Plan assists Mexican trade

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will announce today a system to allow commercial trucks to clear customs at the Mexican border in as little as 5 seconds by using preregistered ID cards.

A similar system has had success regulating trucks from Canada, but the less-secure southern border could pose challenges.

Of course you men can say anything you want but the the reality is that neither of you can provide documentation to support your statements.

As for the inspection of the Mexican trucks, that was taken care of with the Murray-Shelby Amendment. The Teamsers signed off on Murray-Shelby

As for the statement that somehow it is Bush's fault is not accurate. The reality is that Mexico got a judgement against the US to the tune of $2 billion per year for refusal of access. You can be sure that all the US trucking companies that bought into Mexican trucking companies in contemplation of shipping cross border will also take the US into arbitration.

As for the Mexican truckers going where they are not supposed to go, it happens. This website publishes very credible stats that show the numbers to be very small. They can't make any money doing it. With access, most all incentive will disappear.

Both US and Mexican trucks operated on both sides of the border for years and years. That ended only because Mexico stopped it in 1982 to protect their truckers and the US retaliated.

There are not many companies that have applied to ship cross-border. Nine out of ten of those are US companies that have bought Mexican companies. The one out of ten is a Mexican company that bought a US company. The only way a shipper can make any money on this is to have a system set up on both sides of the border. To think that Jose can fill up a truck, drive to Chicago, find a backhaul to Mexico City and make money is insane. You can be sure that Roadway or Celadon could though.

"but the the reality is that neither of you can provide documentation to support your statements."

I stated that my main concern was for the security of our country. A large percentage of the crimes in Mexico go unpunished. Therefore, there is no criminal record on allot of the crooks.

From El Universal on line. Oct 31,2003.

"As the country becomes increasingly dangerous, the private protection industry booms, matching total earnings from tourism.

There is reason for concern. According to the latest report by the Citizens' Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, a business organization, MEXICO has the dubious honor of being one of the WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES.

Just last year 1.44 million felonies such as burglaries, rapes and assaults were reported, and 90 PERCENT of them went UNPUNISHED.

Defects in a judicial system that does NOT punish criminals, entrenched corruption in police departments and the increased sophistication of criminal organizations are the ingredients for an explosive situation that affects every one in Mexico from poor workers to highly-paid executives."

This documentation is from Mexico about their own people.

http://www.el-universal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=1677&tabla=miami

I live 10 miles from the Mexican border so I have seen all kinds of Mexican trucks and vehicles. Some good and some bad.

Drug sniffing dogs are now in use at the border. I guess the dogs will be replaced with "trust".

Last year at the Falfurrous check point, the BP had stopped a truck and unloaded frozen strawberries. They were asking everyone to take a 20 gallon bucket of strawberries. The BP explained that the dogs had sniffed the drugs. I took a bucket of the strawberries.

Also, there have been quite a few articles about smuggling middle easterners via Mexico. Do you need those posted?

I have no intention of trying to dispute what you say about Mexican crime, or drugs and illegals crossing the border.

What I am saying is that the shuttle truck arrangement being used now makes it easier for illegals and drugs to enter on trucks. It also makes it easier for illegals and drugs that have crossed the border in other ways to then find transportation north. Additonally, the shuttles increase the number of vehicles that need to be inspected.

As for potential terrorists entering the US, there will always be more of threat of this happening from Canada than Mexico because there are a large number of muslims in Canada and Canada has very lax immigration policies.

As for particular instances where Muslims have been caught entering the US from Mexico, I know of none. I have heard of one recent event involving Arab Christians entering California from Mexico.

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