Just in case.
Posted on 09/11/2007 5:09:04 PM PDT by 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.
If Mexican trucks don’t have to meet safety standards, why should American trucks?
Just one more way to keep the cost of doing business way up there for American companies.
Only an idiot purposely puts obstacles in his own path.
Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? Why do people always think that all truck drivers are union? I don’t know any union drivers. My husband is an o/o. He has a excellent track record as a professional driver, he also trains other drivers. So he is constantly improving himself in his profession. How more innovative can he be? Being he is his own boss. How do you compete with someone who will work for pennies on the dollar? Because in Mexico things are alot cheaper to buy. But we shop in the USA. I suppose you think Mattel did the right thing by outsourcing to China, right? Even though now that they found high concentrations of LEAD in childrens toys it will hurt them in the long run. But by God their toys are affordable. Do you see my point? When is it time to say “enough is enough”?
“It’s all about race”
Based on your posts, I’d say in your mind it is, and you’ve tried to inject it into the thread as well. Try landing somewhere within 5 miles of the topic of NAFTA and you could be taken halfway serious. All I see from your posts is racism and liberal apologies.
There are a lot of independants and owner/operators who are not teamsters’ union members who can expect to get hurt by an infiltration of foreign carriers. That is small business, plain and simple, not “union thugs”.
That’s how they do it endthematrix...they strip away national pride and promote cultural diversity. I distinctly remember the race-card thrown out as a tool for those trying to push Amnesty through. Nuff said...
It doesn't. But there is an attitude of "screw the truck drivers, restaurant workers, farm workers, Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, and anyone else who gets in the way of MY profits."
Unions comprise a very small minority of those being taken advantage of.
Anybody notice that the Brazilian govt banned all imports of Mattel toys? Not ours - at least Disney has stepped up to the plate - but then Christmas is coming.
amen, kEEP THEM mEXICAN TRUCKERS OFF OUR ALREADY DANGROUS HIGHWEAYS.
amen, kEEP THEM mEXICAN TRUCKERS OFF OUR ALREADY DANGROUS HIGHWEAYS.
should we let the rest of the world vote in our elections too??
Anything less would be discrimination.
Mornin’ (grumble grumble) ;)
Play nice!
Just a good thread that doesn’t need to get locked. ‘Nice’ hat firmly in place :)
Just in case.
this is not about economics, we can have free trade with Mexico without granting them full access to our roads, ever heard of PEMEX? Mexico doesn’t do free trade anyway
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