Volume XXVII Number 05 January 31, 2003

FrontPage Stories

The Silent War

By: Mariana Martinez

(Editor’s Note: On January 9, 2003 a pickup truck carrying 17 people was involved in a high speed chase with the Border Patrol. The 15-minute chase ended when the truck ran over a spike strip, tossed by the Border Patrol, crashing into a bridge abutment on I-8 near Descanso. Three of the passengers in the truck were killed.)

I’m Agustín Santos, I’m 21 years old, from Tejupilco, México State. I first came to the U.S. with a friend because neither of us wanted to cross alone. We crossed trough Canenea, with 15 other men, at dawn. Six hours we walked in the dessert and then, we remained hidden for a whole day, until they came to pick us up and took us to Santa Barbara. I was working there as a construction worker to pay my debt to those who helped me cross: 1200 dollars, first one half and then the other. Those who helped me where also from Tejupilco, they know me and I know them, otherwise I wouldn’t have crossed, you’ve got to have trust.

Tijuana.

They say it every day, a thousand times, the speakers in the border repeat “you are about to solicit entry to the busiest border in the world, please have your documents ready” but, how about the millions that don’t have documents? The illegal crossing of this border has been for many people all over the world, especially Mexicans and other Latin-Americans their last choice.

For the rest of the story please follow this link:

La guerra silenciosa
 Por Mariana Martinez
(Nota del Editor: En Enero 9, 2003 un troque pick-up con 17 personas a bordo se vió involucrado en una persecusión a alta velocidad por la Patrulla Fronteriza. La persecusión de 15-minutos terminó cuando el troque pasó sobre una malla metálica, puesta por la Patrulla Fronteriza, causando que éste se estrellara en un puente en la Autopista 8 cerca de Descanso. Tres de los pasajeros del pick-up se mataron).

Bush’s Snake Dance on Race
 By Andrew Reding
George W. Bush is no racist. That much is clear from his two top foreign policy appointments — Colin Powell as secretary of state and longtime confidante Condoleezza Rice as national security adviser. But his challenge to the University of Michigan’s affirmative action program shows he is not above capitalizing on racial resentments for political gain.

Stories

Thirty-Six Legislators Ask Regents to Condemn Connerly for Defense of Segregationism and Treatment of Students
 SACRAMENTO, CA — Thirty-four Legislators joined Assemblymember Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) and Senator Don Perata (D-Oakland) in urging the University of California Board of Regents to rebuke Regent Ward Connerly for his recent remarks claiming segregation is not necessarily racist and instructing the U.C. Students’ Associatin to “go to hell” after they criticized his comments. In a recent CNN interview Mr. Connerly stated: “Supporting segregation need not be racist. One can believe in segregation and believe in equality of the races...”

‘Freedom’s Attendant’ — Patriot Act Drafter Defends His Vision
 By Sandip Roy
Seared into the memory of the architect of the USA Patriot Act is the image of his mother wielding an ax almost as big as herself, chopping to pieces the rickety boat that carried them from Vietnam to Malaysia in 1978.

Baja California’s development plan for 2003
 By Mariana Martinez
Tuesday, January 28 - The Department for Economic Development, Department of Tourism and Work and Social Welfare Department, gathered this morning to present their State Development plan for 2003.

Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
El 16 de septiembre de 1916, Venustiano Carranza convocó a elecciones para integrar el Congreso Constituyente, el cual quedó instalado el primero de diciembre de ese año.

La Prensa Persa
 LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Except for YOU and ME!
Prop 187 is back with a vengeance!
By: Ramin Moshiri
I remember my 1st days in the United States when I spent the summer of 1975 with my Baptist host family. The Sunday school, streets, billboards, cable and Ma Bell telephone services were all fascinating. Even the air smelled pleasantly different. Although the country I was coming from was blessed with good oil revenue and lots of developments at that time, United States was simply amazing. People could read any books, say anything and Xerox any information. They could travel freely by car or airplane to and from anywhere within or outside the United States without inquisition and prosecution. Johnny Carson joked about the head of the state and his policies. Unbelievable! People left their homes unlocked in that small town. Unheard off!

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por Yhamel Catacora
El mundo adulto de los niños traductores
Quienes hemos vivido a partir de nuestra niñez en este país, podemos recordar algún momento en que mamá, en alguna tienda, nos preguntaba ¿Qué dice? Refiriéndose a alguna explicación de algún tendero. Inclusive cuando ni siquiera podíamos alcanzar el mostrador de la tienda, nos concentrábamos, a veces de mala gana y sin el mínimo interés, en traducirle al español la respuesta que mamá buscaba.

Bronze Triangle CDC Event to Help region Capture $50 Million in Unclaimed Earned Income Tax Credits
 On February 1, the Bronze Triangle Community Development Corporation, will officially kick off its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help qualify community residents for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Currently, the IRS estimates that $50 million or more goes unclaimed by eligible families in San Diego County

Free File = Presentación de Declaraciones Gratis en la Red
 78 millones, es decir, el 60 % o más de contribuyentes serán elegibles para preparar y presentar sus impuestos electrónicamente – GRATIS – este año, a través de un nuevo servicio en el Internet.

“Cash for College” Workshop Informs Parents, Students About Free Money for College
 Parents: Getting up to $9,700 in free money for your child’s college education through the state’s Cal Grant program could be as simple as attending a special workshop Saturday, February 8 at the Scottish Rite Center, 1895 Camino Del Rio South, Mission Valley.

