BajaNomad

LORETO: Squatting in colonia Miramar is becoming a BIG problem

flyfishinPam - 8-14-2007 at 09:33 AM

Here´s a very interesting article. I am busy right now but will pur it into english a little later this afternoon. I just ran across it and have to run now. This is from the Newspaper in spanish

http://www.oem.com.mx/elsudcaliforniano/notas/n381344.htm

bajajudy - 8-14-2007 at 09:53 AM

In 25 words or more
The lady interviewed says that she came to Loreto to work but cannot afford the housing there. She says as a Mexican she has the right to live on government land. She says that her husband works for one of the developments as an electrician. She also says that people think that they are derelicts but that they are working.
There is something about getting her a voters card.
She does not want to have to migrate to the states to live.

oldhippie - 8-14-2007 at 11:15 AM

I understand that squatting was legal in TJ up until about 25 years ago or so. That's why there are so many way substandard shacks around.

We have been saying, look at Cabo and see Loreto's future. Well, give glance around TJ on your drive down too.

Cypress - 8-14-2007 at 11:20 AM

Expect they'll be sqautting in those Loreto Bay units when that boondoggle finally goes belly-up.:(

bajajudy - 8-14-2007 at 11:25 AM

I agree Grover. SudCaliforniano's website s-cks.
AND if you run it through babel fish using the URL....that is exactly what you get....babble

oldhippie - 8-14-2007 at 11:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by grover
I wish someone would fix that website's lame code that makes it impossible to copy text; you have to rt. click/view source to get at it.


I thought it was a good and intentional trick to prevent copying, or at least make it hard. I'm wondering how they do it. Could it prevent me from sucking up their content using cURL or some such technology? Sorry for the off topic post. No need to go further with it.

flyfishinPam - 8-14-2007 at 07:01 PM

HI there. Now I have to close the shop and never had time to translate this. will print it up and do so at home then post manana. sorry just got too busy.

flyfishinPam - 8-15-2007 at 05:35 PM

Here´s my interpertation of this article:


Squatting on lands in Colonia Miramar, a grave problem

14 august, 2007
Javier Chávez Davis

Loreto, Baja California sur. – the squatting of lands that are property of the state government in the northern portion of colonia Miramar has become a grave problem. On one side is the growing necessity of dozens of families to have their own land, and on the other is the obligation that authorities have to follow the letter of the law and remove these people.

Graciela Parra Bibián, originally from Acapulco, Guerrero, has been in Loreto a little over three years and a few months ago, together with her family, decided to squat on land over the aqueduct road a few meters north of the jail. Interviewed for this newspaper, she said she is here because she can not keep up with the high rents in this city. She came to Loreto fleeing from poverty and as a Mexican citizen has right to a piece of land.

For her to be living on this parcel she paid a sum of 10,000 pesos to the person who claimed it before her, “that is to say that the possession of the land was purchased” she said.

She said that she is concious of the fact that these lands belong to the state government, “but we don´t have any other”, she indicated, and the municipal government does not any to sell us. “Ah, and put down that we don´t want what they have to offer us, until they sell at fair prices.”

“They confuse us with those who they think are delinquents, we came to work and like this we arrived, my husband and my two small children, and shortly afterward we had two more older children arrive and a niece... now they are all here, working to put together money for the passage to come and work here”, commented Graciela Parra.

To the question of what has taken place here the authorites carried out an evacuation the interviewed said, “they came and they removed us, the government told us that we have no rights to land, they told us that we must remain poor and without a place to live.”

“Here the politicos came quickly, they asked us if we have voter credential cards and they promised all of us that they would find a way to help us, but to this moment nothing.”

The house of Mrs. Graciela is made of cardboard, it is held up by some scrap wood and is in an area that was cleared, it does not have beds or furniture, they cook in a little oven constructed over a non-functioning stove.

They don´t have electricity and the water is brought in by trucks two times a week by the government for free. They rely on social services though the program Opportunidades and during the next rains they will need to be evacuated and taken to a shelter , but their houses will definately not survive.

Graciela Parra Bibián whose husband works as an electrician in a development project, says that Loreto was the opportunity they had to escape poverty and to not have to emigrate to the USA like many of their family menbers.

flyfishinPam - 8-15-2007 at 05:42 PM

Yeesh, a little over THREE years and an electrician can´t afford rent or a plot of land to call their own. So is this the kind of high paying job that people here have to look forward to?

From this link: http://loretobay.com/cms/page1197.cfm

"Improving the health and welfare of a region.
Social sustainability can seem a little more abstract than other elements of sustainability, but it is just as important. How do you improve the health and welfare of a region? One way is to ensure the availability of affordable housing for Mexican residents. Another is to make health and healthcare a priority. Supporting education, job training and capacity building is another key aspect of social sustainability.

......."This is why we’re working in cooperation with FONATUR, Mexico’s national trust for tourism, and the federal and local governments to implement a Regional Affordable Housing Strategy to ensure that people who work at Loreto Bay are able to afford to live in the area. It’s also why we’ve established the Loreto Bay Foundation, which dedicates one percent of the gross proceeds of all sales and re-sales in perpetuity to assist with Loreto’s local sustainability issues. And it’s why we’ve started a separate initiative to raise money for a new full service medical center in Loreto."

Franckly I don´t think one percent is enough to keep the future local sustainability issues in check here. Also it is my opinion that the medical center is being built as another sales incentive to balance the fact that medical care is almost non existant here.

