Posted on 06/21/2007 1:59:42 AM PDT by Man50D
A NAFTA superhighway plan under way in Texas will be extended to Oklahoma and Colorado, stretching the four-lane, train-truck-car-pipeline corridor from the Mexican border at Laredo, Texas, to Denver, reports WND columnist Jerome Corsi, whose new investigative book, "The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada," has just been released.
As WND has reported, the Federal Highway Administration is promoting public-private partnership projects to expand superhighway projects, consistent with extending the Trans-Texas Corridor network north.
The plan is for the states of Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado to apply the TTC toll road concept first developed by the Texas DOT to largely rural areas along the Ports-to-Plains Corridor.
To advance this plan, the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor Coalition – sponsored by the consulates of Mexico and Canada along with the Texas and Colorado transportation departments – is co-sponsoring a "Great Plains 2007" international conference Sept. 19-21 at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver.
The brochure recommends the conference be attended by real estate developers, transportation planners, highway services business executives, as well as state, local, county and municipal public officials and international trade professionals.
An April Texas DOT study on the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor Coalition website documents the tie between the two groups.
The study says the Ports-to-Plains Corridor offers an opportunity to apply the Trans-Texas Corridor technology to NAFTA superhighway development in rural settings. It concludes by recommending new highway construction be undertaken parallel to the existing Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor route in order to apply the superhighway design north through Oklahoma into Colorado.
As WND previously reported, the $180 billion needed to build the 4,000 mile Trans-Texas Corridor network over the next 50 years will be financed by Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., a foreign investment consortium based in Spain. Cintra will own the leasing and operating rights on TTC highways for 50 years after construction is complete.
A press release on the Texas DOT website confirms the agency is looking for a public-private-partnership to help finance the construction of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor.
WND also has reported Texas Gov. Rick Perry has received substantial campaign contributions from Cintra and Zachry Construction Company, the San Antonio-based construction firm selected by the Texas DOT to build the TTC.
The homepage of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Coalition website proclaims, "Together, the communities along the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor are becoming the Gateway to trade throughout the nation and with Mexico and Canada."
The homepage also links the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor to the millions of containers from China that are planned to enter North America through Mexican ports, commenting, "The Trade Corridor will allow for the development of less congested ports of entry along the Texas/Mexican border."
From John Corsi? You need a better source.
Haven't you heard about the land in Kansas that will be Mexican territory? It won't be, but that's the inspection area for American goods going into Mexico. Telling the truth makes it harder to sell books, but there it is.
No where have I read where American inspectors will continue to inspect foreign trucks crossing into the US.
We have always conducted customs inspections in other countries.
How's that? Any specifics?
Yes I do deal with winter, salt, and black ice. I live in the mountains :-D
That sucks.
Not just Jerome Corsi, but several other sources. Good grief, people have been posting about this stuff on FR for months. In fact there are a couple of them today. I’ll find them and ping you.
The land in Kansas WILL be the property of Mexico, just like our embassies are in other countries.
We’d better keep on inspecting this stuff at the border, instead of letting it slide through.
So why will we inspect Mexican cargo on Mexican property in Kansas? LOL!
We’d better keep on inspecting this stuff at the border, instead of letting it slide through.
LOL!
I’m all for free trade. I’m not for one sided trade that leaves our country with a big fat deficit. Btw, I shop at Mexican supermarkets, and buy Mexican/Latin American food items all the time. Their produce is reasonable and fresh. I’m not a bigot, in case you’re wondering. I just don’t like to see us getting screwed. Our trade deficit with China is a disgrace.
I love winter. I grew up by the beach, but I love it up here. We’re between the high desert and the ski resorts, so we get a little of everything(heard the sonic boom from the space shuttle). Of course, we usually don’t get the amount of snow that you probably get. Maybe that’s why we love it. Black ice however is not cool.
Why are deficits bad? Step by step, if you can?
Why are deficits bad??? Are you joking? Obviously, I don’t have a degree in Economics, but I’m going to take a stab at it.
Huge trade deficits are bad because we are spending more money than we are taking in. What happens when someone spends more than they earn? They end up filing BK.
We are enriching one(or several)economies at the expense of our own. In Red China’s case, we are financing our destruction, and encouraging horrible practices such as slavery. China sucks!
When we import more than we export, it affects the average worker here in the US. If we don’t have a buyer for a product, the worker loses his/her job producing that product.
Now, you tell me why trade deficits are good for America?
Btw, thank you for forcing me to use my brain. I’ve been sick and trust me, this has taken me over 30 minutes to collect my thoughts. Like cod liver oil, it’s good for me :)
No.
Huge trade deficits are bad because we are spending more money than we are taking in. What happens when someone spends more than they earn?
We earn, GDP, $13 trillion a year. Do you think we're "spending" more than that on imports?
When we import more than we export, it affects the average worker here in the US.
You keep making these claims, but you can't walk thru step by step to show how. We've had a trade deficit for decades. How long does it take? LOL!
If we don’t have a buyer for a product, the worker loses his/her job producing that product.
