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Mexican Trucking Companies Sue U.S. Government, Alleging Discrimination
Associated Press ^ | Dec 18, 2001 | By Lynn Brezosky

Posted on 12/18/2001 2:04:35 PM PST by expose

Mexican Trucking Companies Sue U.S. Government, Alleging Discrimination

By Lynn Brezosky Associated Press Writer

Published: Dec 18, 2001

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Eleven Mexican trucking companies filed a $4 billion lawsuit Tuesday, accusing the U.S. government of discrimination by denying them permits to operate and do business in United States. The complaint asserts that federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, violated the North American Free Trade Agreement by allowing Canadian trucking firms more access than Mexican companies.

"There is no problem when trade is coming back and forth across the border," said lead attorney Fernando Chavez, the son of the late labor leader Cesar Chavez. "What causes the problem is when an individual who's Mexican is bringing it across."

The suit also alleges that Mexican truckers have been denied the right to invest in or own trucking companies based in the United States.

The plaintiffs' lawyers said the suit, filed in federal court in Brownsville, was on behalf of at least 185 Mexican trucking concerns. The $4 billion figure includes business and profits lost by Mexican companies since 1995, attorneys said.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation Tuesday said he had no immediate comment.

Rob Black, spokesman for the Teamsters union, which represents more than 120,000 U.S. truck drivers, called the suit "baseless."

"We would call on the trucking companies and the government of Mexico and say that now is the time they should do what should have been done seven years ago when NAFTA was passed: Improve their trucks," Black said.

The issue of Mexican trucks in the United States has simmered since a part of the NAFTA agreement called for allowing trucks to travel first throughout Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas by December 1995 and throughout the United States by January 2000.

While Canadian trucks were allowed, the agreement was delayed for Mexican trucks by former President Clinton.

After the White House threatened a veto on stricter legislation, a compromise was approved earlier this month that requires U.S. inspectors to conduct safety examinations of Mexican trucking companies, their vehicles, as well as driver's license verification.

Implementing the rules is expected to take months


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To: nothingnew
you're rude. here's just one reply. free republic is famous for hating mexicans.

To: expose

Just tell them mexican sons-of-bitches to shut up and complain to Clowntoon.

10 posted on 12/18/01 3:57 PM Pacific by Scruffdog [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse

61 posted on 12/18/2001 6:52:37 PM PST by ken21
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To: KirklandJunction
Sorry you're against foreign investment. It would mean money and jobs for Americans.

What are those same Mexican businessmen doing to help open up Mexico for American businessmen? Mexico is one of the most xenophobic countries for business, the benefits must be mutual but Mexico wants everything one-way. That's the difference between the US & Canada relationship. If Mexico was smart, it would look at the success of Japan which is just a small island country with few resources.

62 posted on 12/18/2001 6:54:13 PM PST by FITZ
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To: ken21
you're rude. here's just one reply. free republic is famous for hating mexicans.

I'm rude?...I made a joke..the one who posted "freerepublic is famous for hating mexicans" is rude...you take 5-10-20 posts like that and say freerepublic is "famous" for Mexican bashing?...where you been boy?

FMCDH

63 posted on 12/18/2001 7:01:18 PM PST by nothingnew
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To: EricOKC
Just because someone did not support NAFTA,

Don't worry ---- a lot of Mexicans don't support NAFTA either. NAFTA is bringing in jobs that pay $3-$8 a day, maquila workers are usually women who are not staying home now to raise their children and there are many social problems developing. Mexico should use it's perfect climate, do something about crime and bring in tourist dollars ---a waiter serving just 10 cheap customers a day leaving $1 tip will be ahead of a NAFTA worker and he doesn't have to leave a nice town and move to the desert to do it. Also if Mexico would allow Americans to buy and build up land there, they would have many better jobs for their people.

64 posted on 12/18/2001 7:03:09 PM PST by FITZ
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To: KirklandJunction
He thinks of solutions, not reasons for failure.

Nice.

65 posted on 12/18/2001 9:28:12 PM PST by PRND21
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To: expose
"BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Eleven Mexican trucking companies filed a $4 billion lawsuit Tuesday,"

E, Ah, just give 'em the money. That after all was WHY GATT was passed. What's $4,000,000,000 between friends? < /sarcasm > Peace and love, George.

66 posted on 12/19/2001 5:10:23 AM PST by George Frm Br00klyn Park
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To: bayourod
they will bring their brown-skinned wives and breed little brown babies who will be American citizens.

I find that phrase offensive. I am not a racist and I am not upset over Mexicans coming into America to work. I can't understand why some people who should know better just refuse to admit that when these people are given citizenship they will vote Democrat, and the Republican party will have to turn socialist in order to get votes from them. So what is that going to do to the conservatives and their agendas in the future? Do we have to spell it out to some people? These illegals are socialists. That makes me upset. Not the little, as you call them, "brown babies".

As for trucks, give us a break -- all kinds of illegals, terrorists and drugs and horrible things will be traveling pell mell over our highways. NAFTA be damned!

67 posted on 12/19/2001 5:38:02 AM PST by swampfox98
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Comment #68 Removed by Moderator

To: swampfox98
"I am not a racist and I am not upset over Mexicans coming into America to work."

Good. Then you should have no objection to them driving trucks from Mexico to Nashville, as long as those trucks and drivers meet our safety standards.

Your complaint about smuggling drugs and other things is mute because they already are allowed to drive their trucks fifty miles into the US. How else are goods going to cross the border. Do you want them to be hand carried?

69 posted on 12/19/2001 2:20:41 PM PST by bayourod
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To: bayourod
There won't be any standards set up that will be enforced. Wake up, we don't have the men or resources to check Mexican trucks coming into the US. These Mexican drivers can't even speak English. Are you going to sit there and smile praise NAFTA when one of your neighbors or one of your family members are injured or killed by someone who can't read a stop sign?

When are you people going to learn that there will be no enforcement of laws on these drivers? Americans are going to suffer and the perpetrators will flee back to Mexico and not face charges. It has already happened in a town near me. A mother was killed by a drunken illegal. He fled to Mexico and the Mexican government is still protecting him from prosecution.

As for bringing goods into the US -- let Americans do the job. Americans ---- ever hear of them?

70 posted on 12/20/2001 5:46:06 AM PST by swampfox98
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