Sadly, Por Los Niños still a political pawn

Dear Jack, Could you please post this response to Rob's comments. My password doesn't seem to work. Gracias! Lorenzo

Dear Rob,

Damn, I wish we could get on the same page. I hate writing these long-winded, self-justifying emails every year.

With all due respect, the only "helpful advice" you have given us over the past 10 years has been your annual post on the message board criticizing how we do our work. You have never once sat down with us face-to-face, perhaps over a cold one, and asked us a single question, in spite of our repeated invitations. You have always been "too busy". Sadly, your postings suggest that you don't quite know what we do, or how we do it.

Citing Article 33 is a rather long stretch of imagination. Por Los Niños does not accept political contributions. We do not endorse political candidates. We do not attend political functions. Politicians who participate in our projects agree not to use Por Los Niños in their political advertising, excluding, of course, newspaper photo-ops at ceremonies. And, yes, we have a Mexican lawyer on our committee who provides guidance.

Por Los Niños de Zihuatanejo is a federally-approved Mexican foundation, chartered to provide educational opportunities to children in the municipality of Zihuatanejo. We are a collaborative organization with limited funding. So we invite other foundations, government agencies, individuals, and yup!, even politicians, to join the fun. We need their help, they need our help - none of us have the resources to solve Zihua's educational crisis individually(nor will we ever). So we combine our resources, each partner providing what they either can or choose to do for the benefit of our bright-eyed young scholars.

A prime example of this collaboration is the two new schools we built this Summer in Barrio Nuevo. Nearly 20 groups, (Mexican, American, Canadian) and individuals collaborated to make magic happen for the kids and the community. The government agencies, Rotary Clubs and political candidates do not donate to Por Los Niños de Zihuatanejo; they donate directly and independently to the schools to support a common goal. No funds change hands. (Ain't many votes to be won by donating to our 12 member committee, only half of whom are entitled to vote.)

Our Mayor, Presidente Eric, assigned 4 city construction workers for 14 weeks to help build the schools. Was he just doing his job, providing more desperately-needed new schools? Or was it a political contribution? He will certainly be running for a new political office when his term as mayor ends next year? Does his personal motivation really matter when the results benefit the community?

Profe Fernando Leyva Sotelo, is a mayoral candidate. When he was the Municipal Director of Education, he busted his buns to successfully "fast-track" the federal certification of our new schools(we ain't got a working school without it). Is he entitled to attend a photo-op ribbon-cutting ceremony at the schools he helped create? We think so. By the way, he just missed being in the photo you posted featuring his political opponent Jorge; he couldn't pass up the school mom's enchiladas.

Lic. Jorge Sanchez Allec, formerly Municipal Coordinator of Public Works, is a mayoral candidate. His family owns a concrete company. They donated $80,000+ pesos of concrete to our projects this year. Did we thank him when the new schools opened? Damn right we did.

Fernando and Jorge have been active supporters of Por Los Niños' educational initiatives for many years prior to their political candidacies. Do we now reject their politically-motivated contributions and just toss them overboard when they run for office? Not me, I have to work with the winner for his three year term of office.

Rob, my point being, I guess, is that volunteers come in all flavors. We don't insist on an ideological-purity litmus test, particularly when the public benefit of the donation is so obvious. There are, of course, ethical lines we will not cross. To your dismay, and I think I understand your perspective, politicians are sometimes on the right side of our line. Are you suggesting we should limit our activities to a "should be" world instead of addressing the world as it really is? Idealism vs practicality? It is an issue that troubles most thoughtful folks. Our first question is, "How does it benefit the children?"

In the United States, political candidates promise to solve all the world's problems, and then spend millions of dollars for scurrilous attack ads slandering their opponents. And, thus, they prove their value to the voters.

In Mexico, political candidates promise to solve all the world's problems, and then try to influence voters by - gasp! - contributing funds to civic projects. What a concept! When I visit schools during an election year, I see gallons of paint, stacks of roofing tiles, a line of shiny-new toilets or sinks, - all donated by some political schmuck looking for votes. The cool thing is that even when they lose, the kids and the schools win.

I must confess that, even with the history of corruption in Mexico, I prefer politicians that actually offer something to the community to earn (buy?) votes. (Is this where you go back to referring to us as "naive, well-meaning foreigners who just don't understand Mexico"? The combined ages of our committee members reflect about 200 years of experience in Mexico. This is not our first rodeo.)

Rob, in all sincerity, I again invite you to join us for a happy hour, ask us anything, get to know us, learn how we operate, offer us your advice. The drinks are on me.

Abrazos,

lorenzo

Larry, your comments with respect to the politicians shows your determination to ignore the dirty reality. As to your comments regarding my advice or not, again, you play the ingenuous card. I have tried to warn you repeatedly not to involve yourself in political matters including the squatter communities, not just for your own good but in order to be able to support you, but you come back with replies like this that only demonstrate your continuing preference to ignore the reality. Yes, I'm sure you have a lawyer, yet that kind of comment again shows that instead of informing yourself you prefer to rely blindly on the advice of others who may have different interests than yours. I guarantee you the politicians and their civil organizations could care less whether they induce you to violate the Constitución, and they have no scruples about using you. Article 33 is extremely relevant in this matter and you have most definitely exposed yourself to prosecution under it, no matter what your lawyer has been telling you. But hey, you are certainly free to ignore my warning.

Candidates don't donate to you. Why you would even think that was something I was referring to escapes any logic I can come up with. It works exactly the other way around. The photo speaks for itself. The smiling mayoral candidate standing on a cement basketball court made with cement from his construction business and with your help speaks for itself. Everyone but you and a few other foreigners with you seems to know what's going on, despite all your collective years of doing whatever else you've done in Mexico.

Why would the politicians help fast-track certifying schools and miss out the photo ops? Because they are doing the slimy business of fomenting squatter settlements they can manipulate for votes. Then they use you to help build the schools and voila! Another requirement is met for regularizing an illegal squatters' community that the population at large does not want there. Hello?! Anybody home?

While I appreciate your invitation to drink and discuss serious matters, I never discuss serious matters over drinks, and you always appear to be drinking whenever I see you. Could that be impairing your judgement on these matters, including repeatedly ignoring my advice and warnings?

I'm all for helping kids, but not for backing politicians and being used as their pawn in the process, especially ones whom the general public believes have pilfered millions in public funds. You seem to have no scruples about allowing them to use those allegedly pilfered funds to suit your needs and aid you in your tasks, but the great majority of Mexicans would be quite angry with you to read such comments from you. The local politicians including the one in the photo and the current mayor are in campaign mode and there you are playing their stooge and giving them some of the legitimacy they desperately seek when most locals wouldn't give them the time of day.

So again, instead of winning my support and convincing me you know what you're doing, you only convince me that I am justified and vindicated in withholding that wholehearted support, Larry. Yes, you are no doubt doing some measure of good and I am indeed impressed with some of your achievements, but with just a little more common sense, care and wisdom I suspect you could do much much better.

Warm saludos and best of luck to you.