Mexican Trucks to roll onto American Soil on labor day?

[Stealth4]

Ideas on what we can do to help stop this?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/29/mexico.trucks.ap/index.html

It ties in with NAFTA (mentioned in the article) and most certainly the SPP

%----EDIT 1--------

NEW LINK

http://www.teamster.org/07news/nr_070829_1.asp

Reason against: The safety of the american public is in jeopardy

- The drivers are also mexican and there are significant concerns on driving records, accountability for accidents, safety on the highway (our signs are in english, they speak spanish, etc). Also this came out of NAFTA!!

- This isnt free trade - this is putting business profits above citizen safety.

%----EDIT 2-----------

I wrote to the contact at the teamsers to see if we (ordinary citizens) can do anything to help stop this. I will post back what I hear. In the meantime I guess we can start calling our representatives.

[nullvalu]

I don't know about you, but if I see one of these trucks, they're getting the ONE FINGER SALUTE!!

[dircha]

Ideas on what we can do to help stop this?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/29/mexico.trucks.ap/index.html

It ties in with NAFTA (mentioned in the article) and most certainly the SPP

But hang on there. This is talking about allowing easier transport of Mexican goods into the U.S, not people. Ron Paul isn't a protectionist. He advocates low or no tariffs and access of foreign products to our markets.

He also supports in principle the free flow of people across borders; this is the libertarian position. He says the primary obstacle to this is the welfare state. We have to keep people out because when we let them in, we allow them into our entitlement programs, and we end up stealing from taxpayers to pay for the immigrants' entitlements.

Ron explains this in the Google Talk.

This sounds like a protectionist move on the part of an American labor union that we shouldn't support.

[DeadheadForPaul]

But hang on there. This is talking about allowing easier transport of Mexican goods into the U.S, not people. Ron Paul isn't a protectionist. He advocates low or no tariffs and access of foreign products to our markets.

He also supports in principle the free flow of people across borders; this is the libertarian position. He says the primary obstacle to this is the welfare state. We have to keep people out because when we let them in, we allow them into our entitlement programs, and we end up stealing from taxpayers to pay for the immigrants' entitlements.

Ron explains this in the Google Talk.

This sounds like a protectionist move on the part of an American labor union that we shouldn't support.

I agree 100%. I support the movement of goods. It sounds efficient. To me, people who oppose this would oppose free trade

[nullvalu]

I agree 100%. I support the movement of goods. It sounds efficient. To me, people who oppose this would oppose free trade

My only question is who's driving the trucks?

I'm anti-union.. I'm not opposed to this because of the "they took aerr jaerrrbs" aspect.. I just don't want any old mexican driving an 18-wheeler on an expressway shared with me & my family...

[Stealth4]

The issue (IMO) is that we cant secure our border and that we wont ensure that these trucks which will be on our roads will be safe. Looks like there isnt proper checking of driving backgrounds etc. We dont let mexican cars more than 35 miles inside the border why should we let mexican trucks in?

Here is another link (from the teamsters page on the injunction) that explains their specific objections.

Please read this then please tell me what you think. I should have posted this other link before.

http://www.teamster.org/07news/nr_070829_1.asp

[devil21]

This will quickly turn into a way to transport more illegals into the US faster and probably more than a few trucks will have heavy "stashes" of illegal substances such as coke. What about the unsafe trucks that cause accidents and just flee back across the border? There's a million ways this can go wrong. I dont like it.

EDIT: good point kenc. It makes sense why the labor unions are pissed. It wipes out american truckers taking over shipments at the border.

[kenc9]

Some day, when things get bad enough, Americans will be for the American people and jobs first.

Something about letting Mexicans do our jobs just to have some company make more money no matter the impact to American workers and their families is wrong.

Ron Paul does not believe in managed trade, NAFTA, WTO or NAU which this was a part of by the fast tracking for Bill Clinton.

First there were people then big business was born, NOT the other way around.

-ken

[BuddyRey]

But hang on there. This is talking about allowing easier transport of Mexican goods into the U.S, not people. Ron Paul isn't a protectionist. He advocates low or no tariffs and access of foreign products to our markets.

He also supports in principle the free flow of people across borders; this is the libertarian position. He says the primary obstacle to this is the welfare state. We have to keep people out because when we let them in, we allow them into our entitlement programs, and we end up stealing from taxpayers to pay for the immigrants' entitlements.

Ron explains this in the Google Talk.

