Absent any proof that allowing a few more Mexican trucks access to the United State under the upcoming Cross Border Pilot Program, will encourage more smuggling of contraband or worse, opponents of the pilot program, their allies and spokesmen on trucking talk radio are making an all out effort to fabricate a problem that does not exist, and enlisting acknowledged hate groups with ties to white supremacists, and convicted child murderers to to further spread fear and misinformation about Mexican trucks.
There have been posts by OOIDA members on hate sites such as STORMFRONT.ORG which have titillated and agitated the wannabe “turd reichers”, but not much has come of it. But on July 8, two days after resolution of the impasse on cross border trucking with Mexico was reached, that all changed.
On that day the Federation for American Immigration Reform, known by it’s acronym FAIR, released a statement that closely mirrors Teamster President James Hoffa’s ludicrous and debunked charges about unsafe and dangerous Mexican trucks.
For those not familiar with them, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a group with one mission: to severely limit immigration into the United States. Although FAIR maintains a veneer of legitimacy that has allowed its principals to testify in Congress and lobby the federal government, this veneer hides much ugliness. FAIR leaders have ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists and have made many racist statements. Its advertisements have been rejected because of racist content. FAIR’s founder, John Tanton, has expressed his wish that America remain a majority-white population: a goal to be achieved, presumably, by limiting the number of nonwhites who enter the country.
BACKGROUND ON FAIR
John Tanton founded the Federation for American Immigration Reform on Jan. 2, 1979, in Washington D.C. Roger Conner, an environmental lawyer, was appointed executive director, while Tanton served as the chairman of the board of directors. Before establishing FAIR, Tanton had experience working with groups concerned about how population growth affected the environment. Tanton served in several Sierra Club leadership posts, and he had been the president of Zero Population Growth, a group founded by biologist and longtime FAIR adviser Paul Ehrlich, from 1975 to 1977.
The founding of FAIR was a major change for Tanton. But he was driven to shift his efforts to the battle against immigration by his increasing concern that it was the primary cause of population growth. As a result, FAIR focuses exclusively on immigration issues. Its goal, according to its website, is to set immigration quotas “at the lowest feasible levels” and to prevent all illegal immigration. The group attempts to appear moderate, even though its record is extreme, particularly on racial issues. This strategy has paid off: In August 2009, FAIR President Dan Stein boasted that FAIR leaders had testified before Congress about 100 times.
On Oct. 9, 1988, the Arizona Republic published excerpts from embarrassing memos that had been sent by Tanton and Conner to members of FAIR’s leadership. The documents were known as theWITAN memos; they came from an October 1986 conference in which Tanton met with a number of anti-immigration activists for a strategy session. The memos revealed Tanton’s innermost, and controversial, thoughts. Tanton warned of a “Latin onslaught,” complained of Latinos’ allegedly low “educability.” He asked, “Will Latin American migrants bring with them the tradition of the mordida (bribe), the lack of involvement in public affairs, etc.?” He also wondered: “Can homo contraceptivus[meaning whites] compete with homo progenitiva [meaning Latinos] if borders aren’t controlled? Or is advice to limit ones [sic] family simply advice to move over and let someone else with greater reproductive powers occupy the space?”
You can read the entire history of FAIR here.
Some of FAIR affiliates are THE SOCIAL CONTRACT PRESS routinely publishes race-baiting articles penned by white nationalists. The press is a program of U.S. Inc, the foundation created by John Tanton, the racist founder and principal ideologue of the modern nativist movement. TSCP puts an academic veneer of legitimacy over what are essentially racist arguments about the inferiority of today’s immigrants
CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES (CIS) bills itself as an “independent” think tank that seeks “to expand the base of public knowledge”about immigration, the Washington, D.C.-based group is only interested in one thing. CIS’s reams of reports, as well as its blog postings, editorials, and frequent panels and press conferences, incessantly push the idea that America’s immigration system is an unadulterated evil and that the only way to save America from impending doom is to cut drastically the number of immigrants. CIS has blamed immigrants, both legal and undocumented, for everything from terrorism to global warming. To make its case seem as strong as possible, CIS often manipulates data, relying on shaky statistics or faulty logic to come to the preordained conclusion that immigration is bad for this country. But CIS studies have been regularly debunked by mainstream academics and think tanks including the Immigration Policy Center, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and America’s Voice.
