The presidential candidate from the ruling PRI party, Labastida looks resolutely towards the past. Monterrey is a city on the move, with a vibrant economy rapidly heading towards the information age. It is also the capital of the state of Nueva Leon, whose governor is from the pro-capitalist PAN party, not the corrupt PRI which has ruled Mexico for 70 years. What are called states, like Nueva Leon, Puebla, or Sinaloa, are really administrative districts of the national government in Mexico City. You may think this is, or is fast becoming, the way Washington is taking over state authority here, but it is vastly worse in Mexico.
Mexican states have no taxing authority of their own.
All taxes go to Mexico City which disburses it back to the provinces. For every dollar the national government takes out of Nueva Leon, eighteen cents is returned. Monterreans are getting fed up with this, and have begun demanding this ratio be reversed. Labastida as president will greatly accelerate the nascent movement of northern Mexico away from central government control. Foreign investment would pour into Mexico with a Fox victory next July.