Josue Cruz, a driver for Transportes Olympic inaugurated the new Mexico Cross Border Pilot Program when he arrived in Laredo today on his first trip to Garland Texas
An editorial caught me eye this morning, on this day that the first Mexican carrier to be granted authority to operate beyond the commercial zone enters the U.S. It reads in part;
When a nation signs and ratifies a treaty with another, it is in effect a contract between those countries.
And when one country later simply decides it does not like the terms of the treaty and unilaterally decides to stop abiding by those terms —- well, that nation isn’t behaving very honorably, is it?
The roadblocks being thrown up by groups like OOIDA and the Teamsters that have prevented the United States from honoring their contract is nothing short of dishonorable.
Today changes that as a truck belonging to Transportes Olympics of Apodaca Nuevo Leon and driven by Joshua Cruz, 29 and a father of three from the Monterrey area. Cruz, who has been driving for Transportes Olympic since March has more than 10 years experience behind the wheel.
[pullquote]“I consider my fleet’s access to the U.S. interior like being invited to a friend’s house. ”We have to be extra orderly and very respectful. We will demonstrate that we can operate safely and efficiently.” Fernando Paez Trevino [/pullquote]
Cruz, driving a 2009 Freightliner Cascadia, unit number 76 will be pulling flatbed with a 30 foot drilling tower to Garland Texas for a 0700 delivery appointment on Saturday with Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions, which specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of equipment used in drilling and exploration industries such as oil, water, mining, among others. The tower originated from INMAGUSA in Monclova Coahuilla and arrived on Transportes Olympics Apodaca terminal yesterday.
After leaving Apodaca this morning, Cruz arrived at Bridge #3 in Laredo to plenty of fanfare and celebration. Greeting Cruz as he began the inspection process that all of the participants must undergo each time they cross the border, was the Secretaries of Economy and Transport and Communications, Bruno Ferrari and Dionisio Perez-Jacome, respectively, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Anthony Wayne, and the governor of Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú.
“With this program, we’re initiating a new stage of competition, of prosperity, of regional integration,” said Bruno Ferrari, Mexican secretary of the economy.
U.S. Ambassador Anthony Wayne said governments “have to support the businesses in their efforts to reduce costs and accelerate trade.”
Following the Level I CVSA inspection by personnel from the FMCSA and Texas DPS, something not required of the Canadians when they enter the country, Cruz will proceed up I-35 to his destination in Garland Texas.
Hours before today’s ceremony in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico announced it was suspending the tariffs. But the Mexican government warned that they would be reinstated if the U.S. does not honor the accord.
Transportes Olympic, a wholly owned Mexican company established in 1999 was also the first carrier authorized to cross during the successful 2007 demonstration project, which was defunded by Congress under threats from the Teamsters and others.
Transportes Olympics successful participation in the previous program gives them a “fast track” to permanent operating authority under the rules of the current program, something they have certainly earned and deserve.
So now we sit back and observe as this program commences and once again the Mexican carriers who are approved show once again that they are more than capable of operating in this country, complying with our rules and regulations and conducting themselves in a safe and professional manner as they have in the past.
Juan Carlos Munoz, president of Mexico’s largest trucking trade group, known by its Spanish initials as CANACAR, noted that opposition remains in Mexico. Some Mexican trucking companies doubt that the U.S. will treat them the same as American drivers.
“But we can’t cry before they hit us, as we say here in Mexico,” Munoz said. He called Friday’s activity the “first step on a long climb.
We’ll also sit back and chuckle a little at each impotent attempt to demonize the program and it’s participants as is continuing by the Teamsters and OOIDA and their allies in Congress.
And indeed it is impotent attempts as acknowledged by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) who acknowledged yesterday that he was losing the fight to stop this legal obligation of ours. DeFazio has had no success in getting his HB-2407 bill out of committee that would limit this to a pilot program. He acknowledges that he has little chance of getting an amendment into a continuing appropriations bill. Indeed, 9 out of 10 calls to Congress have been in support of the program.
And should by some strange twist of fate, the opponents succeed in once again delaying, defunding or causing the program to be suspended or scrapped, Mexico stands ready to bring the tariffs back with a vengeance, as they have every right to do.