This sounds like a protectionist move on the part of an American labor union that we shouldn't support.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see eye to eye with you and RP on this one. Hundreds of people are getting killed every year because of illegal immigrants who don't know our traffic laws and/or don't care to observe them. Free trade is one thing, turning a blind eye to a growing societal problem is another.

[fj45lvr]

I have a probem with allowing these trucks to flow freely up here the reasons being:

1) do they READ english?
2) do they have to maintain their vehicles to the various States standards?
3) Large business will most assuredly be happy to have the bulk of their hauling now conducted by US truckers to be done my Mexicans who would do it for half as much in all liklihood!!

4) Our own US truckers have alot of fees and regulations to follow to be able to operate their business....this will undoubtedly force them to have to operate out of Mexico too if Mexican fees and requirements are different and giving them a competitive advantage.

5) Mexico is proportedly building a large shipping container Port not far from California so that US retailers can have their goods shipped via Mex. instead of via Long Beach Ca. (the reasons may be numerous to do this (all based on paying less) this will undoubtedly place a much greater amount of pressure on US customs who potentially search these for "security, confirmation of actual contents, calculation of appropriate tariffs, etc. The end result MAY be that the US TAXPAYER just gets HIT with more expenses (further entrenching "corporate welfare")

6) common sense tells one that if American workers enjoy such LUXURIES as (benefit packages) and higher wages than those of the comparable Mexican workforce that an "equalization" of the "market" means that our workers will make much less and their workers will earn much more (How much savings do you really believe the consumer is going to see from lower costs?? I would bet the family farm the difference will be pocketed by the Large Corporations as increased profits for the Home depots, walmarts, etc. using cheaper Mexican Labor for recieving their Cheaper Chinese products (there is NO consumer loyalty to OUR own Country which is SICKENING as well as STUPID....the majority of people are like the majority of POLITICIANS selling their integrity for MONEY of the CABALs)

[devil21]

I'm sorry, but I just can't see eye to eye with you and RP on this one. Hundreds of people are getting killed every year because of illegal immigrants who don't know our traffic laws and/or don't care to observe them. Free trade is one thing, turning a blind eye to a growing societal problem is another.

A friend of mine had her car backed into at a red light the other day. Yes *BACKED INTO* at a red light. Two hispanic women jumped out yelling NO POLICIA!! NO POLICIA!!, threw a crumpled up $100 bill at my friend then jumped back into the car, gunned it and drove through the red light to get away! Her bumper was barely scratched so she didnt call POLICIA!! but its proof of whats going on. Lets go ahead and give them 18 wheelers to drive now.

[Man from La Mancha]

• Given the number of illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States now, what will happen when thousands of trucks are coming back and forth into the U.S. daily? What will happen to our already chronic problem with illegal immigration once the border opens up further?

• Since our own government seldom bothers to do anything about crimes committed by illegal aliens, what will happen when a Mexican trucker commits a crime on U.S. soil, and flees straight back to Mexico? What recourse will American citizens have, given Mexico's unwillingness to extradite violent felons to the U.S.?

• What will happen in our communities with the increased flow of drugs, and as the violence fomented from the ultra-violent cartels slops over into our own backyards?

• As the war in the Middle East likely spreads, what effective means will there be to prevent terrorists and their WMDs from being smuggled straight across our border on wide open U.S. freeways?

[Stealth4]

I posted this in the beginning as an edit, but I think that tommorow we all need to take 5 minutes out of our day to call our congressional representative (senate and house) about this. It lets them know its high on our radar.

The office of my senate rep. is near my office so I will go in person.

[LibertyEagle]

But hang on there. This is talking about allowing easier transport of Mexican goods into the U.S, not people. Ron Paul isn't a protectionist. He advocates low or no tariffs and access of foreign products to our markets.

He also supports in principle the free flow of people across borders; this is the libertarian position. He says the primary obstacle to this is the welfare state. We have to keep people out because when we let them in, we allow them into our entitlement programs, and we end up stealing from taxpayers to pay for the immigrants' entitlements.

Ron explains this in the Google Talk.

This sounds like a protectionist move on the part of an American labor union that we shouldn't support.

You can't necessarily imply that just because something is the Libertarian position, that it is also Ron Paul's position. For example, the Libertarian positions are pro-choice and open borders. Those are most definitely, not Ron's stances.

I am quite sure that Ron is against having a Mexican "port" in Kansas City. He has spoken against that before.

[LibertyEagle]

• Given the number of illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States now, what will happen when thousands of trucks are coming back and forth into the U.S. daily? What will happen to our already chronic problem with illegal immigration once the border opens up further?

