THIS IS MY 157TH BLOG ON UNDERSTANDING MONEY
TOOLS
January, 2019
The beginning of this blog has no relevancy to “tools” for
making money, however the latter part gives ideas.
I’ve had a lot of failures in life and business, and some
successes. My successes included
1) systems in place, 2) responsibilities and 3) logical growth incorporating
constant creativity. In business,
it is a daily task of staying on top of a realistic income statement and
balance sheet. Has America been
following these principals? Take a
look at the US Debt Clock that you can find going to Google, and voice or type
in US Debt Clock. It incorporates
income, expenses and the ingredients of a balance sheet up to the second. No matter if you are in
politics/government, corporate or private sectors, or as an individual as soon
as you stagnate, stop creating, not moving forward seeing the future, you are
dying.
The hottest topic in the political scene right now is the
“Wall” to be built, or extended, between Mexico and the USA. I’ve had discussions with friends
lately and most think that we need a very organized system to permit and
scrutinize immigrants coming into this county. This includes entrances/exits only at recognized ports of
entry, and a way of monitoring these individuals for control e.g. health,
previous crimes committed, etc. If
individuals are to stay they should prove acceptable good health and purpose so
they can support themselves. Most
do not speak English and will immediately be a drain on our social
services. Other countries like
Greece, Italy, Germany, Sweden and France have already found this out.
In the middle of last night I thought of this, and with the
mind working, associated a ton of
words with this. Sometimes your
mind works best when at ease. In my working years, I kept a voice recorder next
to my bed so I could remember thoughts the next morning. Let’s explore these words/non-words and
thoughts that came to mind. Is a
wall, or extension to the existing wall: legal, purposeful, fundable,
deter-able, maintainable, organized, do-able, systematic, automated/electronic,
man-able, functional, responsible, people track-able, accountable, sustainable,
etc? If Mr. Trump wants a wall he
better think this through.
In light of this 2000 mile Wall to supposedly control
issues, I decided to write a simple blog on facts. I know nothing about walls, so this is a repeat from
research, and thought you would find it of interest. I have always been one to concur that if there is a “will”,
there is a “way”, so I am not sure from a determined immigrant’s standpoint a
wall is the answer. Again, it is
the enforcement of “specific entry locations” that is important.
There are, or have been, about 75 such walls built over time
around the world. Here are some:
- The
longest and one of oldest country walls built to keep people out is the Great
Wall of China started in 200 BC.
It is 13,000 miles in length.
Over 1 million workers were used in its creation.
- One
of the most memorable in today’s time was the Berlin Wall. The wall was
enforced by military with guns and land mines between 1961 and 1989. The total wall extended for 91-96
miles, although only about 27 miles were in urban Berlin and 37 miles in
residential areas. The wall (the
“wall” in many parts were two concrete walls up to 160 feet apart known as the
“death strip”) was enforced by military with heavy weaponry including 302
watchtowers. To deter escaping
over or under the wall land mines were placed on the eastern side. The width of the wall in many places
was 22 feet, but only 12 feet high.
The main point of entry and transactions were at “Check Point
Charlie”. Approximately 5,000
people escaped East Berlin during these 28 years, and that includes via truck
or car through Check Point Charlie.
That equates to about 2 people per year per mile of the Wall. I guess, “viva” a good wall!
- A
2500 mile wall was built between India and Bangladesh to block migrants from
entering India.
- Israel/West
Bank wall is 400 miles in length, and built in 2002. It is 20 feet high and patrolled by armed military.
- Moroccan
Western Sahara Wall. It is a 1700
mile “sand wall” to keep people out, running through the southwestern part of
Morocco. It was started in
1975. It was fortified with land
mines.
- Spain
used a 20 foot high barbed wire wall to separate Melilla and Ceuta, two Spanish
cities in northern Africa, from Morocco.
- Between
Saudi Arabia and Iraq. A 550 mile
long wall. It was built starting
in 2000.
- One
that has been in the news the past few years is the wall between Hungary and
Serbia on the Balkan Route. It is
110 miles long and strictly enforced.
Hungary is not accepting immigrants.