Get used to it people! These well managed, closely monitored Mexican carriers are here to stay. Instead of beating your heads against the wall, making empty threats against the drivers, perhaps we should be looking at ways to profits from their presence. After all, Mexican trucks are nothing new to American roadways. They’ve been allowed for more than 60 years. You haven’t realized this because the Mexicans rarely do anything that brings attention to them. In other words, they operate in a safe professional manner under the same rules as US drivers and the 37,000 Canadian trucks that enjoy full access to the US with little oversight.
Rep Peter DeFazio, responding to orders from his union handlers, recently sent a letter to FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro "DEMANDING" and explanation why FMCSA was proceeding with the Cross Border Program with Mexico without his permission. Such a vile, corrupt little man!
Rep. Peter DeFazio, following OOIDA President Jim Johnston’s example sent a letter to FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro demanding she address his bogus concerns about the safety of Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.
But this isn’t about this vile little man’s irrelevant letter to Ms Ferro. It’s to be expected. Despite the fact DeFazio was elected to represent the people of the 4th Congressional District in Oregon, he continues to be in the pocket of the unions, specifically representing the whims and demands of embattled Teamsters President James P. Hoffa.
DeFazio’s claims of being concerned about the “safety, security and jobs loss” surrounding the upcoming Cross Border Pilot Program with Mexico, is as bogus and disingenuous as he is.
The “safety” of Mexican trucks has been well established through historical statistics archived by the FMCSA that covers commercial zone carriers, those Mexican carriers with special operating authority in the US and those carriers who participated in the previous cross border program.
His concerns about security is a smoke screen thrown up by the opposition to further delay implementation of the program. The participants, closely monitored and inspected do not present any security risks to this country nor this industry.
And the arguments about “job losses” is totally bogus and defies logic. Are we to believe a handful of companies from Mexico, presenting maybe 50 trucks for participation in this program, is going to “totally destroy” our industry as Mark Reddig of OOIDA is so fond of saying, or that they are going to cause the loss of thousands of union trucking and warehouse jobs as Teamsters President Hoffa claims? Totally ludicrous.
Reading DeFazio’s sophomoric little missive, it is glaringly obvious that this ignorant little man hasn’t a clue to what’s going on.
He lists these examples as areas of his concern.
- FMCSA does not yet have plans in place to: conduct on-site safety reviews in Mexico for at least half of participating carriers, as required by law.
- FMCSA cannot ensure that pilot program drivers and trucks are identified and inspected at each unique border crossing.
- FMCSA cannot verify driver and truck eligibility for the pilot program; acquire electronic monitoring devices for use in the pilot program
- FMCSA has not trained inspection and enforcement personnel at the border and within the United States.
- FMCSA has not acquired electronic monitoring devices for use in the pilot program
Obviously, DeFazio has ignored the
response FMCSA made to the USDOT/OIG audit report where they listed how they have complied or are in the process of complying.
FMCSA reported last week that it had signed a contract with
TELETRAC for the manufacturing, installation and monitoring services of the Electronic On-Board Recorders that DeFazio and his handlers have previously demanded be installed on Mexican trucks participating in the cross border program.
The contract with TELETRAC is for 3 years, at a cost of $1.3 million dollars, $1.9 million dollars below the originally projected cost of $3.2 million.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CLUE DEFAZIO?
One of the intriguing paragraphs in DeFazio’s letter was this one:
This further reinforces my longstanding concern that the Administration is not launching a pilot program, but rather starting the full liberalization of cross-border trucking that will have significant impacts on safety, security, and American jobs.
Proceeding with the processing of Mexican carriers’ applications on a separate track from meeting any requirements the agency believes apply to the pilot program confirms that FMCSA intends for this pilot program to casually terminate and morph into an open border. This flies in the face of the limitation enacted by Congress.
As I said; What was your first clue Pedro?
Nothing in the trucking provisions calls for a “pilot program”, a “demonstration program” nor any other type of “program” with Mexico before their trucks are allowed access into this country. The requirements for access were the same as for Canadian trucks.
And in the beginning, when Reagan signed into law, the 1982 Foreign Carrier Exclusion Act, it had absolutely nothing to do with safety, with Canada nor with Mexico. It was all about “access”. The US and Canada very quickly resolved the “access dispute” and Reagan exempted the Canadians. Mexico however, didn’t want to allow our trucks in their country, so the ban stood. Again, safety had nothing to do with it. And case in point is Reagan exempting and grandfathering in the estimated 1,065 Mexican carriers who had operating authority prior to his 1982 order. Some of those still operate freely in the United States today.
