Posted on 03/11/2008 11:30:03 AM PDT by Sammy67
Teamsters General President Says U.S. Drivers at Risk to Unsafe Trucks From Mexico Washington, D.C. – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa blasted the Bush administration today for its reckless indifference to the economic struggles of working Americans who are suffering under the North American Free Trade Agreement with more than a million lost jobs and billions of dollars in lost wages.
“No matter how many jobs we lose, no matter how many foreclosures, no matter how many people die on the highways, the Bush administration just doesn’t care about the safety and security of American workers,” Hoffa said. Hoffa’s comments followed a news conference by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who extolled the so-called benefits of NAFTA. Peters claimed that closing the border to unsafe Mexican trucks would hurt American businesses that want to sell to Mexico.
Hoffa said he doubted that because of the crime problem in Mexico. “I mean, hello, do you really want to take a load of Cadillacs down there and park? I don’t think so.”
Peters also claimed that Mexico will retaliate against the United States if it closes the southern border.
Hoffa pointed out that the United States buys $70 billion more goods from Mexico than it sells to that country.
“I don’t buy it,” Hoffa said in a conference call with reporters. “They’ve got a $70 billion trade surplus. They’d be foolish to do it.”
He cited a long list of companies that have moved their operations to Mexico, including Teamster employers such as Swingline
(Excerpt) Read more at borderfirereport.net ...
Teamsters along with every other Union seeing their jobs take flight South of the Border unless they are replaced right here.
OK, where’s the Captain Obvious photo when we need it?
Check out the link. Then tell me Hoffa is remotely interested in safety or whatnot.
Every day one of those safe, well trained, English speaking Teamster-represented slugs maims or kills or otherwise endangers more Americans than any group of Mexican truckers have or will.
After your family is wiped out by an overpaid Teamster slug - the guy in the clip tossed away $100,000+/yr with that stunt - the IBT will be right there to try their best to get him reinstated with back pay. That's how committed to your safety they are.
If you're interested in safety a good first step is removing Teamsters from the roadway. And, as an *admitted* criminal enterprise, they should be removed from society. Hoffa (and those that pander to him) would be a good starting point.
Mexican drivers will make teamsters look like...the best. Did you see the school bus accident where four children were killed. While driving in GA, I have seen any number of cars with bumper stickers that read as follows ‘my (insert name) was killed by an illegal alien’. NAFTA wasn’t unwise; it was a disaster. In America the drivers of big rigs must pass a difficult test. What kind of standards do you suppose they have in Mexico-of course with the graft they can probably buy licenses.
If this is Jimmy Hoffa, who is the guy they don’t know where he is?
Naw, that’s his dad.
Perhaps, but there is money to be made.
~snip~
Hoffa said Peters should close the border to Mexico because that country doesn’t have the same safety standards for truck drivers that the U.S. does. In Mexico there is no drug testing, criminal background checks, a complete database with driving records or enforcement of log maintenance.
“We do not need unsafe Mexican trucks on our highways,” Hoffa said.
Congress passed a law cutting off funding for the program that opens the border to unsafe trucks from Mexico. The law took effect on December 26, but Peters has chosen to ignore it and is keeping the border open.
I can't understand for the life of me where the outrage is over this stuff. US truckers certainly don't have the same privliged access into Mexico. And, those drivers on US soil... how is this not endangering US citizens?
“I can’t understand for the life of me where the outrage is over this stuff. “
Most people have no idea this is going on. The news hasn’t time for such coverage, they’re busy with Brittney and Paris.
>>What kind of standards do you suppose they have in Mexico-of course with the graft they can probably buy licenses.<<
It’s worse than that. If the open borders crowd here bothered to learn Spanish and actually talked to Mexicans, they would discover the truth.
I have talked to Mexican 18-wheeler drivers who say they don’t have insurance because, if they had it, the insurance companies never pay claims.
No real driver records. Since they don’t pay cops anything, when you get stopped for a traffic violation (alleged or real), a phenomenon occurs called “la mordida.” You pay the cop, problem solved. No records of the offense, why bother?
It’s getting worse because of the drug wars. And do you think letting these truckers have free access to our roads and the 80MPH, 1200 foot wide Trans Texas Corridor is going to make this country safe from drugs and terrorists?
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