Eduardo Castro-Wright to address gathering of mayors

This has got to be the fattest local subsidies for corporations seminar on the planet. Wonder how sweet Bubba’s speaking fee is at the USCM given he has been outta office for more than 7 years. More WalMart honorarium?

Relationships: Mauricio Castro-Wright, a director of operations in Wal-Mart Brazil, is the brother of Eduardo Castro-Wright, an Executive Officer. For fiscal 2008, Wal-Mart paid Mauricio Castro-Wright a salary of $196,837, a bonus of $114,066 and other benefits having a value of $85,675 (including Company contributions to Mr. Castro-Wright’s Profit Sharing/401(k) Plan account, SERP account, and payments related to his expatriate assignment). As part of Mauricio Castro-Wright’s fiscal 2008 compensation, he also received a grant of stock options to purchase 733 Shares at an exercise price of $47.26 per Share and 496 restricted stock rights. Mauricio Castro-Wright continues to serve as a director of operations in Brazil, and in fiscal 2009 he may receive compensation and other benefits for his services to Wal-Mart in amounts similar to those received during fiscal 2008.~~~~~~~~WalMart Proxy Statement ,2008~~~Muy grande pesos South of the Border,down Castro Wright way! (Its all about la Familia)

BTW: Bill Clinton was instrumental in getting Nafta passed,also the Panama Canal Zone was transferred under his Presidency. Coincidentally, Hutchison Whampoa-WallMart’s Communist Chinese partner in building the Lazaro Cardenas Mexican port on west side of Mexico) was also the SAME firm who enlarged the Panama Canal Zone ,upon transferring ownership of the zone from U.S. control in December of 1999. Go to World Net Daily and type in Clinton and Panama Canal.or Clinton and Nafta Superhighway.

June 12, 2008, 7:45PM
Poll: Mexicans view U.S. political leaders negatively

2008 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Public opinion in Mexico has turned sharply against the United States over the past decade, and many in America’s southern neighbor now hold strongly negative views of President Bush and the candidates vying to replace him, a public opinion survey released Thursday revealed.

A Pew Global Attitudes Survey of citizens in Mexico and 23 other countries found that 47 percent of Mexicans have a positive view of the United States, down from 68 percent a decade ago. Nearly half of that decline — 9 percentage points — came since last year, when an anti-immigrant backlash in America inflamed some residents of Mexico.

Just 16 percent of Mexicans have confidence in President Bush, a former border state governor who professes great affection for Mexico. Only 29 percent of Mexicans have confidence in Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and 19 percent respond favorably to Republican contender John McCain.

“The cynicism about the United States runs pretty deeply” in Mexico, said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. “They know us fairly well, and they probably have doubts.”

The findings were part of a comprehensive survey of world attitudes on various political and economic topics. More than 24,000 people were interviewed on six continents.

While other nations’ views of the U.S. soured after the Iraq invasion in 2003, the decline in Mexican support for America has come more recently, amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and a crackdown by the Bush administration on undocumented workers.

Among all the countries surveyed, Mexico was more skeptical of the two candidates for president than any outside the Muslim world. The only nations that were more dubious of Obama than Mexico were Pakistan (10 percent), Turkey (20 percent) and Jordan (22 percent).

Only Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia were more hostile to McCain.

Just 37 percent of Mexican citizens think that the new president will change U.S. foreign policy for the better, the survey said — one of the most pessimistic assessments in the world.

The harshly negative Mexican perceptions of McCain are particularly surprising. What’s more, he was the primary Republican sponsor of comprehensive immigration legislation that would have given illegal workers a pathway to eventual U.S. citizenship.

Resentment against Uncle Sam is widespread south of the Rio Grande. Only 17 percent of Mexicans think the United States influences their country in a positive way. One in five Mexicans think the U.S. influences their economy for the better.

About half of Mexicans think of the U.S. as a partner; 31 percent consider America an enemy.

How coincidental that the Congressional Medal of Freedom is being bestowed the SAME day,June 10, in Miami to Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami: June 11, 2008

University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala Honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom

CORAL GABLES, FL (June 11, 2008) – The White House announced today that University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala will be among those honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.  President George W. Bush will honor the recipients at a White House ceremony on Thursday, June 19.

A White House statement announcing the honor praised Shalala “as one of our nation’s most distinguished educators and public officials. She has worked tirelessly to ensure that all Americans can enjoy lives of hope, promise, and dignity.”

The medal is awarded by the President of the United States to an individual who has made an especially meritorious contribution to the “security or national interests of the United States or world peace or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

“I am deeply honored by this special recognition. Both as an educator and a public servant, I have always considered it a duty and a privilege to serve my country and to promote the rights and responsibilities of being an engaged citizen of a free nation.”

Shalala served eight years as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 1993 – 2001 becoming the longest serving HHS Secretary in U.S. history.

An accomplished scholar, teacher and administrator, Shalala became the University of Miami’s fifth president on June 1, 2001. ~~~~~~~~~ Note:Shalala recently presided over the swearing in ceremony of 3,000 immigrants becoming naturalized U.S. citizens,many from Latin American countries.

Correction: The Medal is being bestowed on June 19, the same day .......

...31 percent consider America an enemy.

I’ll bet another Mexican border-state president could raise that number to 66%

Vote for John McSame ‘08

I forget to include the fact that Donna Shalala was also a recipient of a special V.I.P. mortgage rate,courtesy of Countrywide Financial.(TPM)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of Bank of America money that is now allergic to Countrywide Financial is gonna roll me and Henry Paulson another fat doobie when this is over.

