If there is any hope for his success, it is that many of the city's ills can be traced to its long history of one-party rule. Anticipating an opposition victory, the federal government decided not to cede control over the city budget, police chief, attorney general, and borough officials. Mexico City's ills would be overwhelming even with help from above. Mexico City is to Mexico what Washington, New York, and Los Angeles together are to the United States. Problems feed off one another in a toxic combination unique even by Third World standards.
Poverty stokes crime and limits antipollution options.
Corruption from one-party rule cripples government services and even exacerbates income inequality as lowly officials must share their bribes with bosses. Home to some of the world's finest museums, Mexico City also has one of its largest slums, Nezahualcoyotl. They endure two-hour commutes in minibuses belching black smoke. Industries are shut down during winter thermal inversions that trap smog. Meanwhile the recession that began in 1993 has contributed to soaring crime rates.