Fox Urges Amnesty for Illegal Workers

Re “Fox Pushes for Migrants Pact by End of Year,” Sept. 6: I think it’s great that Mexico’s President Vicente Fox is pushing for a migrants pact by the end of the year and that President Bush might comply. However, how about a little quid pro quo? Mexico has a lot of oil. Why doesn’t Bush insist that Mexico provide the U.S with oil at a reasonably low price? A drop in our gasoline prices would certainly soften any ill feelings that many Americans might entertain about this pact.

Gersten Schachne

Northridge

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That sly old Vicente Fox has a lot of nerve shipping 3 million illegal Mexican citizens here and then demanding amnesty for them. Why doesn’t he transship the Guatemalans, Salvadorans and others (“Mexico Curbs Neighbors’ Migrant Flow,” Sept. 2) here and keep his own impoverished citizens home and provide work for them?

Rita M. Silver

Palm Desert

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Re “Joint Vision to Evolve Step by Step, Fox Says,” Sept. 5: Fox said he and Bush will advance their vision for improved U.S.-Mexican relations by taking “one, two, three steps forward” on the divisive issues of immigration, trade and drug trafficking. Are these the real issues? Mexico is a country with a wonderful climate, rich in oil, natural resources and farmlands.

The real issue is that when the Mexican government adopts some of the democratic principles of this country, such as fair taxation of the rich and poor, government development of infrastructure, government programs to foster economic growth and programs to improve public health and welfare, there will be no need for Mexican citizens to leave Mexico. Hopefully, Fox will be the man to lead Mexico to the freedom of a full democracy.

David Hertz

Tarzana

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Bush said that the United States has no more important relationship than it has with Mexico. Has Bush chosen to ignore Canada? The border with Canada is so much longer than the U.S. border with Mexico, and there is no fence along the U.S.-Canadian border. The trade with Canada is more important than with Mexico. The only thing that Mexico has is more potential voters in sympathy with Mexico than Canada. That is at the heart of Bush’s statement--electoral worries. Now domestic elections seem to determine foreign relations. I don’t think that bodes well for the future of the U.S.

Jim Goodenough

Canoga Park

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It seems to me that U.S. citizens have been put in jail for crimes far less serious than illegals commit when they break our laws by crossing the border. Instead of Fox asking this country to behave better to the illegals, shouldn’t he make his country a better place to live so these people wouldn’t have to risk their lives and leave their families? Fox wants the easy way out.

H.J. Bleecker

Riverside