Checking ID of port truckers could stall freight across U.S.

AZ RED STAR NET ^ | 01.03.2007 | Stephen Franklin and Darnell Little

[traditional1]

"Let the unions compete in a free market. "

With the Liberals in control of Congress now, it ain't gonna happen. Unions have been extortion schemes, corruption forces, and Democrat-supported thugs and will continue to be so when their "donations" to the Democrats keeps buying their racket's existence. They priced themselves out of the market, replaced by illegals who work for much less and few benefits, and businesses that didn't go offshore have been importing illegal workers to pay offshore-type wages to fill the gap.

Until this country rises up and says "no more free passes" and absolutely refuses to grant amensty to the millions of CRIMINAL INVADERS, there's no end in sight.

Anchor babies should be recognized as NON-CITIZENS, which they are, and freebies to ILLEGALS must be eliminated.

Get in line with the rest of us, and gain citizenship the old fashioned way: EARN IT!

[dennisw]

And what are these illegal alien truckers hauling? Crap from China and Asia.

[nevergore]

Yeah...but they're only doing the jobs Americans don't want..... /sarcasm off

[org.whodat]

"There could be a huge impact," said Curtis Whalen, an official of the American Transportation Association

What a walking ball of corruption this man Whalen is.

[texas booster]

1. The Ports of LA and Long Beach are unionized (IIRC) and union workers will often earn near $100,000/year when all is factored in. There are no cost savings available in this part of the budget to companies since the union dictates expenses and keeps port fees high to pay for them.

2. The trucking companies are not hiring illegals as employees, which would require them to document I9s. They hire them as subcontractors (kinda like roofing companies hire work crews). I do not know how they issue 1099s to these drivers though, which needs a SS#.

3. Most of the drivers discussed above seem to be driving intrastate only, not interstate. I have always thought that interstate deliveries were the province of the larger commercial fleets. Not positive though.

4. While on the subject of truckers that haul for below market rates, how about a safety inspection or two, occasionally, somewhere. Please? How about insurance companies helping out here? And why does NAFTA allow Mexican companies to operate in the US without meeting US standards of safety, insurability and financial stability?

5. The pressure to move to Mexico is caused more by high port fees than delivery fees. If LA and Long Beach would clean up their act and get the mob out, maybe we will keep a few jobs after the Mexican superports are built (which will heavily use rail, IIRC).

[hedgetrimmer]

TRANSLATION: Mexican based trucks, with Mexican drivers, allowed to break rules and regs bu "Political Correctness". "free trade".

[Wolverine]

Michael Medved Loses His Cool Over North America Union

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18721

 

 

Mr. Corsi is the author of several books, including "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry" (along with John O'Neill), "Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil" (along with Craig R. Smith), "Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians," and most recently, "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders." He will soon author a book on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America and the prospect of the forthcoming North American Union.

 

 

 

[Alberta's Child]

I would add that this is not necessarily an "illegal immigration" problem at its root. The Port of Vancouver recently implemented severe restrictions on the types of truck operators that were permitted to do business there. In that case it wasn't a matter of "documentation" (most of the port drivers there are poor immigrants, but they are legal immigrants) but of ensuring a minimal standard of performance, licensing, insurance, etc. -- by prohibiting those truck operators with an extensive track record with the port authority from subcontracting work out to fly-by-night operators.

[griswold3]

You bring up alot of good points. However, owning a trucking business myself, this article is BS.
With all the DOT regulations concerning insurance, driver CDL qualifications, inspections, etc. There is no way an illegal immigrant could be employed for a legal trucking company.
(An email alert, concerning enacting port security the dims are advocating -9/11 commission- will require all port workers and airline inspectors to be unionized. ? )

[Made In The USA]

To your point - I'd have to agree with you.

[OldFriend]

Let's not forget Hannity and Levin who were apoplectic about the Ports deal. They fell for the union label.

As you can tell from their endless ranting against republicans, they could care less about national security. Faux patriots I call them.

[texas booster]

"by prohibiting those truck operators with an extensive track record with the port authority from subcontracting work out to fly-by-night operators."

I do not understand how a modern company regulated by DOT standards could possibly allow a subcontractor to be undocumented. Insurance companies would pull coverage from a company fast and put them out of business.

Illegal, yes, but undocumented, no way.

Still, look at the investigations into major truck and bus accidents and especially, the bus fire near Dallas that killed all the nursing home evacuees. Somehow, folks are skirting regulations for years and getting away with it.

At least until someone dies.