Senate votes to ban Mexican trucks

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | Sep. 11, 2007 | Suzanne Gamboa

[ruination]

WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Tuesday to ban Mexican trucks from U.S. roadways, rekindling a more than decade-old trade dispute with Mexico.

By a 74-24 vote, the Senate approved a proposal by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., prohibiting the Transportation Department from spending money on a North American Free Trade Agreement pilot program giving Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways.

The proposal is part of a $106 billion transportation and housing spending bill that the Senate hopes to vote on later this week. The House approved a similar provision to Dorgan's in July as part of its version of the transportation spending bill.

Supporters of Dorgan's amendment argued the trucks are not yet proven safe. Opponents said the U.S. is applying tougher standards to Mexican trucks than to Canadian trucks and failing to live up to its NAFTA obligations.

Until last week, Mexican trucks were restricted to driving within a commercial border zone that stretched about 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexican boundary, 75 miles in Arizona. One truck has traveled deep into the U.S. interior as part of the pilot program.

Blocking the trucks would help Democrats curry favor with organized labor, an important ally for the 2008 presidential elections.

"Why the urgency? Why not stand up for the (truck) standards that we've created and developed in this country?" Dorgan asked.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who drafted a Republican alternative to Dorgan's amendment, said the attempt to block the trucks appeared to be about limiting competition and may amount to discrimination against Mexico.

"I would never allow an unsafe truck on our highways, particularly Texas highways," he said.

Under NAFTA, Mexico can seek retaliation against the U.S. for failing to adhere to the treaty's requirements, including retaining tariffs on goods that the treaty eliminates, said Sidney Weintraub, a professor emeritus at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs in Austin.

The trucking program allows up to 100 Mexican carriers to send their trucks on U.S. roadways for delivery and pickup of cargo. None can carry hazardous material or haul cargo between U.S. points.

So far, the Department of Transportation has granted a single Mexican carrier, Transportes Olympic, access to U.S. roads after a more than decade-long dispute over the NAFTA provision opening up the roadways.

One of the carrier's trucks crossed the border in Laredo, Texas last week and delivered its cargo in North Carolina on Monday and was expected to return to Mexico late this week after a stop in Decatur, Ala.

The transportation bill is S. 1789.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree that the independent would probably be hurt worse since they own their own rigs, but would the union boys be hurt too? I don’t understand why not.

I will add that I don’t think this early situation will remain static. I think full access would come in a few years, if that long.

[scarface367]

Economics is not a zero sum gain. Just because Mexico gains a job does not mean America loses one. If indeed Mexican truckers are more efficient that American (and this may not necessarily be the case in regard to output per worker) that Americans are better off to focus on those areas where we are more efficient. And if American truckers end up being more efficient in terms of output then the market will show that fact.

[DoughtyOne]

Rankin, are we talking rads here?

[cva66snipe]

I did a temporary stint as a distribution supervisor in Chicago for about 8 drivers, Chicago teamsters. I had a few problems, including one grievance, but the biggest headache was the maintenance bills. I could not believe the cost of maintenance on the trucks. The higher the bill, the higher my blood pressure.

Used too getting a truck into California was a major undertaking. They inspected then did it some more at their scale houses and it was mandatory. I don't know how they are now. My truck was a company lease from Ryder so they had the maintenance on it. My father in law at that time was a local Ryder Mechanic :>}

[Old_Mil]

Oh I see pal, were going to now train the 50 year old American trucker to be a senior aerospace engineer? Or is he going to apply at Wal-Mart?

Ah, but you see, that's the catch. Free traders are very slick when they say that education will get you into that group of people who are exempt from foreign competition. Unfortunately, that too is a lie.

You see, the standard of living in the third world is so low that nobody in America can compete with their third world counterpart. An American trucker can't compete with a Mexican trucker. An American computer programmer can't compete with an Indian computer programmer. An American radiologist can't compete with a Chinese radiologist.

The hidden truth behind free trade is that first world countries and third world countries will have to average their standards of living for it to work.

[dragnet2]

Regardless, blocking the trucks is the right thing to do. That's one way you can tell the difference between a conservative and a Republican. A conservative will be elated when someone - anyone - acts to shore up the motherland (regardless of the motive). A mere Republican, however, will be saddened that given this turn of events, Joe CEO might not be able to afford his third vacation home.

Bump that.

[papasmurf]

You can fool yourself, now, to believe your words, but, in the long run, you’ll regret them.

You do realize that you’re talking about outsourcing the most basic part of our National infrastructure and civil defense, don’t you?

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It’s the Fahrenheit version of Kelvin.

[papasmurf]

Hehe, try owning 7 of them. LOL

[tennmountainman]

Thanks for posting the votes. It looks like Goober got the message. He’s up for re-election in 08. Whats the deal with McCain missing these votes?

[BnBlFlag]

“Since when is it OK to violate a treaty”?
In the first place NAFTA is not a treaty. A treaty has to pass Congress with a 2/3 vote. NAFTA or the North American Free Trade AGREEMENT is just that and it passed with simple majorities well below 2/3 in both houses of Congress.
Congress could simply pass a law requiring our withdrawal from the Agreement and that would be it. If the law was vetoed they would then need 60 votes in the Senate and 2/3 in the House.
BTW, G. Bush took us out of the ABM Treaty with Russia by simply saying we had unilaterally withdrawn.

[mdefranc]

Gee whiz, Big Brother, I guess it takes a village! Most likely, your Uber-Nanny will be inaugurated in January 2009.

[Ron H.]

I loathe unions, but if those teamsters are U.S. Citizens and work in the United States, they sure as hell get my vote to work over foreign nationals.

[MHT]

Hip-hip-hooray! They did something right.

[DoughtyOne]

You’re just trying to depress me, I know. LOL

It’s been along time simce I was versed it that fertile ground.

[HoosierHawk]

No, thank you. You’re a better man than me.

[em2vn]

I think you are a whinner with very little association with unions. Have you been to a union meeting where you or someone else was assaulted or are you relating something you have no knowledge of.
As Jack London said,”After God created pus he created scabs,” the kind who cross picked line. From your post I know where you fit in Mr.London’s statement.
As a Phd. friend of mine once told me,”We know what B.S. stands for. M.S. means more of the same and Phd. only means piled higher and deeper. I think you prove the point he was making is correct.

[cva66snipe]

I agree that the independent would probably be hurt worse since they own their own rigs, but would the union boys be hurt too? I don’t understand why not. I will add that I don’t think this early situation will remain static. I think full access would come in a few years, if that long.

Most of the Union jobs I believe are point to point routes rather than true cross country driving. IOW they usually aren't the ones to do east to west coast turnarounds. They will drive say from Chicago to Nashville then hit a room for 8 hours then a truck back to Chicago afterward. The trailers don't have sleepers on them. This may well get nasty though real soon as Independents can get mad also. Some of the nastiest strikes are by truckers.

[dragnet2]

You see, the standard of living in the third world is so low that nobody in America can compete with their third world counterpart. An American trucker can't compete with a Mexican trucker. An American computer programmer can't compete with an Indian computer programmer. An American radiologist can't compete with a Chinese radiologist.

You bet. The sooner everyone realizes this, the better. We may actually have a chance to save ourselves from this greed race for the low wage peasant labor.

It's all about higher profits regardless of consequences.

Beware of those that support these actions.