Thread: Inspector General Report on Mexican Trucks 'An Indictment'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Teamsters: Inspector General Report on Mexican Trucks 'An Indictment'



Inspector General Questions DOT Inspections of Mexican Trucks, Drivers



WASHINGTON, March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General
President Jim Hoffa said today that the latest inspector general report on
the Bush administration's reckless pilot program allowing unsafe Mexican
trucks to travel freely in the United States provides even more ammunition
to keep the border closed because of safety concerns.



The report says the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
hasn't implemented a quality control measure promised to Congress. "Without
this quality control measure, FMCSA does not have assurance that it has
checked every Mexican truck and driver that is participating in the project
when they cross the border into the United States," the report said.



"This is another indictment of the program to open the border," Hoffa
said. "They're not even pretending anymore that they'll inspect every
truck, every time it crosses the border. They're just saying they will
glance at a driver's license and a safety decal - and now the inspector
general reports there's no assurances that's even being done."



The report will be discussed Tuesday afternoon at a Senate Commerce
Committee hearing in which Transportation Secretary Mary Peters will be
questioned about her decision to ignore Congress's legal ban on funding the
program.



The report also validates one of the Teamsters Union's key legal
arguments that the program is illegal. It states that "no reliable
statistical projections regarding safety attributes can be made at this
point."



The Teamsters have argued in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that a
legal requirement of the program is that it include enough participants to
yield statistically valid findings.



The Teamsters are awaiting the court's decision.



"Do we need any more reasons to put the brakes on this program?" Hoffa
said. "Congress cut funding, and the Bush administration can't check all
trucks and drivers. What more do we need to stop this dangerous experiment
-- deaths on our highways? "



Hoffa also praised Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., for launching an
investigation into the Transportation Department's illegal spending of
taxpayers' funds on the pilot program. Also signing the request were Sen.
Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Reps. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., and Peter DeFazio,
D-Ore.



Peters ignored a law signed on Dec. 26 that cuts off funding for the
pilot program to open the border to trucks from Mexico.



"I've been saying for weeks that this woman ought to be fired for
breaking the law," Hoffa said. "I'm delighted that Sen. Dorgan is taking
steps to force her to obey the law and the U.S. Constitution."



Dorgan asked for an investigation into Peters' potential violation of
the Antideficiency Act. The law is used by Congress to enforce its
constitutional power of the purse. It forbids federal officials from
spending money that hasn't been appropriated by Congress.



Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents
1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and
Puerto Rico.








SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Link to this page:




back to top

Related links:

http://www.teamster.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issuers of news releases and not PR Newswire are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Terms and conditions, including restrictions on redistribution, apply.
Copyright © 1996-2008 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.
A United Business Media company.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stori ... 835&EDATE=

View online here:

http://commerce.senate.gov/live.ram

(Real Player Req'd)

Some excerpts from the Senate Commerce committee meeting this afternoon re: Mexican Demo Trucking Program -



Trinity Industries of Mexico- 100 violations+

Pryor: I think we're on very dangerous ground to allow drivers to come into the US with a Mexican CDL.

Dorgan: Why would they voluntarily withdraw, and why would you not kick them out of the program?

Peters: "Their operating authority was taken away".

Dorgan: I believe I've treated you respectfully,

"There are too many examples..." 12:57pm PT

=================================================


Jackie Gillian - advocates for highway safety
Paul Cullen - Ind. Owner/Op Assoc

Gillian - Cross border truck program.

It is unsafe and illegal which puts the public at risk.
Each yr. 5000 killed in truck crashes.
DOT's - 15 yr history of risky decisions, safety lapses, endangering public,
"Junk science and a waste of taxpayers dollars"
'6% of trucks originally planned are even in the program' (too small a sample to judge future viability or accuracy of findings)

Cullen - Wording of statute: - 'establish', interpretation twisted by DOT,"absurd" - abandons
clear language principle. Agency ignoring the will of Congress.

DoT - responsibilities under NAFTA. Text (Art. 1201 - the only thing agreed to, was reciprocal treatment as given to US motor carriers - no better, no worse).
What is authority of FMCSA under NAFTA (Title 49, 13902(a)?) entertain applications for operating, and ability to grant them, where they show ability to comply with ALL US laws.

Complying with Mexican reqs: Med, licensing, drug-testing - our Sec has little ability to alter these conditions controlled in Mexican - 'No legal authority', by waiving compliance with US laws, and deferring or substituting with Mexican standards.

==================================================

Dorgan -

"Inspection of every truck, every time" - is false. They're really just checking on license, English proficiency, - not undergoing complete level 1 inspection.

Cullen - Safety standard; not the lowest common denominator, we should not be using Mexican standard of 'safety', we should be using the US standard of safety.

Dorgan - Sec. of DoT, was welcome to invite trucking companies to testify but they could not find one.

Cullen - "We would be hard pressed to find many drivers of our group, to find drivers willing to risk their bodily safety to drive deeply into the heart of Mexico."


Cheryl Jennings-McGurk - Parents and nephew killed in auto accident (related to cross-border trucking). Killed by Mexican truck outside commercial zone, drive shaft fell off of truck.
I urge Congress to shut down this illegal program.

Dorgan - Mother killed by drunk driver after visiting friend in hospita going 30 mph by driver going 80 on a city street. I understand the carnage taking place...

"I'm not very interested in diminishing standards, if other countries can meet our standards, then God Bless 'em. I'm not willing to diminish our standards."

I believe the Sec DoT and the WH consulted on this...

"There will be consequences for a Federal Agency that continues to ignore the law."

"The US Congress will have the last word on this issue."

US Senate Video services: 202-224-4977