Editorials

Editorial
 Governor Gray Davis Shortchanges Education in The State Budget!
 Over Five Billion dollars will go to the State prison system if Governor Gray Davis has his way in the upcoming state budget. The people of this state want to know, Mr. Governor, are you trying to make a penal colony out of the State of California? Increasing the State Department of Corrections budget by $40 million while you’re cutting the educational budget by $5.4 billion dollars is sending a message to the residents of the State of California that building prisons enjoys a far higher priority than educating our children.

Editorial
 State of the Union Address Fails to Convince Necessity for War
 President George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union address, before both Houses of the Congress and the Nation, Tuesday January 28, 2003. The White House operatives assured that it would be beamed across the nation and the world by every available means. This was to be President Bush’s defining moment. In one speech he would seek to unite friend and foe behind his efforts to wage war against Saddam Hussein and his Arabic Dessert kingdom. He would lay before the nation and the world why it was necessary to destroy Iraq and Saddam. In addition, the President would lay his administration domestic policy for the nation. In a sense, it would be his Republican Conservative Manifesto for the world largest Democracy!

Commentary
Low-income families struggle as benefits shrink
 By Bernardo Ruiz
The uncertain economy is taking a toll on many Americans. Among the hardest hit are immigrant working families.

Commentary
Bush’s 3 Bogus Rasons for War on Iraq
 By: Michael T. Klare
In his State of the Union Address and other speeches, President Bush has attempted to articulate the reasons for going to war with Iraq and ousting Saddam Hussein. Stripped of rhetoric, these can be boiled down to three main objectives: (1) to eliminate Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD); (2) to diminish the threat of international terrorism; and (3) to promote democracy in Iraq and surrounding areas.

The Public Forum . . . El Foro Publico
 Open Letter to the San Diego City Teachers Union
Dear Ms. Whitlow and Mr. Pesta:
As an interested former employee of SDCS and concerned educator, I am prompted to write to you regarding the continued chaos in SDCS. I am amazed and perturbed at the lack of action on your part as, sadly enough, was the case with the previous SDEA executive.

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Entertainment, Reviews, Sporting news, and other tid bits

MACUILXOCHITL'S KIVA
 MACUILXOCHITL: “Five Flower”, The Aztec god of music and dance.
By Francisco Ciriza
Presentando: Grupo Fiesta

Realiza la XIII Temporada “Taurus do Brasil” en la ciudad deTijuana
 Por: Paco Zavala
En esta semana que está corriendo tuvimos la oportunidad de charlar con uno de los artistas más controversiales de los últimos años “Taurus do Brasil”, quien está presentando la temporada número trece en el escenario del espacioso teatro del Cecut con su extraordinario espectáculo, en el que hace dormir a mucha gente, incluyendo a los estoicos.

Apasionante “La Novia Oscura” de Laura Restrepo
 Por: Paco Zavala
Después de terminar de leer el contenido de ésta extraordinaria novela en sus 464 páginas de texto, queda un recuerdo que al rememorarlo, retoma la lectura y lo busca con avidéz de locura, para repasarlo y creer con certeza que lo que contiene está escrito.

Olga Tañon Presents New Album: “Sobrevivir”
 By Pablo De Sainz
Although Puerto Rico’s Olga Tañon is considered the Queen of Merengue, her newest production “Sobrevivir” (Warner Music Latina, 2002) offers much more than the usual tropical rhythm.

Mosaico de Actividades Culturales en Tijuana
 Por Paco Zavala
Iniciamos esta semana con alguna somera información relacionada con los acontecimientos culturales más importantes que se desarrollan en la ciudad de Tijuana, B.C.

La Reina del Sur: Una narconovela bestseller
 Por Pablo de Sainz
La narcocultura está de moda.

Southwestern College Presents Focus Five the Work of Extraordinary Women Artists
 CHULA VISTA —The Southwestern College School of Arts and Communication is proud to present the work of five contemporary women photographers in Focus Five—a photo exhibit that will be on display in the SWC Art Gallery from Feb. 6-27.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Presents Unnatural Nature at February TNT
 On Thursday, February 6th at 7 pm the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego hosts TNT (Thursday Night Thing), an ongoing program of events taking place downtown on the first Thursday of each month. February’s TNT features unnatural nature— an electric bonfire, flying dancers, organic sound, and digitally manipulated birds. Come early for a Q&A session with Cerca Series artist Helen Altman.

Antonio Margarito: “Vernon Forrest Lost His Head, So He Lost His Fight!”
 By Fiona Manning
Remember the kids’ cartoon character Underdog? WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito says it’s that cartoon character with whom he most identifies.

U.S. Women Win Four Nations Tournament in China with 1-0 Win Over Germany
 SHANGHAI, China (January 29, 2003) - The final day of the 2003 Four Nations Tournament produced two positive results for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team as the Americans notched a solid 1-0 victory over Germany, while China and Norway tied 1-1, giving the USA the championship of this important pre-Women’s World Cup tournament featuring the world’s top four women’s soccer teams.

San Diego State Opens Three-Game Homestand Against Colorado State
 Tip Time: Tip time is set for 7:05 p.m. PST. Television: The game will be televised by Channel 4 San Diego.

Return to Index Page