Posted on 08/02/2008 9:09:31 AM PDT by AuntB
WASHINGTON – Opponents of a pilot project that allows Mexican trucks to travel throughout the United States took another step toward ending the program yesterday, when a House committee approved a bill to bar its continuation next year.
The bill could get a vote by the full House when lawmakers return from their summer break in September.
“We believe it's time to end the program,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the chief sponsor of the bill.
DeFazio blasted the Bush administration for ignoring a law passed by Congress last year to end the pilot program. He said lax safety standards in Mexico make truck drivers from that nation a danger to the American public – an allegation that U.S. transportation officials dispute.
DeFazio's legislation would prevent the one-year pilot program from being extended past its scheduled end on Sept. 6. The bill also would require an assessment of the program from the U.S. Department of Transportation and an independent review panel created by the agency.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters has not said whether she plans to continue the program after Sept. 6, but opponents suspect an extension is in the works.
The program allows U.S. carriers to haul cargo into Mexico for the first time. Twenty-six Mexican carriers and 10 from the United States are enrolled.
Supporters and opponents are awaiting a federal court decision in a lawsuit alleging that the program is illegal.
Despite administration backing for the program, many Republicans in Congress have joined Democrats in opposing it over safety concerns and a fear that Mexican truck drivers will take U.S. jobs.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bill on a voice vote with no opposition. Rep. John Mica of Florida, ranking Republican on the committee; Rep. John Duncan Jr., R-Tenn.; and committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., joined DeFazio in sponsoring the bill.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the program, said in a statement that it was disappointed by the vote. The agency said the program “fulfills our obligations under NAFTA and benefits U.S. consumers and truck drivers while operating in a safe manner.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, an opponent of the pilot project, applauded the vote.
“There is little doubt the administration will try to extend the program beyond its anniversary,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the group. “It's vital that this bill be passed.”
Well whenever those first steps were taken, it’s led now to the inevitable.
We’re spending our national inheritance.
We’re spending part of it, to Arab fundamentalists who hate us, and it’s driving down the dollar.
We’re spending part of it, to Chinese communists who are replacing us as the world’s technological and industrial powerhouse. And it’s driving down the dollar.
We’re spending part of it, sending jobs to Latin America.
All of it, does NOTHING for America, and all of it steadily erodes our national strength.
It’s far past time for all of us to stop this.
It’s a shame, Democrats will be the ones who do.
Probably safer than domestic trucks.
This is scam by DEMOCRATIC trucker unions who utilize knee-jerk “Mexico bad” reaction of conservatives.
Classic triangulation.
Do the same crap with Japanese cars. (Me, I say screw GM.)
The interesting thing is that trucks equipped for long-hauling were in the best shape, and that it didn't matter which country they were from (meaning that the statistics evened-out). It makes sense if you think about it.
Twenty-six Mexican carriers and 10 from the United States are enrolled.
Any idea how many trucks are involved with these 26 Mexican carriers?...... 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 or maybe 50?
Probably safer than domestic trucks.
My guess is if safety was the real issue then the Congress critters would be more interested in the short haul trucks such as dump trucks, log trucks, livestock trucks, cross border trucks in the 20 mile zone, etc. From what I’ve read in the past many of these trucks are usually operating with safety defects.
My guess is long haul trucks generally would be safer whether Mexican or domestic.
Didn't the original article we posted say that it involved maybe 100 trucks? Certainly no more than 200...
That doesn't mean that there aren't more involved, just that the published story at the time these 26 carriers began crossing gave a number certain.
Ping!
We were in Hammond. I just made a note of the trucking company and told the plant manager. And shook my head.
*FMCSA inspectors do not have vital safety information on Mexican vehicle accident reports, driver violations, or even whether truckers have the same insurance required of U.S. drivers
*Several states have told the DOT that they are not prepared to implement the safety aspects of the program.
*Despite claims to the contrary, the Department is exempting Mexican truck drivers from the physical fitness requirements it applies to U.S. drivers
Yes, he did.
So, I’m confused. If they couldn’t be stopped before, how can they be stopped now, especially when this administration didn’t need approval in the first place?
“We believe it’s time to end the program,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the chief sponsor of the bill.”
Big woop. WE believed they never should have been allowed in in the first place...lot of good it did.
Here is the NAFTA arbitration panel's ruling for Mexico.
Notice the date is a few weeks after Bush took office. Mexico has allowed the US to try to reach some political consensus on this. Eventually, Mexico will invoke the sanctioned retaliation.
While this complaint was heard under Chapter 20, I suspect that there are numerous private investors who have a valid complaint against the US under Chapter 11
look at the right culumn for number of units involved
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/cross-border/cross-border-carriers.htm
btw this does not count the Mexican divisions of US owed Carriers such as SwIft, Schnieder, Con Way, Celadon etc all nafta certified, that bought little mexican companies in preparation of the borders opening...
and lastly, they haven’t said much of anything about the two carriers that were initially in the deal that bailed and went back to being border rats after the safety records became public and they found an average of 2 out of service violations per truck per month for 100 trucks for the previous year in Trinitys case...
NOTE: Effective February 1, 2008, Trinity Industries de Mexico S de R L de CV, DOT# 610385, withdrew from the Cross Border Demonstration Project and reinstated their OP-2 commercial zone authority.
Effective June 12, 2008, Francisa Burgos Vizcarra dba Transportes Francisca Burgos Vizcarra, DOT# 558189, had its operating authority reinstated.
Effective June 19, 2008, Orlando Nevid Lopez Hernandez dba Productos Alpes DOT# 559947 withdrew from the Cross Border Demonstration Project and reinstated their OP-2 authority.
How about just giving the public the raw data and letting us run our own stats. They should be getting daily reports on trucking accidents from across the nation. If not then why not in this computer age.
From the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.."The eastbound lanes are called the "drug side," because drugs are transported from California and Mexico via the interstate to the East Coast. The westbound lanes are deemed the "money side," where the cash is hauled back to drug manufacturers." Each year, more than 3 million trucks pass through the station.
Last summer, TWO Senate tries to push amnesty met with huge protests from coast to coast, from all segments of the political spectrum.......and went down to ignominious defeat TWICE.
Dems and Repubs joining together to end Mexican truck travel again reinforces that fact that these are consensus issues.
Ask Hillary about the huge chorus of disapproval from liberal New Yorkers when she endorsed licensing illegals.
About 84% of Americans oppose some form of illegal immigration.
HiJinx,
I’m thinking that you may have the number 100 stuck in your head because in return, 100 U.S. trucking companies will be allowed to operate in Mexico.
Here it is.
Sep 3, 2007 ... NAFTA: 100 Mexican Trucking Companies Given Go-Ahead To Haul Cargo ...
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=64663
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