Mexico Trucker Online

It is not surprising that the opponents and critics of the Mexican truck demonstration project immediately jumped into action following the announcement last evening that the first certificates of authority had been issued. One each to a company in Mexico and in the United States.

Joan Claybrook, of Public Citizen had this to say:

Decisions this important should not be made in haste, and definitely not in the dark of night,” Claybrook said.

Claybrook said FMCSA was “barreling ahead” with the pilot program before the public had a chance to review the report from the DOT’s Office of the Inspector General.

Tell you what Joanie girl after 15 years on the books, nothing has been done in haste. And how much time does the “public” need to read a 65 page document. I read and comprehended it in less than 30 minutes. Of course, I have no desire to pick apart the symantics and try to read things into words that simply aren’t there in an effort to try and delay the inevitable.

Teamsters organizer Hugo Flores of Laredo, was pushing the unions propaganda;

“There are no means to regulate these guys. Bush has opened up highways to unsafe trucks,” “I don’t want them sharing the roads with my family.”

Well Hugo, you’ve done the bidding of your master and if you can read English, read the reports on the project and you’ll find your answers. And if you don’t want them on the road with your family, keep you family at home.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), who is up for election in 2008, pandering to the fears of the electorate had this to say:

“This administration is hell-bent on opening our borders,” DeFazio said, “but has failed to require that Mexican drivers and trucks meet the same safety and security standards as U.S. drivers and trucks.”

Apparently, DeFazio is letting the cash moved into his PAC do his thinking for him and his comments show his total ignorance of the facts of the program

And of course, Todd Spencer of OOIDA chiming in. If anyone heard him the other night on Steve Sommers show whining that his question in the 9pm press conference were ignored, will understand his continuing childish comments. And don’t forget the much anticipate “law suit” that OOIDA threatened to file. The “Petition” filed this morning in U.S. District Court in D.C. asked for relief and a stay based on a “procedural error” on behalf of FMCSA. The lawsuit is frivolous and without merit because it refers to a procedure required of a “Pilot Program” and this has been shown to be a Demonstration Project which has a different set of rules.

Spencer charged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is “making up the rules as they go along” for exactly how the Mexican truck demonstration project would be launched, operated, or evaluated.

In that statement, I believe Spencer invalidates the argument made in the Petition. Even he agrees it is a Demonstration Project.

Spencer went on to ask this absurd question:

Why is the Bush administration preparing to issue visas to the Mexican drivers for six months?” Spencer asked. “This is the first guest worker program, whether the White House wants to admit it or not. Canadian drivers don’t have to have visas, so why would a Mexican driver have to have a visa, especially a visa valid for six months?”

And to this question I am going to give you the answer. It is because of people like you and the anti immigrant crowd, the isolationists etc. that visas must be issued.

This is not a “guest worker” program as you suggest. You are correct. Canadian drivers don’t need them because they are white and speak English.

Our government, in all it’s wisdom, has decided and based it’s decisions concerning Mexican citizens desiring to visit this country for shopping, vacations etc, on the premise that each and every Mexican citizen has a desire to abandon their country and migrate to the United States. Thus the visa issue. Mexican citizens must prove to the State Department ties to the home country that would make it attractive for them to return. In other words, they are considered guilty before the crime. Is it any wonder we have so many illegals staying in the country when this policy is in place?