Can Mexico help the world see past its escalating drug war, and showcase all that it offers?
To say that Mexico has a big branding problem might sound pretty flip. What America's southern neighbor faces is nothing that a smirking Don Draper type could spin: Its drug war has taken 40,000 lives in the past five years. Ciudad Ju?rez has become the world's murder capital. That's sort of like having Mogadishu, Somalia, just across the river from El Paso, Texas.
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Of course, Mexico's other faces include Cabo San Lucas, the playground of Baja California. There's Canc?n and Cozumel, white-sand magnets for spring breakers and divers. Mayan ruins. Luminous folk art. Cuisine.
Perceptions matter, whether from outside or within. They affect how a nation fares economically ? tourism, business relations ? and its political standing. On some level they might even help determine how much help is offered by outsiders in realms ranging from finance to security.
News last year of the killing of an American jet-skier ? by Mexican drug traffickers, perhaps ? on border-straddling Falcon Lake got Americans' attention. Now come reports that potent "black tar" heroin from Mexico is creeping into eastern US states. And 17 tons of marijuana were recently found in a border tunnel.
For Mexicans, perception hardens into an unkind reality. Bad news keeps coming, much of it linked to cartels flexing their muscles in increasingly bold ways, as Sara Miller Llana, the Monitor's Mexico City bureau chief, reports from Veracruz (see page 26). There are beheadings. Grenade attacks on police.
The Calder?n government maintains that much of the violence is of the criminal-on-crimimal kind. But crossfire killings, peripheral damage, fear, and suspicion appear to be spreading.
In a drive-by shooting in western Sinaloa State recently, one of those killed was Diego Rivas, whose "narcocorridos," songs that glorify drug traffickers, apparently slighted the wrong drug lord. And when a helicopter crashed in fog Nov. 11, killing a top government drug enforcer, some wondered whether it had been a narcoterrorist hit. (Charges of government opacity and corruption also generate their own buzz.)
How does that kind of mounting cultural dysfunction hit people's perceptions of a country?
One metric, for what it's worth: FutureBrand, a global consultancy, just released its latest Country Brand Index. It surveys a range of data (including statistics on violence and unrest), adds insights gleaned from interviews with influential branding sources, and cranks out a list.
FREEHOLD, N.J. ? The New Jersey man charged with killing his 2-year-old daughter and leaving her in a park creek, still strapped into her car seat, is due in a New Jersey courtroom on Monday afternoon.
Arthur Morgan III was arrested Tuesday in San Diego, and agreed to return to his home state to stand trial.
Morgan is charged with the murder of Tierra Morgan-Glover, whose body was found Nov. 22 in a creek in Wall Township.
He had picked the child up from her mother's house in Lakehurst, about 20 miles south of the park, but failed to return her, prompting her to call police.
Besides the murder charge, Morgan's also charged with custody violation and interstate flight to avoid apprehension.
If a fat tax is coming, here's how to make it efficient, effective: ISU economistsPublic release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dan Kuester kuester@iastate.edu 515-294-0704 Iowa State University
AMES, Iowa A 'sin tax' applied to sweetened goods on store shelves is not the most efficient, effective method of lowering caloric intake from sweet food and would be more disruptive to consumers than necessary, according to Iowa State University research.
With a national debate taking shape about the possibility of a national tax on foods with high sweetener content, ISU economists have examined how such a tax would best be applied.
Rather than assessing a tax on these sugary goods as they are taken through the grocery store checkout lines, the research shows that a better way is to tax the food processers on the amount of caloric sweeteners, such as corn syrup and sugar added in processing before the product hits the shelves.
The economists, John Beghin and Helen Jensen, both professors in the Department of Economics, are quick to point out that they are not advocating for or against any tax, but simply researching how and where a possible sweetener tax would be most effective.
"We are not saying. 'To resolve obesity, here is what you should do,'" said Beghin. "In that sense, we are not advocating anything. We are saying, 'Given that you are considering a panoply of tax instruments, and there is a possibility of a soda tax, is there a better way to use that idea?'"
"This is motivated," added Jensen, "by a lot of ideas out there that say we could tax sweetened products. We wanted to see what the effect of such a tax would be and, alternatively, if you imposed a tax on ingredients, what would be the effect of that."
The research, published in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy, shows that if the goal of a sin tax on sweeteners is to reduce calories consumed, lawmakers should consider taxing the inputs instead of the final product.
Assessing the tax at the processing stage allows food processors to reduce the amount of sweeteners they put into their products. Processors will also have incentives to use more of the lesser-taxed artificial sweeteners, and less of the higher-taxed sweeteners that are heavy in sugary products.
These solutions would also raise the price at the store less than a direct tax on the end product, while reducing the calories attributable to the sweetener, according to the study.
