GRINGOVol. 2 ed. 21 • DECEMBER 14TH, 2015 • NO BAD NEWS

NorthPriceless

.com

continued on page 6

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BY BUNNY WINGATE

Just How Many Charities Do We Have?Here’s our list, but we might have missed a few

The Baja charity bubble is expansive all year but explodes with a mighty bang right around Halloween. The day of the dead in our perfect little village heralds the start of the season of giving and giving and giving. Nowhere else in my looong life have I ever experienced or seen so many charities for people who have little or nothing, animals in need, or organizations that benefit both of the above, as I have come to know in our relatively small area known as Baja Norte.

Friends of the Library needs

books to educate our young people and promote reading lit-eracy but young people also need clothing and food for the Kumai Indians who without the money raised by her various events would not have warm clothing or a holiday meal. Marilyn Widd is sponsoring her special orphanage that has no running water or elec-tricity. But Marilyn’s isn’t the only deserving facility, as others hawk for their orphanages as well. On a recent trip to a Rosarito orphan-age I fell in love with beautiful faces of all ages from months

old babies to teenagers laughing at a troupe of clowns who tour Baja on a regular basis. All the children were encouraged to join in the festivities, and they did, forgetting for a time that they had less than others. When I arrived home and thought about what I had seen, I thought maybe these children had more. I met loving volunteers giving their time to these kids and they had many brothers and sisters to share their thoughts and dreams. Christmas presents were donated by those who could afford this luxury and continue this every Christmas.

Katharine’s Kids serves dis-abled children in an orphanage while SOS Children’s Villages is one of the largest orphan charities around the world. It takes a spe-cial soul among us with the time and money needed to organize and promote these many orphan charities.

Cruz Roja is our Red Cross and is always in need of money

New Ensenada ByPass Under ConstructionNot so good for merchants

Clogged roads, congestion, potholes and bumps, Ensenada is working on a bypass to help frustrated travelers.

Who has not cursed that patched up stretch between Chapultepec and Maneadero, better known as “flight of death/tramo de muerte,”, especially at night. The holes in the road

It’s challenging and expensive terrain to build that far up the hill, because the canyons carved by rain rushing to the sea are way deeper than they are closer to the ocean, where they tend to widen but be less deep.

have often been replaced with bumps because of all the patch-ing instead of proper repaving. Logic would dictate that it would make more sense to repave that stretch properly, rather than to continuously re patch it. And it seems that now logic is catching up. Ensenada mayor Gilberto

BY BrYAN rock

.COM December 14th, 20152

Que Pasa in Baja?BY OLIVER QUINTERO

Support for sport fishing. Our state government has made an effort this year to improve the sport fishing business in Baja, supporting local fishing charters with about $100,000 dollars of resources like fishing poles, GPS, life jackets and other fishy stuff. The head of the state fishing office, Matias Arjona, said that this year the state government tried to give an extra push to the local fishing charter busi-nesses because the El Niño phenomenon is creating ideal condi-tions for sports fish-ing since the sea water is get-ting warmer. He said that unusual species are now being captured here like a 328 pound marlin that was captured this year in our waters. Boy, was he lost.

Around 140 boats are in-volved in sport fishing in the

northern Baja area with the ma-jority of them being located in San Felipe, Bahia de Los Angeles, San Quintin and Ensenada. Quit your sniveling, Rosarito, you don’t even have a marina, and your only pier is a useless joke. So there.

Tourism office wants more money. Don’t we all? The local tourism director in Ensena-da, Amador Arteaga, said they are asking for more money for

next year in order to promote the city bet-

ter. He is asking for about $262,00 next

year ( i s that too much t o a s k ? ) A l l t h e y

got this year was about $ 1 8 0 , 0 0 0 (really? Our

b eauty and recre-ational opportunities cannot be explained with sure a paltry amount of money).

Arteaga said that in 2008

the percentage of the municipal budget assigned for tourism was 0.41% of the total budget, and that it has gone down to 0.23% this year. The goal is to use most of the money to get about 100,000 more cruise shippers to come off the ships and to reactivate the

“Return to Ensenada” program. This program was aimed at pro-moting the city to the cruise ship pilgrims so they would be more inclined to make a car trip to visit Ensenada on a future date.

Journalism is publishing something that somebody

doesn’t want printed.

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newspaper, just as it appears in print, online

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PublisherCarrie Duncan,

carrie@gringogazette.comUS (562) 714-6735

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Speaking of cruise shippers. A jewelry store in Ensenada just threw in the towel on us. Gave up on us, left us in disgust. Royal Jewelers, which has suc-cessful stores in Cabo, Alaska, and all over the Carribbean, says Ensenada doesn’t work for them. They cite the aggressive barkers on the boulevard in Ensenada. “The tourists are shell shocked after walking down the street”, says Ana Mostafo. “They feel the sales personnel in the stores are too pushy, coming out of their stores and actually berating the people who won’t come into their store”.

Could be true, my Gringa boss won’t walk down the street anymore for that very reason. By about the 10th aggressive store keeper who yells at her, she starts yelling back, and then it’s Katie bar the door. I feel for her safety… or the store keepers? Tough call!

She’s another Gringa who’s done with downtown Ensenada, and she’s an old Mexico hand, who makes her living down here!

A few months ago there was a movement among officials to stop this practice but it went nowhere, maybe because Mexi-cans don’t realize how bad our precious tourists are treated. I, for example, a Mexican, can walk down the same streets and be ig-nored. I’ m sure the city officials are not molested, either, so how can they be expected to take this problem seriously?

Second access to Playas in TJ open. Our state governor, Kiko Vega, and other big honcho fed-eral officials last week inaugurat-ed the south access to Playas de Tijuana in a big ceremony. Kiko said the project is an example of the excellent collaboration and team work between the three levels of government (municipal, state and federal) because they all worked on getting this done. ( Read: Sent dinero.)

The $22 million USD and 2.5 mile long road will allow Playas citizens to have a more fluid ac-cess to and from Tijuana. This will surely go a long way in case of an emergency. And convenience. Before we all had to double back to north Playas to go south, be-cause that was the only way out continued on page 9

What To Do If You’re Stopped By The Police

If you are stopped, and you have actually made a boo boo, ask for a ticket and go down to the police station later on or the next day, or even the next week, and pay it. They will take your driver’s license to insure that you show up, and that’s OK. They do not want your license, and there is noting they can do with it. You will get it back.

If you have not broken any law, just keep asking for a ticket. “Dar may un teeket por favor”. Be polite but be firm.

