthworth se llevó la cuarta parada en Rosarito, B.C.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 September, 2008 : - - Gracias al decidido apoyo del Alcalde Municipal de Playas de Rosarito C.P. Hugo Torres Chabert la cuarta parada del circuito de surf copa las americas se llevo a cabo, en donde 32 competidores de tabla corta y tabla de cuerpo libre dierón el show durante dos días de competencías, en esta cuarta parada hubo algunos surfers de California.

Durante el día Viernes se pudo observar a los surfers entrenar en La Playa del muelle, a el torneo llegaron surfers de Oaxaca, Guerrero, Colima, Nayarit, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Baja California Sur y los anfitriones La B.C. afortunadamente para todos Playas de Rosarito le dio una gran bienvenida al circuito y lo recibió con olas de 3-5 pies con buena forma cosa que motivo a los surfers y durante este día Viernes pudimos verlos entrenar sacando aéreos y otras maniobras radicales.

Domingo 14

Con un día despejado y un agradable sol, Playas de Rosarito le mostraba a los surfers con su buen clima que somos bienvenidos a este agradable Destino Turístico Mexicano, las olas habían bajado un poco pero mantenían su buena forma hasta que llegó el viento y las condiciones variaron un poco pero eso no fue excusa para los surfers que entraron con todo a competir ya que estaban en juego $ 81,000 pesos a repartir en premios.

En esta final se pudo observar el porque estos surfers llegaron, en la media hora que se les dio estos jóvenes surfers protagonizaron una final electrizante en donde los mas de 800 gentes que hubo en la playa agradecían aplaudiendo las maniobras de los surfers. El ganador de esta cuarta parada fue Dylan quien se convierte en el primer surfer en ganar dos paradas del Circuito.¡¡¡ Enhorabuena niño!!!!

Tabla de Cuerpo

En esta categoría se corrieron 12 heats antes de llegar a la final destacando la actual campeona Nacional Yolanda Blanco quien fue la única mujer en competir en estos heats de hombres, demostrando su buen nivel al entrar en el primer heat e ir avanzando hasta llegar a la final en donde se enfrentó a Jonatan López quien es su esposo y papá de el pequeño Helio

A la final llegaron Jonatan Jiménez, Yolanda Blanco, Jorge López , Jonatan López. Quedando en primer lugar Jonatan López

Esta cuarta parada se llevo a cabo gracias a nuestros patrocinadores que hicierón posible que este torneo se llevara a cabo X Ayuntamiento de Playas de Rosarito, COTUCO, Quik Silver, Planeta Surf, Monster, Hotel Rosarito Beach, Newsurfersvillage.com.

www.circuitosurfamericas.com
www.bajainvestment.com

BAJA CALIFORNIA, POTENCIA DE ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES

Inversiones por un monto de 4 mil 900 millones de dólares se esperan recibir a mediano plazo en el corredor Mexicali-Tijuana mediante la ejecución proyectos de energías alternativas, informó el secretario de Desarrollo Económico del Estado, José Posada Gallego. Con lo cual, dijo, Baja California se colocaría como una potencia en la producción de aparatos para generar energías renovables.
El funcionario estatal indicó que la Entidad tiene un crecimiento en demanda energética al año de poco más de 100 megawatts, por lo que se ha fijado como meta obtener 20 por ciento de su energía de fuentes renovables.

En reciente gira de promoción realizada en España, lograron contactar a cinco empresas proveedoras de insumos de la industria de energías alternas. El secretario de la Sedeco dijo que la empresa española Abengoa, la cual aplica soluciones innovadoras para el desarrollo sostenible en los sectores de infraestructura, medio ambiente y energía, expertos en la gestión de agua, anunció la apertura de una oficina en Baja California para Octubre del 2008 en el área de investigación y desarrollo de tecnología de manejo de agua. Por lo que, Posada Gallego aseguró que el Estado sigue siendo muy competitivo en cuanto a la atracción de nuevas inversiones en las áreas de la aeroespacial, aeronáutica, energías renovables, tecnologías de la información y electrónica.

Solar Energy & Energy Efficiency for Baja California Homes

By Keith R | September 9, 2008

This project is interesting to me for several reasons.

I like that it will help home owners reduce their energy consumption, will provide photovoltaics to low- and middle-income households, and will emphasize systems “financially feasible for users” (sometimes household solar systems promoted are not appropriate to the income bracket they are supposed to serve).


