MEXICO.- With 76 votes in favor and 52 votes against, the tax reform was approved this morning in Mexico's Senate.

"The people of Baja California will not give you any trouble, but remember that still waters run deep!" a strong declaration by senator Marco Antion Blasquez (PT) who defended Baja California's stance as well as that of other border states by showing the estimated damages this Tax Reform will have, such as financial and employment losses, particularly stating the disaster the VAT Standardization will cause on the rest of the country, not just the borders themselves.

Ernesto Ruffo, Marco Antonio Blásquez, Luis Fernando Salazar Fernández, Mónica Arreola Gordillo and Layda Sansores San Roman were some of the senators who exposed the reasons they were against some of the key points of the tax reform, like the before mentioned standardization of the VAT at the border, taxes on pet food, taxes on temporary imports for the manufacturing industry, among others.

Raising taxes during a time of slow economic growth is not only is it a grave mistake which has been proven time and time again, but there will be a large amount of jobs which will be lost, and above all, citizens who doubt their taxes will be actually put to good use thanks to the corruption some catalog as "the national sport", all of these subjects brought up during the several hours of a debate worthy of being called a spectacle.

After the general voting, they proceeded to those senators who had reserves about certain key points of the tax reform and they would discuss them, the subject which was discussed the most was the VAT standardization at the border states. The results were less than good, it is expected these measures proposed by the tax reform will take effect starting January 1st 2014.

How did the senators vote?

PRI – 57 votes in favor

PAN – 37 votes against and one unregistered (Martha Elena Garcia Gomez)

PRD – 12 votes in favor (Miguel Barbosa, Alejandra Barrales, Angélica de la Peña, Mario Delgado, Fidel Demédisis, Iris Vianey Mendoza, Isidro Pedraza, Sofío Ramírez, Armando Ríos Píter, Zoé Robledo, Benjamón Robles and Adolfo Romero) and 9 votes against and one unregistered (Luz Maria Beristain)

PVEM – 7 votes in favor

PT – 4 votes against and one unregistered (Martha Palafox)

PANAL – 1 vote against Monica Arriola Gordillo

Citizens Movement – 1 vote against from Layda Sensores

Brenda.Colon@sandiegored.com