If they threaten you or get nasty, write down their name, or if they are not wearing their name badge, (mandatory, but still it’s common for them to stick it in their pocket), then haul out your phone and take their picture. That’s like holding a mirror up to a vampire, and they will jump in their car and scurry away like cockroaches when you turn on the light. They will let you go with some face saving mumble like, “just a warning this time”.

It’s extremely rare for them to write a ticket, and for sure they will not cite you when you haven’t done anything wrong. And, if you have broken a law, the ticket is ridiculously small. Man up and go down and pay it, don’t take the cowardly/lazy way out and throw money at the officer.

OK, once more now, altogether, “dar may un teeket”

This police extortion would stop in a week if everyone would grow a back bone and stand up to them. If it doesn’t stop, then it’s your own fault. ,

.COMDecember 14th, 2015 3

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Ask a Mexican This Week’s Question is, What do you pray for?

1. Alfreda Ramirez. Living in Baja for seven years. Housekeeper’s aide. I studied catechism and received the religious

doctrine, so I know it is very important to pray to the Almighty God for protection and for deci-sions in my life. So I pray for my husband, that he is protected at work, for my children, and for my neighbors, so I can be surrounded by kind and gentle people.

2. Francisco Javier Pando. Living in Baja for nine years. Mixes paint at a paint store. I

pray to the Almighty and Powerful God every night, for myself, my family, and for all the people who sur-round me during the day,

for health and long life. I also believe in the Santa Muerte (Saint of the Holy Dead). She is very power-ful too. (Santa Muerte, {St. Death}, is a female folk saint. A personification of death, she is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees. Belief in her is not sanctioned by the Ro-man Catholic Church, but it is firmly entrenched among Mexico’s working classes.)

3. Javier Reynoso Ra-mos. AKA Gordolele. Liv-ing in Baja for 24 years. Cook at Tacos and Tortas Famous for singing Beatles

and Elvis Presley songs to tourists.   I pray when the occasion is a social event. We Mexicans are hypo-crites; when we have a need, we look for refuge. Then we need the Lord’s presence. We all pray of our own will. We use all our energy to do it so it comes very deep from within our hearts. All the religions take us on the same path, but each one uses its own ways. It is very disappointing now that all

the priests take us away from reality, from the true reasons behind prayer. They are just looking for money and power for their church-

es. They ask for money for a prayer for the dead, and money for a prayer for a wedding, and so on. So I do not believe in prayer. But, sometimes I talk to God. (Several years ago Gordolele was evicted by a church which owned the land his taco stand had been squatting on for years.)

4. Cecilia Torres. Liv-ing in Baja for six years. High school student. I am not very religious, I mean

I do not go to church on Sundays, but I know there is a God and His army of Saints. For example; when I needed a boyfriend I prayed

to Saint Anthony, who has the power to get a sweet-heart. Yes, now I have a boyfriend! He is very hand-some, and I love him very much. (The boyfriend, not St. Anthony.)

5. Carmen Saucedo. Living in Baja for 11 years. Medical clinic secretary. Prayer is just like repeating a sentence to memory like a parrot. No, but I do talk with my Lord every day. At night I ask Him to forgive

my sins, and ask Him to change my life to do His will. I ask that it will be the perfect way for me now and in the future. I

have faith and hope ev-ery single minute of my life. Thank you my Lord, under Jesus’ name.

6. Jorge Diaz. Living in Baja for seven years. Employee at a shoe store. I love to sing, and I sing to my Lord during the day. I do not praise God according to my watch. And, I do not have to ask Him for anything, His will is perfect for my life.   ,

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Here’s The Run Down On The Cruz RojaIn case you’re run down, better be prepared

Cruz Roja, the Mexican Red Cross service in Rosarito, was founded in 1954. It is af-filiated with the International Red Cross. They provide free transportation by ambulance from your home or whatever emergency you’re waiting at. They come to everyone wheth-er, residents or visitors, Mexican citizens or expats. They trans-port the patient to the Cruz Roja hospital in downtown Rosarito at 100 Calle Rene Ortiz Cam-poy. They are not a government organization and depend on donations, fund-raising events, and volunteers for providing services and essential supplies.

Once there, they can receive

hospital emergency care or be transported to the U.S. by am-bulance for a fee. The hospital fees at emergency care are very reasonable. If you are a member of Cruz Roja – a $20 per person annual cost – the trip to the border is $100. The fee for non-members is $200.

Cruz Roja conducts more than 5,000 ambulance calls per year, or more than 400 per month. The latest stats avail-able are about a year old. From November 2014 they made 119 sickness or disease calls, 82 general accident or automo-tive calls, 61 Injured by various causes, 49 overdose and poi-soning services, 18 emotional

emergency services, 18 injured by gunfire or sharps, along with 13 cancellations and 5 false alarm or prank calls.

Of course, Cruz Roja also re-sponds during natural disasters with rescue services, medicine, food and clothing. They also operate a thrift store on Lazaro Cardenas just down the street east of Waldo’s.

They have 24 staff and 15 volunteer paramedics. They would not divulge their budget but they do support 9 ambu-lances, a rescue squad and a supervisor’s truck. In addition to those expenses, along with the staff, they blaze through a lot of money. About 60% of their income is derived from fees charged for hospital and transpor-tation services, another 25% comes from d o n a t i o n s and contr i-butions, and the remainder comes from an annual collection drive.

There is an affiliate or-ganization called Cruz Roja Voluntarios Americanos de Ro-sarito. It has been in existence for about 45 years and its pri-mary purpose is to raise funds through events and projects to

support the Cruz Roja. Its mem-bership is mostly expats from the U.S. and Canada, not many Mexicans care to support it.

These foreigners contrib-ute a great deal to Cruz

Roja which could not operate with out their

activities.In a fairly

r e c e n t u p -g r a d e t h e A m e r i c a n vo lu nte e rs are working

with the dis-patch center to help save lives by having your 066 alert form information entered

i n t o their private database. With this information, dispatch can provide critical information to the EMTs in the ambulance coming out to help you. When you fill out this simple form

and join the volunteers your key medical and emergency information goes to the ambu-lance while it is on its way to your emergency. This program is called Alert Rosarito/Primo Tapia. The Dispatch Center has your name, address, phone number and brief medical his-tory for this purpose and only this purpose. This can make a vital difference in the timeliness of a medical response during a potentially life-threatening event. You do this by becoming a member of Cruz Roja and then going to www.cruzrojarosarito.org/app/ and filling out the form. Then, if you experience an emergency, dial 066 (equiva-lent to dialing 911 in the U.S.) for the ambulance if you are in the 661 area code. If you are in the 646 or 664 area codes, you will dial 01-661-612-4928.continued on page 10

.COM December 14th, 20154

continued on page25

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Baja Blues Fest Spreads The Dinero AroundGiving us final report card and handing $10,000 to local charities

BY rEN DrAkE HILL

At an intimate gathering at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, the Baja Blues Fest board presented $2500 to each of the charities chosen to receive money from this year’s Baja Blues Fest. Board president Jackie Alam-eda thanked CUTUCO, and FRAO for their help in promot-ing this event, and the Rosarito Beach Hotel for the use of their g rounds for t he three day event, the Adobe Lounge for Friday night’s stand-ing room only jam, rooms and meal tickets for band members, security, and so much more. Bobby’s By the Sea provided the T shirts for the volunteers and

for sale, and have signed on again for 2016.

