Aug 06

Sen. Patty Murray holding their “feet to the fire” for resolution of Mexican truck issue

By PMC American Politics, Cross Border Program, NAFTA View Comments
pattymurray

WASHINGTON — A “frustrated” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., late Monday said she had included language in the Fiscal Year 2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill that calls on the Obama administration to put forward a plan that would end retaliatory tariffs on Washington state agricultural products by Oct. 1.

The bill passed the THUD subcommittee, which Murray chairs, as well as the full Appropriations committee, and will now head to the full Senate for consideration.

“I am extremely frustrated that the administration has not yet acted while farmers across my home state of Washington continue to suffer under Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs,” Murray said. “I am urging both the Obama administration and the Mexican government to solve this issue and allow Washington state farmers to compete on a level playing field. Since there has been inaction for too long, I included specific language in the transportation spending bill giving the administration a clear deadline of Oct. 1 to solve this problem.”
Continue reading »

Tagged with: • • •
Mar 15

Rumors of expanded tariff’s to target Beef, Pork and Chicken processors

By PMC American Politics, Cross Border Program, NAFTA Comments Off

A new week and more misinformation coming from OOIDA as they push their lemmings to urge their Congresspeople to sign on to Rep. Peter DeFazio’s silly little letter calling for the Obama Administration to discriminate once more, against Mexico, by renegotiating the provision that allows Mexican trucks access to the United States.

It’s also the eve of the first anniversary of the legal tariff’s that Mexico instituted in retaliation for the closure of the Cross Border Demonstration Project.

Our sources confirm that the rumors circulating that the Mexican government may update a trade retaliation list against U.S. products is true. This new list is very likely to include tariff’s on beef, pork and chicken products exported to Mexico.
Continue reading »

Tagged with: • • •
Mar 11

OOIDA stooge Peter DeFazio wants to renegotiate NAFTA, but only for Mexican trucks

By PMC American Politics, Cross Border Program, Homeland Stupidity, NAFTA, Trucking Opinions View Comments

Mexican trucksOn the first anniversary of the shutdown of the Cross Border Trucking program with Mexico, the job losses are mounting for American workers as American business’s continue to lose market share from the LEGAL tariff’s Mexico instituted in retaliation for our failure to comply with our obligations under NAFTA.

57 members of Congress in addition to more than 1400 trade groups have called on President Obama, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk to get the issue settled.

Secretary LaHood stated in a recent interview that they were close to a resolution to the issue.

The tariff’s, the job losses and loss of market share are the fault of people like Teamsters President James Hoffa, OOIDA mouthpiece Todd Spencer and their stooges in Congress such as Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, and James Oberstar of Minnesota, who has strangely, stayed silent during this latest round of debate.

Realizing the very real possibility of the border being open to Mexican trucks who have proven to be safe and compliant with US laws and regulations, Peter DeFazio is preparing a letter for fellow congressmen demanding a renegotiation of Article 1202 of NAFTA, National Treatment of Cross-Border Trade in Services.

The purpose is to forbid Mexican trucks from access to the US and theoretically, remove the legal tariff’s which aare causing so much concern.

The letter, which was sent to OOIDA for their approval, states in part;

Continue reading »

Sep 04

OIG Report – Political aims keep a deal idling slowly

By PMC American Politics, Cross Border Program, FMCSA, Guest Bloggers, NAFTA, Trucking Opinions Comments Off

frio_expressThe federal government has prompted yet another delay in the implementation of a NAFTA provision that allows Mexican truckers to bring cargo from that country to U.S. markets.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, that provision should have gone into effect on Jan. 1, 1995 — more than 14½ years ago.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general on Wednesday issued a report stating that the department still needs more information to determine if Mexican trucks are safe enough to enter this country.

The report, prepared by department auditors, says that some states don’t adequately report the nationality of people convicted of traffic violations, and that some buses aren’t inspected sufficiently when they cross the border.

This despite a 2007 pilot program that allowed a limited number of Mexican trucks free access throughout the country. Most people didn’t even notice the program was in operation, suggesting there was no sudden rash of accidents due to their presence on U.S. roads.
Continue reading »

Tagged with: • •
Aug 26

Veterans Decry Misinformation Campaign Including VA Care and Health Reform

By PMC American Politics Comments Off

American war veterans are not happy with recent attempts to smear the Department of Veterans Affairs work helping veterans with the very sensitive issue of their living wills, and are calling on the media to quickly debunk the growing rumors.

Richard Smith, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, and editor of the veterans blog VetVoice.com has taken on the fear mongering, which includes false charges that the VA has employed the use of a “Death Book” to encourage veterans to kill themselves – charges that have made their way from an op-ed from a former advisor to George W. Bush, to Sarah Palin’s Twitter Feed, and then heavily promoted by FOX News Sunday.

The rumors of a so-called “Death Book” first began in an op-ed penned by former Bush advisor Jim Towey. Towey is the founder of Aging With Dignity, a group that also sells his end-of-life pamphlet, “Five Wishes.” emphasis added.

In his op-ed, he falsely states that the Department of Veterans Affairs has mandated that another end-of-life planning document, “Your Life, Your Choices” be distributed to veterans, and goes on to charge that the department seems to want veterans to end their lives early. In fact, “Your Life, Your Choices” is under review, and no one is mandated to give it to veterans.

“This is one of the most outrageous lies being tossed out there during this whole health care debate,” Smith said in a statement. “It all started because a former Bush advisor who is peddling his own pamphlet about end-of-life decisions is upset that the VA didn’t purchase his publication for distribution. Capitalizing on the fear of ‘Death Panels,’ he brazenly introduced his own copy-cat term. This misinformation campaign hurts veterans, lowers the level of debate, and unfairly smears the many good people at Veterans Affairs who are trying to help veterans live long and productive lives.”

“It’s up to the media to quickly and forcefully expose this garbage for what it is,” Smith concluded.

VoteVets.org is the leading progressive, pro-military organization of veterans, dedicated to the destruction of terror networks around the world, with force when necessary. It primarily focuses on education and advocacy on issues of importance to the troops and veterans, and holding politicians accountable for their actions on these issues.

SOURCE: Votevets.org

Tagged with: •
May 13

Napolitano under consideration for soon vacant seat on Supreme Court

By PMC American Politics, Headlines Comments Off

janet12_hlPresident Barack Obama is considering a mix of more than six Supreme Court candidates that is top-heavy with women and Hispanics, a group that features three judges, a governor, his homeland security secretary and his solicitor general.

Among those under consideration are California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Appeals Court judges Sonia Sotomayor and Diane Pamela Wood.

Sources familiar with Obama’s deliberations confirmed the names to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no candidates have been publicly revealed by the White House. One official said Obama is considering other people, too, and that other names may be added.

Most of the people confirmed as under consideration have been mentioned frequently as potential candidates.

Moreno — the sole man on the known group of candidates — is a newer name to emerge. Obama is widely expected to choose a woman for a Supreme Court that has nine members but only one female justice.

Obama is likely before month’s end to name a nominee to replace Justice David Souter, who is retiring when the court term ends this summer.

AP Source

Tagged with:
preload preload preload