I like that the Baja California project is a test case that, if successful, will be duplicated elsewhere in Mexico. [To see why Baja is a good place to start, and where else in Mexico such a project might work well, see my post on LAC solar maps.]

I find it interesting that the project will include work on state-based energy efficiency standards and regulations, something that in the past the Mexican states have left up to the federal authorities. Even more interesting is the reference to setting conditions to attract more renewable energy investments to Baja and the rest of Mexico. I wonder what this will result in? Just favorable conditions on connection and selling to the grid? Or will it also include tax breaks or credits for related equipment, products and services? Stay tuned.

And I’m smiling at the fact that this project is funded by Japanese Trust Fund for Consultancy Services (JCF). My guess is that, because of the source of the funds, the project will have more than Japanese consultants — the products used (photovoltaics, etc.) will likely be sourced from Japan too.

________________________

From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB):

IDB Supports Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Residential Use in Baja California, Mexico

Pilot project with photovoltaic panels for low- and medium-income sectors

Low- and medium-income households in the Mexican state of Baja California will soon benefit from using photovoltaic panels and other alternative technologies in a pilot project promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.

This technical cooperation initiative, financed by a US$749,000 donation from the Japanese Trust Fund for Consultancy Services (JCF) at the Inter-American Development Bank, will help selected families in Mexicali—all currently connected to the state’s power grid—reduce their electricity costs.

The financing will support contracting of consulting services and implementation of pilot projects targeting energy efficiency and increased use of alternative energy sources.

Studies will focus on identifying and evaluating projects that are financially feasible for users and can be reproduced in other communities. Another goal will be to establish energy efficiency standards and regulations, as well as conditions for attracting future investments to Baja California and other states in Mexico.

“The idea is to learn from pilot projects on energy efficiency and solar energy resources so that the future will hold more options for supplying sustainable energy at accessible prices,” said IDB project team leader Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho. “This will also have a positive impact on the environment, because most of the state’s energy currently comes from fossil fuels.”

The project will be executed by the IDB in conjunction with Mexico’s National Energy Savings Commission (CONAE, its initials in Spanish) and the Government of the State of Baja California. It was designed and will be implemented in coordination with the IDB’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initiative (SECCI), whose core objectives are to stimulate greater investments in development of biofuels, renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon financing and climate change adaptation.

The Japanese Trust Fund for Consultancy Services (JCF) was established by the government of Japan in 1995 and promotes cooperation and knowledge transfer from Japan by utilizing Japanese Consultancy expertise. The JCF has become the largest of the funds established within the technical cooperation funds program managed by the IDB.

________________________

Desde el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID):

BID apoya Uso Residencial de Energía Renovable y Eficiencia Energética en Baja California, México

Proyecto piloto con paneles fotovoltaicos para sectores de bajos y medianos ingresos

Hogares de medianos y bajos ingresos del estado de Baja California en México se beneficiarán con un proyecto piloto de energía renovable y eficiencia energética, con uso de paneles fotovoltaicos y otras tecnologías alternativas.

La iniciativa de cooperación técnica, financiada con una donación de US$749.000 del Fondo Japonés para Servicios de Consultoría (JCF) en el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, ayudará a las familias conectadas a la red eléctrica del estado en Mexicali que sean seleccionadas, a reducir sus gastos de consumo de energía eléctrica.

El financiamiento permitirá la contratación de servicios de consultoría e implementación de proyectos piloto, con el objetivo de aumentar el uso de fuentes alternativas de energía e implementar medidas de eficiencia energética.

Se realizarán estudios destinados a identificar y evaluar proyectos financieramente viables para los usuarios y que puedan reproducirse en otras comunidades. También se buscará establecer normas y regulaciones de eficiencia energética y condiciones para atraer futuras inversiones en Baja California y otros estados mexicanos.

“La idea es aprender de proyectos piloto de eficiencia energética y recursos de energía solar, así en el futuro habrá más opciones disponibles para proporcionar energía sostenible, a precios accesibles para la población,” afirmó el jefe del equipo de proyecto del BID Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho. “Esto también generará un impacto ambiental positivo, puesto que gran parte de la energía que actualmente se utiliza en el estado proviene del uso de combustibles fósiles.”

El proyecto será ejecutado por el BID con la Comisión Nacional para el Ahorro de Energía – CONAE y el Gobierno del Estado de Baja California. Fue diseñado y será implementado en coordinación con la Iniciativa del BID para Energía Sostenible y Cambio Climático (SECCI, por sus siglas en inglés), que busca estimular mayores inversiones en el desarrollo de biocombustibles, energía renovable, eficiencia energética, financiamiento de carbono y adaptación al cambio climático.