Raising a child is a communal effort, and this year’s concert at-

tendees supported four model local children’s causes.

Los Angelitos Orphanage, run almost single-handedly by Ed Perry, (still going strong at

71), is located in the hills of Rosarito, off the Boule-vard 2000. Ed, an

orphan him-self, started it

13 years ago with five girls he found in an abandoned house with no wa-ter or food. Los Angelitos is licensed

by DIF to care for the overload of children picked

up by police in Tijuana and Rosarito. He provides housing, education, food and love in a Christian environment. Hun-dreds of children have passed through the doors of Los An-

gelitos. Recent projects include a new dormitory and the creation of patio areas. Ed stated that this money will sponsor five children

for an entire year. BECA, represented by Mar-

icela Daniels and Molly Post, started more than 30 years ago as a shoe fund focused on the schools in the La Mision area. They now provide financial aid for about 113 students through scholarships based on need, for continuing education in uni-versities and trade schools; also tuition and uniforms for students at the new high school in La Mision. For two years BECA built a culinary teaching kitchen with the help of many lo-cal volunteers. The new-est projects include a new computer lab and library.

Alan and Elizabeth Browne of the Friends of the Library highlighted their many reading programs, support of area schools and the five local librar-ies. Rosarito Lee (Rosarito Reads) provides books for students in grades four, five and six at 31 schools. So far, more than 4800 books have been donated through the Rosarito Lee program. In 2016 the popular Panchito Cup Jeopardy-style tourna-ment will be expanded to

include every school in the early rounds. In the future, the Friends of the Library would like to expand their reading program to the secondary schools.

Mary Ellis of the La Mis-ion Children’s Fund empha-sized that water purification is vitally important, and wants to expand their cur-rent water project into all schools in the area. Students are being trained to install these purification systems with the help of American and Mexican companies.

Also sponsored is El Faro, a home for “third chance” teenage girls. Pro-grams throughout the year include Christmas at Mir-acle Ranch for 1200 chil-continued on page 11

.COMDecember 14th, 2015 5

What’s Going On In This Country? BY

SAN

TIAG

OVE

RDUG

O

Merry Christmas precious readers!

I spent the week doing some investigative under cover work for you, and here’s a picture of my clever steak out. This was all on

purpose, mind you, I could have got down any time.

I hope everyone has a won-derful holiday season and I will be back to you before the new year! Feliz Navidad a todos.

Cheap property taxes. Anyone who pays property taxes here knows they’re a joke. Although gains have been made in the amounts of property taxes collected in recent years, Mexico still lags when that revenue is measured in terms of gross domestic product. Mexico was at the bottom of the list of coun-tries in 2012, the most recent year for which figures are avail-able, tied with the Netherlands and Estonia with property tax revenues representing just 0.3% of GDP. Mexico collected a total of US $2.7 billion in 2012, which was only about a million dollars more than in 1980.

B ank f raud. Mexican banks registered almost 3 mil-lion cases of fraud totaling $480 million last year. A study by the consumer protection agency Condusef indicates that

although the number of cases decreased by 2% last year, the fi-nancial impact increased by 3%.

Credit card fraud account-ed for 48% of the total. Savings deposits were next, then debit card fraud and prepaid card fraud. It seems as though people can find ways to steal from any system.

The banks with the high-est number of registered fraud claims were Banamex (800,046), Bancomer (713,486), Santander (534,245), Banorte (261,862), HSBC (172,081), Banco Azteca (137,463), Scotiabank (99,450), and Inbursa (52,345). Banco Azteca saw a 130% increase in cases, up from 59,657 claims in 2013. So now you know where your bank stands.

Oh No! Mexico bought 30 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft from Russia, costing a total of

$1.78 billion. Haven’t we learned our lesson? Just this year Mexico hired the Ruuskies to send up a communications satellite, a very expensive item, and Russia’s rocket fizzled out and crashed back to Earth, totally destroy-ing our satellite. So Mexico built another one and this time hired NASA to launch it for them. The deal went smooth as butter. Now they’re once again going the cut rate route? What are they think-ing? Well, I’m thinking I’m not flying on them, that’s for sure.

More Pemex grief. Pemex has opened five gas stations in Houston, Texas, hoping to cash

in on all the Mexicans living there. More could follow if that goes well. Stations, not Mexi-cans. But that’s a big if, consid-ering how nobody here feels the love for cheating Pemex stations. The company said in a statement that the Houston pilot project would allow it to measure the impact the Pemex brand has against American brands and identify business opportuni-ties. Good luck with that.

Hot gas. Federal au-thorities estimate that 30% of all gasoline and diesel sold in Mexico’s gas stations is stolen, a figure they hope will be reduced by new controls on fuel sales that take effect next year. There will be a reg-istry of all commercial fuel

transactions in which all gas sta-tions must participate, although only half of Mexico’s 15,000 stations have begun the process of obtaining the permit they will need to continue operating. The registr y is intended to keep track of a l l fuel sales along the supply c h a i n a n d ensure that all the fuel sold by gas stations has been legally sourced. The Federal Tax Administration, SAT, will also play a role in the process by cross-checking fuel sales against tax filings. With a 90-day processing period, stations that haven’t applied by the end of September will not be allowed to operate come Janu-ary 1. So that’s about half of all gas stations. Well, this will be interesting.

Is everyone a crook? The

small village of Polixtepec, in the state of Guerrero, popula-tion 250, is under siege in the wake of violent confrontations between drug traffickers, com-munity police and people from neighboring villages. Schools have been closed since all the

teachers fled the town, as did the only nurse at the community’s health center. There is little food available.

Before you start feeling too sorry for these people,

the beef is a fall out among thieves.

They’re fight-ing over con-trol of opium poppy culti-vation, which the locals ad-

mit they grow. But they say they are

not criminals, only farmers. Well, if you grow opium instead of food, yeah, you might be a farmer who goes hungry.

Cheap gas. Of the other kind. Propane prices could plunge. As in 30%. Changes are coming with the liberation of import rules that take effect January 1. These include the liberation of import restrictions in 2016 and the elimination of price controls the year after.

