Wednesday, May 20, 1998

Same problems affect Texas, Mexico

By Steve Ray

Texans only had to take a deep breath last week to be reminded of the impact that Mexico has on it's northern neighbor.

Microscopic soot, dust and ashes from thousands of out-of-control fires in Mexico and Central America forced state officials to issue an unprecedented health alert for pollution that eventually spread throughout the state.

The haze that engulfed much of Texas because of the fires was a stark reminder that almost everything that happens in Mexico affects Texas and the United States.

That is a fact that has not been lost on Gov. George W. Bush, who earlier this month celebrated Cinco de Mayo in Mexico with Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. And it's also celebrated in states with large Hispanic populations like Texas.

The Bush relationship with Mexico is important on several different levels.

Texans of Mexican descent are the fastest growing population in the state. Many of them maintain ties with Mexico both culturally and financially.

And that, as well as issues like immigration, NAFTA and public health concerns along the Texas-Mexico border, make a close relationship between the nation and the state even more important.

Developing those relationships has long been a top priority for Bush who has used the Secretary of State's office as a liaison with Mexico.

He has sought to increase the effectiveness of that office by filling the Secretary of State post with capable Texans of Mexican descent such as Tony Garza and Al Gonzales.

Not only did that show a recognition of the importance of dealing with Mexico but also the growing significance of Hispanic leaders in Texas, where Hispanics are expected to outnumber Anglos in only a matter of years.

His knowledge of Hispanic issues and work with Mexico have made Bush a popular figure in the Texas Mexican-American community and caused critics to charge that his interest is related to running for president in 2000.

But while working with Mexico might be good training on how to deal with other nations for a future president, Bush's relationship with Mexico is even more important to him as governor of Texas.

Why? NAFTA affects almost all levels of the Texas economy. Illegal immigration has an economic impact on Texas and reaction to it helps determine how people are treated on both sides of the border. Public health issues like tuberculosis can have devastating results if officials don't work together to stop it. And tourism is a two-border affair that means millions for both Texas and Mexico.

Plus, Texas tops all other states in trade with Mexico. More than a third of Texas's exports go there. In 1996 exports reached about $27.4 billion in exports and Texas imported at least $16.5 billion worth of goods from Mexico.

At times, the Texas economy, especially that in South Texas, reacts more to trends in Mexico than those in the United States.

And then there's pollution. It comes from industries along the border and from illegal dumping in the Gulf of Mexico. And it comes from fires set by farmers trying to clear land for crops.

The effect of the Texas relationship with Mexico becomes even more important in times like these.

At the direction of the governor, the Texas Secretary of State's office has been in contact with the Mexican Embassy in Washington to offer assistance.

Bush said the state is prepared to help, and the relationship he has built with Mexican leaders may give Texas the opportunity.

That's good not only for Mexico but for the millions of Texans affected by the haze coming across the border that could cause severe health problems.

And it should make each Texan more aware of the necessity of keeping good relations with Mexico and working together to solve problems that affect both the lives of Texans and residents of Mexico.