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"Congress put in place very specific guidelines that guaranteed Mexican truckers would be regulated by the same rules as their American counterparts," Kasper said.
"Rather than working with Congress to address the concerns that have been raised about the program, DOT announced that Mexican truckers were in compliance for some time and quickly moved to implement the program." Instead of trying to work with Congress, the Bush administration officials held a news conference with Mexico's transportation secretary yesterday to respond to criticism of a program allowing Mexican trucks on U.S. roads, but critics in Congress who helped pass counter-legislation are unmoved. Was that end of it? Nope!
Who's out of sync here? We simply ask... Where's the Bill? Article 1, Section. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. [emphasis ours] And... Artucle 1, Section. 8. The Congress shall have Power ... To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; The bill awaits consideration by a Joint Conference Committee. As one American commented: There is no reciprocation in Mexico. Until U.S. trucking companies are allowed the same or similar access to Mexican markets, then the only thing we are doing here is selling out American companies. It's time to move that Bill! Click here to tell the Democrat and Republican Leadership in the House of Congress to move that bill - to stop Mexican trucks from entering America - and to pass the final bill. Time's a wastin'. Send your ActiFax Blasts (that's 115 faxes for $25) to the entire Democrat and Republican House Leadership with a special bonus ActiFax to President Bush! Americans don't want Mexican trucks on American roads. Congress passed the bill, its time to move it out of committee and onto the Presidents desk for signature. So, please, act now. Housekeeping note: We offer you a Free Listing of all Congressmen and Senators here. Tune in Friday 10/19 at 10AM EDT/9AM Central as we discuss this weeks Power Letter on the Mexican truck standoff! Mexican Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez teamed with his counterpart U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to call on Congress to reconsider its pending prohibition of the program and let the trucking demonstration program proceed. "It is difficult to understand how a program that opens our roadways to virtually unregulated cross-border vehicle traffic can be safely regulated," said Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter's spokesman, Joe Kasper, in a WND interview. To make President Bush's administrations point, Mexican Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez teamed with his counterpart U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to call on Congress to reconsider its pending prohibition of the program and let the trucking demonstration program proceed. They even help a demonstration on Mexican truck safety in an attempt to show how safe Mexican trucks are... A Maryland state trooper was asked to conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of two trucks - one from Mexico and one from the U.S. Senate Dorgan said: "The information we need to ensure the safety of American drivers on American highways is not available," he said. "That includes vehicle inspection and drivers' records and accidents reports. None of that information is available. An 'inspection' of a hand-picked Mexican truck at a press conference doesn't change that." Dorgan said Congress "has spoken loud and clear in its opposition to allowing long-haul Mexican trucks to enter the United States, based on concerns that included a lack of access to Mexican driver and vehicle safety records." Article 1, Section. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. [emphasis ours] And... Artucle 1, Section. 8. The Congress shall have Power ... To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; The House passed the measure 411-3 while the Senate voted 75-23. The bill awaits consideration by a Joint Conference Committee. Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, isn't buying FMCSA's claims of enhanced safety. "The FMCSA just proceeds with the program, placing more and more ornaments on it, but fails to address the real issues of driver safety." Spencer pointed to the last line of the FMCSA statement to make his point. "Vehicles will be tracked by vehicle number and company – no driver information will be collected or tracked," it reads. "The issues are driver issues. There are no real hours of service regulations in Mexico, there is no effective way of checking driving or criminal records, and the Mexican CDL (commercial driver's license) does not measure up to the U.S. license," said Spencer. "Tracking trucks and trailers tells us nothing about the drivers. The net effect of this announcement on safety is zero." "The FMCSA has maintained all along that they do not have to manage a pilot program. The administration is simply thumbing its nose at the wishes of Congress and those concerned about true safety on American roads," Spencer told WND. So... American drivers get tracked to the person and Mexican drivers don't? How is that happening? With the Bush administration pushing full steam ahead on the implemtation of the NAFTA Super Highway, the Trans Texas Corridor, the North American Union, the Security and Prosperity Partnership and the new Amero "dollar", is it any wonder Mexico wants trucks here? Are American truckers asked to bring goods into Mexico? Are Mexican drivers under the same log rules for how many miles they can drive before taking time off for sleep! What happens when that Mexican owed truck kills you or your family? Who can you sue? Who is responsible? In an interesting twist, remember our Border Agents Compean and Ramos? In the Ramos-Compean case, the two agents convicted for 11 and 12 year prison terms respectively for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler, an overlooked fact is that the fleeing smuggler held a valid Mexican commercial drivers license at the time of the incident. In his testimony at the trial of Ramos and Compean, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila first testified that he held a commercial drivers license that expired in November 2004. Under cross-examination from Ramos' defense counsel Mary Stillinger, Aldrete-Davila reversed his testimony, admitting he had two commercial drivers licenses and that one of the licenses, which authorized him to transport hazardous material, was valid until 2013. Conclusion: That a drug smuggler such as Aldrete-Davila could hold a Mexican commercial drivers license is proof that Mexico has no reliable method to screen the previous criminal records of commercial drivers who might get certified as "trusted traders" under the Security and Prosperity Partnership definition of FAST lanes designated for use in the Mexican truck DOT demonstration project. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center May 2007 report titled Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis: Mexican DTOs transport wholesale quantities of illicit drugs into Arizona using private and commercial vehicles, often equipped with hidden compartments. Click here to tell the Democrat and Republican Leadership in the House of Congress to move that bill - to stop Mexican trucks from entering America - and to pass the final bill. Time's a wastin'. Send your ActiFax Blasts (that's 115 faxes for $25) to the entire Democrat and Republican House Leadership with a special bonus ActiFax to President Bush! Americans don't want Mexican trucks on American roads. Congress passed the bill, its time to move it out of committee and onto the Presidents desk for signature. So, please, act now.
Bryan Malatesta Exec. Director LaptopAmerica.net Tune in Friday 10/19 at 10AM EDT/9AM Central as we discuss this weeks Power Letter on the Mexican truck standoff!
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