Crusoe - 8-15-2007 at 06:22 PM

Pam....Thanks so much for your concentrated efforts on keeping us informed of these crisis situations consantly developing in Loreto. Its really ashame that the powers that be, can't provide some sort of suitable alternitive housing for the people that come to work that have familys. It must be really hard on the younger children. It is really to bad. ++C++

Russ - 8-15-2007 at 06:23 PM

This is such a tragedy! Wouldn't it be humane of the government to limit the work force to available housing? You can bet that corporations like Loreto Bay would facilitate employee housing. I know this will not happen or even if the idea is reasonable but for the residence of Lotero to have this kind of abuse in their back yard it has just got to be a real stressful situation. I worry right along with you and hope things will improve before it happens in my back yard.

CaboRon - 8-16-2007 at 06:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
I agree Grover. SudCaliforniano's website s-cks.
AND if you run it through babel fish using the URL....that is exactly what you get....babble


Wow,

Didn't know that Babel was still a spoken language .~~:lol:

-CaboRon

Skeet/Loreto - 8-16-2007 at 07:44 AM

Give it some more time Folks!

About 25 years ago, Squatters moved in just as you enter Manadero, stayed for several years then the Govt. went a few miles South{Right before the South CheckPoint} and built Cinder Block Casas.

It just takes time for the Pressure to build.

Skeet/Loreto

oldhippie - 8-16-2007 at 07:54 AM

yup, in a few years you'll have some nice government housing (slums) in Loreto, wonderful!

That's a great plan, especially for the poor people living in tar paper shacks for "a few years".

Skeet/Loreto - 8-16-2007 at 02:55 PM

Some of the Best People I have evr known lived in TarPaper Shacks, Cardboard Shacks etc, most were much Happeir than their American Counterparts: No TV, No Drugs, No Freeways, No Taxes, No Kids killing Kids in Schools, No Gameboys and IPODS, No drunkin Bums on the Beach taking their Clothes off!!!!

If the People of Loreto want to change, they must just go out and close the Highway and demand the Presidente of La Paz come up and solve their Problems-As they have done in the Past. Baja and Loreto belongs to Loretanos, not Americano Visitors!!

Tommorrow, Not today!!

Skeet/Loreto

jerry - 8-16-2007 at 03:22 PM

exactly skeet

oldhippie - 8-16-2007 at 05:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skeet/Loreto
Some of the Best People I have evr known lived in TarPaper Shacks, Cardboard Shacks etc, most were much Happeir than their American Counterparts: No TV, No Drugs, No Freeways, No Taxes, No Kids killing Kids in Schools, No Gameboys and IPODS, No drunkin Bums on the Beach taking their Clothes off!!!!

If the People of Loreto want to change, they must just go out and close the Highway and demand the Presidente of La Paz come up and solve their Problems-As they have done in the Past. Baja and Loreto belongs to Loretanos, not Americano Visitors!!

Tommorrow, Not today!!

Skeet/Loreto


Well maybe I am wrong applying the minimal standards of running water, toilets, and adequate shelter from the weather to folks who live in tar paper shacks.

Ignorance is bliss I guess.

flyfishinPam - 8-16-2007 at 06:01 PM

From the Emiliano Zapata thread posted by Eli a perfect dicho that is very timely here

"La Tierra es de Quien la Trabaja" - Viva Zapata

Crusoe - 8-16-2007 at 08:14 PM

Well Skeet.... wait just a gal darn minet!! I allways thought the best people you ever met in your life were the 17 yo barrel racer yung "Lasses" from Amirillio?? Your changin your to tune..... you old dog you!! C Smile

woody with a view - 8-16-2007 at 08:18 PM

Quote:

No TV, No Drugs, No Freeways, No Taxes, No Kids killing Kids in Schools, No Gameboys and IPODS


Sorry Skeet, they have all of the above.......and they want more.....at least the ones that get regurgitated to the norte, no?:barf:

MISskeeters

MrBillM - 8-16-2007 at 09:23 PM

While I hate to challenge Skeeter's observations, I have to say that Loreto, Baja, Mexico and just about anywhere else in the world BELONGS to whoever PAYS for it. It's only a question of price.

The Mexican government has plenty of historical and recent experience dealing with protest. There IS a reason why they work hard to keep the populace unarmed.

jerry - 8-16-2007 at 11:49 PM

its still the voters choices and thats not gringoes

That's True.

MrBillM - 8-17-2007 at 08:49 AM

Of course, it's been said in the past that "It's not important who votes, but rather who counts the votes".

jazzyinco - 8-18-2007 at 08:19 PM

Just add the web addr to the end to get a (sorta) translated article:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.oem.com.mx/elsudcaliforniano/notas/n381344.htm

flyfishinPam - 8-21-2007 at 09:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jazzyinco
Just add the web addr to the end to get a (sorta) translated article:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.oem.com.mx/elsudcaliforniano/notas/n381344.htm


interesting translation but wasn´t mine acceptable? The google does a direct translation and often, although this one is pretty good, people reading it get lost in its meaning. That´s why I can´t say that I translated the article because it would read like the google translation and hence the reader would lose interest. So I tried to make an effort to write the article so that it makes sense to an english reader without losing its "gist" so to speak. I cannot take credit for the poor grammar and use of words that this newspaper often presents (as do most newspapers I´ve read in several counrties).

Kencito - 8-21-2007 at 03:08 PM

Pam,
Your translations are always much appreciated. Those computer generated translations are terrible. Please continue to keep us informed.
Kencito

jazzyinco - 8-21-2007 at 08:24 PM

I think your translation was just fine. This was to help others when they want to scan some articles at other times. I use this for the El Sudcaliforniano.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=...