The first will see private companies being allowed to im-port gas themselves, rather than go through Pemex, the state oil monopoly. At present, a firm such as Grupo Tomza buys its gas in the U.S. and transports it to Mexico, where it is purchased by Pemex, the only company allowed to import the product. Tomza then buys it back from Pemex and sells to consumers. As of January, Tomza will be able to bypass Pemex, but gas prices will still be subject to regulation by authorities. Then in 2017, supply and demand

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continued on page 12

.COM December 14th, 20156

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into the circle of communication.Every community is unique and we have the scale and depth to take care of every one of those special needs. Beyond board meetings, accounting and budgeting, we take care of the things that you see and experience every day.We make sure the flower beds look fresh. We hire trained and licensed security personnel (and make sure the

gates work properly too!). We even perform association and homeowner maintenance via Associa OnCall.We ensure the board that all properties are up to the community’s expectations. The list goes on, and we are there to be responsive to phone calls, emails and online requests via Associa Access. It’s a sense of professional service that we are proud to perform; it is our job to

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opcionesKM. 22 Ens-Tij Toll Road

Baja, Mexico

to keep their doors open and their ambulance service going full bore. Primo Tapia has a new second hand store for the Cruz Roja, with local folks volunteer-ing their time to run it. Without money harvested from several charity events all year long, lives might be lost waiting for an am-bulance. Our Rosie Pena is the driving force behind this oldest of Baja charities.

A non profit usually helps by providing education, nour-ishment, shelter, or medical services to needy people around the world. None are more needed than our Flying Samaritans who are actually a global charity. Here

in Baja they provide free medical services to so many folks that would

otherwise go without. They too have special holiday parties and events.

The Boys and Girls Club needs volunteers and the Baja Scholarship Fund could always use a benefactor. The Baja Blues Fest is a huge happening every

JuSt HoW ManY cHaRitieS...

continued from page 1

One Christmas season long ago and far away, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip ... but there were problems ev-erywhere.

Four of his elves called in sick, and the trainee elves did not pro-duce the toys as fast as the regular ones, so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind

How The Christmas Tree Got Its Angel

BY crYSTAL SNoW

What, you thought we were going to forget this this year? C’mon, it’s a GG tradition

schedule.Then Mrs. Claus told Santa

that her mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were knocked up and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More stress. And as he began to

load the sleigh, one of the boards cracked under the load and the bag of toys fell to the ground, scattering toys everywhere.

Now thoroughly frustrated, Santa went back into the house for a cup of coffee fortified with a dollop of whiskey. But when he looked into the cupboard, he discovered that the elves had got into the liquor and there was nothing left. In his frustration, he lost his grip on the coffee pot and it fell to the floor, breaking into smitherings. Grabbing the broom to clean up the mess, he found that mice had eaten the straw. Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed his way to the door.

He opened the door with a mighty swoosh, and standing there was the cutest little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said, very possibly with just a tad too much cheer, “Merry Christmas Santa. Isn’t it just a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?”

Thus began the tradition of the little angel perched on top of the Christmas tree. ,

continued on page 11

August at the Rosarito Beach Hotel to benefit several needy children’s charities but also asks for money during the holiday season. I can’t forget DIF, the family oriented charity tradi-tionally lead by the mayor’s wife. There is also the good works of FROA, a foreign residents club.

Those are just some of the people charities that come to mind, as we move on to the crit-ter oriented charities that are very important to Baja life. When once we had many packs of wild dogs roaming our streets, we now have Baja Spay and Neuter headed by Robin Gunther who has dedicated her life to this char-ity. It’s a family affair with Rod, Jen and Adam heavily involved in the monthly spay and neuter clinics held all over Baja. Money is needed for the docs who work for very little and for supplies. The Baja Animal Sanctuary is our only no kill shelter in Northern Mexico started and still run by Sunny Benedict and her fantas-tic staff and volunteers. Food is always needed to feed the many animals in her care. No one is ever turned away.

Our larger four legged friends live at All The Pretty horses where hay and feed as well as excellent care is given with the help of patrons like Robin Mackenzie the owner of Black Cross Win-ery. The winery sits on Pretty Horses property where money received from several events held throughout the year is donated to this worthy charity. Pretty Horses has saved many a starving and abused horse from being put

New Year’s Party!CarNival Night w/ “ la Sonora Dinamita“ Band

DINNER • DANCE • LIVE MUSIC

reservations and more info:

Ph. (661) 613-2308info.hotelcalafia@gmail.comKM 35.5 tij-Ens Free road. rosarito, Baja

.COMDecember 14th, 2015 7

Fish Report BY GARY GRAHAM

Coronado IslandsUnsettled conditions with

off-colored water continue to discourage many anglers from bothering to spend much time fishing the Baja Norte area. Those that have, found limited bottom action for reds, linkcod and a few scattered yellowtail.

Inside the Islands, along the coast from the “Bull Ring” down to Salsipuedes, the halibut bite is beginning to heat up. As well there has been good calico bass action in the kelp beds.

Outside the Islands, there are still schools of porpoise traveling with smaller yellowfin tuna. Best success has been trolling lures to get stopped, then holding the school with live anchovies. Also some kelp paddies strung out along the current breaks have been holding a few dorado.

Ensenada

Up and down weather meant that “Reel Adventure” had to pick their days when the weather laid down. On those nice, calm days they found good yellowtail fish-ing at Todos Santos Island. A 200-foot pinnacle yielded 11 fish weighing 15 to 25 pounds that couldn’t resist 6X Salas lures.

What couldn’t be avoided was the ever-present sea lion nui-sance; by using chunks of fresh-caught bonito as a distraction, and heaving them as far from the stern of the boat as they could, they brought their yellows to gaff.

San QuintinWeather-driven with some

fog and cranky seas kept the boats on the trailers some days. How-ever, on the good days, sea temps remained in the 68- to 70-degree range and the surface and bottom fishing was rewarding . . . yellows on surface iron at Isla San Martin

Fish Killers Of The Week

plus reds and lingcods lurking on the bottom.

Conditions were nice enough for some free divers take to the water with good results.

Bahia de Los AngelesWinds prevailed recently;

however when the winds backed off, the home guard yellowtail were found down deep. A few of the fish were in the 25-pound class according to several visitors who were there over Thanksgiv-ing.

The spotted bay bass were al-ways an option if the winds came up along with a good mix of other bottom fish.

Benitos Island Bob Hoose aboard a private

sport fisher visiting the island found unusual conditions. Little kelp, virtually no calico bass and a wide open wahoo bite producing limits — another reminder of the

Erin & Tristan from Prescott, Arizona didn’t mind too much having fish blood on their hands.