El Fondo Japonés para Servicios de Consultoría (JCF), creado por el gobierno de Japón en 1995, promueve la transferencia de cooperación y conocimiento desde Japón utilizando la experiencia de ese país en el área de consultoría. El JCF se ha convertido en el fondo de mayor tamaño dentro de los programas de fondos de cooperación técnica administrados por el BID.

www.bajainvestment.com

La Playa Motorcross

This NEW track is located just 10 minutes NORTH of downtown Rosarito Beach, Mexico, on the Toll Road K24 on the Hwy.
An incredible OCEAN VIEW track like no other!

Directions to the track:

From San Diego and LA: from Hwy 5 or 805 South, enter Tijuana, Mexico via San Ysidro. Follow the Rosarito-Ensenada TOLL-ROAD, look at the left at K24 on the Hwy (you'll see the track there, continue for about 1/2 mile, make a "U" turn at the RANCHO DEL MAR off ramp, going over the bridge, get on the Highway back to Tijuana, and Slow down for a VERY TECHNICAL exit.
The layout is the classic Outdoors MOTOCROSS Style.

www.bajainvestment.com

The Boys of Winter

Major League Baseball can often be very grueling and get tiresome after a while. Unlike football and basketball, which features a grand total of 98 regular season games combined, pro baseball players must endure through 162 of them. After this season is over, however, some players won't get a chance to catch their breath. Instead of sliding down the slopes of a mountain during their Winter off time, some ballplayers will continue to slide into second base.

Every year, the best athletes with ties to the Greater Antilles participate in a special sporting event known as the Caribbean World Series. It's a big event that attracts thousands of fans, and now for the first time ever scores of Latin athletes will be travelling to Mexicali to showcase their talent.

Political leaders from southern California and southern Arizona are thrilled that the games are going to be played close to home. They're expecting more than 15,000 fans to flock to neighboring cities and are already making the necessary accommodations in anticipation of the big series.

Bob Ingram with the Yuma Visitors Center says he expects about 2,000 rooms to fill up and believes the Desert Southwest's economy will benefit greatly as a result. "I think it'll be very beneficial for restaurants, museums and shopping centers," Ingram said. "It's our opportunity to show off Yuma."

Ingram isn't the only one who thinks that his city will improve economically, city leaders in San Luis and Calexico are projecting big gains as well and, needless to say, they're looking forward to February 2nd when the games officially kick off. In the meantime, however, the waiting game is on as preparations for the big day are still not quite complete.

www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico President Felipe Calderon Dedicates Sempra Energy's New Baja California LNG Terminal

SAN DIEGO, CA, Aug 28, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Mexico President Felipe Calderon, Donald E. Felsinger, chairman and chief executive of Sempra Energy, and other dignitaries were on-hand today to officially dedicate Sempra Energy's (SRE 57.92, -0.66, -1.1%)Energia Costa Azul liquefied natural gas (LNG) receipt terminal in Baja California, Mexico, the first LNG receipt facility on the West Coast of North America.
In operation since May 2008, the $975 million LNG receipt terminal is capable of processing up to 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. At the peak of construction, the project employed more than 3,000 workers.
"Over the past decade Sempra Energy has invested about $2 billion in Mexico's natural gas infrastructure and has worked with elected leaders, regulators and the citizens of Mexico in building new energy infrastructure for the Baja California region," Felsinger said. "We welcome President Calderon to today's historic dedication of Energia Costa Azul and look forward to continued cooperation with Mexico on future energy projects that address the region's needs."
Energia Costa Azul's first cargoes of imported natural gas arrived in April and May 2008.
The LNG receipt terminal is fully contracted. Half of the storage and send-out service has been procured by Shell International Gas Limited under a 20-year agreement. The remaining half of the capacity at Energia Costa Azul will be supplied from a new liquefaction facility BP and its Tangguh LNG Partners are completing in Indonesia. Shipments from BP should begin arriving in the second quarter of 2009.
The natural gas processed at Energia Costa Azul will be used in Baja California and the U.S. Southwest. Natural gas from the terminal will meet applicable Mexico and U.S. gas pipeline quality standards.
LNG is simply natural gas in liquid form. To reach a liquid state, natural gas must be cooled. The liquid gas is then transported aboard specially designed carriers for delivery to receipt terminals. These receipt terminals store LNG, return it to its gaseous state and dispatch it into pipelines for customer use. In LNG's 45-year shipping history, LNG carriers have traveled more than 100 million miles without a major incident.
In addition to the new Energia Costa Azul LNG receipt terminal, Sempra Energy projects in Baja California, Mexico, include: Termoelectrica de Mexicali, a clean, efficient 625-megawatt natural gas fired power plant in Mexicali; natural gas distribution companies in Mexicali, Chihuahua and La Laguna-Durango that serve about 100,000 customers; and natural gas transmission pipelines.
Sempra LNG develops and operates LNG receipt terminals serving North American markets. Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2007 revenues of more than $11 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' 13,500 employees serve more than 29 million consumers worldwide.
Sempra LNG is not the same company as the utility, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.
This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When the company uses words like "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "may," "would," "could," "should," or similar expressions, or when the company discusses its strategy or plans, the company is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon various assumptions involving judgments with respect to the future and other risks, including, among others: local, regional, national and international economic, competitive, political, legislative and regulatory conditions and developments; actions by the California Public Utilities Commission, California State Legislature, California Department of Water Resources, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Federal Reserve Board, U.K. Financial Services Authority and other regulatory bodies in the United States and other countries; capital market conditions, inflation rates, interest rates and exchange rates; energy and trading markets, including the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices; the availability of electric power, natural gas and liquefied natural gas; weather conditions and conservation efforts; war and terrorist attacks; business, regulatory, environmental, and legal decisions and requirements; the status of deregulation of retail natural gas and electricity delivery; the timing and success of business development efforts; the resolution of litigation; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the company. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are available through the EDGAR system without charge at its Web site, www.sec.gov, and on the company's Web site, www.sempra.com.
Media Contact:
Art Larson
Sempra Energy
(877) 866-2066