We are required, under NAFTA, to allow Mexican trucks unlimited access to this country, as we do the Canadians. The only requirements are that they are able to fully comply with OUR standards, laws, rules and regulations when operating in this country. Nothing more, nothing less. The same as we require of the Canadians. They are NOT required to mirror our standards in their own country, nor or the Canadians. That is a bogus rumor started by Todd Spencer of OOIDA and others when they are digging around for excuses not to allow the Mexicans in.
And over the years and in the years since the beginning of the previous program, Mexican trucks at all levels of US operating authority have shown themselves to be quite capable of meeting our standards. Statistics show that these guys have equal and in many cases superior safety numbers to ours.
DeFazio pretty much stands alone now in his opposition to Mexican trucks. His bill to further restrict access to the Mexicans to a pilot program, HB-2407 is pretty much going nowhere. He does not have the support of his fellow Congressmen in the House nor in the Senate. And he continues to ignore the needs of his district and the desires of his constituents who are not concerned, according to newspaper and media editorials, about a few Mexican trucks that probably will never travel the highways in Oregon. They are concerned about the legal tariffs that Mexico put on 99 US goods, including Christmas trees from DeFazio’s district which have cost more than 25,000 US jobs.
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) said in an interview in his office in Little Rock during the August recess that the Mexican truck program will happen, it has to happen, because we gave our word on it when we signed the NAFTA accords. Pryor, who is no friend to the American trucker, is absolutely correct.
As for Peter DeFazio, all he seems to care about is shucking and jiving each time James Hoffa or Todd Spencer gives the word.
In the regards to the pilot program morphing into an “open border”, DeFazio gets it there. It’s our obligation, our response to a promise we made years ago that has been delayed by the meddling of a few. Their day has come and gone and as Carlos Sesma, an attorney representing Mexican trucking interests in Washington recently stated; “It’s going to happen – There’s no way to stop it!”
Sesma is correct!
Corrupt little congress critter Peter DeFazio, waving the key to the TEAMSTERS bank vault after once again bowing to their demands and introducing a bill designed to hinder cross border trucking with Mexico. Silly smile on his face reminds us of the Commandant in "Police Academy" when the hooker was under the table. Another Teamsters perk perhaps?
It didn’t take long after today’s announcement of the official signing of the Cross Border Pilot Program agreement in Mexico City for opponents to come out swinging with the lies, fear mongering and preying on the ignorance of those too apathetic to look for the truth for themselves. And as expected, OOIDA is headed to court.
In a “Special Report” senior editor Jami Jones writes:
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association immediately filed a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The Association is asking the court to review the program and to “enjoin, set-aside, suspend (in whole or in part) or determine the validity of the implementation of this program.”
“Implementation of the pilot program is arbitrary, capricious and abuse of discretion and otherwise not in accordance with law,” the Association’s petition states.
Noted in the petition is a “final agency action” that occurred on June 29, well in advance of the final plan being released to the public or signed.
We imagine this lame attempt to stop this perfectly legal program will be rejected by the DC Court of Appeals as it was in 2009 by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
OOIDA is also excited by the actions of three of the Congressmen they and the TEAMSTERS have in their hip pocket.
In an earlier presser, Norita Taylor informed members of the introduction of a silly little bill titled “Protecting America’s Roads Act”.
The presser stated in part that the bipartisan bill seeks to restrict the cross-border trucking program to a pilot program that lasts no more than three years. The bill prohibits the Department of Transportation from granting operating authority that extends beyond the duration of the pilot program – which effectively ends any attempt to grant permanent operating authority to Mexican motor carriers.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio along with Representatives Duncan D. Hunter, R-Calif., and Daniel Lipinski, D-Illinois and has not yet been assigned a number. Passage in the House is considered unlikely.
The bill also shifts the financial responsibility of electronic monitoring of Mexican motor carriers participating in the program back away from U.S. taxpayers and truckers.
What are the chances of this bill or PARA gaining any traction? Depends on the number of co-sponsors it gets. There is not much energy in Congress to oppose the pilot program fortunately.
