PRI has early Christmas gift for spendthrift ex-gov with a high school diploma
*Updates below*
Mérida, Yucatán -
Enrique Peña Nieto is having a soothing cup of tea at this hour - or who knows, maybe a shot of El Patron straight up, with a bit of lime juice and salt on his wrist to cut the sting. He'll be president of Mexico in less than four hours.
He named his cabinet this afternoon, but alas, former Yucatán governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco didn't quite make the cut. Not to worry. The always reliable Sipse.com news service reported this evening that she's almost sure to be named to a seat on the Institutional Revolutionary Party's National Policy and Planning Committee, which is the next best thing to working for the president. Better, actually, because there's less chance of making a fool of yourself at those important executive level meetings.
Ortega Pacheco and her former sidekick Angelica Arajuo (rumor has it they're not buddies anymore) spent all the money in the Land of the Mayas, leaving the state with a mountain of debt and its capital city with a mountain of trash. Details are below. Some claim both entities are functionally bankrupt.
The Peter Principle holds as its core premise the notion that everyone eventually will be promoted (or rewarded, as is the plain case here) beyond his or her level of ability and competence. Ivonne Ortega Pacheco proved the validity of the maxim once, when she was elected state governor. Now PRI has done it again for her. She'll be entrusted to plan the party's long-term "national strategy" for Mexico.
Perhaps it's a good thing, though. Ortega Pacheco holds but a high school diploma, although she's said to be "working on her law degree," with a dozen or more exams yet to go. But that won't help her either. Even licenciados can't find work in Yucatán, so Her Honor will surely benefit from a reliable and steady sinecure. PRI appears ready to give her one.
Dec. 2 - Nine of the 13 Mexican states which have the highest public debt are, or were immediately before the most recent elections, in the hands of PRI governors.
Dec. 6 - Ivonne Ortega Pacheco is selected secretary general of the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
Dec. 27 - Pink storks are flying her way. The former governor, who is single, has announced on her Twitter account that she's expecting. On Christmas Eve, reports El Diario de Yucatán, she browsed in Mérida's Liverpool department store, Mexico's answer to Nieman Marcus. For what they charge at Liverpool, one can easily save money by booking a two day shopping trip to Houston or Miami. Better selection and much better prices in both of the latter.
Jan. 4, 2013 - Yucatán pays off some of Ivonne's past due bills
Feb. 25 - Yucatán capital, $32 million in the hole, looks for way out
Yucatán tourism continues to languish, after bold "Mayan effect" prophecies fail to materialize
A spendthrift Yucatán looks for cash anywhere, anyway
Mérida faces "environmental catastrophe," as trash piles up everywhere and residents fume
Yucatán state and municipal debt continue to rise, with predictable consequences for many
Crushed by poverty, Yucatán style: The crime of not letting someone work
Yucatán's Public Debt: Mortgaging Future Generations?
Related reports by The Yucatan Times
What Will Enrique Peña Nieto Do With Ivonne Ortega?
Merida City Council Finds Serious Irregularities from Angelica Araujo’s Administration
Shakira’s Mérida Concert Under Investigation
"Unprecedented spending" during Ortega Pacheco administration, with 30% annual budget overrides
Hey - we could hear that concert from our house and it was great! More important than food or jobs or garbage or crime.
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