• Since our own government seldom bothers to do anything about crimes committed by illegal aliens, what will happen when a Mexican trucker commits a crime on U.S. soil, and flees straight back to Mexico? What recourse will American citizens have, given Mexico's unwillingness to extradite violent felons to the U.S.?

• What will happen in our communities with the increased flow of drugs, and as the violence fomented from the ultra-violent cartels slops over into our own backyards?

• As the war in the Middle East likely spreads, what effective means will there be to prevent terrorists and their WMDs from being smuggled straight across our border on wide open U.S. freeways?

No kidding! Heck, if someone wanted to bring their army into our country, they could just load them up in the trucks and bring 'em right on in.

This whole thing is pure stupidity, if only from a national security perspective.

[EvilEngineer]

Heres one big question I have about these foreign trucks coming across the border. Who the hell is going to pay when they hit or kill someone? Do they have ANY insurance? It's a crime for us to drive with out it, what restrictions are being put on them?

[Man from La Mancha]

Talking points:

This list of issues is intended to help you craft your comment. Choose as many as you like, but try to make your comments unique. Also include any firsthand observations of unsafe Mexican trucks or drivers.

Driver Violations: Drivers that have been stopped on U.S. highways have high out of service (OOS) rates for operating without a drivers license, for not having a legal license to operate the vehicle they were driving, and for not having hours of service (HOS) logbooks and records of duty status (RODS) as required under U.S. law.

Vehicle Violations: Vehicles that have been stopped on U.S. highway have high rates of poorly adjusted brakes and inoperable lamps.

Drug/Alcohol Testing: Mexico does not require workplace drug and alcohol testing of truck drivers as under U.S. law.

There is rampant drug use among Mexican truck drivers as a means to stay awake because employers push them to the limit;
There are no certified drug/alcohol testing laboratories in Mexico;
Samples collected in Mexico have to be sent to a U.S. lab for analysis;
The DOT Inspector General cannot verify that drug/alcohol sample collection procedures in Mexico meet U.S. standards for quality, purity and security;
Samples collected at the U.S. border may prove more reliable, but letting drivers know when and where they will be tested defeats the purpose of random testing and does not address U.S. requirements for pre-employment and reasonable suspicion testing.
There needs to be scientifically valid random drug testing.
Hours of Service: In addition to not maintaining HOS records, Mexico has no enforced HOS requirements so drivers can operate for an unlimited number of hours within Mexico and arrive at the U.S. border fatigued. Up until two years ago, Mexican drivers were not even required to carry logbooks. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration admits that it cannot penalize a driver for actions that occurred in Mexico if they have a logbook and other required records.

Mexican Drivers License: Fraudulent commercial drivers licenses are easy to obtain in Mexico. They are available on street corners for the right price. There is no agreement between the U.S. and Mexico on medical standards for commercial drivers licenses.

Mexican drivers are not subject to the same disqualifications of their CDL for violations occurring in their personal vehicle.

A Mexican driver that could be disqualified under the U.S. system will be able to drive on our U.S. highways.

Operating Authority Enforcement: Half of the U.S. States either have not enforced the laws against vehicles that lack operating authority or have problems obtaining the information needed to confirm if a vehicle lacks operating authority.

Data Quality: States are required to supply data on violations and convictions of Mexican drivers in the U.S. to a federal database. There have been serious problems with reporting these violations and convictions in each border State. About one-quarter (25%) of the requests for information on Mexican drivers indicate that the driver has a violation or conviction.

Bus Safety Inspections: The DOT Inspector General found that further improvements are needed at border crossings including inspection ramps and full-time personnel to accommodate bus and motorcoach inspections. In order to evade the fact that preparations for bus inspections are not complete, buses and motorcoaches are not included in the pilot program.

Hazardous Materials: The U.S. and Mexico have not reached agreement regarding the movement of placarded hazardous materials shipments from Mexico into the U.S. and beyond the commercial border zones. U.S. law requires criminal background checks be performed for CDL drivers with a hazardous materials endorsement. In order to evade the fact that the safety of cross-border hazardous materials shipments have not been addressed they are also excluded.

One of the most frequent Out-of-Service violations for Mexican drivers hauling hazardous materials into the commercial zones is mis-placarding or no placarding at all. If hazmat shipments are not labeled properly, how will we be sure that hazardous materials are not coming beyond the commercial zones via this pilot program.