But if the bill should pass, higher retaliatory tariffs are almost certain to be imposed costing even more US jobs. Strange that OOIDA and TEAMSTERS don’t address the 25,000+ jobs lost because of the tariffs, job losses brought on by their illogical opposition to the US meeting their promises and obligations.
A Mexican embassy official Karen Antebi, speaking at a June 29 event organized by the Washington International Trade Association (WITA), noted that if the US reneged on its agreement, sought to sabotage it through efforts to stop it in the Highway Appropriations Bill or similar legislation, Mexico would retain its right to retaliate, which could include increasing or changing the retaliatory duties.
Asked what Mexico would do if [the program] gets canceled again, or if it doesn’t get funded, I think most of you know the answer,” Antebi said. “We’ve reserved our right to reimpose, change, increase, [or] deepen the retaliation list.”
And if that happens, once again, OOIDA, The TEAMSTERS and their bought and paid for members of Congress will be responsible for more horrendous job losses and losses of market share to Canada and China. Let’s not allow that to happen.
Despite found guilty of bribery and trying to rig an upcoming union election, Teamster President James P. Hoffa still has time to lie to the public, Congress and his membership about Mexican trucking
Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, himself in hot water after caught using his position to offer union jobs, salaries, and pensions to bribe people for political support, released a “presser” giving his totally irrelevant and patently untrue rant in opposition to the upcoming cross border pilot program with Mexico.
THE PUBLIC OPPOSES ILLEGAL, UNSAFE MEXICAN TRUCK PROGRAM is the title of this crapola presser released today which Hoffa continues to lie to his membership and the American public.
Hoffa says;
DOT’s proposal to open the border “fails to adequately protect our members, their families and the traveling public from the potential danger of unsafe Mexican trucks and drivers, who do not meet or will not adhere to all U.S. safety standards.”
It’s already been established that Mexican trucks and their drivers are not unsafe and strictly adhere to our rules and regulations.
Based on a Travel advisory issued by the US State Department on April 22, advising Americans against unnecessary travel to Mexico, Hoffa uses this as to make the ridiculous assertion that the proposed Pilot Program with Mexico is illegal because in his opinion, it violates Section 6901 of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007.
What he is referring to is a section in the above titled act that does not allow funds to be spent on a cross-border trucking program unless “simultaneous and comparable authority to operate within Mexico is made available to motor carriers domiciled in the United States.”
Hoffa is grasping at straws while at the same time blowing smoke up the asses of anyone who still listens to his mindless ramblings.
Hoffa said the Mexican government is incapable of granting comparable authority under the current travel warning issued by the U.S. State Department on April 22.
It is very clear that the safety of the U.S. drivers traveling into Mexico cannot be ensured, and therefore simultaneous and comparable authority is not made available to U.S. motor carriers under the pilot program,” Hoffa said.
That is the statutes interpretation according to Hoffa and not the letter, spirit or intent of the statute as it was written and passed.
Comparable authority means that we allow Mexican carriers to operate in this country and Mexico in turn, allows US carriers to operate in Mexico, under similar rules. There is nothing in the NAFTA rules concerning cross border trucking that says Mexico nor the US has to “ensure” the safety of one another’s drivers.
Who is going to “ensure” the safety of Mexican drivers coming into this country from violence directed at them, through ignorance, prejudice and bigotry, inflamed by the rhetoric of the TEAMSTERS, OOIDA and their mouthpieces on talk radio. Some callers have claimed they will stop the Mexican by any means possible, up to and including sabotaging their trucks or burning them to the ground.
Hoffa and his union have become increasingly irrelevant and to most, a joke.
And remember we said Hoffa was caught up in a bribery scandal? It’s true. I guess corruption runs in the family.
Teamsters for a Democratic Union report that James Hoffa tried to pay off three top Teamster officials who had broken with his administration by offering them lucrative jobs and an additional pension in exchange for their backing in the upcoming International Union election.
In a 30 page report issued by an elections supervisor, revealed thatHoffa running mate Ken Hall offered Carhaul Director Fred Zuckerman a raise and entrance into the “Family Plan”, a lucrative extra pension exclusively for full-time IBT officials. In exchange, Zuckerman would have to back Hoffa and drop his bid to be on the General Executive Board. It was further revealed that Hoffa operatives approached several other International Union trustees with similar offers to buy campaign support with members’ dues. Those Trustees were offered jobs as full-time International Representatives if they would resign from the General Executive Board but continue to back Hoffa and donate to his campaign.
