Pubdate: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2000 El Paso Times Contact: P.O.Box 20, El Paso, Texas 79999 Fax: (915) 546-6415 Website: http://www.borderlandnews.com/ Note: article mentions Bush's disagreement with Gov. Johnson on marijuana Author: Diana Washington Valdez BUSH WILL DISCUSS $50 IMPORT RULE WITH FOX Presidential candidate George W. Bush said he plans to take up Mexico's $50 duty-free limit on U.S. goods when he meets next week with Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox. He also discussed issues such as Indian gaming, the military, U.S.-Mexico relations and the border during a conversation with reporters after Saturday's rally in Mesilla's town square. Bush's running mate, Dick Cheney, also attended the discussion. The $50 limit has been a sore point for U.S. border communities since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect in 1994. The United States allows people to bring back up to $400 worth of duty-free merchandise from Mexico, but Mexico limits the amount for U.S. purchases to $50. "And I'm going to talk to him about NAFTA; I think we're soul mates on NAFTA," Bush said of Fox. "Obviously, working together to interdict drugs will be a priority of ours. "I've got great respect for Mexico," Bush said. "The current president (Ernesto Zedillo) is a friend. I think he's done a great job as president, and I look forward to having the same relationship ... with President-elect Fox." He said he doesn't know what to make of Fox's "open borders" proposal, but plans to find out during their meeting Friday. Although New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson was at the rally to promote Bush's candidacy, Bush said he disagrees with Johnson's proposal to decriminalize marijuana. "I don't support it," he said. Bush said he isn't surprised that Democratic legislators are attacking his gubernatorial record. For instance, Texas Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, has criticized Bush's record on efforts to assist unregulated developments along the border known as colonias, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the state patients' bill of rights. "Governor Bush has never visited a colonia," Gallegos said. "His proposal for the CHIP program would have excluded one and a quarter million children, many who live in colonias. His spokesman told (a TV audience) that he supported the state's patient's bill of rights, but he never mentioned that Bush never signed the bill, even though it became law without his signature." Bush also vetoed Senate Bill 1514, which would have expedited certain efforts to assist colonias, Gallegos said. Bush countered Saturday, "I've had a good record on the border in Texas; that's why I carried the border counties when I ran for (governor). The people of Texas know my record, and I carried El Paso, Texas, as a matter of fact. I paid attention to El Paso for starters, which a lot of governors haven't in the past. "We've got a good vision for education. ... We're the first administration to have a colonias initiative (that) besides getting water ... we have a hookup plan so people can actually get water into their homes." To help the state stay on top of colonia-related issues, Secretary of State Elton Bomer was put in charge of border initiatives, he said. Bush said he has called for fairness in funding when it comes to the border communities. "If I become president of the United States, the main initiative is going to be the continuation of NAFTA," he said. He said the proposed intermodal hub for El Paso is good project for New Mexico, Mexico and Texas to work on together because it would ease trade-related transportation. "I'm for economic development, and I think NAFTA will provide economic development opportunities for this part of the country," he said. Saturday's meeting with print media was limited to two New Mexico newspapers and the El Paso Times. Bush said the U.S. military needs considerable attention, from repairing morale to defining its role. "I am going to push for more funding. Right off the bat, ($1) billion more for pay and housing," he said. "We've got to try to redefine the mission ... it is to fight and win the war and therefore prevent war from happening. I'm deeply concerned about overdeployments, and so we need to review all missions and make sure that when we deploy it's for military purposes." He said an example of poor U.S. military involvement was the military's role in Haiti. He said the operation cost $2 billion and did not appear to achieve anything. "I'd like to eventually get our troops out of the Balkans," Bush said. "I know it's not going to be easy to do immediately because the president committed us to the Balkans, and I understand that. The role as peacekeeper is a role that I don't see in the long term as a role for the United States military. It doesn't fit in with fighting and winning war and therefore prevent war from happening." While he accepts casino gambling where it is legal, Bush said "in my state of Texas I've made it clear that I don't think casino gambling is a way our state needs to develop economically." El Paso's Tigua Indians have been involved in litigation with the state of Texas, which is seeking to close Speaking Rock Casino. State officials contend the casino violates state gambling laws. The tribe counters that the state opened the door for the casino when it started the Texas Lottery. Bush, who met earlier Saturday with 10 Indian tribal leaders in New Mexico, is promoting a proposal to provide $928 million in federal assistance to repair and upgrade schools on Indian reservations. Several New Mexico tribes, including the Mescalero Apaches, rely on gaming for jobs and economic opportunities. Nadia Rubaii-Barrett, a U.S. politics expert at New Mexico State University, said that at this stage a major election issue is "which candidate or political party ticket can persuade people to come out and actually vote." "Neither one (Gore or Bush) is a wonderful orator ... that can be good because it will force people to listen more closely to what they say," she said. "The Democrats have the added challenge of trying to persuade the more liberal wing not to vote for the Green Party," said Rubaii-Barrett, director of NMSU's Master of Public Administration Program. "Ralph Nader is an appealing protest vote." - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart