BajaNomad

Tijuana Deserves a Better Look

k-rico - 9-6-2010 at 01:13 PM

http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/09/tijuana-deserves-a-better-...

No less than eight out of ten news items in the U.S. media regarding Tijuana are bad news reports. Everyone reads that there are drug cartel gangs in Tijuana, but as one of many examples, how many know that Los Angeles is the gang capital of the U.S.? That’s because it’s not media daily fodder as the Tijuana and Mexico gang coverage.

So it’s not surprising that Californians find it difficult to accept that Tijuana is an international powerhouse and Mexico’s fourth most populated city. Much of Orange County’s international business community is aware of Tijuana’s significance, as Mexico is the county’s number one trading partner, but the general public does not and has a mind-set running contrary to the reality of the size and scope of Tijuana’s achievements and impact not just on California and Orange County, but throughout the U.S., Canada and numerous other countries.

This may take readers to the heart of the issue – all heart valves inserted during surgery keeping thousands of people alive in the United States are made in Tijuana. And in the world of outer space – Tijuana hosted the 1st in 2010 and will host the 2nd International Aerospace Suppliers Forum in 2011. The first forum generated over US$200 million in contracts. The 2010 Forum’s success attracted the British Government’s Trade & Investment Body, and UK’s defense associations along with ILA, the oldest Aerospace Show in the World, agreed to collaborate to promote the 2011 event. Among the 34 aerospace firms located in Baja are such recognizable names like Honeywell, Gulfstream, Rockwell Collin, Lockheed Martin and Crissair.

Many have heard that Tijuana was the television assembly capital of the world, losing that position to China, but those many may not know that China is planning major investments in Baja with Tijuana as a principal location to bring back the television production and assembly there, and while at it, a Chinese brand automobile manufacturing and assembly plant. They will join Toyota in Tijuana that assembles part of the Tacoma line of pickups positioning the city as a major auto assembly and parts manufacturer.

There are over 60 medical products manufacturers in Tijuana making it a major player in that sector. Global consumer electronic product companies like JVC, Panasonic, Sony, Tyco, Sanyo, GE, Samsung and Hyundai have major manufacturing plants in Tijuana, along with nearly 600 other mostly international companies manufacturing furniture, toys, truck chassis, and numerous other products.

Many know that if there is need for quality but affordable dental work, Tijuana is the place to go, or for over the counter brand or generic low cost medicines, or eye care such as Lasik eye surgery. But not many know about heart surgery that can cost around $20,000 at an excellent hospital with highly qualified surgeons representing savings of $75 to $80 thousand over U.S. costs. Sadly, the U.S. press reports only those few cases were a surgery went wrong, or the doctor was not qualified, but not about the thousands of successful medical treatments and surgeries in every field.

Not many know about the Tijuana restaurant row where gourmet Argentinean, Brazilian, Chinese, French, Japanese and of course exquisite Mexican dishes are offered in a wide variety of classy restaurants. Nor is it common knowledge about the various chic shopping malls dotting various neighborhoods close to the border all with a great variety of stores where nearly all domestic and foreign goods can be purchased.

It is small wonder that finally a group of very successful Tijuana business leaders, community activists and philanthropists led by Jose Galicot, an ever optimist and lover of his native Tijuana city, decided enough is enough – let’s show the world what Tijuana is really all about.

And thus his idea of producing a two-week forum (October 7-21, 2010), Innovating Tijuana (Tijuana Innovadora) bringing to the conference some of the best known people not only in the U.S. but throughout the world – former Vice President Al Gore, joined by fellow Nobel winner (Economist), Robert Aumann; Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and Wikia; Biz Stone, founder Facebook: Carlos Slim, entrepreneur world’s richest man: Paul Jacobs, Qualcomm: Larry King, Television personality, and dozens more.

In addition to the conference, Tijuana will display its tremendous advances in every field – science, medicine, aerospace, the arts and even cuisine (remember it was in Tijuana where Caesar’s Salad was created).

So, come on, let’s get behind Tijuana and be a part of their coming out party

DENNIS - 9-6-2010 at 01:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
No less than eight out of ten news items in the U.S. media regarding Tijuana are bad news reports.



The writer begins his piece with this statement and immediatly goes on to unrelated points.
Are the eight out of ten news items true or are they slanderous lies?
If they are lies, then we do have a story.
If they are true, then what we have is news.

What would be the remedy for true but negative news stories?
Well...........I suppose they could be ignored, but is that the proper thing to do?

Personally, I'm happy with a free press that is allowed to say anything it wants to say as long as it's factual. It's the only way we will know what's happening in our world.

Changing the perception

Dave - 9-6-2010 at 01:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
This may take readers to the heart of the issue – all heart valves inserted during surgery keeping thousands of people alive in the United States are made in Tijuana. And in the world of outer space – Tijuana hosted the 1st in 2010 and will host the 2nd International Aerospace Suppliers Forum in 2011. The first forum generated over US$200 million in contracts. The 2010 Forum’s success attracted the British Government’s Trade & Investment Body, and UK’s defense associations along with ILA, the oldest Aerospace Show in the World, agreed to collaborate to promote the 2011 event. Among the 34 aerospace firms located in Baja are such recognizable names like Honeywell, Gulfstream, Rockwell Collin, Lockheed Martin and Crissair.

Many have heard that Tijuana was the television assembly capital of the world, losing that position to China, but those many may not know that China is planning major investments in Baja with Tijuana as a principal location to bring back the television production and assembly there, and while at it, a Chinese brand automobile manufacturing and assembly plant. They will join Toyota in Tijuana that assembles part of the Tacoma line of pickups positioning the city as a major auto assembly and parts manufacturer.

