Thank you for last week’s front page photo (Dec. 29) of environmental depravity in Mexico.
Your year-long intensive coverage of this issue has been outstanding.
Now even more compelling, and aggravating, is evidence that our Mexican friends have ample capital to solve the trash problem.
Tijuana a boom town
Tijuana has become a boom town.
There is construction everywhere.
A fourth border crossing in east Otay will soon open.
Already started are a viaduct from the Playas that reaches the eastern extreme of greater Tijuana, a desalination plant, and a major sewage plant.
At 16 to the U.S. dollar the Mexican peso has become historically strong because of remittances and exports, but not just due to maquiladoras.
Also flourishing is an entrepreneurial class specializing in exports into the U.S. of many things including most saliently pharmaceuticals and human beings, mainly by ground but also by any other means.
Money everywhere
There is money everywhere down there, so much that Tijuana authorities should contract with those business models (who always seek legitimacy) to establish a region wide trash collection service.
The old “trash to cash” model-well known in the U.S.-applies.
Go for it in every colonia and subdivision.
Consider the life improvement and civic pride in Tijuana, and the environmental benefit everywhere. Such private-public efforts are well known elsewhere in Mexico.
Keep the trash out of the river
Take the trash to the dump.
Keep it out of the river.
This is a not very modest proposal.
John Morton is a doctor and Coronado resident.
