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."