www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico to build port in Baja to serve U.S.

(08-29) 04:00 PDT Ensenada, Mexico -- President Felipe Calderon opened bidding Thursday for construction of a huge new seaport that could eventually compete with Los Angeles-Long Beach, the largest port complex in the United States.

Mexico's $5 billion Punta Colonet project would transform a wind-swept bay 150 miles south of the U.S. border into a booming port city, creating an estimated 80,000 jobs, drawing freighters from Asia and funneling manufactured goods north.

"We're looking to be sure we don't fall behind in making Mexico a strategic logistics platform for trade and global investment," Calderon said while touring the foggy beach where the port will stand.

A planned railroad would link Punta Colonet to the United States, allowing freight to skip Southern California traffic and head directly to points across the Midwestern United States, including Chicago. Planners have yet to determine where the tracks would cross the border - although El Paso, Texas, and Yuma and Nogales, Ariz., have been mentioned.

The port would be the largest infrastructure project of Calderon's administration, which has pledged hundreds of millions of government dollars for highways, railroads and airports in the last year in an effort to create jobs and pump cash into Mexico, even as the world economy slows.

At Punta Colonet, however, Calderon is seeking private bidders to build the port and accompanying railroad before running it on a 45-year lease.

The bidding should conclude late next year, and the port should start operating in 2012, said Jose Rubio, project director for Mexico's Baja California state, which is working with the federal government to develop the port.

By 2020, the port should be able to annually handle 6 million TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units, a measurement used to estimate container traffic - more than double the nation's current freight capacity, Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez said.

Los Angeles and Long Beach processed a combined 15 million TEUs in 2007 - 40 percent of all freight entering the United States, including 80 percent of imports from Asia.

Punta Colonet is one of several competitors to Los Angeles and Long Beach. A massive expansion at Canada's northern Prince Rupert Port will also use rail to move goods to U.S. markets. and a $5 billion expansion of the Panama Canal will make it easier for Asian freight to reach Miami, Atlanta and other southeastern U.S. cities.

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Port of San Diego Welcomes Carnival Elation's New Program

Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Elation will begin a new schedule offering three- and four-day cruises from San Diego to Catalina Island and Ensenada starting Feb. 12. The 2,052-passenger ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises to Mexico from San Diego and will continue that program until the new service begins. On its new route, Carnival Elation will depart on Thursdays on three-day cruises to Ensenada. Four-day cruises will depart on Sundays and visit Ensenada and Catalina Island. This marks the first time passengers can depart from San Diego and voyage to Catalina Island aboard a large cruise ship.

