The Baja Citizen
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Public Transportation Fares Go Up In La Paz

January 18, 2013

TBC
On December 21st, 2012 users of the public transportation system in La Paz were hit with a two-peso increase on general bus fares and a one-peso increase for students.
The fare hikes are part of the Municipal Plan of Public Transportation, which was authorized by city council last month.
The City claims that the public transportation system is in need of modernization and this cannot take place without an increase in user fees.  In conjunction with the increases in fares, the Municipal Plan of Public Transportation has a set of actions and strategies that need to be monitored and followed, which include:
-     Training for drivers of public transport units.
-       Develop better system for users to demand their ticket, which is the insurance policy of the user.
-       Build more covered bus stops.
-       Arrange for the pavement of urban public transportation routes and maintain public bus stops.
-       In coordination with the Secretary of Public Education, set up a student credential system.
-       Arrange with the Inter-American Bank of Development and other public financing entities the acquisition of new public transport units and the improvement of existing ones.
The Municipal Plan was published in an Official Release of the State Government, which proclaims that if the actions and strategies set forth in the Municipal Plan of Public Transportation are not adhered to within the next 6 months, the increase of fares will be revoked.

The Municipality of La Paz’s Secretary General Guillermo Beltran Rochin said that city council was also very clear that the approval of public transportation fare increases need to coincide with better service for passengers and if this didn’t occur by August of 2013, they would have no choice but to reduce fares.

Rates are currently 10 pesos for general fares and 5 pesos for students.   It is important to note that the current minimum salary in La Paz is just under 63 pesos a day.

: Local News
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Seguro Popular, A Health Care Option in Mexico for Foreigners

January 17, 2013
Les Carmona
Back in 1992, Mexico created a program to provide health care for anyone who does not qualify for employer-supported medical insurance. There are pluses and minuses to the system but it remains a great way to provide you and your family access to wellness.
Known as Seguro Popular, or public insurance, it forms part of the social health protection system administered by the Secretary of Health and the National Health Commission.
Persons affiliated with the program have access to medical and dental, surgical services, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. As of October, 2012, there are nationwide 52, 871,916 members and are covered for 284 procedures and over 1500 illnesses at 100% of cost. Eligibility is based on two very simple qualifiers: you need to be a Mexican resident and you do not have access to any other social security programs such as IMSS or ISSSTE. Foreigners are welcome and encouraged to join.
Based on socioeconomic status each household pays as little as nothing or up to 11,378.86 pesos per year. A handful of questions set the amount to pay and the data is reviewed every three years. Some of the factors used to determine the annual fee are whether or not the policyholder owns a dwelling, what the dwelling is made of, whether or not it has a floor, or a stove, or a refrigerator, or a toilet. The more members there are in the household, the higher the annual cost. Individuals may enroll with a 50% discount over the corresponding family rate.
Critics of the program cite frequent long waits for appointments and a severe lack of drugs and medical supplies. During the recent presidential election, it was proposed that vouchers be provided when local dispensaries did not have the prescribed medicines or apparatus, so that policyholders would not be forced to do without or pay out of pocket. Any such legislation is still pending.
Annual cost, in pesos, for family enrollment in Seguro Popular based on economic condition and size of family ranges from no payment at all to 11,378.86 pesos. The annual fee is divided into 10 levels and can be paid all at once or in three or six month installments.

: Local News
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Carnaval La Paz 2013!

January 15, 2013

It is almost Carnaval La Paz time! The dates have been announced for the city’s biggest annual street party and entertainment festival. Carnaval begins Thursday, February 7, and continues through Tuesday, February 12, 2013.