Instead, the officials turned down the bribes and blew the whistle on Hoffa.
Hoffa hatched the bribery scheme to try to hold together his unraveling administration, in which 6 top union officials have jumped ship in the face of Hoffa’s corruption.
The Elections Appeals Master found that Hoffa and three of his closest thugs “tried, but failed, to buy electoral support and stifle opposition in exchange for salaried union jobs.”
Of course, Hoffa, pathological liar he has proven himself to be denied any role in the scheme. The Election Supervisor did not find Hoffa credible, and credited witnesses and evidence that contradicted the cover story put forward by Hoffa and his thugs.
And what will Hoffa’s punishment be? After six months of investigation and three months of appeals, court-appointed election overseers have ordered Hoffa to acknowledge that he attempted to buy election support by offering jobs and pensions.
Hoffa must pay for a mailing to all Teamster locals publicizing the attempt, and place a notice on the union’s website and magazine.
So far, Hoffa is giving the judge the finger! Anybody surprised?
Taking a page from his 2007 playbook, to delay and further mislead the public, James P. Hoffa on asked FMCSA head Ann Ferro to extend the comment period for FMCSA-2007-0097 another 30 days, citing 30 days to comment just isn’t enough time.
Ferro denied the request, sending Hoffa into another juvenile temper tantrum.
“Thirty days isn’t enough time for the public to voice its objections to this dangerous proposal,” Hoffa said. “Tens of thousands of Teamsters want to keep the border closed, as do most Americans and Congress. We want to make it clear that DOT should listen to the people of America, not the multinational corporations that want to exploit workers by lowering safety, labor and environmental standards.”
Hoffa tried this back in 2007 when comment were being sought for that proposal (FMCSA-2007-28055) and was successful in obtaining an additional 30 days which gave his lemmings time to load the comment sections down with comments totally irrelevant to the issue at hand. In the end, he failed, as he is failing this time.
More than 1000 rank-and-file Teamsters have already submitted comments to the Federal Register, using the TEAMSTERS “click and send” boilerplate letters objecting to the proposal. They said they’re concerned because Mexican trucks and drivers don’t meet the same safety standards as U.S. trucks, and that border security would be compromised and American trucking and warehousing jobs would be lost. In reality, it has absolutely nothing to do with those issues as they’ve long been resolved or proven to be nothing more than misinformation and lies. What it boils down to, is they’re Mexicans. And that is unacceptable,
Comments end tonight at midnight. We’ll see the first trucks rolling across the border sometime in the next few months, si dios quieres.
Meanwhile, the corrupt little representative from Oregon, Peter DeFazio, long in the pockets of Teamsters and the obscure group known as OOIDA, earned his bribes, er, private political contributions in this speech showcased at LIFE ON THE ROAD.
After spending a few minutes on Congressman DeFazio’s website, it’s clear he’s an idiot. But he’s a ranking idiot on a couple of transportation committees. Just like his Bring Gas Prices Down videos, it’s clear he does a lot of yelling but doesn’t make much sense.
We couldn’t agree more.
LOTR also concluded;
For some reason Teamsters think they still have a voice in trucking. Teamsters are so insignificant in the trucking industry, I’m surprised they get any press at all. OOIDA, who? Once the mobs on trucking radio and the CB get fired up, everyone loses their minds and stops thinking.
Like it or not, this is going to happen. Find a way to survive or just stand around and complain the choice is yours
Again, spot on!
Safe, fully inspected Mexican trucks such as this one would be allowed access to US under the proposed Pilot Program with Mexico
It never ends. Citing bogus concerns over safety, security and cost, a bipartisan gang Congressmen, bought and paid for with Teamster funds is demanding that the federal Department of Transportation cancel plans to re-introduce a cross-border trucking program with Mexico.
Taking the lead with a letter on 4/4/2011, Rep. Duncan Hunter (D-CA) along with Rep. Daniel Lipinski, (D-Ill), Rep. Rep. Bob Filner, (D-Ca) and 19 other Democrats along with 12 Tea Party Republicans, has a letter that is to be delivered to La Hood and made public on Wednesday afternoon, DEMANDING LaHood dump the plans for a renewed cross border program with Mexico.