"We're pleased to have this new itinerary available," said Michael Bixler, chairman of the board of port commissioners. "It's a perfect fit for local residents who want a pleasant way to travel to Catalina Island as well as for visitors attending a convention here who would like to include a pre or post cruise." The three- and four-day cruises are expected to attract 226,000 passengers annually, a boost of 33 percent over the 169,000 annual passengers that have embarked on the five-day cruises. With the shorter cruises, Carnival Elation will complete 100 ship calls annually, up from 75 for the longer cruises.

Carnival will continue to offer seasonal eight-day cruises from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera aboard Carnival Spirit. Each homeport cruise ship call at the Port of San Diego has an economic impact of about $2 million. This figure is derived from the average amount that a cruise ship passenger spends while in the San Diego region, along with the employment associated with serving the cruise ship and the many businesses and services that support it. They include food companies, linen services, trucking companies, fuel companies, landside tour companies and florists.

In 2007, the Port of San Diego had 238 cruise calls with more than 700,000 passengers. By the end of 2008, the port anticipates that number to jump to 252 cruises and more than 800,000 passengers. The Port currently has nine cruise lines making calls here. To accommodate the growing cruise business, the port will be building a cruise ship terminal on Broadway Pier and updating the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. The design for the new terminal at the Broadway Pier features a two-story structure with a modern design. It will include areas for passenger check-in, baggage processing and Customs and Border Protection. Construction for the approximately 50,000 square foot structure is planned to begin around late spring of 2009.

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Mexico plans huge Baja port for U.S. trade

President Calderon will open bidding for infrastructure contracts Thursday. The project is likely to transform the village of Punta Colonet.

By Marla Dickerson
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 28, 2008

MEXICO CITY — Mexico's government is setting sail with the largest infrastructure project in the nation's history, a $4-billion seaport that it hopes will one day rival those of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

President Felipe Calderon is scheduled to travel to northern Baja California today to open bidding on a development that his administration hopes will catapult Mexico into a major player in North American logistics.

Plans call for the construction of a massive port in the tiny coastal village of Punta Colonet, about 150 miles south of Tijuana, along with new rail lines to whisk Asian-made goods north to the United States. Mexico's aim is to snatch some Pacific cargo traffic from Southern California's ports, whose growth is constrained by urban development and environmental concerns.

Punta Colonet is expected to have a capacity of 2 million shipping containers annually when it opens in 2014, Mexico's transportation secretariat told The Times But officials envision it ultimately handling five times that amount. Last year, the ports of L.A. and Long Beach handled 15.7 million containers combined.

The massive development is to be privately funded, with the first phase estimated to cost $4 billion to $5 billion. The government is expected to award the 45-year concession in 2009.

A number of major players are expected to vie for the project, including Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, the world's second-richest man. Slim's infrastructure company, known as Ideal, has teamed with Mexican mining and railroad giant Grupo Mexico and New Jersey-based terminal operator Ports America Group to make a run at the deal.

"We've spent a lot of years working on this," said Miguel Favela, head of Mexican operations for Ports America. "It's going to make Mexico . . . much more competitive. "

About 30 million shipping containers crossed the Pacific Ocean last year, a flow that increased about 10% annually in the last decade. A weak U.S. economy has slowed the trade, but experts predict it will rebound.

With shippers increasingly worried about congestion at L.A.-Long Beach, Punta Colonet has emerged as an attractive alternative. It's close to the United States. It possesses a wide, natural harbor. And it's in a lightly populated area offering room for expansion.

When Calderon visits the dusty hamlet of about 2,500 people today, he is expected to talk about the big changes in store. The village will need extensive upgrades to its roads, housing, electrical grid and water supply. State and local officials are planning for a city of about 200,000 to spring up around the port.

The changes envisioned are alarming environmentalists, who worry about the potential destruction of the area's plants and wildlife. But the farmers who scratch out a living there are thrilled at the prospect.

"What we need is employment for our kids," said Jesus Lara, representative of several peasant landowner groups that are eager to sell. "Everyone is excited. Having the president come to your town is like winning the Lotto."

But whether Punta Colonet turns out to be lucrative for Mexico won't be known for years. Competitors up and down the Pacific coast are in the midst of major upgrades. Panama has begun a $5.3-billion expansion of its landmark canal. Canada's Prince Rupert port in British Columbia began speeding containers to the American heartland by rail last year and is planning a major expansion.

Little of the cargo bound for Punta Colonet will stay in Mexico, making the port vulnerable to the whims of shippers, who can choose other routes to the U.S.

"Nothing is guaranteed," said Asaf Ashar, research professor with the National Ports and Waterways Institute in Washington. "It's a big risk."