: Local Events, Local News
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Baja Foreign Business Group Ends 2012 with a Bang

January 15, 2013

TBC
The Baja Foreign Business Group (BFBG) gathered just before the holidays at Mis Amores Restaurant on Marquis de León with an invitation extended to Ruben Reachi Lugo, State Secretary of Tourism, Pedro Aguilar, Municipal Director of Tourism and Agustin Olachea, President of Emprhotur (Hotel Association).
Members of the BFBG have grown increasingly concerned with the economy in the city. With news that La Paz will be losing international air service in April of 2013, the group felt it was essential that government officials discuss future economic development for the capital of BCS.
The BFBG had asked each of the invited guests to come prepared and update the group on the economy of La Paz and the State of BCS in general; the status of international airline transportation into La Paz; City and State tourism projects related to international travelers and future economic developments for La Paz and State.
Neil Shroyer of Marina La Paz discussed the problems with tourism in La Paz.  La Paz never grew up as a tourist destination. The economy grew with pearling and during the 60´s and 70´s, commercial activity, supported by the duty free zone, had its most successful period.  By the 80’s, much of the state welcomed tourism while La Paz carved out its dependence on government.
Although La Paz is not a fun in the sun destination because of the weather, Shroyer feels that La Paz can easily cater to retirees looking for a second home or the niche market of ecotourism.  Unfortunately, La Paz is going through an identity crisis, with residents asking themselves, “Do we want tourism or not?”
Agustin Olachea updated the group on international air service to and from La Paz. Although Alaska Airlines will be leaving La Paz as of April 2013, local tourism departments are in talks with an airline to provide service to and from Los Angeles.  No announcement could be made.
Pablo Armenta, who stepped in for Secretary Reachi, handed out information detailing tourism to La Paz.  According to data, with most hotels booked on an average of two nights, La Paz is clearly a business travel destination and not so much a tourist destination.
Pedro Aguilar reported that La Paz Mayor Esthela Ponce Beltran understands that tourism is very fragile in the city and she is spending time in Mexico City working with the federal government to restructure debt and looking for new money to help make infrastructure improvements in the city.  There are private developments working on projects, which will help activate the economy and he feels business owners just need to be patient with the economic turn around.
The Baja Foreign Business Group was organized by Juli Goff of Se Habla…La Paz and Jonathan and Jill Roldan of Tailhunters International back in 2010 to help foreign business owners in La Paz. During the past few years, BFBG has hosted numerous meetings featuring speakers who have addressed topics ranging from importing/exporting, immigration, police activity and tourism. The meetings are conducted in English and there is always a translator on hand to help with presentations when necessary.
: Business News, Local News
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Some City Streets in La Paz are Getting Paved!

January 14, 2013

TBC

The Municipality of La Paz and the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry, or CMIC, have joined forces and are fixing 19 kilometers of city streets and repaving another 56 kilometers that were heavily damaged with all the rains this fall. Most of the streets that are being repaved are main streets with heavy circulation and include 12 main intersections.  The funding will be financed by CMIC with invest from the Municipality of La Paz.
Mayor Esthela Ponce was on hand, along with members of CMIC, to kick off the paving extravaganza. Work has already begun and the City started with the streets of Las Garzas and Oaxaca and then will be moving over to Mexico from Sinaloa to Veracruz.  After Christmas they will head over to Abasolo and Oaxaca and then to Josefa Ortiz from Nayarit to Sinaloa. Total investment is well over 80 million pesos.
The Mayor highlighted the strength and support that the members of CMIC have always demonstrated to the Municipality and mentioned that when government and private initiatives come together many problems, such as the repaving of streets, can be solved. She hopes that soon La Paz can soon return to normal traffic circulation.
Mayor Ponce said that the investment required for complete street maintenance is close to a billion pesos but the collaboration with CMIC and the Municipality will be of great value. She mentioned that she has also been in talks with federal and state governments to help solve the cities street problems and more so because the city is the State’s capital.
La Paz has 464 kilometers of paved streets and some streets have completed their life span.  Filling potholes is now not the answer. For this reason the Municipality, in coordination with CMIC, is working with the State government to repave major city streets and intersections.

: Local News
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WHAT’S PLAYING AT THE MOVIES?