Minuteman child killer and FAIR spokesman Shawna Forde now sits on death row for the murders of Brisenia Flores and her father Raul
Shawna Forde, 41, the nativist extremist who was recently convicted of the home invasion robbery in Arizona where 9 year old Brisenia Flores and her father were murdered, is known as the leader of Minuteman American Defense (MAD), a hard-line group opposed to undocumented immigration. But six years ago, appearing on a televised immigration roundtable organized by a local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate in Washington state, Forde was repeatedly identified as a representative of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Shawna Forde is currently on Arizona’s Death Row.
It is shameful that opponents of cross border trucking, groups such as The Teamsters and OOIDA have resorted to such underhanded methods to push their agenda, especially in the absence of any credible data to support their positions.
OOIDA enlists talk radio to spread misinformation and lies
OOIDA, a strong advertiser on satellite radio service SIRIUS/XM has long reached out to popular radio hosts such as Dave Nemo and more controversial hosts such as Steve Sommers of America Truckers Network and his father, Dale “Trucking Bozo” Sommers. While Nemo and Steve Sommers have always been fairly moderate, Dale Sommers is less so, allowing fruitcakes from the trucking industry such as his friend Rusty “Yoda” Wade and others who agree with his North American Union theories and Mexico is the cause of all our ills viewpoint to blather on.
Dave Nemo, in the past a moderate voice presents us with an “expert” to further press the idea that 100 or so, closely monitored, rigidly inspected trucks will give the cartels a leg up in their efforts to move more contraband across our borders.
Dr. George W. Grayson, member of the Center for Immigration Studies Board of Directors, has transformed himself into an expert on Mexican trucking issues courtesy of Dave Nemo and other opponents of cross border trucking
George W. Grayson, who is the Class of 1938 Professor of Government at the College of William & Mary, is a member of the Center for Immigration Studies Board of Directors. He is also a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has made more than 200 research trips to Mexico and authored approximately twenty books and monographs on Mexico, Latin America, and international affairs. (Hell, I’ve got him beat. I live in Mexico and have made thousands of safe trips)
Bringing Grayson on today to spread his theories which seem tailored to the oppositions desperate last ditch effort to sabotage the cross border program, shows that Nemo has finally crossed the line and lost any relevance as a truckers advocate.
It’s a shame with all the hatred in the world, organizations such as TEAMSTERS, OOIDA and their allies and spokespeople see the need to use this hatred to spread their misinformation.
Friday, the FMCSA RELEASED CROSS-BORDER TRUCKING PILOT DETAILS and the reaction was basically “so what’s new?” except amongst the usual suspects who object to anything concerning Mexico.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer released his usual whining rant making baseless allegations they’ve never been able to document nor prove
ATA President Bill Graves issued a statement in support of the proposal.
James P. Hoffa, President of the Teamsters Union who is usual first out of the box with his sophomoric rants about “unsafe” Mexican trucks and “unqualified” Mexican drivers, was suspiciously absent, however, the website, TEAMSTERS NATION chimed in with their instructions, showing they haven’t got a clue and are pushing fear mongering to achieve their agenda.
Their instructions to whoever reads their blog:
Write down this number: FMCSA-2011-0097
It’s the docket number for the Transportation Department’s official proposal to open the border to trucks coming from the war zone known as Mexico.
The proposal will be published in the Federal Register on Monday, if the government doesn’t shut down. You have 30 days to tell them why this is the stupidest fucking idea EVER. We’ll let you know on Monday (if the government isn’t shut down) how to send in your comments. But you’ll have to include the docket number.
