The Mexican Vote

I have semi payed attention as it does portend on our relationship with our southern neighbor. It appears after the second official count that Calderon, the conservative candidate has won by a slim margin of a few hundred thousand votes, about .5% of the vote, and the lefty candidate has vowed street protests if the vote does not go his way, so typical, its become hysterical. I can't blame the people so much as the politicians in Mexico as a history of corruption runs very deep. It is the primary reason they seek to come here, Mexico is a very rich country when it comes to natural resources and its people should be able to prosper easily. It has two extrordinarily beautiful long coastlines, oil, arable land, a vibrant workforce and all it needs is leadership. Mexico does not need socialism it needs real progress which will greatly reduce the immgrant flow here. Another positive side affect could be the voluntary return of many to help build Mexico as support for Calderon ran high among the illegal community as polls reported about 60%.
The real answer to fixing the illegal immigration problem comes with helping Mexico build a vibrant economy, it has the fuel. Walls and guest worker programs on this side don't help fix that side and the root cause of wanting to come here and that is decent paying jobs. I am a supporter of free trade and open markets and I tell all young folks I know, become a tradesman, learn a trade. It will take as good of care of you as you take of it. Working in California for about a decade now as a contractor, I have seen Mexican and Eastern European immigrants largely filling the slots, no american youth and that is sad.
Even when I started my trade at minimum wage as a complete rookie I did what I was expected to do and more, I wanted raises and I got them. I now get to work for some of the wealthiest people in California. This is not to brag, it is to make the point that a little actual toil and perseverence pays off , and the Mexican people know that far better than much of our native population, regardless of race.
We have become far to spoiled and complacent.