January 14, 2013

By Kat Bennett

The new James Bond movie came out a while ago.  My husband is a James Bond fan, and really wanted to go see it.  I couldn’t care less about James Bond – but Daniel Craig in various stages of undress?  Now THAT is worth a trip to the theater.  (Just kidding, Sweetheart!)
We decided to go see “Skyfall,” but didn’t know where it was playing or at what time.  Being a modern couple, we have access to the internet.  So finding out what movies are playing where and at what time should be the easiest thing in the world, just a few quick strokes of the keyboard, right?  Wrong!
A Google search quickly found all the movie theaters in La Paz.  Easy enough.  We went to the website for each theater to find out what times “Skyfall” was playing.  All’s well so far.  We picked a time and a theater – and that is when things started to fall apart.
It turns out that all the theaters in town list their locations on their websites, but they list their location by what mall they are in, not by their actual address.  And we have no idea what brilliant names the marketing geniuses came up with for all of the new malls in town.  That shouldn’t be a problem, though, right?  I mean, there are maps on the sites, right?  Easy peasy.  Or it would be, except that all the maps seem to be for La Paz, Bolivia, not La Paz, BCS, Mexico.
Okay.  So “Skyfall” is playing at 1 pm at Punto La Paz (whichever new mall that is), and at 2 pm at Paseo La Paz (whichever new mall that is).  We have no idea where the theaters are, the cinema websites give no street addresses, and the maps on the sites want us to travel to Bolivia.  But we’re a reasonably intelligent couple.  We can figure this out, right?  We can just go to the websites for each of the brilliantly named new malls and find the street addresses, right?  That would work.  If only the websites for the new malls had street addresses.  Which they don’t.  And if only the websites for the new malls didn’t have maps of Bolivia.  Which they do.
So, being the resourceful couple that we are, we took the next logical step.  We ordered pizza and watched “The Princess Bride” on DVD.
After the “Skyfall” fiasco, I asked a friend who always knows these things.  (Thank you, Gari-Ellen!)  It’s information I would like to share, in an attempt to save those of you wishing to see a movie some headaches.  Cut this section out and put it on the fridge, people.
Punto La Paz is the mall with the Mega store and on Abasolo.  The theater with the cushy chairs and table service (Platino) is there.
The Shoppes at La Paz is the mall with Liverpool.
Paseo La Paz is the mall with the new Soriana, out by Home Depot.
And the mall with the old Soriana?  It is on Forjadores and everyone just calls that Soriana. (Finally.  Something that makes sense.)
Happy theater-going, everybody!
Kathleen Bennett is co-owner of Allende Books, and a full-time resident of La Paz.  She normally writes a monthly book review called The Bookstore Kat for The Baja Citizen.  Head to www.allendebooks.com to read past columns.

: How to...
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December La Paz Ladies Luncheon – Palermo’s Restaurant on the Malecon

January 14, 2013


About 60 of us had the most incredible lunch at Palermo’s on the Malecon on December 20th. For those of you who have forgotten what Chef Alessandro created, JUST FOR US, we had a crepe appetizer filled with corn, green peas, cream cheese, cactus paddle vinaigrette followed by roasted marinated turkey breast, garlic mashed potatoes and cranberry coli over the turkey slices followed by chocolate mousse in a puff pastry with wildberries couli, a mint leaf and sliced strawberries. It sounded delicious on paper, but no words can really describe the special flavours of each dish.
This luncheon was focused on one thing – THE FOOD!
While half way through my appetizer, I went around to each table and heard, for myself, the OH’s and AH’s. Then came the main course of two huge slices of oven roasted turkey breast with a cranberry coli, garlic mashed potatoes and crisp, kissed by the pan, vegetables. I think the key was in the marinating of the turkey breasts. The turkey was thick, succulent and juicy.
The heck with diets today. The dessert was so decadent!!
Bravo Palermo’s. Guess what Ladies? We get to go back to Palermo’s on Feb. 21st for another special creation, JUST FOR US!!
The January 17th luncheon will be at La Paz Bistro for specially filled crepes – a la francaise. The only thing missing is the Canadian Maple Syrup, unless I can find a bottle or two to share with the tables before the January luncheon. La Paz Bistro is on Madero just before 5 de Mayo (formerly Capricho’s) and March 14th we are going to Mis Amores on Marquez de Leon.