Building a seaport from scratch would be difficult enough. But the overland transportation piece is likely to make or break Punta Colonet. The deal is being structured as a joint port-and-rail project, requiring terminal operators, railroads and construction companies to team up in consortia to win the bid. The railroad's ultimate route and U.S. crossing points will depend on which railway operator is chosen and how it manages to link up with existing rail networks on both sides of the border.

Union Pacific Corp. of Omaha and Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway Co. control the U.S. side of the tracks at most of the key U.S.-Mexico border crossings. Striking a deal with one of those companies to get the cargo to the American side will be crucial, said Paul Bingham, managing director of the global trade and transportation practice for Global Insight, a Massachusetts- based consulting firm.

"They have the ability to essentially choke off that port," Bingham said.

BNSF spokesman Patrick Hiatte said Wednesday that the company was "very interested" in the Punta Colonet project. He declined to say with whom the firm might collaborate to make a bid.

Union Pacific could not be reached for comment. The company earlier had teamed with Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings to make a run at the project, but that alliance dissolved last year.

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The Real Story About Baja as Told by American Expatriates

Baja California American and Canadian expatriates become stars of documentary

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of endless sensational news articles on ongoing and constant rehashing of old stories scaring visitors to stay away, American expatriates living in Baja California said, "Enough."

The Baja California peninsula is home to an estimated 250,000 American expatriates with some 30,000 of them living in Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada. Rosarito alone touts over 14,000 American retirees, nearly 10 percent of their 150,000 population.

Melinda Bates, former Social Director for the White House during the eight years of the Clinton Administration, has lived in Rosarito for over three years said, "I read the same news everyone else reads, but I feel perfectly safe here." Mona Keys, originally from Denver who moved to San Diego only to find she couldn't afford to live along the coast so she and her husband moved to Baja Mar in Ensenada said, "My mother calls me from Denver because the news about Baja frightened her, but I tell her not to worry, we're perfectly safe here."

Anne Hines, Canadian expatriate living in Rosarito for 10 year said, "The biggest challenge my fellow expats and I have is allying the fears of our family and friends when they read the headlines and many embellished or just plain untrue stories of the dire consequences for anyone venturing down to Baja."

Many expatriates believe US journalists purposely do not interview them because it would belie the notion that Americans are not safe in Baja.

The expats quickly volunteered to be interviewed for the documentary, The North Baja Coast: Come Visit - Stay to Live, produced by San Diego based TransBorder Communications. The documentary shows the beauty of Baja but the stars are the expatriates who tell their stories on living in Mexico including their personal security, quality and costs of medical services, cost of living and quality of life.

The documentary also highlights each of the four Baja California municipalities: Tijuana, Rosarito Beach, Ensenada, Tecate and Mexicali along with San Felipe, Baja's Palm Springs with a beach.

The half-hour documentary will be shown 50 times from August 25 through September 14 on a number of Time Warner Cable channels in West Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley, Ventura, Orange and Inland Empire counties.

Contact:
Hector C. Molina
TransBorder Communications
http://www.transbordercommunications.com

From your friends at RE/MAX Baja Realty
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Baja Tourism Secretary Announces New Campaign

Oscar Escobedo Carignan, the Secretary of Tourism for the state of Baja California, Mexico, announces the implementation of a new campaign to promote tourism throughout the state of Baja. Rosarito artesan furniture event is part of initial campaign efforts.

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (PRWEB) August 24, 2008 -- In a statement issued in the just-released August/September issue of Baja Breeze magazine, Oscar Escobedo Carignan, the Secretary of Tourism for Baja California, Mexico, announced that the government is implementing a new promotional campaign to encourage tourism in the state of Baja.

Escobedo noted that this new effort has been designated as "do Baja". The initial campaign efforts are being launched primarily throughout Mexico and the United States, and focus on activities that are specific to Baja, such as gray whale-watching during their migration periods; sport-fishing; boating, bicycling, and off-road races; tours of the emerging Mexico wine country; historic tourism, featuring Spanish missions and exploration of prehistoric cave paintings, as well as the more traditional pastimes of shopping for silver, ceramic-ware and art, and native and handcrafted items from area artisans and regional Indian tribes.

The goal of "do Baja", says Escobedo, is to increase awareness of Baja's many destination locations, as well as to highlight opportunities for continued development in ecotourism, as well as the culinary, wine, olive oil and cheese industries. In addition, a special thrust will be made to promote conventions and meetings in Baja.

