Amid one of Mexico's worst economic downturns . . .

AP Associated Press Writer – Tue. Sep 8, 10:48 p.m. ET
"The president said the government will turn more attention to the poor amid one of Mexico's worst economic downturns since the 1930s".

On the border some people are being hired at the factories, other factories remain closed. The people remain optimistic and hopeful. The peso that used to worth a dime is now worth 7 cents. This is an improvement over February, but prices continue to rise and the only thing the people understand is that the peso buys less every time they read new reports about the economy in the United States.

There continues to be very few (often none) tourists in the border-cities. The other main source of employment are the factories. A year ago, people talked about the absolute need for a just wage. Today they just hope for any wage.

A year ago, when we returned to a family living in a card-board house we sometimes saw that some of the food we delivered the previous week was still on a shelf. Today, the shelf is bare.

Mexico's President just proposed the cutting of three cabinet posts, a tax reduction on certain foods and a tax increase on alcohol and tobacco. His proposals would result in huge government savings. (Cabinet posts have huge staffs.) However, the proposals must be approved by the Mexican Congress.

In the meantime, the average mother and father do not know where to turn. Nor do the hundreds of thousands of teens that graduate last year.