Posted on 09/01/2007 11:04:13 AM PDT by Reagan Man
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration can proceed with a plan to open the U.S. border to long haul Mexican trucks as early as next week after an appeals court rejected a bid by labor, consumer and environmental interests to block the initiative.
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The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco late on Friday denied an emergency petition sought by the Teamsters union, the Sierra Club and consumer group Public Citizen to halt the start of a one-year pilot program that was approved by Congress after years of legal and political wrangling.
The Transportation Department welcomed the decision and said in a statement that allowing more direct shipments from Mexico will benefit U.S. consumers.
The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement approved broader access for ground shipments from both countries but the Clinton administration never complied with the trucking provision. A special tribunal ordered the Bush administration to do so in 2001.
"This is the wrong decision for working men and women," Jim Hoffa, president of the Teamsters, said in a statement after the court ruling. "We believe this program clearly breaks the law." The Teamsters represents truckers that would be affected by the change.
The emergency stay was sought on grounds the administration's pilot program had not satisfied the U.S. Congress' requirements on safety and other issues. But the appeals court ruled otherwise.
SAFETY ASPECTS
The administration plans to start the program on September 6. Transportation Department officials hope to receive final clearance early next week from the department's inspector general's office, which is reviewing its safety aspects, and finalize details with Mexican authorities.
The Mexican government must grant reciprocal access to U.S. trucks under NAFTA. That provision is not expected to be a problem, regulators said.
Mexican trucks operating in the United States have for years been restricted to U.S. points near certain large border crossings where their goods are transferred to trucks owned by U.S. firms.
Under the pilot program, Mexican long haul trucking companies that have met safety, licensing, and other U.S. requirements will be allowed to operate their rigs throughout the country. Proponents say this will reduce costs and speed up shipments.
Trucking regulators said in a court filing the goal is to gradually accommodate 100 Mexican trucking companies by the end of the pilot program, or roughly 540 large trucks.
But opponents said those figures do not reflect the number of companies that could seek access to U.S. roads if the pilot is successful, which they said raises safety concerns.
"This (pilot) program is basically a show trial. They haven't provided notice up front about who will participate. You just don't know what the program will look like," said Bonnie Robin-Vergeer, attorney for Public Citizen.
Public Citizen and the Teamsters still plan to proceed with a lawsuit they filed in federal court, challenging the Mexican truck program on broader grounds. That case will not likely be decided until next year.
Trucks from Canada have no operating restrictions in the United States.
“I merely pointed out the obvious: that the unionists will consider this order bad news, as they don’t like competition.”
Unions look out for their members, the truckers themselves, not the trucking companies. It’s the jobs that are at issue, not company profits. The companies will probably prosper from this. Truckers cannot compete with those who will drive for much lower pay. Ask the roofers about that.
I’m concerned not only about their driving dangers of these truck drivers but what’s inside the trucks????!!!!
They could carry a nuclear bomb into our country and who would know it?
This greatly concerns me, especially with all the talk of Al Qaeda in South America.
Bad. Bad. Idea!!
Thanks, I added it to my home page.
“What’s your real motive here? Profits regardless of consequences?”
That is the way I see it.
"Transportation services that insure your success HAS NO BORDERS"
Ferrocarril Mexicano is the largest railroad company in Mexico and owns Texas Pacifico Transportation (TXPF), which has some 350+ miles of track basically in west Texas. They also own some other short line tracks and those engines maybe associated with them. I don’t know that,it’s just a guess.
Oh, that's OK. Mexican truck drivers, like most illegals, will simply run away from the accidents they cause. The drive-by media will cooperate by reporting that "the cause of the accident is undetermined..."
“The companies will probably prosper from this. Truckers cannot compete with those who will drive for much lower pay. Ask the roofers about that.”
Not just roofers. Now the entire construction trade has been
taken over by illegals. The homebuilding industry is one of
the biggest proponents of illegal immigration/amnety.
Citizens do have that right.
I suspect there are citizens (like as in "Public Citizen") who would prefer a gummint bureaucracy take over that responsibility, as many already have. FDA, FTA, FAA, FCC, FDIC, need I go on?
How about a Federal Licensing And Safety Inspection Department for Mexican Trucks on US Highways? FLASIDMTUSH might be too long for civilian use, but the Navy would like it, as would Ralph Nader.
Well of course. Mexico and Mexican officials are the most corrupt on earth. They can be bribed with beer and cheap prostitutes.
We're at war, and our borders are wide open, and now we're going to legally allow tens of thousands of their unsafe trucks to enter our country??? This is security?
You know anyone involved in any real national security must be shaking their heads in amazement.
Common sense has been turned on it head.
It explains exactly where we are at this point of our history.
You said: Drive your truck across the border...abandon it and infiltrate into the country. Couldn’t be much simpler, could it?
I say: Yes, and the load of illegal immigrants, illegal drugs and illegal weapons as you can put in a semi truck, also.
Clearly.
LOL. I don't work for the trucking company itself, I work for Logistics. We deal with dozens of different carriers. Schneider itself is just another carrier to us.
And Schneider being in Mexico is no different than Wal-Mart having stores in Mexico.
Honestly, dragnet2, I cannot believe this is happening. And why does the Ninth Circuit Court get to decide? That’s the worst commie court in the land.
Not to mention the proportional number of deaths at the hands of Mexicans who can’t drive worth a crap.
>>The homebuilding industry is one of
the biggest proponents of illegal immigration/amnety.<<
I have noticed that every single hotel/motel (no exceptions) accross the country has only spanish speaking employees in their housekeeping department.
I even thought of having notes printed up so I wouldn’t have to keep writing:
“cuatro paquetes de café, por favor. Gracias.”
“You know anyone involved in any real national security must be shaking their heads in amazement.”
If I could draw, the cartoon would go like this:
At a random checkpoint, an inspector with clipboard stands before the open door of a Mexican-based truck. It has collapsed under its own weight, and the cargo is spilling out: twenty or so dirty bombs, several hundred uzis and ammunition, and several humans with luggage (some with beards). Not outside the realm of possibility.
I agree this is bad. But I wonder if the the Teamsters will assist at some very spectacular firey mexican truck crashes that will make headline news in the next few months.
You got it. Another brilliant move by our President...
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