The cross border program would bring the US in compliance with our obligations under the NAFTA agreement and permit Mexico to lift the $2.4 billion in legal retaliatory tariffs instituted after 17 years of the United States refusing to comply with their promises.
Before 198, trucks from Mexico and Canada were permitted into the U.S. with proper licensing, although they did not extend the same courtesy to U.S. truckers. In the wake of a moratorium, Canada quickly resolved its differences. Mexico did not. However, more than 800 Mexican carriers were “grandfathered” in under the 1982 executive order prohibiting foreign carriers in the US.
In a draft copy of the letter sent to Mexico Trucker Online, the usual bogus concerns about safety on U.S. roads, the ability to properly inspect all trucks at the border and the prospect of drug cartels using the cross-border program as a shipping outlet for drugs are raised. The government’s funding of electronic tracking systems for Mexican trucks, which we oppose but which has been modified is also mentioned.
Some of the highlights of the letter include:
The cross-border trucking program clearly puts foreign interests above our own. It’s bad for the American economy. It’s bad for American truckers and the entire commercial trucking industry.” – Duncan Hunter
In our opinion, what is bad for the economy and bad for the image of the United States, is our continued non compliance with our international obligations which have cost the US more than 30,000 jobs and 15% or more of market share in our agri business sector, lost to Canada, that will take decades to recover, if ever.
The letter goes on to say;
“While we understand the need to work to remove the unfair tariffs that Mexico has imposed on U.S. agriculture products as a result, to so should not come at the expense of the safety of our highways”
And again, nothing unfair about the perfectly legal tariff’s Mexico finally instituted and will certainly raise, if we fail to act upon our obligations this time. Historically, Mexican trucks and their drivers have proven to be safer and more compliant with US safety laws and regulations than have our own people.
Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill, chimes in, proving he knows nothing of what he has been paid to oppose by stating;
“Past inspection failures and gaps in security at the border show that opening our roads to Mexican truck traffic could result in the entry of unsafe vehicles and drivers that pose a threat to the safety of the public.”
It is glaringly apparent none of them have seen the results of the past demonstration program, the FMCSA/CVSA inspection reports of the OP-2 carriers operating in the border zone nor realize just exactly how each and every vehicle legally entering this country is subjected to an inspection of varying degrees. And with a limited number that would operate under the proposed pilot program, EVERY SINGLE ONE would and could be thoroughly inspected as set out in the proposed new pilot program.
Lipinski goes on to opine;
“The fact that the agreement would also require taxpayers to subsidize required equipment for Mexican truckers that American truck operators would have to pay for themselves is yet another reason that it should be rejected”
Which is something we happen to agree with. We reject the notion of requiring EOBR’s in any truck, without regard to nationality or domicile. However, Lipinski and the rest fail to realize that Mexican OP-2 carriers and others, pay their proportionate share of highway taxes through fuel purchases and IFTA payments. However, DOT has revised the proposal to allow GPS systems to be used for tracking purposes to ensure compliance with US cabotage and hours of service regulations. 85% of Mexican carriers are equipped with Qualcomm communications suites which would comply with this requirement.
Interestingly enough, this requirement and all the others in the proposed pilot program documents, were demanded by those now opposing implementation of the program. Go figure. It ain’t about safety people!
And finally, they get to the latest excuse, which is baseless, about the big boogie men of the cartels using the trucks to smuggle drugs.
The letter claims;
“Setting up a program that allows Mexican long haul trucks to cross the border and move freely through the U.S. could increase this method of smuggling by the drug cartels and serve as a resource for their criminal activity”
Adds Lipinski,
“Inviting trucks from Mexico to freely transport goods throughout the U.S. provides drug traffickers with another potential avenue to exploit at a time when crime and violence in Mexico are on the rise.”
They ignore or in their ignorance, don’t realize that dues to the post 9/11 security at the border, commercial trucks and others sometimes wait for hours in line to make their way across the border. Waiting in that line, permits CBP and Customs inspectors to “walk the dogs”, observe drivers reactions or act on gut instinct to single out trucks for a secondary inspection or more.
Sure, drugs are crossed on occasion in semi’s, and generally are caught. Those that aren’t have usually been loaded on the US side, with drivers taking advantage of the idea of making a quick buck.
Mexican trucks or not. Pilot program or not. Drugs will continue to flow into this country as long as the demand is there.