- One
island near the coast of France is Mont-Saint-Michel. (I have visited it, so
know the facts.) It needed no wall
to keep the island and church safe, nature has done two things: there is “quick
sand” all around the island and the tide flow is around 40 feet each day.
So, walls around the world are not anything new. Is the price of a wall to placate to
President Trump meaningful, no, but politics enters in. Our total defense
budget in 2018 was about $700 billion so this is “chicken feed”! We gave
countries like Egypt, who frankly hate us, $1.5 billion last year. Did President Obama speak out
strongly about illegal entry and similar controls in 2010? Yes.
Now, to the money aspect of this blog. We have legitimate entry and exit
points on our borders with Canada and Mexico, use only them! I have friends in El Paso, Texas. Mexicans come through the border daily,
and most return at night. They act
as “service” people in El Paso and surrounding area. This is an integral part
of both societies that has lasted a couple centuries. We save money on labor, they make money to support
families. A symbiotic
relationship!
Let’s look at 3 border towns with the US and Mexico: Nogales
and Yuma in Arizona and Tijuana in California. Millions of Americans cross these borders every year. If you want to use your money wisely you
may want to look at these towns for prescription drugs (at recognized,
established drug stores as nice as you will find in the US), vision care
including eye glass frames and dental work.
Here are some first hand illustrations:
- I
use an acidic form of cream for prevention of skin cancer called Efudix. Efudix is made by Roche Labs in
Switzerland, and last time I bought it in the USA it cost about $135/ounce. In
Nogales, it costs about $11. Same
cream, same box. In the year 2000
I was in Madrid, Spain. I went into a pharmacy to buy cough medicine. I asked
the pharmacist if he had any Efudix from Roche Labs. The answer was, yes.
The cost was roughly $2.38 per tube, no prescription required as in most
cases, and I bought the two tubes he had in stock. Drug companies say they need to charge the outrageous prices
here in the USA to recover research and development costs. Perhaps partly true, but that cost
should be shared around the world.
The correct answer here is the drug companies know the insurance
companies and consumers will pay it.
The system is rigged and needs reform.
- Across
the border from Yuma, AZ, is a town called Los Algodones. About 6,000 Americans
and Canadians cross each day primarily to buy eyeglasses and for dental
work. Several of my friends use
these services, and save a ton of money.
Here is an actual experience of a close friend. My friend’s daughter in her 50s needed
significant dental work completed including a bone grafting in her jaw. The dental work for oral surgery and implants in Scottsdale was
$120,000. I recommended a dentist
in Los Algodones who friends use. With her extreme oral situation it took 1 1/2
years, but cost $19,000 and the result is fantastic!
- The
same holds true for Tijuana, although currently with crime perhaps more
dangerous. Californians still use
the services. Another good friend
is Steve Abrahamson. About 5 years
ago Steve was diagnosed with severe ‘Valley Fever” from the Arizona soils. Steve was/is in great shape. (You can assume he lived!) The Mayo Hospital in Scottsdale and
Rochester gave up on him, and told him he would die. He did not give up and went to a Dr. Calzada in
Tijuana. Dr. Calzada and many of
these other doctors have gone to medical schools in the US. (From what I am told Dr. Calzada’s sons
are also educated in Switzerland with the most current and advanced medical
techniques.) In Mexico, and not
constrained by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Steve went under
experimental procedures. Steve
looks great today and works out daily at one of our local health clubs. He continues to be monitored by Dr.
Calzada. When Steve is in Tijuana
he stays at a fine 5 star hotel near the Calzada Clinic. Steve insists I carry Dr. Calzada’s
direct phone number in my phone in case something would happen to me! (Ironically, I bumped into Steve
yesterday at Starbucks. He read
this blog, and yes gave permission to tell his story!)
What are the drawbacks on Mexican medical treatment? There is not the same kind of legal
recourse against malpractice treatment as in the US. American insurance companies do not recognize medicine in
Mexico, therefore you will not have coverage. Cash only!
If you need expensive medical or dental care, search out the
costs and look at reliable sources outside the USA.
I hope you find this blog of interest.
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