Mexican trucks into U.S. despite Congress saying no.

[RedGlitter]

Why do we have Congress if we're just going to do our own thing anyway?



Mexican trucks allowed into U.S. despite new law to stop them

Associated Press

Jan. 4, 2008 01:14 PM

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is going ahead with a controversial pilot program giving Mexican trucks greater access to U.S. highways despite a new law by Congress against it.

The decision to proceed with the four-month-old program, which allows participating Mexican trucking companies to send loads throughout the United States, comes despite language in the recently signed catchall spending bill aimed at blocking it.

But the Department of Transportation is taking advantage of a loophole in the new law, which prohibits the government from spending any money to "establish" the program. The government says the new rules don't apply to the current program since it was started in September.





"The U.S. Department of Transportation will not establish any new demonstration programs with Mexico," said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spokeswoman Melissa Mazzella DeLaney. "The current cross-border trucking demonstration project - established in September - will continue to operate in a manner that puts safety first."

Congressional opponents of the programs insist that it's clear what lawmakers were trying to do last year when both House and Senate voted against allowing the program to go forward.

The provision, as signed by President Bush last month, says: "None of the funds made available under this act may be used to establish a cross-border motor carrier demonstration program to allow Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the international border between the United States and Mexico."

"They know what the law says," retorted Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who won a 74-24 vote to block the program. "And they're not above the law." Dorgan warned they better follow the law.

The hotly contested program, opposed by labor, independent truck owners and environmental groups, permits up to 500 trucks from 100 Mexican motor carriers full access to U.S. roads.

Opponents have been fighting the measure - part of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement - since it was first proposed, saying the program will erode highway safety and eliminate U.S. jobs. And they say that there are insufficient safeguards exist to make sure that Mexican trucks are as safe as U.S. carriers.

"When you open up U.S. highways to long-haul Mexican trucks without equivalent safety standards, it poses risks for American drivers," Dorgan said.

Supporters of the plan say letting more Mexican trucks on U.S. highways will save American consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. And they say U.S. trucking companies will benefit since reciprocal changes in Mexico's rules permit U.S. trucks new access to that country.

Since 1982, Mexican trucks have had to stop within a buffer border zone and transfer their loads to U.S. trucks.

Still, there's widespread opposition to the program within Congress. The House voted without a roll call in July to block the program and the Senate's 3-to-1 margin in September to block it came despite administration assurances that safeguards are in place to "ensure a safe and secure program."

The Teamsters Union, Sierra Club and Public Citizen joined together in a lawsuit filed in August seeking to block the program.

A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12 before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Teamsters spokeswoman Leslie Miller said.

[Patsy Warnick]

Can you believe the Administration is allowing Mexican trucks into the US.

And we wonder about illegals and border control, yet allow these delapitated Mexican Trucks across - carrying God knows what.??

Nothings inspected. Talk about Loop Holes..

Recently this exact topic was on the news - many were appauled.

I heard this on the news - I thought I missed part of the story

And the advantage to this Mexican Truck Policy is What???

I guess I don't get it.??:-2

Patsy

[CARLA]

Insane, criminal, why?? I live in a border town. They are rolling accidents and they will cause many. Tires are bald on most of them, springs are gone, emission is unbelivable. I will take another way when I see one that is how dangerous these trucks are. :-5

[spot]

It's a different world, it really is. The UK roads are full of trucks from the whole of Europe and nobody here bats an eyelid.

[RedGlitter]

Are those trucks properly maintained or are they disasters waiting to happen?

[spot]

Are you suggesting the whole of Mexico's incapable of putting just 500 roadworthy trucks onto your interstates?

Mexico has the 14th highest Gross Domestic Product of the entire world, they're scarcely backward.

I'm reminded of something Carl Sagan once said... let me look it up:One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. it is simply too painful to acknowledge - even to ourselves - that we've been so credulous.

"The Fine Art of Baloney Detection," Parade, February 1, 1987

[RedGlitter]

spot;754644 wrote: Are you suggesting the whole of Mexico's incapable of putting just 500 roadworthy trucks onto your interstates?

Mexico has the 14th highest Gross Domestic Product of the entire world, they're scarcely backward.




Nope, I'm suggesting that they just don't care.

American trucks have to pass rigorous inspection so why are we allowing shoddy, unsafe trucks from Mexico on American roads? Are they somehow exempt from proper safety protocol? Like Carla, I live close to the border and I can see what's rolling in. Nobody said Mexico was backward, but if they can do better, then why don't they??