Our unemployment rate is 4.5%. Lower than when NAFTA passed. If these bad effects you blame on NAFTA were really there, why wouldn't unemployment be higher?
Now, you tell me why trade deficits are good for America?
I never said they were good. I've seen no proof that they are bad. And you haven't shown me any.
Japan and Germany had had huge trade surpluses for decades and compared to ours over the last 18 years, their economies have sucked. If deficits are bad, surpluses must be good. Right? LOL!
No, I don't think we are spending 13 trillion on imports. I don't have any stats, but we are definitely spending money. We need to recoup some of that money. Makes sense to me, considering how much money goes to welfare and aid overseas.
You keep making these claims, but you can't walk thru step by step to show how. We've had a trade deficit for decades. How long does it take? LOL!/i
Claims? It's common sense. Of course it affects the average worker. Goods just don't materialize out of thin air. Ask a factory worker about that. The World Bank owns us, and a lot of other countries. They'll be calling in their markers one day. LOL. Har har har.
Our unemployment rate is 4.5%. Lower than when NAFTA passed. If these bad effects you blame on NAFTA were really there, why wouldn't unemployment be higher?
I know for a solid fact that unemployment stats are completely bogus. How do I know? Let me count the people we know who are off the unemployment rolls. Once you're off, you don't count. Period, end of discussion. In my neck of the woods, there are no cans or bottles by the side of the road. Why? Because all these people who are "employed" are gleaning anything they can sell. We recycle anything we can get our hands on. Gas prices have buried one couple we know. They made a living taking scrap metal and recycling it. We lost contact with them several months ago :( They're unemployed. They don't count. 4.5 my rear end. NAFTA is not helping our fellow citizens. I can't blame this asinine treaty for blatant false statistics, though. I can blame it for helping to funnel jobs out of this country.
Do Japan and Germany operate with fiat money? We do. Running out of money? No problemo, just print more. You think this is funny? Just wait until we get hit with another round of Carteresqe inflation. Yipppeeeee, LOL.
To me a trade surplus means that we sell more than we have to take in. It's called making a profit. I'm sorry I don't have some college degree, and can't oblige you by a step by step analysis, but I'm just a housewife, and I'm madder than a wet hen over what is happening to my country. How are my children and grandbabies going to survive? Suck off the government teat because some assholes in Washington sold our birthright? Screw NAFTA and screw that damn corridor!
Don't mean to turn this into a rant, but I'm not rich, and not even middle class. Apparently I have a different perspective than you do.
Excellent!
I don't have any stats, but we are definitely spending money.
Yes.
We need to recoup some of that money.
Recoup? Is that a technical term in economics? Maybe you could explain it to me?
Is it like when I spend money at the gas station? I never recoup that. BP has never bought anything from me or paid me for anything. How will I recoup some of that money? Am I in trouble if I don't? Please explain why?
Claims? It's common sense.
Just like with the trade deficit, except you can't explain it.
The World Bank owns us, and a lot of other countries. They'll be calling in their markers one day.
Now you're just making stuff up. More than before even.
Let me count the people we know who are off the unemployment rolls. Once you're off, you don't count.
If by unemployment rolls you mean collecting unemployment benefits, you're wrong, again.
I can blame it for helping to funnel jobs out of this country.
Perot's giant sucking sound? That's funny. And wrong.
Do Japan and Germany operate with fiat money?
Yes. Along with every other country on Earth.
Running out of money? No problemo, just print more. You think this is funny?
I think your ignorance of economics is funny. How old are you?
To me a trade surplus means that we sell more than we have to take in. It's called making a profit.
You shouldn't confuse trade surplus with profit. They're not even close to being the same thing.
Suck off the government teat because some assholes in Washington sold our birthright? Screw NAFTA and screw that damn corridor!
Sold our birthright?
Apparently I have a different perspective than you do.
Yes, you've allowed emotion and misperception take the place of fact and logic.
Like I said, I don't have a college degree in economics. Look it up in the dictionary. We need to make more money than we spend. It's called saving for an emergency.
You spend money at the gas station to get to your place of employment. See? You spend some cash in order to make more cash. You're in trouble if you don't have a job, and are putting your gas purchase on a credit card to go have "fun".
I can't explain trade deficits? At least I'm putting in a better effort than you. Why don't you explain it to me?
Don't believe in the World Bank? Granted, some say it smacks of tinfoil conspiracy. I used to agree, but now I don't. Do you dismiss the CFR? Hey, no skin off my nose.
I'm not wrong about the deliberate skewing of unemployment stats. I see it with my own eyes, and I guess you're blessed that you don't. Btw, I voted for Perot. Btw, I'm 47 and the mom of four kids, and gramma to two. You can play mind games all you want, but I see the reality of these idiotic manipulations regarding our borders, our jobs, and our sovreignity. Yeah, our birthright to earn an honest living, live in a free country, and mind our own darn business. How could you possibly have a problem with that?
Here's your problem, you're comparing a person to a nation.
Think about it this way, we buy stuff from China and write them a check, what do they do with the money? They can either buy our goods, put the money in the bond or stock market or put the money under their mattress.
Please explain how each of those is somehow bad for our country.