Among the first activities to be promoted as part of "do Baja" is Rosarito's Home & Furniture Expo, September 4-7, at the new Pabellon Rosarito Grande. This three-day extravaganza features vendors, a Tequila Show, wines from Baron Balche, and food festivals including Paella (Saturday, September 6) and Steak and Lobster (Sunday, September 7). The event is sponsored by AFAMARO, www.afamaro.com, a trade association formed recently in Rosarito Beach by manufacturers of fine and rustic furniture in wood and wrought iron, artisans and accessory dealers. Many of these vendors represent familial businesses that began decades ago in northern Baja and that have preserved a legacy of artesenal quality in the crafts and arts of Mexico.

Escobedo believes that what has been referred to as the 'Baja Bloom' is not over. He cites the fact that there are currently more than 100 residential and tourism developments under construction, comprised of approximately 23,000 condominiums and living units. He adds that Baja is the third most important destination for cruise line arrivals in Mexico, with more than 500,000 passengers arriving in the port of Ensenada, alone, this year.

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Double-Standards used to Sensationalize U.S. News Coverage of Baja California, Mexico

Monday, August 25, 2008

Double-Standards used to Sensationalize U.S. News Coverage of Baja California, Mexico

By Ron Raposa

In early April two San Diego TV stations reported that a local student was late in returning from spring break in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico. The stories strongly suggested he might have been the victim of foul play. One showed footage of a police action in Tijuana.

There were a few problems with the coverage.

First, the 21-year-old student had been in Rosarito only five days – a very common spring break stay – and classmates had seen him in Rosarito the same day the stories broadcast. He returned home the next day.

Secondly, if the situation had occurred anywhere except Baja California, it likely would not have been broadcast. Media outlets that time of year could fill their entire reports with coverage of spring breakers who come home late.

The young man’s parents, who went to the media, weren’t to blame for the premature and damaging broadcasts. It is natural for parents to worry and express concerns. The blame falls on media that use far different standards when it relates to Baja California coverage.

This use of double standards did not begin or end with the “missing student” story, nor is it unprecedented. But the most vivid examples began appearing last year and have developed into an ongoing trend.

Several months ago, many U.S. media outlets carried stories about a handful of crimes that targeted Baja California visitors in 2007 over several months and across several hundred miles of the large peninsula.

Each story repeated the same handful of incidents. Some were distributed by a wire service worldwide. They spawned a series of subsequent stories, each using the same few incidents. The repetition made five incidents seem like 5,000.

This is not to say that the crimes were not serious; they were. They needed to be reported and addressed. To be a victim of a crime is an ordeal. To be a victim in a foreign country is even more traumatic.

The problem was that stories lacked perspective and created the false impression that crime against visitors is rampant in Baja California. If the same focus had been used in covering San Diego, people would have become very frightened to visit that city.

The Baja California State Secretary of Tourism has received no report of a violent crime against even one of the millions of tourists here this entire year, a record that perhaps Southern California cannot match.

Yet stories in U.S. media, most recently the San Diego Reader, continue to suggest that it is not safe to visit Baja California. Lacking any new incidents to report, the stories continue to rehash the several ones from 2007.

During the same period as the Baja California incidents, an Australian tourist was beaten and thrown in a fire in Ocean Beach, crime rose dramatically on the San Diego Trolley system, and an off-duty policeman was accused of shooting a woman and her young son following an apparent traffic dispute in North County.

There were many other serious incidents – but none prompted any media outlet to do a story asking whether it is safe for tourists to visit San Diego. It is not likely that they will; much different standards are used.

For months, very little about Baja California except sensationalized crime stories have been published or broadcast in the United States. It has led to a very unbalanced perception of this area. Some of the reports are simply inaccurate and irresponsible journalism.

Yes, Baja California has brought some of the problems on itself. Police extortion of motorists in some areas went uncorrected for far too long and is still being dealt with. Corrupt and corrupting criminal cartels wielded pervasive influence along the drug routes leading into the United States.

But now Mexican federal, state and city governments have joined together in a serious effort to end that. This has led to shootouts, such as the April one in Tijuana that left 14 cartel members dead. However that incident was not connected to visitor safety any more than a major police action would be in the U.S.

The same is true of the discovery of four bodies in Rosarito several weeks ago. Some initial media reports, including in Mexican papers, claimed that four Americans had been executed in Mexico. It turned out that three were Mexican nationals, and the woman who was from the United States had an extensive criminal record, including in Mexico. Some U.S. media outlets still report that all were Americans.

Involvements in drugs or ties to other criminal activities are suspected in these sad shooting deaths. They had nothing to do with danger to tourists or the typical resident, no more than the death of a Mexican national involved in criminal activities in the U.S. would.