Hirata, the SCT (Secretary of Communications & Transpor-tation), and the federal govern-ment provided $29 million for the modernization of the sec-tion between Chapultepec and Maneadero.

That’s all very good, but it’s not going to solve the conges-tion problem. Take for example: Reforma and Costero, the main arteries pumping traffic through the middle of the city. A rush hour in Ensenada is not the typical rush hour as we think of it in the United States. The field workers usually start around 6:00 AM, most schools begin their lessons around 8:00 AM, and most office- and store work-ers open up for business around

enSenada BYpaSS undeR...

continued from page 1

Route of the new Ensenada bypass

current “El Nino” influence along the West Coast of Baja and the United States.

Gary Graham, http://www.garycgraham.com ,

9:00 AM. Shoppers tend to come out around noon, just before traditional Mexican lunch time around 2:00 PM, which is also the time most students finish their classes. And this cycle starts again at 4:00 PM when most office workers drive back home, followed by the field

workers around 6:00 PM, and it goes on like this for the whole day till late in the evening. So, it’s fair to say that rush hour in Ensenada is very much a day long phenomenon.

Now the good news. A time consuming and expensive proj-ect is underway that will bypass the city of Ensenada entirely, connecting El Sauzal with Ma-neadero. The goal of the project is to build a highway that will begin on the Tijuana-Ensenada free road and conclude south of Maneadero with connecting to the trans-peninsula highway. This road will be a big time saver as well as lowering the levels of frustration.

The bypass is intended to be a quick way to transport heavy cargo and will keep the big trucks out of the urban area.

This will be of great benefit in the reduction of noise and air pollution, and, perhaps most significantly, to drivers of light vehicles that must deal with the damage to the roads caused by the heavy trucks.

The not so good news is the work is going slowly. The project started way back in 2008, and there is no completion date in sight. Money tends to run faster than the progress on the road. Money is allocated year by year, not for the whole project. From 2008 to date 54 million dollars has been invested in the bypass, and now accounts for about 12 miles completed.

A finished section of the road, which includes two bridges, is already as good as connected to Avenida Ruiz and a little further down to Rancho Verde. From there, an unpaved wide and lev-

eled road and two half finished, already operational bridges go as far as to Montemar.

Cutt ing t hroug h ro cky mountains, in addition to soil works, drainage construction, and the construction of the bridges complicate the pace of this project. This is not easy ter-rain to build a road on.

The bypass is a combined state and federal project that will have four lanes, gas stations and rest areas. For 2016’s budget, the mayor and local entrepreneurs will have to travel to Mexico City to beg for resources for another section to be completed in 2016.

Interested in traveling what’s finished? Head to the Ruta del Vino Highway #3 Ensenada-Tecate, past the industrial zone, and take the first ramp on the right. More information can be found on www.sidue.gob.mx. ,

.COM December 14th, 20158

ROSARITO BEACH

Every Sunday 4pm. Cultural Sundays in the park, featuring local Mexican and American dancers and musicians. At the IMAC in Abelardo L. Rodriguez park, west of Banamex. Different themes every Sunday. Sometimes food booths, other times vendors with food carts. Facebook IMAC Rosarito. Free.

Every Second Wednesday (except December). 2pm. Friends of the Library meeting at main library of IMAC building next to Abelardo Rodríguez Park. Promotes reading and literacy in Rosarito. www.friendsofthelibrary.com.mx. Carmen Dominguez, 661-612-3659. friendsofthelibraryrb@gmail.com

Every Third Wednesday (except December). 10am. Flying Samaritans meeting at Villas del Mar clubhouse on free road 2 miles south of Rosarito. Volunteers provide free health services and clinics. www.flyingsamaritansrosarito.org. Susan Smith, 661-100-6066, U.S. 858-240-2360. susansmithz@hotmail.com

Every Wednesday, 12:00 pm. Writer’s Workshop at Eden Restaurant, (next to Cruz Roja Thrift Store). Published and unpublished writers welcome! Bring samples (3-7 pages) of your work to share. Marsh Cassady: marshcassady@yahoo.com.

Every Third Wednesday (except December). 2-4pm. Bingo at Oceana Grill & Cafe, Blvd. Benito Juárez #907-24. Great prizes, 6 different games. Benefits Flying Samaritans. www.flyingsamaritansrosarito.org. Susan Smith, 661-100-6066, U.S. 858-240-2360. susansmithz@hotmail.com

Every Second Thursday. 10am. Cruz Roja volunteers general meeting at Rosarito Beach Hotel. Provides assistance in case of accidents or disasters. www.cruzrojarosarito.org.mx. Rosie Pena, 664-976-0613, U.S. 619-621-0292. wosiepena@yahoo.com

Every Wednesday, 12:00 pm. Writer’s Workshop at Eden Restaurant, (next to Cruz Roja Thrift Store). Published and unpublished writers welcome! Bring samples (3-7 pages) of your work to share. For more information, contact Marsh Cassady: marshcassady@yahoo.com.

Every Third Thursday. 9am. General Meeting for FRAO, Foreign Residents Assistance Office. Open to the public. Usually held at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, with parking validated. Sometimes held at other local sites. Breakfast occasionally provided, but always available. Different speakers brought in to inform or address issues of concern to foreigners living in Mexico. frao@rosarito.org

Every Friday. 4pm. Spanish class main library, by IMAC, in Abelardo Rodriguez park behind BanaMex. Beginner level class with Sylvia. Free but donation appreciated.

Every First Saturday. 10am. United Society of Baja California (USBC) general meeting at Casa Blanca Restaurant, Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Good info for the English speaking community of charitable, community service and social organizations. www.unitedsocietyofbaja.org. Judy Westphal, 661-614-1113. jawmem@msn.com

Every First Saturday. Noon-sundown. Open Studio Art Walk, a free tour of galleries in Rosarito Beach Hotel commercial center. Meet artists at work in their studios. pacothepainter@hotmail.com

Every Third Saturday. 1pm. USBC, United Society of Baja California, monthly Potluck dinner, held at La Maroma Sports Bar, across from Burger King. Different theme evey month. 50/50 raffle. Live entertainment at

most events.

Free for members and guests. Membership only $15 USD per year. Beverages ordered from the Bar at reduced Club prices.

Every single day. AA “Grupo Gringo” meets daily in their meeting hall, #16 Mar Meditteraneo (two blocks behind Hotel Brisas del Mar). Meetings: Saturday, 3:00; Sunday, Monday, Thursday: 10:00 am; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 6:00 pm. Additional meetings in Cantamar (just south of the footbridge) Tuesday and Friday, 10:00 am.. For more information, 661-614-1678.

December 13 to 25. Sunday to Friday. Voting continues for Best of Baja Awards.