"Taxing the processing ingredients makes more sense when compared with taxing the end product," said Beghin. "You can abate the same number of calories without having consumers face such high prices."
Any new tax on sweeteners, even the tax on food inputs proposed by the study, will cause prices to go up. One drawback of any tax on sweetened goods is the regressive nature of that tax.
In economic terms, regressive taxes are those that impact poorer economic groups more than higher ones.
"Since much of these (sweeter) goods are consumed by poorer economic groups," said Beghin, "you may be increasing the cost of calories for poor people."
The study looks only at calories in food. The research does not make any claims about lowering obesity.
The United States' obesity rate has many factors, and the amount of calories consumed is only one, say the economists.
"We are not looking at health aspects," said Jensen. "Just the consumption of calories from sweetened goods and the disruption to the consumer."
The findings of the study fit generally accepted economic principles that say if you want to change a given behavior or economic decision, you should try to find a policy instrument that is closest to the behavior or decision, according to Beghin.
As part of the study, the two collected data from both government and private sources on industrial food inputs.
"We spent quite a bit of time assembling a data set based on published data on what inputs the food industry uses," said Jensen. "So we know that for all the different food sectors, how much sugar and corn syrup go into that industry group's food processing. You'd be amazed to see how much sweetener goes into food processing."
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
If a fat tax is coming, here's how to make it efficient, effective: ISU economistsPublic release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dan Kuester kuester@iastate.edu 515-294-0704 Iowa State University
AMES, Iowa A 'sin tax' applied to sweetened goods on store shelves is not the most efficient, effective method of lowering caloric intake from sweet food and would be more disruptive to consumers than necessary, according to Iowa State University research.
With a national debate taking shape about the possibility of a national tax on foods with high sweetener content, ISU economists have examined how such a tax would best be applied.
Rather than assessing a tax on these sugary goods as they are taken through the grocery store checkout lines, the research shows that a better way is to tax the food processers on the amount of caloric sweeteners, such as corn syrup and sugar added in processing before the product hits the shelves.
The economists, John Beghin and Helen Jensen, both professors in the Department of Economics, are quick to point out that they are not advocating for or against any tax, but simply researching how and where a possible sweetener tax would be most effective.
"We are not saying. 'To resolve obesity, here is what you should do,'" said Beghin. "In that sense, we are not advocating anything. We are saying, 'Given that you are considering a panoply of tax instruments, and there is a possibility of a soda tax, is there a better way to use that idea?'"
"This is motivated," added Jensen, "by a lot of ideas out there that say we could tax sweetened products. We wanted to see what the effect of such a tax would be and, alternatively, if you imposed a tax on ingredients, what would be the effect of that."
The research, published in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy, shows that if the goal of a sin tax on sweeteners is to reduce calories consumed, lawmakers should consider taxing the inputs instead of the final product.
Assessing the tax at the processing stage allows food processors to reduce the amount of sweeteners they put into their products. Processors will also have incentives to use more of the lesser-taxed artificial sweeteners, and less of the higher-taxed sweeteners that are heavy in sugary products.
These solutions would also raise the price at the store less than a direct tax on the end product, while reducing the calories attributable to the sweetener, according to the study.
"Taxing the processing ingredients makes more sense when compared with taxing the end product," said Beghin. "You can abate the same number of calories without having consumers face such high prices."
Any new tax on sweeteners, even the tax on food inputs proposed by the study, will cause prices to go up. One drawback of any tax on sweetened goods is the regressive nature of that tax.
In economic terms, regressive taxes are those that impact poorer economic groups more than higher ones.
"Since much of these (sweeter) goods are consumed by poorer economic groups," said Beghin, "you may be increasing the cost of calories for poor people."
The study looks only at calories in food. The research does not make any claims about lowering obesity.
The United States' obesity rate has many factors, and the amount of calories consumed is only one, say the economists.
"We are not looking at health aspects," said Jensen. "Just the consumption of calories from sweetened goods and the disruption to the consumer."
The findings of the study fit generally accepted economic principles that say if you want to change a given behavior or economic decision, you should try to find a policy instrument that is closest to the behavior or decision, according to Beghin.
As part of the study, the two collected data from both government and private sources on industrial food inputs.
"We spent quite a bit of time assembling a data set based on published data on what inputs the food industry uses," said Jensen. "So we know that for all the different food sectors, how much sugar and corn syrup go into that industry group's food processing. You'd be amazed to see how much sweetener goes into food processing."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
SAN DIEGO ? Top Afghan Army and police officials who will oversee security in one of the country's hardest-fought provinces are visiting Southern California this week to get a look at how the United States teaches its children, treats its prisoners and patrols its border with Mexico.