All that said, Baja California needs to do more to ensure visitor safety and sense of well-being – and it is.

In Rosarito, reformist Mayor Hugo Torres has created a special Tourist Police force to protect the well-being of more than one million visitors a year. More than 300 city residents have formed a citizen’s watch program for tourist areas.

Rosarito Beach has established an ombudsman office, where visitors can receive help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This includes the reporting of crimes, which had been a difficult process. It is part of showing that Rosarito cares about its visitors.

Baja California State Tourism has established a 078 number for visitor assistance, among other significant steps.

Federal patrols on highways have been increased. No serious crimes against Baja California visitors have been reported in months, including during busy spring break and Memorial Day weekends.

Does all this guarantee that a crime against a visitor or U.S. citizen will never occur in Rosarito or Baja California? Of course not.

No place south of heaven can guarantee that, especially one that has more than 10 million visitors each year and scores of thousands of expatriate residents.

About 14,000 expatriates, most of them U.S.-born, live in Rosarito – which years ago established Mexico’s first Foreign Residents Assistance Office. Some of them are among the most upset about the recent coverage of Baja California and Rosarito, the place they call home.

I am a U.S. citizen who lived there most of my life, working primarily as a journalist. I also have been visiting Baja California frequently for 30 years, and have lived in Rosarito Beach full-time for three. I have never been the victim of a crime or police extortion here.

I know many other expatriates here who have had the same experience; others who have not been as fortunate. The ratio I believe is similar to what you’d find in the United States.

Most expatriates in Rosarito would welcome the chance to talk about their experiences living here. I don’t think any would ask that crimes against expatriates or visitors be covered up – after all it is their friends and family who are affected.

Some U.S. reporters who write about Baja California seldom if ever visit here. The San Diego Union-Tribune, which usually has balanced stories on this area, has a reporter who comes here frequently to cover stories and lived in Tijuana for several years.

The media surely has the right – and the responsibility – to cover tourist safety issues. But it also has the obligation to do it fairly, and to use the same standards on both sides of the border.

To U.S. media I would simply ask: report Baja California as you would Southern California, with perspective and some personal and in-depth knowledge. That’s what most people in the United States or Mexico want and deserve.

——————————

Ron Raposa, the international public relations representative for Rosarito Beach, also worked for 20 years as a journalist, most of that time in the United States. This commentary first appeared in the August 16 edition of the biweekly Baja Times English language newspaper.

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Misleading U.S. Media Coverage Conveys Unfair Picture Of Baja, Rosarito Mayor Tells Mexico Business Center

Misleading U.S. media coverage has conveyed an inaccurate picture of the risk of visiting Baja and has been the main cause of a tourism decline, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres told a meeting of the Mexico Business Center Wednesday.
“The public assumes there is a big danger,” guest speaker Torres told members of the San Diego Chamber committee, although Baja has not had one reported serious violent crime against its millions of visitors this entire year.
Among inaccurate media reports cited by Torres was that four U.S. tourists were killed this past May. In fact, three were Mexicans and all had extensive criminal records, including involvement in drugs, and they were not in the area for tourism.
Torres said that the media also conveyed the impression that violence from the Mexican government’s crackdown on drug cartels created a risk to visitors, while only police and criminals have been involved in some high-profile shootouts.
“They are mixing a fight against drugs with danger to visitors,” he said of some media reports.
The inaccurate perceptions led to Rosarito tourism being down as much as 60 percent the first part of this year, although the summer has only been down about 20 percent as people realize the area is safe and welcoming to visitors, he said.
“We firmly believe we are going to recover,” he said. “The people are beginning to come back.”
He said a lengthy border wait and especially a troubled U.S. economy also contributed to the decline in visitors to Rosarito, where 70 percent of jobs are dependent on tourism.
“When the U.S. economy has a cold, we get pneumonia,” he said.
The reformist mayor also told the group of 30 business and civic leaders of steps he had taken to improve Rosarito since taking office last year: “I wanted to make a change; security was bad.”
More than one third of city police who did not meet standards for honesty and performance have been replaced, he said, and the city has established a 24-hour-a-day ombudsman’s office for visitor assistance.
Rosarito also has established a special Tourist Police Force of its best officers, with some assistance from the Anaheim Police Department, which has special expertise because of its involvement with Disneyland and its visitors.
“The city also is committed to improving services and activities,” he said of Rosarito.
Media Contact:
Ron Raposa

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