Two state agencies launched Friday a special operation that seeks to keep residents safe during summer vacations.
Secretary of Health Guillermo Trejo led the beginning of the Safe Vacations 2016 strategy that started with the delivery of flyers among drivers.
The agency said accidents increase during summer vacation time 20 percent, especially on highways,and added 90 percent of these are preventable.
Accident Prevention State Council secretary Olegario Noriega warned drivers to take preventive measures like usage of safety belts, avoid driving under the influence and gadgets and obey traffic signals.
So far in the year authorities have reported over 38,000 accidents in vehicles, motorcycles and buses.
State remains on top with maquiladora toll
According to a report released by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, known in Spanish as INEGI, Baja California remains on top with the largest number of maquiladoras or companies registered under the Mexican Exportation Program.
The agency said the state has 17.7 percent of Mexico’s maquiladora businesses.
The state of Nuevo León is second with 12.1 percent, Chihuahua is third with 9.3 percent, Coahuila is fourth with 7.2 percent and Tamaulipas is fifth with 6.7 percent, all in Mexico’s northern border.
Baja California is second with the largest percentage of residents employed by exportation companies with 12.2 percent, the agency said.
Chihuahua is first with 13.5 percent and Nuevo León is third with 10.2 percent.
According to INEGI, the hours worked by Baja California employees at maquiladora businesses fell 1.4 percent in April, the fifth largest loss nationwide.
Agreement signed to plant trees
Baja California Governor Francisco Vega signed an agreement with a Netherlands company for the reforestation of 180 kilometers of Mexicali canals and other areas in the state.
The company, Legado Verde, would plant over 1 million tres by utilizing European technology known as Groasis that allows water saving and survival of 90 percent of trees.
The project would create a natural curtain that will refrain polluted particles and health issues among residents.
Gov. Vega said the project has approval and support from Mexican federal agencies.
Average state household income reported
Baja California’s average household income was last year 54,616 pesos or $3,068.31, according to a report released by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, or INEGI in Spanish.
The Mexican agency said the state was tenth nationwide, according to the 2015 Socio-economic Conditions Module.
Nuevo León was first with 66,836 pesos, Mexico City was second with 61,622 and Baja California Sur was third with 61,361, the agency said.
According to the report, two out of every three pesos of household income nationwide came from salaries, 14.8 percent from money transfers, and the rest from other sources.
The agency said the richest Mexicans earned 19.8 times what the poorest Mexicans earned.
For the report, the agency interviewed residents in 64,093 homes with 89.4 percent responding to the questionnaire.
Recall reform bill introduced
A state lawmaker introduced a bill that, if enacted, would change the way recall procedure of public officials would be conducted.
Assemblyman Francisco García, a Mexicali member of the Citizen’s Movement, announced the proposal that would give voters the ability to decide the recall of public officials.
“Recall of public officials would be decided at poll sites through citizens’ votes, the same that designated the official and does not demand legal action to provide due process,” he said.
The constitution includes a chapter for recall votes but under certain circumstances and with interference of the judiciary and legislative branches, he said.
The bill strengthens people’s control of government, educates the electorate, stimulates voters and brings accountability among public officials, García said.
The lawmaker admitted there would still be some work to the bill regarding who would be allowed to introduce the recall vote proposal, the amount of votes needed to kick out officials, the time when the proposal would be permitted and the succession mechanism.
The recall bill includes the governor, mayors and lawmakers.