: La Paz Ladies Luncheon
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Please Respect Disabled Parking Spaces

January 14, 2013


TBC
The Department of Public Security, the Preventative Police and Municipal Transit are asking the public in general and especially drivers of vehicles to please respect disabled parking spaces around the city.
The rules for disabled parking spaces are designed to give preferred access to people with physical challenges and are typically marked in La Paz with the International Symbol of Access and painted blue.
If parked in a disabled reserved parking space, the permit holder should make sure their portable placard can be seen in the vehicle’s front windshield.
For those who choose not to respect parking spaces designated for the disabled and park without a disabled parking permit, you could be ticketed by the municipality police a fine that holds a cost of 100 minimum salaries, the highest possible fine, which is the equivalent to 6,223 pesos.
Avoid problems and the expense and respect those parking spaces designated to those who need them.

: Local News
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Is Bay of Dreams Still a Dream?

January 3, 2013

By Carol Dyer
The thing about dreams is that eventually we have to wake up.   When they are pleasant, we are sorry to let them go.  When they are nightmares, we are relieved.   There are many expressions related to dreams:  a pipe dream, a dream come true, your worst nightmare, day dreamer, dream on, living the dream, etc.
Take Ensenada De Los Muertos.   When Steve Games, co-founder of Prudential California Realty, first sailed into this beautiful bay to seek refuge from heavy seas, he thought, “Wow!  This is where I want to be.”   He began buying up property, bringing in investors, and eventually built Gran Sueño, a 25 acre estate complete with 9 hole golf course, equestrian center, tennis courts, several casitas, a restaurant with multiple tracks of model trains, and miles of beautiful white sandy beach.  Steve and his family lived the dream for a number of years here at “The Bay” as it is commonly referred to by owners and staff.  To the locals, the fishermen, and the cruisers, it will always be known as Muertos.  But, if you want to entice wealthy gringos to build custom, luxury homes on the site, Bay of the Dead doesn’t quite project the proper image.  Thus, the development is officially known as The Bay of Dreams.
Except for Gran Sueño and the properties sold or traded out, the development is now owned by PCS Development of Los Angeles.   With a successful record of accomplishments in property development,  Joe Fryzer and Paul Jennings, owners of PCS Development, saw an opportunity to be on the cutting edge of this luxury development on the Sea of Cortez.  That was in 2005.  Over the course of the next 7 years, $73 million was spent on the infrastructure, and PCS eventually acquired the entire project.   Some of that investment went to building an 18 hole golf course designed by acclaimed architect Tom Doak.   Doak’s approach to golf course design is to work within the natural features of the land, not obliterate them to accommodate a fairway or hole.  With the golf course comes the need for water.  PCS Development is serious about being stewards of the land.  Among other things that means minimizing the use of ground water vital to the community at large.  Although there is a 9 million gallon reservoir, the major source of fresh water comes from a functioning water treatment plant.
For the principals involved, the dream to develop this pristine 4,000+ acre site is fading.  The housing market downturn and the U.S. and world economic crises brought the project to a virtual standstill approximately 2 ½ years ago.  At its height, the Bay employed in excess of 130 workers, most of whom worked to clear vegetation, road construction, golf course construction, and maintenance.  Now there are fewer than 60 employees.  These workers provide security, maintain the golf greens and tees (the fairways were allowed to dry out), maintain equipment, operate the restaurant, maintain roads, and provide administrative services such as accounting, human resources, and IT.
The project is for sale and has been for some time.  Land Advisors Resort Solutions is handling the offering.  It includes approximately 4,000 acres; all infrastructure, including off site pipeline, 9 million gallon reservoir, a fully permitted and operating desalination plant with wells to support 75,000 gpd production; all construction/maintenance equipment and vehicle fleet; fully equipped and furnished 3,000 sq. ft. restaurant; the golf course; onsite office and housing trailers; and more.  Complete details may be found at www.landadvisors.com.  If all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted, it is possible the Bay, including the Gran Sueño 25 acre resort, will come under new ownership by the end of the year.  When that happens the Bay will no doubt realize a resurgence and begin a new era of development.
The Bay is well worth a visit even if it is just for the view.  Drive south from La Paz on highway 286 towards the small town of Los Planes.  Follow the road until it ends at the water’s edge, about 45 miles from La Paz.   Mosey on into the restaurant and have a taco and maybe a margarita.  Sit back and take in the pristine white sandy beach as you watch the pelicans drive for fish or squabble over the fishermen’s discards.  Afterwards, leave the restaurant to the left and walk along what is called the “Spanish Dock”.  There are remnants of buildings and stone steps leading to the bay.  It is thought these were built during the Spanish settlement in 1535 (the name of the restaurant).  Most likely the docks were built for loading minerals from the mines at El Triunfo and San Antonio.
At its height, The Bay of Dream lots were offered from a range of $300,000 to $7,000,000.  One such lot sold for $1,820,000 in 2007.  That last lot sold was in 2009.  Now you can purchase a lot on which to build your own dream home for as little as $200,000.  If you buy, remember me.  I get a referral fee.
Carol Dyer is the owner of Casa Tuscany Inn and a regular contributor to the Baja Citizen. Carol is grateful to Paul Jennings and PCS Development for the opportunity to work for them.  It is what brought Carol to La Paz in the first place.
: Business News, Development News
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ANOTHER HIDDEN GEM IN LA PAZ

