Mexican President Vicente Fox said at a meeting with Mexican-American businessman that money sent back to Mexico from America is the biggest source of revenue for Mexico and has been since 2003. He then went on to happily say that if you add up all the money that he's created by sending so many illegal aliens to America from Mexico and all the money that Mexicans in America legally make, Mexico would be the fourth largest economy. OK, you can stop laughing at the idiocy of his statement regarding taking credit for what legal residents here make.
Vicente Fox openly flaunts the fact that the increase can be attributed to Mexican consulates in the US getting businesses here to accept their highly fraudulent Matricula Consular identification cards.
In February, 2005 I reported that the amount sent back in remittances was $16.6 billion for 2004. So if Vicente Fox is saying it was $12 billion in 2003 and it's $16.6 billion in 2004 this alone shows the massive increase in illegal aliens that has occurred over this period. I'm eagerly awaiting the results for 2005, which if things hold true, will top $21 billion in 2005!
The only real surprise is that remittances were their number one revenue source since 2003. It was widely believed that it wasn't the number one source until this past year. More than likely it was propaganda from Mexico regarding the actual numbers of their oil revenue, keeping it number one, so that so much attention wasn't placed on remittances and illegal aliens over the past few years.
What this breaks down to is that illegal aliens sending money home is more than all the money made in Mexico last year by Mexicans living and working there. I don't see how this is something to gloat about for the Mexican President. Although he can gloat that he has managed to subvert our laws in this country and gotten businesses and lawmakers here to also participate in his continued siphoning of money off of America while he ignores economic growth in his own country.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Money sent from Mexican workers in the United States to their families back home has reached a record $12 billion in 2003, Mexican President Vicente Fox said Wednesday.
Remittances "are our biggest source of foreign income, bigger than oil, tourism or foreign investment," Fox told reporters after a meeting with Mexican-American businessmen.
"The 20 million Mexicans in the United States generate a gross product that is slightly higher than the $600 billion generated by Mexicans in Mexico," Fox said, adding that his country has the ninth-largest economy in the world.
"If we could add up the two products, Mexico would be the third or fourth economy in the world," he said.
Fox said the money transfers grew after Mexican consulates started giving identity cards to their citizens in the United States.
"The cards are working. All doubts have been cleared up," Fox said. "Almost 2.5 million people have them, and we want all Mexicans to have them."
The cards, known as "matricula consular," allow holders to get driver's licenses in some states, open bank accounts and send money home. Police have found them useful when arresting some illegal immigrants.
The only Mexican citizens in the United States that needs these Matricula Consular identification cards are illegal aliens. Immigrants here legally already have the proper identification and documents to get drivers licenses and open bank accounts without a need for these cards.