December 16. Wednesday. 12 to 3 pm. Holiday Painting Class with Janine at Paradise Cove Tiki Bar and Grill, maybe. Location not confirmed yet. $30. Includes all art supplies. PayPal expatartistinbaja@gmail.com. Payment required one week prior to class. If you cannot/will not use PayPal, pay at the Baja Glass Art Studio Thursday-Sunday, 12-5. Working on gift certificates redeemable for future group or individual private instruction.

December 16. Wednesday. 5 to 8 pm. Light Your Christmas — Playas de Tijuana

December 20. Sunday. 8am. Moto X Bike Rosarito. A Motocross & Mountain Bike combined race. https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/select-race?e=29432953 .

December 20. Sunday. 530 pm. San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. Free. More than 80 lavishly decorated boats. From Shelter Island past Harbor Island, the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, and Ferry Landing in Coronado. http://www.sdparadeoflights.org/

December 27. Sunday. 9am to 12 pm. The Smile of Hope — Fracc. Tecolote

Calendar of EventsAll prices are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Community Center in Tijuana 01 664 593 1400 irradiandovida2164@yahoo.com.mx Give a gift of hope by giving a Christmas present to these disadvantaged children. Here is your chance to make a child smile a Smile of Hope.

January 11. Monday. 430 pm. Best of Baja Awards Gala — Margarita House, San Felipe

February 22 to 24. Monday to Wednesday. Baja Whale Watching Tour with the Baja Good Life Club. Members: $175/person Non-Members: $215/person. email rachelpack@bglclub.com, or call 686-230-9933.

January 31, Sunday, time TBA. Rosarito Theatre Guild Annual Wine Tasting Event

and Auction. Save the date! Details coming.

February 28 to March 1. Friday to Sunday. Rosarito Theater Guild presents: Ladies Day at Emerson’s Bar

and Grill. 664- 609-3451 Box Office.

March 2 to 6. Monday to Friday. Baja Cancer Walk. 100 miles, 5 days walk for

money to fight cancer, through the San Felipe Baja California Desert. Call 686-230-9933 or email thebajawalk@gmail.com

May 7, 2016. Saturday. 10am. Rosarito to Ensenada 50 mile Bike Ride.

August 26 to 28. Friday to Sunday. Baja sand castle build 2016 — Rosarito Beach Hotel

October 12 to15. Wednesday to Sunday. 7th Annual Int’l Mariachi y Ballet Folklorico Festival — Rosarito Beach Hotel

ENSENADA

Every Monday. 7pm. Ceart Cine Club. Films about dance with “Billy Elliot” April 13, “Five Dances” April 20, “Desert Dancer” April 27. English with Spanish subtitles. Foro Experimental of Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEART) on Blvd. Costero (Lázaro Cárdenas) & Av. Club Rotario. Free. CEART, 646-173-4307.

Every First & Third Wednesday. 10:30am. Club Compañeros de Baja Norte general meeting at clubhouse on Calle Mazatlán #256 in Fracc. Acapulco, 1 mile south of Ensenada. Lunch $6 donation. Multicultural, multilingual, nonprofit service and social club. Nancy McKee, 646-174-5011, U.S. 619-207-4325. cdbcnm@gmail.comEvery Fourth Thursday. Red Hat Society lunch at various local restaurants. Tillie Foster, cell 646-171-5292. bajaqueentillie@gmail.com

Every Friday. 7:30-9:30pm. Live world and cultural music at El Callejón Colectivo Culinario, Floresta #320 near southern Blvd. Costero extension, Fracc. Acapulco, 1 1/2 miles south of Ensenada. Free. Performer schedule with Alex O., cell 646-101-0812. anlof9@gmail.com

Every Friday 7:30 pm. Live music at El Callejon Colectivo Culinario; Floresta #320, Fracc. Acapulco, Ensenada. Alex Orendain, anlof9@gmail.com, 646-120-8004; www.elcallejoncolectivoculinario.com.

.COMDecember 14th, 2015 9

Don’t Risk Jail Time in Mexico!

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Federal law requires drivers in Mexico to have a minimum of $300,000 Liability Insurance

3 Days Liability Ins.Only $39 dlls

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of the stilly town. Baby blue whale corpse. A

dead baby blue whale washed ashore on the beach in Ensenada. The 27 foot long baby was there for a couple of days until the Zofemat and the environmen-tal agency staff dug a hole to bury the creature in the sand. Authorities haven’t been able to determine the cause of death but curious bystanders were alarmed because a couple of seagulls where also lying dead by the sides of the whale. Don’t mama seagulls teach their young not to put stuff in their mouth that they find on the ground? That’s motherhood 101.

Museum finally half open. After more than 8 years consolidating, the caracol (Spanish for snail) museum in Ensenada was finally opened this last week. With only three exhibitions open for now the museum still has a long way to go, but what you can see now is the Earth Room, Poles in danger, The Totoa-ba: A giant of the high gulf of California

Que paSa in BaJa?...

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A Facebook message inviting me to ride in a 100 kilometer, (58 mile), mountain bike race was not what I was expecting in early November. Especially not from an English Oyster farmer

named Mark. This time of the year usually finds me duck diving scary waves in cold water, but the cold water is gone and the waves haven’t been scary so I accepted

BY DAVE kAMENA

Grueling Bike Race Over The SierrasTough terrain, tough weather, but the tough keep going

the invitation to torture myself on my bike instead.

The race starts every year in the small town of El Hongo up the mountains east of Tecate where that big scary prison is. These

guys had been riding this 96 km 57 mile route since 2004, when the race started with a few guys that were bored with watching futbol on TV and wanted to see

just how cold and rainy it could get up in the Sierra Juarez that time of the year. The event is held ‘rain or shine’ which is proudly written across the T shirt. That means the $10 you paid to get your number is non-refundable. Bring your rain jacket and your bike tools and ride!

The route follows the basic spine of the coastal range called the Sierra Juarez. These moun-tains host a fantastic range of flora and fauna including a blue mountain lake and many famous rock climbing routes. All are connected by the usual Baja dirt roads winding between secret ranches, which are really what make Baja so ideal for off road adventures. The finish line is in Ojos Negros, right in the middle of town between taco stands and Tecate stores.

The ride itself started with a long semi paved downhill. There were more than 400 bikes going really fast really close to each other. So many bad things could happen at any moment, and you either love or hate that. It seemed like there were hundreds of rid-ers who loved it, and the group moved en masse towards the first big climb.

The mountain climbs out of a lower basin filled with brown rocky hills and Mexicali summer houses. On this particular climb you could see the top from pretty much the whole climb which kind of intensifies the suffering. Ignorance is sometimes bliss on a long hill climb and I prefer not to know where the top is.