Here’s one suggestion, just to get you going: Hundreds of border officials are being investigated for corruption. According to NBC News………………………
Start drafting those comments now! The government has to respond to every single one, so let’s keep ‘em busy until the next millennium!
How silly and comical is that suggestion? But it gets better.
This morning, they published instruction on How to stop Mexican trucks
Here’s what they are telling their members:
Tomorrow, you must get out your ink pen and write to the government to say, “DO NOT open the border to Mexican trucks.”
Do it tomorrow. Do it the next day, and the next. Do it every day for 30 days.
Here’s why: The federal government must post an official notice in the Federal Register in order to open the border to Mexican trucks. The public has 30 days to submit comments. The government must read every single comment and respond to it before the border can be opened.
Let’s send them so many letters they’ll be retired by the time they can respond. The letters don’t have to be long. They just have to give a reason for keeping the border closed. Click here if you need a reason.
They go on to give a sample letter for their members to write that has absolutely nothing to do with Mexican trucks or truckers. This is the sample they provide:
FMCSA-2011-0097
April 11, 2011
Dear Sir:
An an American citizen, I am horrified by FMCSA’s plan to open the border to Mexican trucks. Giving violent drug cartels more access to American highways is harmful to American interests. Mexico is in a state of war. Nearly 35,000 people have been murdered in drug violence in that country since 2007. Ciudad Juarez, which is right across the border from El Paso, is the most dangerous city in the world.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
So please people. If you oppose having the United States comply with our legal obligations to allow Mexican trucking companies access to the United States, then by all means, follow the instructions of TEAMSTERS NATION to the letter. Put down you crayons, pick up a big boy/girl pen and send your letter as instructed. (Don’t forget to stay inside the lines kiddies)
AND WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED, YOU’VE WASTED YOUR TIME!
Think I’m joking? Lets backtrack to 2007 when comments were opened concerning the past Cross Border Program which was defunded by union cronies in Congress.
TEAMSTERS NATION is correct that FMCSA must read every comment submitted and take them into consideration at the end of the comment period. They DO NOT have to respond to the comments individually, only in a general manner in the Federal Register.
In 2007, comments coming into FMCSA concerning 2007-28055 where ridiculous, sophomoric and moronic. Out of almost 2500, only a handful contained valid reasons for or against commencement of the Cross Border Program.
As FMCSA wrote in the Federal Register after the comment period had ended, “All comments were accepted and studied an duly noted that few offered any valid reason to suspend the program” [paraphrased]
You can read some of the examples I used here, or you can Google 2007-28055 and read all of them at the source.
BITS AND PIECES
Our favorite OOIDA/TEAMSTER is back in action at Congress.org, this time with an even more moronic letter directed at President Obama. Here’s some highlights complete with misspellings.
Since that time, we have been subjected to a clash of cultures that is anything but positive as I have tried to point out in previous letters titled The Downside of Cheap Labor. In those reports, I spoke of the tendency of illegal migrants to partake of higher than normal bouts of drunken driving, drag racing drunk, murders and sexual crimes; the latter committed against women as well as children as young as eight months. And now in addition to this, we the people of this nation, thanks to you sir, will be exposed to drunken Mexicans driving substandard trucking rigs on our highways because you have an axe to grind with the people of this nation………………
As for Mexican truck drivers, Pres. George W. Bush had the sense to initiate a trial period during which Mexican trucks were allowed in our country, but restricted to an area no more than twenty-five miles north of our southern border. It was during this trial period that it was determined that Mexican trucks and their drivers are unfit for our highways………………….
We have to believe this because U.S. citizens cannot enter Mexico by just walking across our common border. No sir. Getting caught in Mexico without a Visa is a felon. Illegal migrants are not welcome in Mexico………..
But what trucker in his right mind would want to enter Mexico to subject themselves to murderers, beheadings, thieves and Montezuma’s revenge? ……………………..
e. Sir, even if you were sincere, and sincerety is not one of you hallmarks, we don’t have the manpower to thoroughly check each and every Mexican truck and its driver entering this nation bringing drugs, illegal migrants and a clash of cultures into our country………………………..