The three-day tour hosted by the Marine Corps started Wednesday. It is part of efforts to professionalize Afghanistan's security forces so they can take over from U.S. troops, the majority of whom are expected to pull out of that country by the close of next year.
The visiting Afghan officials are seasoned military and law enforcement authorities from Helmand province, which has seen the war's heaviest fighting but also has made progress in rescuing communities from the Taliban insurgency's grips. Sections of Helmand province are now transitioning from NATO to Afghan security control, as part of the handover that will see all international combat forces out of the country or in a different role by the end of 2014.
"Afghans have been at war for three decades, most soldiers and police are in their 20s and 30s, so they've literally never witnessed a functioning system, so this is good opportunity to see a system that works reasonably well and see how to adapt it to their own culture and communities," said Gretchen Peters, an author who has given talks to the Marines on Afghanistan.
The Afghan officials on Wednesday will meet educators at an elementary school at Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego; watch live-fire trainings by Marines; attend an officers' course; and visit a mock Afghan village on base where troops are put under combat stress.
The Marine Corps said the other days will include a visit to a checkpoint manned by the U.S. Border Patrol. Along Afghanistan's long border with Pakistan, officials face drug smuggling and illegal crossers just as the United States does with Mexico, although Afghanistan's border is much tougher to control with armed incursions, inclement weather and mountainous terrain. Up until recently, it was too dangerous for Afghanistan's border police to go within hundreds of miles of the border.
During their visit, the officials also will be taken by military helicopter to Los Angeles County where they will visit a jail and meet with officials from the Los Angeles Police Department. On Friday, they will attend a graduation ceremony of recruits at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in San Diego. They also will visit the U.S. Coast Guard in the port city.
Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, told The Associated Press that the number of Marines in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan will drop "markedly" in 2012, and the role of those who stay will shift from countering the insurgency to training and advising Afghan security forces.
Afghans fear their nation could plunge into civil war once the foreign forces go home. While their confidence in their security forces has risen, they still have profound doubts as to whether the Afghan soldiers and police will be ready to secure the entire nation in three years.
U.S. Marines have been working closely with their Afghan counterparts and police to get them up to speed.
"It's absolutely imperative that we get them out here to continue to exchange ideas so they are prepared. Over there, we can only talk to them and show them so much," said Marine Maj. Jared Spurlock, who worked with Afghan Army soldiers in Helmand province during his seven-month deployment that ended in May.
"There will always be challenges with corruption in that part of the world, so any chance we get to show them how to do things with zero corruption and that things can work, is good," he added.
Those visiting include Maj. Gen. Sayed Malouk, the commanding general of the Afghan National Army No. 215 Corps, headquartered in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. His units have responsibility for the southern provinces of Helmand and Nimroz and part of Farah.
Also visiting was Maj. Gen. Nabi Jan Mullah Khil, the regional deputy police chief of the Afghan National Police, who used to be a highway commander and served as police chief in several provinces. The others are a commanding officer under Mullah Khil who oversees part of Afghanistan's border police and two other Army officials from the 215 Corps.
Michael Semple, a research fellow for the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School, has followed the careers of several of the visiting Afghan officials and said they are the cream of the crop.
"These are very serious professionals who have risked their lives day after day after day and literally had hundreds of their colleagues blown up, killed and shot, and still they go in to work," he said. "This (trip) is a morale boost for dedicated public servants who have been in institutions that have had a lot of bad press over the years. For them to be treated like VIPs, flown around the world and welcomed to California where they will rub shoulders with fellow professionals is all good and will help them do their work."
But he said he doesn't know how much of what they observe in California they will be able to apply at home.
_____
Associated Press reporters Patrick Quinn and Deb Riechmann in Kabul contributed to this report.
This Nov. 28, 2011 photo, shows a home with a sale pending sign, in Portland, Ore. The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes jumped in October to the highest level in a year.
By Reuters
Pending sales of existing U.S. homes surged in October by the most in nearly a year as Americans took advantage of low interest rates for mortgages, data from a real estate trade group showed on Wednesday.
The National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in October, rose 10.4 percent to 93.3 from 84.5 in September.
That was the biggest monthly gain since November 2010.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected pending home sales to climb 1.5 percent.
"We hope this indicates more buyers are taking advantage of the excellent affordability conditions," said NAR economist Lawrence Yun.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has held short-term interest rates at nearly zero since 2008 and has expanded its balance sheet in a bid to get credit to businesses and households.
The Fed said in September it would renew its effort to help the housing market by reinvesting some of the maturing debt it holds into mortgage-backed securities.
That has helped bring 30-year mortgage rates to record lows.
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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Public release date: 2-Dec-2011
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