There are over 60 medical products manufacturers in Tijuana making it a major player in that sector. Global consumer electronic product companies like JVC, Panasonic, Sony, Tyco, Sanyo, GE, Samsung and Hyundai have major manufacturing plants in Tijuana, along with nearly 600 other mostly international companies manufacturing furniture, toys, truck chassis, and numerous other products.


Well and good. However, I would guess the amount of tourists visiting these facilities yearly wouldn't equal one good night at Adelita's. ;D

Bajahowodd - 9-6-2010 at 01:43 PM

Gotta agree with Dennis, in that it's negativity that sells. Just look at how we run our election campaigns. The problem is likely exacerbated by the very fact that whatever press Tijuana gets NOB is a foreign news story. Anyone think that a US newspaper or US news networks are going to devote their valuable space and time to some story about a puppy being rescued from a sewer in another country?

For Tijuana to regain a better image, there are a few things that need to happen. First, it appears to a certain degree, the cartel violence has subsided. At least in the TJ region. That information takes time to sink into the American psyche. It doesn't help much, either, when there continues to be horrible things happening in a number of places across Mexico, much of which happens to be near the border.

The business community and the government at all levels is going to have to spend some money on PR.

tjBill - 9-6-2010 at 01:44 PM

I liked the article. It discusses how Tijuana is a serious business city.

Interesting coming from "Dissident Voice" a self-described radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice.

Bajahowodd - 9-6-2010 at 01:56 PM

Actually, the article was published first on the site where the author works. You might wish to check out a sort of companion piece that deals with the nomads living just a little farther South.

http://www.hispanicvista.com/HVC/Columnist/HVC/Opinion/Guest...

The url for the site, which has offices in San Ysidro is hispanicvista.com.

k-rico - 9-6-2010 at 02:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dave

Well and good. However, I would guess the amount of tourists visiting these facilities yearly wouldn't equal one good night at Adelita's. ;D


I think it's better for TJ if the tourists keep on driving by and heading south. Tourism in TJ was always based upon sex, booze, and cheap trinket schit that nobody needs.

A buddy and I took an excursion to Centro Saturday night, 8PM to about midnight. Parked at Sanbornes at 8th and Revo and walked north to Coahuila and back, going through the famous "alley". That's a rough place, wow. It was packed.

We hit a lot of bars along the way. Most of the tourist places on Revo are closed, including the age old Bambi Club and Sans Souci - good riddance in my book. Those bars and the curio shops have been there since prohibition. Time for a change. There were a lot of people walking around, but few gringos.

The night clubs on 6th St. near Revo that are popular with the local 20 and 30 something crowd had people lined up in the street waiting to get in, as did Las Pulgas a large Disco popular with the locals.

Adelitas and the Chicago Club are much the same. A good sized crowd, mostly locals but gringos too, but smaller than before the drug war.

Hong Kong Club was packed. That's a wild place, they have a very unique floor show. It includes, well, nevermind.
------------------------

I think the author stated that 8 out of 10 news articles were about the violence just to make the point that little is ever printed about other things that are happening in TJ, and he was going to do just that. He didn't say they were untrue or not newsworthy.

---------------------------------

BTW, I read last week that the city closed the Tijuana jail (ala Kingston Trio). It was built in 1940 and it got to the point where it was too bad. When a jail in Mexico gets closed because it's not up to specs, you know it was a BAD place to be.


[Edited on 9-7-2010 by k-rico]

Bajahowodd - 9-6-2010 at 02:23 PM

"BTW, I read last week that the city closed the Tijuana jail (ala Kingston Trio) last week. It was built in 1940 and it got to the point where it was too bad. When a jail in Mexico gets closed because it's not up to specs, you know it was a BAD place to be."


:tumble:

desertcpl - 9-6-2010 at 04:33 PM

I hope they dont take my name off the walls

If ONLY

MrBillM - 9-6-2010 at 07:00 PM

A REALLY Fun Place. I were younger, I'd give Tijuana another, if not better, look.

With Agua Caliente gone, it wouldn't be better and the Bars on Avenida Revolucion where I spent many a happy night probably aren't the same either. But, then neither am I.

Are they still playing Jai Alai at the Fronton Palacio ? The Snack bar there had the Best Hamburgers I ever tasted anywhere for 25 cents in the 50s-60s. And, the games were exciting, though often crooked. Like Caliente, the trick was figuring out who the fix was in for.

One upside to the recession (and a negative effect on TJ) is that you don't have to travel South to find reasonably-priced chica entertainment. They're all over the place. Gotta make a living.

Bajahowodd - 9-7-2010 at 11:02 AM

There's probably no reliable way to measure it, but, I'm thinking that even in the absence of the cartel violence (let's say none of it ever happened), the tourist trade in TJ would have declined drastically anyway, what with the passport requirement. Just think of all the spur of the moment trips that used to be made, including the conventioneers and out of town San Diego tourists. I know, we've discussed it ad nauseum about being able to cross back with out a passport but with a delay and lecture. But, I really think given the low percentage of US passport holders, and the fact that few, if anyone travels domestically with their passport, there's gotta be thousands and thousands of college kids, tourist and just general folk who would have made the trip before the passport requirement, but won't now.

Passport Impediment ?

MrBillM - 9-7-2010 at 12:04 PM

Yeah, who ever thought of getting a passport to Frolic in the Bush ?

Well, if you're going to Thailand, but not TJ.