We’ll have the text of this letter, bought and paid for by the TEAMSTERS and other opponents when it is released officially tomorrow, probably in a circle jerk of glad handing on Capitol Hill.
Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, responsible for the loss of more than 25,000 American jobs.
As expected, James P. Hoffa came out with the expected denouncement of FMCSA’s announced Cross Border Pilot Program with Mexico late this after noon, and Hoffa didn’t disappoint using his tired worn out mantra of “unsafe” Mexican trucks to lead off his rant.
And, as expected, he is using the targeted violence in Mexico as an excuse saying that his union members will vigorously oppose a dangerous plan to open the border to Mexico, a country ravaged by a drug war. “Vigorously oppose” we suppose means lining the pockets of the politicians he has in his pocket, er, corner, such as California Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr.
The entire silly, sophomoric rant is here if you care to look at it. Here’s some highlights though.
“Do Transportation Department officials read the news?” Hoffa said. “In the past week, eight people were killed in Ciudad Juarez within a half hour. A mass grave was discovered 80 miles from Brownsville, Texas, with 59 bodies in it. A federal prosecutor was kidnapped and murdered in Durango after she’d been on the job for a week. Five men were killed in Taxco during another kidnapping attempt.
“What is it about Mexico’s drug violence that DOT doesn’t understand?” Hoffa said.
So what does that have to do with qualified and professional drivers from vetted and reputable Mexican carriers being allowed into this country? What is it you don’t understand Mr. Hoffa?
Hoffa continues saying he also questions whether DOT officials know that the official U.S. unemployment rate is 8.8 percent. “This proposal threatens the jobs of thousands of American truck drivers and warehouse workers along the border.”
Actually, it threatens not one American job much less a union job. Border states are right to work states and the cross docking and forwarding facilities are non union shops, something we’re sure Hoffa would like to change and probably would have tried had his “Card Check” legislation gone through that would have taken the concept of the secret ballot away from the public.
And we would ask Mr. Hoffa what about the 25,000 and more jobs, the 15% market share lost to other countries in the agribusiness sector, as a result of the legal tariff’s imposed by Mexico in response to your continued corrupt opposition to the cross border program? What about that Hoffa?
Such a sad and pathetic, contemptible little man.
Speaking of which,
OOIDA ANNOUNCES ANOTHER “NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION”
OOIDA, realizing the end is near for their opposition to permitting the US to comply with their international obligations, is ramping up the rhetoric, this time with a call to action to pimp Rep. Duncan Hunters letter to colleagues calling for them to stop the Mexican truck program. It’s silly, stupid and an insipid attempt to rely upon the ignorance of their membership to continue to push their campaign of misinformation and lies.
Think it’s bad now folks? Wait until Wednesday when comments open.
CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin expressed strong confidence Wednesday in San Diego at a seminar to mark the 10th anniversary of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, most commonly known by its acronym C-TPAT, that Mexican trucks and the Mexican trucking program will be secure and successful.
C-TPAT was started after the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York as a way to keep the global supply chain flowing and while securing the country from an outside attack. Seven companies were involved with the program when it began as a method in which global shippers share cargo data and enact security strategies as they build a level of “trust” in Customs officials. Today, more than 10,000 trucking companies have C-TPAT certification.
During his speech, Bersin gave his approval to the recent agreement between President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon to resolve the longstanding dispute over America’s compliance with our NAFTA obligations.
In his speech, Bersin said;
“The president agreed there would be a program whereby in a very certified way, in a very careful and deliberate way, Mexican long-haul trucks would be able to travel with their cargo across the border and on into the states.
It’s a big breakthrough for NAFTA, for North American competitiveness, for support of the Mexican economy and the US economy”
Despite claims to the contrary by opponents of Mexican trucking and Mexico in general, Mexican trucking companies have been eligible to join the C-TPAT program since 2008 and a good number of them have joined the program. Bersin expects the C-TPAT program to play an even stronger role at the US-Mexico border.
Bersin went on to say;
“C-TPAT is an important way to approach the problem. For that reason, we are cooperating with Mexican Customs to help Mexico to establish its own version of C-TPAT. Mexico’s Alliance for Secure Business is adopting many of the security strategies and principles of C-TPAT.
Downstream, I expect that we will be able to have mutual recognition — that is that a company recognized by C-TPAT will be recognized by the Mexican program and visa versa.”
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