In all fairness to the Baja Ul-tra endurance bike race held in October, this was not a difficult climb and I did not throw up. (Shout out to Jorge Trujillo!).

Upon topping out on the first mountain pass you could see the huge elevated basin we were to ride across. The next 40 miles or so would be some down but mostly up. We rode through huge crowned oaks, burned land re-establishing itself, pine forests, and dry lakebeds. Otherworldly rock formations and remote peaks begged to be explored at almost every turn.

After a long winding section through a sand dune forest full of Indian signs (I don’t know how else to explain that part), the track turned down for almost ten miles, ending in a huge flat agri-cultural valley that I figured must be Ojos Negros. As predicted by my oyster farmer friend the wind was blasting straight into our faces on a dusty, straight, extremely wash boarded road. I knew from my odometer that we would be enduring this brutal road for the next ten miles. At this point we were 55 miles into it and the pain where my body met the seat was intense. Of course, I know this pain well and knew it was coming so I knew that I could

Did we mention this bike ride was grueling?

ignore it. Kind of. Did I mention that the washboards had soft sand in between each bump, so if you stopped pedaling for even a sec-ond you would spin out and stop?

A team of kids who had been pestering me all day passed me so I filed in behind them and ruined their day at the finish line as they mistakenly thought they had beat the Gringo guy. Not today!

The finish line in town was celebrated in typical Mexican fashion with food, drinks, music, and the world famous friend-ship and camaraderie of the Baja Mexican people. ,

exhibits, and the photography exposition called Conservation Successes in Baja California. The entrance to the museum will set you back a little less than 4 bucks and they say you can finish your tour in less than 2 hours. Are you going to hand out in the smoky casino all day again, or are you going to go down to the new museum?

Fear the walking dead. The second season of the prequel to the famous The Walking Dead television series is set to be filmed in Rosarito Beach and our gover-nor Kiko Vega is saying that this

sole production is bringing us a direct economic benefit of about $35 million USD. The 15 episodes of the season will be filmed here in approximately 24 weeks.

Lots of people have been ask-ing us about the flyers they are seeing looking for extras for a film production. Although the casting company has been tight lipped on which show or film they are hiring for, we’re think-ing it’s most likely this one. If you want to be a part of this or any other filming production here in Baja contact the Barbarella casting agency at their facebook page “Agencia BarbarellaCasting” for more information.

Good year for Rosarito. Sil-vano Abarca, mayor of Rosarito, stated that tourism has risen a whopping 18% in just one year

(2014 vs 2015). “This his-torical advancement in

tourism says a lot about what we have accom-

plished regarding the recovery of the trust that the tourist has on us, and this

leaves us enthu-siastically waiting

for 2016 as we think it’s going to be even

better”, said the mayor. continued on page 11

.COM December 14th, 201510

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Email It InYou can email it to oliver@gringogazette.com

How easy are those choices? Hint: Very easy.Cost is only 80 cents a word, and that includes posting your ad in our online version as well as the printed edition.We do take credit cards.

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Cruz Roja has just opened an additional clinic to serve the communities south of Rosarito. There is currently an ambulance at the Primo Tapia Cruz Roja clinic from 11am to 7pm every day. For people living south of Rosarito by 15 minutes or more, this is extremely good news. It currently takes an am-bulance coming from Rosarito almost 25 minutes to reach La Mision. And don’t forget, there is another 25 minutes back to

HeRe’S tHe Run doWn on...

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Gringos Sue To Stop Energy Wind FarmMexicans profiting from it is not their concern

BY SUE YU

Ejido people along the border were trying to scratch a living out of the rocky ridge line just south of the border. Then, they were offered money if they would al-low wind mills to be erected on their land. As in about $2,000 U.S. a month. To each member of the communally held land in the ejido. They are happy camp-ers, receiving more money than they ever imagined getting - and getting it for doing nothing. All of the electricity is sold to San Diego Gas & Electric through a cross-border transmission line. The project is part of a statewide scramble for renewable energy, as California must get half of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

To help achieve that goal, Energia Sierra Juarez plans to expand its production capacity by nearly an additional 700 percent, building hundreds of additional turbines on the mountain range. But the entire project is being challenged in court in the United States, by neighbors who don’t want the unsightly turbines, even across the border in Mexico.

One of the parties to the law suite, a retired fireman, says the wind mills are a fire threat, es-pecially during drought. He says something is bound to go up in smoke, what with the 47 wind-mills, a nearly five-mile cross border trans-mission line, and 25 miles of new roads that service it all.

Donna Tisdale, a Boulevard

California resident, says the green energy rush is on, whether it’s actually beneficial or not. She’s leading the lawsuit against Energia Sierra Juarez and the U.S. government agencies that

approved the project. The lawsuit claims the project violates U.S. and California environmental laws that protect the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep, golden eagles and other wildlife on the mountain range.

The range straddles the bor-der, and environmentalists say that even though the turbines

are located on the Mexican side, environmental impacts have spread to the U.S. side as

well because the two habitats are intercon-nected and interde-

pendent. Defendants to the lawsuit counter that

the project is completely

legal because it was approved by Mexico’s national environmental agency, whose representative in Baja, Alfonso Blancafort. He says it not only meets the envi-ronmental impact requirements, it also fights climate change and helps mitigate global warming problems.

Blancafort says Mexico is benefiting from the project, even though it’s not getting any of the electricity.

Jose Mercado, one of the ejido people who gets two grand a month for the windmills on his property, says he and his neigh-

bors just see the cash and the present, and are not inclined to worry about anything else, much less the future, while on the U.S. side of the border Donna Tisdale continues her legal battle, saying she doesn’t blame the Mexicans for accepting the project on their land, but that she’s not inclined to worry about taking away their livelihood. ,

Wind farm near here offends Gringos living just north of the border

the hospital. If you’re having a heart attack, you could be a goner. The plan is to have the ambulance at the Primo Tapia clinic 24/7 in the future. This is very good news if you can’t schedule our emergencies be-tween 11 and 7.

In order to help raise the funds needed for this new ser-vice, ($2,500 a month USD), a Cruz Roja Primo Tapia thrift store has opened its doors. Reg-

ular hours will be 10am to 3pm from Tuesday through Saturday. Additional fundraising events and increasing membership in the Primo Tapia chapter will also help.

So what can you do? The most obvious thing is to join Cruz Roja Primo Tapia. It costs $20 per person annually. You can stop by the thrift store dur-ing their regular business hours continued on page 12

.COMDecember 14th, 2015 11

David Floresdavid@gringogazette.comCell (624) 121-1214

New Years Eve Party!$30 USD

On the oldSplash location

KM 52 Free Road Rosarito-Ensenada

3 plates to choose from: Slowcooked Ribs, Fish fillet in hibiscus

and wine sauce or Filet mignon.Soup, salad and a glass of wine included

Subscribe!!or we’ll throw thekitty under the busGo to page 4

dren, and a Mardi Gras Ball in February.

