Thread: Bush defying Congress over Mexico trucking

Teamsters say Bush administration defying Congress over Mexico trucking

The Trucker News Services

7/1/2007

WASHINGTON — Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa criticized the Bush administration today for what a Teamsters news release characterized as [b]“plannning to defy Congress and the American people by rushing ahead with its reckless cross-border pilot program.â€

Bush is trying to push his own agenda and has from the beginning. There are some other people involved in this and I am hoping that once he is out of office the truth will finally emerge. I would like to see all of them tried on treason. Throw them all in jail and throw away the key.
The only option in life we don't have is dying. This will happen to all of us someday. I can't believe these people think that they are taking this money with them. The only thing they are taking with them is their pasts.
Most of them hide behind some religion.

I think all of you... "that includes me" deserve what we get. My parents always told me "You get what you pay for" .... we paid for Sh_ _ (Bush administration) and got the hershey squirts and now we are complaining because of the discomfort.

No one wants to recall thier congressman or Senators ... and no one is calling for Empeachment of President Bush ... so just sit back now and enjoy the ride.

If you are a truck driver and lose your job to the mexican truckers coming across the border... dont bitch about it, just expect a divorce from your wife because unemployment checks only give so much for a short period of time and lord knows your woman doesnt want to be married to a loser. Well... did you go after your Senators and congressman and threatened them with recall... did you follow up?

If you are a truck drivers wife... get ready for a wild ride as far as paying for your mortgage payments and buying baby milk ... well, sorry to be blunt... but you did not call for empeachment of bush or recall of your senitors ... maybe you can marry an illegal immigrant and get them to take care of you

Moms ... the carrear choices are being dwindled down... just do your best to keep you kids off of drugs that were pouring across our border ... get ready for the Katrina of drug flow with the mexican trucks that are not inspected.... MS 13 will be able to recruit new members... maybe your children can hook up

If your a dad.... the mob looks like a good carrear choice ... crime and drugs seem like a good paying jobs...

We knew what we were getting, and all we do is bitch or make excuses for Bush ... as we say in the military... the effective range of an excuse is 0.00 meters... it comes out of your mouth and drops to the floor.

There are a lot of good people in here ... but what are we truly doing. As I look on the board there are 756 guests and 59 members on line checking out this site..... dont you think it should be the other way around.

It is long past time to go after the architect ... of the NAU, pushing for NAFTA trucking from Mexico and the Illegal Immigrant invasion that Chertoff recently said the administration decided to back off of the border a in 2001 which started the onslaught

So in the mean time... eat a burritto, get fatter and watch as your country decintigrates into the best third world nation that we can be

Sept. 7, 2007, 5:27PM
Congress upset at late-night decision on Mexican trucks


By SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's late-night decision allowing Mexican trucks to ply U.S. roads triggered angry criticism Friday from opponents of the trucking program.

John Hill, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, gave the go-ahead for the trucks late Thursday night, allowing Transportes Olympic of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to drive its trucks beyond the roughly 25-mile limit from the border where they have been confined.

In return, Mexico granted permission to Stagecoach Cartage in El Paso to operate in Mexico.

Neither company had crossed the border yet, and Hill said the trucks might begin crossing this weekend.

The announcement was made in a news release and conference call with reporters around 9 p.m. EDT Thursday. The announcement had been expected earlier in the week.

"It was done in the dark of the night with very little notice," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who sponsored legislation for the pilot program under certain safety criteria.

The pilot program is restricted to 100 Mexican carriers who are allowed to cross a total 1,000 vehicles.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he would offer an amendment similar to Fazio's when the Senate takes up the transportation spending bill, probably next week.

"I think they are exhibiting an arrogance that is pretty unbelievable," Dorgan said of the administration. "They've given short shrift to all objections, rushing to allow Mexican long haul trucks into this country."

But Hill said the program should be given a chance to run because every Mexican truck has to meet the same standard as U.S. trucks.

"Every time we get close to fulfilling requirements for what Congress told us to do originally with implementation of NAFTA, there seems to be additional requirements put on to this program," he said.

Before the announcement could be made, the transportation department inspector general and the transportation secretary had to make reports to Congress on safety and other requirements.

The inspector general's report was issued about 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

"The DOT waited less than an hour to implement their plan," Dorgan said.

"The inspector general is the one who controls this event. He chose to release his report at 7:30 p.m. After he reeled his, then we released ours. We did it as expeditiously and responsibly as we could," Hill said.

The 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, promised access to all U.S. highways by 2000 to Mexican and Canadian truckers.

Canadian trucking companies already have full access to U.S. roads, but Mexican trucks can travel only about 25 miles inside the country, or 75 miles in Arizona.

Lawsuits and opposition by labor and safety groups have stalled the opening of roads to Mexican trucks.

The inspector general's report to Congress said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association had made progress in addressing Congress' requirements.

But it also said the administration had no coordinated plans for checking trucks and drivers participating in the test program, and that the motor carrier safety group needed to do more to help enforce the English requirements for drivers.

Five states told the inspector general's office they were not ready to enforce the safety rules for the trucks during the pilot project. Twenty-six states raised one or more concerns.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made some adjustments in response to the report.

Fazio said he still worries that Mexico does not have a certified drug testing facility or limits on driving times.

The Teamsters sued to stop the pilot program. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association asked the U.S. appeals court in Washington Friday to suspend the program pending a review of it by the court.

Clayton Boyce, vice president of public affairs for the American Trucking Associations, said the group has grave concerns of how the pilot project would be carried out and whether it would be safe, even though they supported NAFTA.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5117448.html

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he would offer an amendment similar to Fazio's when the Senate takes up the transportation spending bill, probably next week.

"I think they are exhibiting an arrogance that is pretty unbelievable," Dorgan said of the administration. "They've given short shrift to all objections, rushing to allow Mexican long haul trucks into this country."

Go Senator Dorgan!