Dubai World subsidiary gets Wal-Mart firm
By Times and Democrat, The Times and Democrat
June 14th, 2008
Economic Zones World (EZW), a Dubai World company, announced the acquisition of Gazeley Limited, the Wal-Mart-owned global provider of sustainable logistics space, as part of its strategy to expand into global markets.

The price was not disclosed.

An integration team will determine the best approach for combining the two businesses while retaining and developing the current management teams. The partnership will see all existing employees retained.

The transaction is subject to the receipt of European regulatory approval and is expected to complete during July.

EZW is a developer of ‘economic zones’ globally.

It developed and operates the Jebel Ali Free Zone of integrated logistics and distribution facilities adjacent to Jebel Ali Port in Dubai.

To date, Gazeley has created more than 60 million-square-feet of logistics warehouse space.

EZW has acquired Gazeley to further expand its collective reach into international markets.

Gazeley will provide EZW with operations in the UK and Europe, as well as additional growth opportunities in emerging markets including China, India and Mexico.

The acquisition was driven by EZW’s customer-centric strategy for global growth and the company’s desire to strengthen its penetration of global markets through Gazeley.

Gazeley’s customers include many of the world’s largest companies, third-party logistics providers, manufacturers, retailers and their suppliers.

Gazeley is also a preferred developer of distribution space for Wal-Mart International, including Asda in the UK and Wal-Mart. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A high-level delegation from the government of Trinidad and Tobago completed a trip to the Middle East this week, securing approval from financial leaders here to work closely on the upcoming opening of the Caribbean nation’s International Financial Center (TTIFC).

Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira of Trinidad and Tobago called the two days of meetings a remarkable success “that helped to promote the IFC abroad and secured for us a wealth of best practices from global financial leaders. Trinidad and Tobago is the economic success story of the Caribbean, and we’ve had an opportunity to sell that story to Dubai’s business and government leaders.

Trinidad and Tobago’s International Financial Center, which will offer a range of banking and financial services, opens for business in August.

The TTIFC “is committed to a slate of world-class initial participants whose presence and participation will assure the TTIFC’s rise to a position of clear leadership within the Caribbean region and beyond,” Nunez-Tesheira
said.

“We envision the TTIFC as the gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. But it is of special importance that we want to be a bridge to the Middle East,” Nunez-Tesheira said.

Trinidad and Tobago’s close proximity to North, Central and South America is an important economic driver for the island nation. Its English speaking population and stable government make it an attractive investment opportunity for business interests from around the globe. Its abundant natural resources—Trinidad and Tobago is the largest exporter of liquid natural gas to the U.S.—are an important connection to Dubai, as both regions are leveraging their energy strengths into more diverse economies.

Minister Nunez-Tesheira met with Dubai’s minister of finance, tourism managing director, senior officials at Dubai’s International Financial Center and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, and the chief of Dubai’s Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the delegation met with senior executives at DP World, the international shipping giant, and private sector investors who are securing office space at the TTIFC.
The delegation travels on to New York next week for meetings with representatives from Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, UBS and CitiGroup.

The TTIFC will promote commercial banking and investment opportunities in: downstream energy projects; commodities finance and trading based on the country’s energy sector products; large-scale real estate development, resorts and tourism; and transportation projects such as ports, airports, shipping and support facilities.

The country has engaged top experts to advise and guide the development of the IFC, including PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Oliver Wyman, Patton Boggs LLP, IBM and others. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (South Florida Caribbean News,June 18,2008)

EU to lift sanctions against Cuba
Published: Thursday June 19, 2008
EU nations agreed Thursday to definitively lift their sanctions against Cuba, in the hope of encouraging democracy on the island, European diplomats said.

European Union foreign ministers took the decision in principle during dinner on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels.

“There was an agreement to lift the sanctions against Cuba,” a European diplomatic source said.

“They have agreed to have an annual review and in one year’s time to assess the political dialogue with Cuba,” she added.

The move is a largely symbolic gesture as the sanctions have been suspended since 2005.

Sources with the Spanish delegation confirmed the move. Spain restored diplomatic relations with Havana last year and championed the move to get the sanctions lifted.

However Washington said it opposed the move in favour of Cuba, which it said remains an authoritarian regime, despite recent reforms.

“While we’ve seen some very minor cosmetic changes made by this regime, we certainly don’t see any kind of fundamental break” with communism as practiced by recently departed Cuban president Fidel Castro, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.

Many European officials have called for the lifting of the sanctions, which restrict high-level diplomatic contacts and offer some symbolic support for dissidents.

“We see encouraging signs in Cuba and I think that we should show the population in Cuba that we are ready to work with them,” said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

“We should not be insensitive to what is going on,” she added, in reference to the first steps of Raul Castro since taking the reins from his ailing brother Fidel.

“The lifting of sanctions would give us a more effective way to deal with the human rights question,” through better engagement, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said.~~~~~~~~~~~~~Note: Things are really jumpin’ in the Caribbean!Can A Cuban WalMart be far behind??

“While we’ve seen some very minor cosmetic changes made by this regime, we certainly don’t see any kind of fundamental break” with communism as practiced by recently departed Cuban president Fidel Castro, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. “~~~~~WHY Commuism in Cuba LESS acceptable than Communism in Communist China?I just posted a Reuters article about HenryPaulson of the U.S. and the Communist Chinese government creating an investment pact!