This is true, however what's wrong with that? More money from fair trade practices could mean a lesser tax burden for us citizens. It could mean more money to invest in job opportunities for regular folks who don't have college degrees. Blue collar jobs, like factory work. Of course we'd have to do something about the unions, but that's another story.
Since you used China for an example, let me explain my reasons for not doing a lot of business with them. How much American made product do they purchase from us, in the first place? Of course they can purchase bonds and stocks, but they're also purchasing weaponry. Who are they going to use those weapons against? Taiwan is a no brainer there. South Korea? The US? They use slave labor, so there isn't much economic output for wages. Besides that, they force women to have abortions, and steal body organs from prisoners.
Now I know what you're going to say about that. It's just business. No, it isn't just business. Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Yes, there was slavery in America, but I'd bet the farm that we treated our slaves a hell of a lot better than China treats theirs. Imo, it is against our founding principles to do business with countries that employ slave labor, and treat their workers like beasts of burden. Remember the brouhaha over Kathie Lee Gifford's WalMart clothing line, years ago? It was found that children were sewing those clothes.
This brings us back around to NAFTA, the NAFTA super hwy, and 12 million illegal aliens in this country. We don't need any of that. We aren't saving any money in the long run by using underpaid illegal immigrants. Emergency rooms, schools, and Federal poverty programs eat up a lot of money. These industrious folks will live in cramped, squalid conditions so they can send money home to the countries that basically kicked them out. Their earnings do not recirculate through the US economy like ours do. I haven't even factored in crime, identity theft, and uninsured motorists.
Imo, it is bad for our country not only in financial terms, but also in moral terms. This topic has a lot of layers to it, if you really think about it. There are a lot of foreign governments that would love to see America brought down to her knees, and destroyed.
A small trade inbalance can and should be expected, but these huge deficits will eventually bury us.
It leads to many of the errors you (and many others) make.
How much American made product do they purchase from us, in the first place?
According to this source, $55 billion last year.
Of course they can purchase bonds and stocks, but they're also purchasing weaponry.
That's a different argument. Let's change the discussion to Mexico, since you hate NAFTA.
Think about it this way, we buy stuff from Mexico and write them a check, what do they do with the money? They can either buy our goods, put the money in the bond or stock market or put the money under their mattress.
Please explain how each of those is somehow bad for our country.
A small trade inbalance can and should be expected, but these huge deficits will eventually bury us.
Obviously a trade deficit is bad and a surplus is good. That's why the US with a huge deficit has a great economy and Germany and Japan with huge surpluses have had terrible economies over the last 20 years.
Don't feel bad, many people with much more economics education than you (or me for that matter) make the same mistake.
“Think about it this way, we buy stuff from China and write them a check, what do they do with the money? They can either buy our goods, put the money in the bond or stock market or put the money under their mattress”
Hey toddsterpatriot you left out some....they can also use the money to build up their military to possibly use against us some day, buy up American companies and move them back to China, use the money to finance rogue “axis of evil” regimes to keep our own military bogged down in Iraq and other areas....
Please explain how each of those is somehow good for our country?
Yes, the Chinese Communists are evil bastards and I can't wait until they are on the ash heap of history. Now that we have that out of the way, why is more trade with Mexico bad? How about trade with Japan and Germany? Switzerland and Great Britain?
What was your previous screen name?
Why can't we reinvest a surplus to take care of our own, instead of sucking the taxpayers dry? You've mentioned Japan's and Germany's problem with trade surpluses. Do they reinvest their profits to enrich their countries? I don't know too much about modern Germany, besides their immigrant troubles and excellent beer, but Japan has problems with their lack of usable land, and a rapidly aging population. There isn't a whole lot of ways for Japan to reinvest their profits.
Thank you for posting that link. Do you not see a problem with this? That money could go to free job training starting in High School, and jobs to make America self supporting once again. We wouldn't need to import tainted foodstuff from China. People would be able to buy American, because they would be working for better wages, without some damn union bankrupting the employer. What the unions did to the auto industry, and Detroit by default, is absolute BS! Theoretically speaking, we could honestly cut the welfare rolls in half, maybe in as few as 2 generations.
This is where I have a problem with NAFTA. Who is it really benefitting? Wasn't it supposed to be helpful to all, instead of a few well placed thieves? We still have Jose walking from El Salvador! to reach the "promised land". The promised land where he will be robbed and treated like an endentured servant. How about John Doe? John Doe loses his job to another country, because hey, it's cheaper to operate somewhere else, and what we can't move, we'll just hire Jose. Maquiladoras are just so wonderful. /s It's not so much hatred, but disgust.
We don't need NAFTA to initiate fair trade. They have something for sale that we want/need...we buy it, if we don't already manufacture it here in the US.
If it wasn't for government sticking their socialistic noses under the tent flap, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
A trade surplus has nothing to do with a budget surplus.
This is where I have a problem with NAFTA. Who is it really benefitting?
Everyone who finds it easier to buy and sell.
If it wasn't for government sticking their socialistic noses under the tent flap, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Not to mention their failure to teach basic economics in the public schools.
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