Attendance this year for all 3 days was 3100, with Saturday being far and away the biggie with 2075 music fans attending. That day 6% filled out a survey which showed 43% were first timers, 82% came from the US, 64% were older than dirt. Well, over the age of 60. 41% were re-tired, 38% stayed in a hotel, 30% rented a house or condo, 42% earn $50K to $75K, 17% earned $75k to $100K, and 26% said their income is none of anybody’s bees wax.

Total gross for the event was $37,000, takeaway expenses of $21,500, and takeaway retained earnings to jump start next year’s event of $5000, leaves about $10,000 to give to the various local charities.

Alameda was beaming, saying this is the most they have ever had to give.

Baja Blues Fest 2016 is set next year for August 19, 20 and 21. For information, check out www.ba-jabluesfest.org. They can always use more volunteers, and more sponsors. Sign up with Jackie Alameda at Click-on postal and internet place on the free road in Puerto Nuevo, or go online. ,

BaJa BlueS FeSt SpReadS...

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down. We have other spay and neuter charities like Baja Exiles and many more too.

We all have our favorite causes, but still wish we could respond to the deluge of invi-tations from so many more. Unfortunately, most of us can not afford to be as generous as we would like to be. Maybe we should think about splitting up our donated clothes to give to some and saving a bit from our food money or buying less for our family that have so much so our Mexican neighbors can enjoy a bountiful Christmas. However

JuSt HoW ManY cHaRitieS...

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The mayor announced an investment of more than $6 million USD for a dry marina and a boat ramp south of Puerto Nuevo in order to help develop

Que paSa in BaJa?...

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you parcel out what you have, it’s a job well done. Visit an orphan-age at Christmas and watch the faces light up when finding their own Barbie doll or Hot Wheel set of cars. It’s a feeling you won’t forget and your Christmas is bound to be a little merrier and meaningful. ,

the diving industry now that the artificial reef has been opened. Also announced was the invest-ment of more than $20 million dollars for the construction of a much needed hotel near the Baja convention center. Just how does anyone expect to fill a convention center without providing a place to stay? What were the builders of that facility thinking?

Fender guitars in Ensena-da. The cultural center in Ensenada opened an exhibition of 35 fender electric guitars. All the guitars are property of the Fender Musical Instruments company

in Ensenada and they show the evolution of the electric guitar

through time. The exhibi-tion will be open until

the end of the year and its made as an homage to the late Leo Clar-ence Fender, founder

of the Fender company.

The Fender factory has been in Ensenada for 28 years and it’s an important part of the lo-cal economy, providing jobs to many local people. It was one of the first world-renowned brands to set up shop in Ensenada, and many have followed after that. ,

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to fill out your application and fork over your $20. You can also contact Lana Jordan Juvinall at lanabaja@gmail.com for more details. She is the chapter chair-person for the Cruz Roja Primo Tapia chapter board.

You could also get around to cleaning out that closet/stor-age room/garage and donate all that stuff that you thought you might use someday to the thrift store to help it get going. They need gently used cloth-ing, household goods in good

HeRe’S tHe Run doWn on...

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By now you may have heard about the passport provisions of the Transportation Bill cur-rently being considered by Congress. This is the most recent attempt by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to take passports away from people who have “seriously delinquent” tax debt. If enacted into law, those who owe more than $50,000 could be in for a bad surprise.

Under the bill, the IRS could choose to let the Treasury Department know a per-son was seri- ously delinquent. T h i s means over $50,000 in debt, (inter-est and penalties are included in ar-riving at that dollar amount), and having a previously filed lien or a levy to collect the tax.

Those with insta l lment agreements, offers in compro-mise or collection due process hearings would not be includ-able as “seriously delinquent”. However –this is not explicit in the bill but I can tell—li-abilities labeled “currently not collectible” by the IRS could be “seriously delinquent” despite being uncollectible.

So, on one side, the IRS could acknowledge that the debt is not currently collectible

BY orLANDo GoTAY

No U.S. Passports For Tax ScofflawsThis one’s gonna hurt

because the taxpayer doesn’t have the means to pay—and on the other hand, report it away to the Treasury Department.

Names reported to Treasury would be turned over to the State Department. State, in turn, would not authorize issu-ance or renewal of passports for those on the list. It also can, but is not required to revoke previ-ously issued passports.

As a side note, not providing a social security number would b e grounds for denial of a

passport. There are many U.S. citizens

out t he re —e s p e c i a l l y a b r o a d —who do not

have a social security num-

ber, an exceptionally difficult thing to get while residing overseas.

Especially in the expat con-text, where huge penalt ies

arise quickly for failure to file something as simple as an information return, these developments are cause for alarm. Thank Sen. Hatch for his diligence.

Meanwhile, the Transporta-tion bill has another gem that should not go unexamined. It also requires the IRS to turn over to private debt collectors, part of its old inventory of uncollected tax liabilities. The IRS had authority to do this, but the new bill would instead require the IRS to contract with outside bill collectors.

The Congress is clearly mad at the IRS. Some in Congress are mad at expats in general. Stay tuned.

Orlando Gotay is a Califor-nia licensed tax attorney (with a Master of Laws in Taxation) admitted to practice before the

IRS, the U.S. Tax Court and other taxing agencies. His love of things Mexican has led him to devote part of his practice to the tax matters of U.S. expats in Mexico. He can be reached at tax@orlandogotay.com. ,

condition, books, shoes, and jewelry. The Primo Tapia thrift store can work magic and turn that unused stuff into a 24/7 ambulance.

The thrift store is located on the free road in Primo Tapia across from Pollo Asil. Dona-tions can be dropped off at the thrift store during their regular hours. For more information contact Valerie Valle, thrift store chairperson: valv16@msn.com.

Or you could make a dona-tion of cash (checks or money orders also work), volunteer at the thrift store, support a fund-raiser or check with either Lana or Valerie to see if they can use your special skills. They are cur-rently looking for help in web-site design and maintenance, social media, and marketing. ,

will actually kick in. This week although the international price for LPG was 4 pesos per kilo, Pe-

mex was selling it to distributors for 9.2 pesos. By the time it gets to the consumer, a 20-kilogram tank costs 280 pesos. However, Landeros predicts that price will drop to 200 pesos, a significant change in a country whose

WHat’S going on in tHiS...

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propane gas consumption for domestic use is said to be the highest in the world, used by 80% of the population. ,