Mexican truckers will not be required to carry liability insurance, keep their trucks in top running order or pay high road taxes to pay for their wear and tear on our highways, as must our truckers……………………….
Somebody is going to die at the hands of Mexican truckers because they do not know the rules of the road, drive drunk the wrong way on one way streets and highways. A tiny little girl was recently killed by one of those drunken Mexican truckers. Keep Mexican truckers off our streets and highways. They are already congested with the three million new migrants–legal and illegal–that enter our nation each year. Just keep taking trips in Air Force to invite everyone on this continent to “y’all come. Amnesty and jobs await you . . . yadah yadah yadah.” The insanity must stop!!!!!! Please do us a favor and wihdraw your name from the 2012 election? We need a break………………………………………
Yeah, Todd and Jimbo are probably really proud of this clueless moron in Fredericktown Ohio.
TRUCKING TALKERS AND OTHER LOONY TOONS
Admittedly, I fell asleep from boredom Friday and Saturday night listening to ATN and Bubba Bo who seemed to have problems keeping his phone lines full so we can only imagine what was said. The usual without a doubt.
Steve Sommers, on ATN last taking his first opportunity to break the news since it’s release, was his typical sardonic, sarcastic self, maintaining the OOIDA party line concerning Mexican trucks, referring to the proposal as “comical” and his Buddy Hackett soundalike, Warren, aka “Sugar Bear” coming on throughly pisses and ready to stick pencils in his ass to dull the pain. And has anyone heard Sommers latest spiel for OOIDA where he incredulously revealed that “FMCAS is going to open our borders to Mexican Trucks!! Really!!! You can’t make this stuff up!” Had me laughing my ass off and bouncing lane to lane.
Dave Nemo, this morning to his credit, finally admitted the the excuses about safety, security and all the rest were a sham. His main focus is on supposed job losses. I have a lot of respect for Dave, who along with Evan Lockridge are about the only two talkers on trucking radio worth listening to. But Nemo really needs to look at the numbers to realize his fears are groundless.
The proposal is scheduled to be published int he Federal Register Wednesday, April 13, 2011 with comment accepted through May 13, 2011 unless the opposition whines their way into an extension as they did back in 2007. Comments can be made at REGULATIONS.GOV and you will need the Docket Number which is FMCSA-2011-0097.
We’ll be monitoring the comments as we did in 2007 and share some of the more whacked out ones with you.
Dave Nemo, one of the more respected voices in Trucking Radio seems ready to abandon principles and feature leaders of bona fide hate groups on his daily program on XM-171
One of the most vile, racist and unconstitutional laws was passed and signed by Arizona governor Jan Brewer in the form of SB-1070, a law that has spawned a firestorm of protest.
It’s a law that usurps federal authority for immigration enforcement and puts it in the hands of local and state authorities. The fear is, it will lead to racial profiling as it is targeted towards Hispanics.
Governor Brewer claims it specifically prohibits racial profiling, and that claim is still to be determined, but one can’t overlook human nature, especially in Arizona where this law legitimizes the actions of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his masked goon squads that have been terrorizing Hispanics for several years now.
Jesus Serrano, and independent owner operator for a Los Angeles based carrier, who hauls fresh produce from the warehouses in Nogales to the distribution centers in Los Angeles is putting together a boycott of more than 100 truckers who make the Arizona to California haul in protest of this bill which he believes will put himself and others of Mexican-American descent at risk of harassment and/or arrest by overzealous enforcement officers. Serrano is a naturalized US citizen born in Mexico.
Serrano was interviewed yesterday on The Lockridge Report and as usual when someone does a neutral well though out interview, the hate mongers and know nothings immediately filled the phone lines with their negative and totally untrue rants against Mexicans. Kudos to Lockridge for putting the over the top morons in their places are simply hanging up on them.
But the hate and bigotry against Mexicans and Mexican truckers being pushed by OOIDA and others has gotten out of hand.
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