Vehicles Not Built to U.S. Standards: Federal law requires that vehicles operated in the U.S. must meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards. Until 1996, most trucks and buses built in Mexico were not built to U.S. standards. Since then, an unknown number of trucks have not included safety equipment required by U.S. standards, such as antilock braking systems. Unless the vehicle has a certification label, border inspectors will not be able to determine whether a truck or bus entering the U.S. is as safe as vehicles built to the U.S. safety standards.

The DOT Border Pilot Program is Illegal: The safety problems mentioned above are covered by Section 350, which requires that DOT must completely fulfill these goals before the border with Mexico can be opened. Until those requirements have been fully completed, the border cannot legally be opened to any trucks. In addition, federal law governs how pilot programs must be carried out, and sets certain safety and procedural criteria that must be met. Section 4007, Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998). DOT and FMCSA have also not complied with that law.

Mexico-domiciled Motor Carriers Pose Threat to "Cabotage" Rules: NAFTA, customs and immigration related regulations restrict foreign-based trucks and drivers to carrying international shipments between their home countries and individual points in the U.S. Generally referred to as "cabotage" rules, these regulations also prohibit foreign trucks and drivers from moving domestic loads from point to point within the U.S. Once a foreign-domiciled truck crosses the border and enters the interior of our country, they will encounter virtually no enforcement of these regulations. Mexican truckers willing to haul at substantially lower rates will become a very attractive option to domestic shippers, brokers and freight forwarders. With no credible enforcement effort in place to deter them, Mexican motor carriers will surely seize the opportunity to arrange the pick up and delivery of loads all over the U.S., earning far more than they can in their own country.

Crashes by Mexico-domiciled Motor Carriers Raise Concerns Over Insurance Coverage: In the event of a crash or serious accident that involves either liability for serious injury or extensive freight clean up on a U.S. highway, Mexico-domiciled motor carriers have an advantage over U.S. companies. U.S. motor carriers are covered by insurance and the company's assets, if necessary, are subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. The same is not true for Mexico-domiciled motor carriers whose only exposure is, for all practical purposes, only the amount of insurance coverage they are required to maintain by FMCSA. Although Mexico-domiciled motor carriers can be sued in Mexico, it is onerous for U.S. citizens and localities to sue under the judicial system in Mexico.

[Stealth4]

And please do consider taking 5 minutes today and call your house and senate representative. Get this on their radar screen.

[constituent]

what's funny about this is i've already seen a couple of trucks from mexico in the last week... my wife too at times different from myself...

it's kinda like how they're only exploring for uranium in goliad county... but the special trucks they use to haul uranium are running through victoria out toward cuero and goliad 24/7.

[mconder]

This will quickly turn into a way to transport more illegals into the US

Not only faster, but deeper into the country. I have an idea, solve the benefits to illegals problem first, then we can talk about this.

I live in one of the few safe havens for those of Anglo-Saxon heritage and culture left in this country. It's one of the reasons I moved to the area I am in. My kids elementary school has like 2 Mexicans in the entire school, and I'm sure they are legal given the economic strata of the area. My kids roam outdoors freely, my wife could go jogging alone at 1am, and my kids have excellent association with those of like cultural values and goals. I really don't need/want illegals trucked into my city.

Were others "celebrate diversity" I celebrate the benefits of unity and cultural cohesion every day.

[Stealth4]

Please keep calling - its starting to work.

My senators office told me that a lot of concerned citizens have been calling about this matter. It only takes 5 minutes per representative. A call is much better than an email, but it needs to be done now during business hours.

Keep it up!! Thanks.

[Man from La Mancha]

http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm

.

[Johnnybags]

Its Wal-Mart,Target, Home Depot, Lowes etc. behind this scam, they are using ports in Mexico to skirt Long Beach workers as well. Instead of toys and cheap tools and clothing, simply change your buying habits, spend domestically on trips, local produce, etc. The idiots do not realize the American trucking industry utilizes hotels,food joints, mechanics etc and Mexicans are not giving up a days wage to eat and sleep on the long haul, will not pay big bucks for truck fixes etc. They'll all be on the roadside trying to fix their trucks, eat and sleep in the trucks, use home heating oil from their pals along the highway as diesel etc. It is a fiasco.

[Man from La Mancha]

I called all 3 of my states representatives

.

[Stealth4]

One last idea. Cross-post this issue in detail (copy paste some posts from here as a good summary) to other forums you know of that will be receptive.

I've posted this issue one other place and I believe people there are calling in as well.

[ladyliberty]

Senator Bill Nelson is in Asia, folks, but I left a message for him with his secretary!:D