January 3, 2013

TBC
Hidden within one of the many dusty La Paz neighborhoods is an excellent find that is worth knowing about.  Frank Hills, local resident, artist, and contributor to The Baja Citizen, has been kind enough to tell us of a wood craftsman named Bencho.
Bencho (Evencio Bustos Soto), the owner and craftsman of the woodworking shop, is 75 years old and has seen much over the years. His work reflects this experience.  Bencho’s shop produces woodcrafts made from local indigenous materials.  His crafts, cabinetry, and furniture stem from a time when materials were in short supply in the region.  To some extent Baja California Sur is still this way and often when you want something you need to know who can make the item.  Bencho is just your man for wooden crafts and cabinetry.  Some of Bencho’s creativity can be seen in his unique picture frames made of local cacti, often in combinations that create a very nice effect.
In fact, Frank Hills says, in describing the custom picture frames, Bencho can do the same quality work as I can, but for less money than I can make them myself.”  Frank further adds that Bencho gets the project done ahead of time and is willing to modify or make additions requested, often for free.
Bencho’s reputation is rock solid like his work.  He is honest as they come, does not haggle on prices, and offers a very affordable price at the start.  Bencho also employs the talent of young up-and-coming artists who are disciplined enough to learn the requirements to create works as good as his, of a quality any discerning person would want.
One of these talented helpers is Hugo Vizcarra, a 28-year-old, adept in woodcarving, etching, and painting.  Hugo is bilingual, friendly and can share the buyer’s goals with Bencho to create successful items.  Hugo is a skilled man who definitely will be an artist to watch for in years to come.
When one considers the solid character of Bencho, his unique creative style, and his courage to conquer about any woodworking task you desire, it is clear that you, the reader, should know about this great man who lives in La Paz.
Bencho’s work can be seen in his workshop by appointment or in the Artisanias stand on Alvaro Obregon (the malecon) between Rosales and Nicolas Bravo.  He can be contacted by phone at 612-160-5161 (cell).  Hugo, who speaks English, can be contacted at 612-131-8619 (cell).
: Business News, The Art Scene