You Lie Jim!!! OOIDA President Jim Johnston opines

You Lie Jim!!! OOIDA President Jim Johnston opines

Posted on Feb 25, 2010 in Cross Border Program, NAFTA, Nafta Op by PMC Comments Off

No, we’re not referring to (D-SC) Rep. Joe Wilson’s rude and insulting behavior during President Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress.

Instead, we’re referring to the sophomoric letter to the US Trade Representatives office, by OOIDA President Jim Johnston on February 24.

Similar to the press release by OOIDA’s Norita Taylor that we commented on earlier, Johnston calls on U.S. trade rep to defend American jobs

Johnston made these claims:

“On behalf of our nation’s small business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers, I respectfully call upon you to begin defending American jobs by challenging the tariffs that Mexico has wrongfully imposed on U.S. exports in relation to the cross-border trucking dispute,”

“It is irresponsible for you to stand back as those tariffs continue to jeopardize U.S.-based businesses and American jobs,”

“That statement and others that you have made recently to the media seem to ignore the immense safety and security implications of providing Mexico-domiciled trucking companies and truck drivers with unfettered access to U.S. highways,”

“As you stated last year after a NAFTA arbitration panel ruling, ‘… neither the NAFTA nor other U.S. investment agreements prevent the federal government or our states from regulating in the public interest, including to protect the environment, public health, and safety.’ I could not agree more,”

“If a new cross-border trucking program were implemented at this time, U.S. truckers would be forced to forfeit their own economic opportunities while inadequately compensated Mexican truckers, free from equivalent regulatory burdens, take over their traffic lanes.”

Fearmongering and blatant misinformation has been the hallmark of OOIDA’s efforts to keep the US from complying with it’s legal commitment under the terms of NAFTA.

OOIDA puts the onus of the tariff’s on the US, on the office of the US Trade Representative, when in fact, OOIDA’s continued opposition to allowing Mexico their rights under the trade agreement, is the reason American jobs have been lost. That responsibility sits squarely on the shoulders of Johnston, Spencer, Hoffa and others.

If the border were opened tomorrow, American truckers would be forced to forfeit nothing. They lost nothing during the 18 months the original Cross Border Program was safely in operation.

To put it into perspective. During the 18 months the program was operational, 1675 crossings were recorded. That breaks down into an average of 3.3 trucks with unlimited access crossing per day.

Or we to believe that 3 trucks per day, have American truckers in a panic about losing their livelihood? Compare that to the hundreds, of Canadian trucks who cross the northern border 24 hours a day, with minimal inspection, and who with regularity, ignore our cabotage laws and other restrictions. Which group of truckers pose the most risk to US jobs?

Mexico has 254,000 Federally licensed truckers as opposed to more than 3 million US CDL holders. Does OOIDA think it’s members and others are so inept that they can’t compete on that level?

OOIDA also take the opportunity to exploit the violence occurring in Mexico as a reason to deny entry to Mexican trucks. This is more smoke and mirrors. Thousands of Mexican commercial zone carriers enter and leave the US daily. The cartel wars have no effect on these movements.

And perhaps the biggest lie is the intimation that US truckers have the expense of our oppressive regulations? That’s is true but it is also true for Mexican carriers.

Mexican carriers have to comply with each and every law and regulation as do American and Canadian carriers when operating in the US. In addition, they have the additional burden of complying with taxes, registration and the cost of the regulatory climate in Mexico. There really is no difference. It is a non argument, but it makes for good press.

You want to save American jobs? Drop your opposition to a pro

Tags: cross border trucking, Joe Johnston, NAFTA, OOIDA, Ron Kirk, USTR