Posted on 04/09/2007 3:30:46 AM PDT by Dacb
Grassroots Americans of all parties and economic classes rose up out of their political apathy a few months ago and forced President Bush to reverse his administration's decision to allow a Middle East government to own America's major ports. But the push for foreign ownership continues: the next port scheduled to be taken over is Kansas City, Missouri.
Even though public schools stopped teaching geography a couple of decades ago, most Americans (especially residents of the Show Me state) are surprised to learn that Kansas City (where the only waves are "amber waves of grain") is a port. We are also surprised, and shocked, to discover that Mexico will be running its own inspection facility.
The plan, shrouded in secrecy, has been in the works for at least three years, but it is now coming to light because of the diligent use of Missouri's Sunshine law by concerned citizens. Joyce Mucci and Francis Semler forced the release of the emails from Kansas City to Mexico, including one admitting that "The space [in Kansas City] would need to be designated as Mexican sovereign territory."
SmartPort spokesmen are now running away from this written admission, blaming "the problems and pressure the media attention has created." However, the stubborn sovereignty issue won't go away; the plan does involve setting up Mexican customs officials in downtown Kansas City.
The mechanism for this deal is a "nonprofit" business economic development corporation called Kansas City SmartPort Inc., whose president is Chris J.F. Gutierrez. The deal calls for Kansas City to lease the valuable property at 1447 Liberty Street.
As laid out on SmartPort's website, the plan is to enable cheap-labor products made in Communist China to travel in sealed "containers nonstop from the Far East by way of Mexico," through "a ships-to-rail terminal at the port of Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico," then up "the evolving trade corridor" to Kansas City, Missouri, where they would have their first inspection.
A Kansas City SmartPort brochure explains further: "Kansas City offers the opportunity for sealed cargo containers to travel to Mexican port cities with virtually no border delays."
A key purpose of the project is to take jobs away from U.S. longshoremen in Los Angeles and Long Beach who earn $140,000 a year and replace them with Mexican laborers at $10,000 a year. U.S. truck drivers and railroad workers will likewise be replaced by Mexicans.
The port of Lazaro Cardenas on the west coast of southern Mexico is controlled by Hutchison Whampoa, the same giant Hong Kong shipping firm that owns the ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. The Chinese-made goods will be carried by Kansas City Southern Railway de Mexico directly to Kansas City, where freight will be distributed east and west and on to Canada.
Kansas City Southern was originally just a belt rail around Kansas City but, after buying various Mexican rail companies and tracks, KCS now controls a 2,600-mile artery from Lazaro Cardenas to Kansas City. KCS's president, Michael Haverty, was one of only five U.S. businessmen who met with Presidents Bush and Vicente Fox, along with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, at their Cancun Summit in March.
Mexico was at first expected to pay for the big, expensive machines to conduct high-tech gamma-ray screening for drive-through inspections of containers, but Mexico declined the honor. SmartPort has applied for a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (i.e., to get the U.S. taxpayers to pay for the machines).
The Kansas City city council has already earmarked $2.5 million in loans and $600,000 in direct aid (of taxpayers' money) to SmartPort, which would build and own the facility and then sublet it to the Mexican government. The cost could go as high as $6 million because Kansas City has an existing lease that runs through 2045 on the same property with the 107-year-old American Royal, which uses that land for its annual livestock/rodeo/barbecue event.
The last piece in finalizing this project is getting the U.S. State Department to approve the Mexican operation on U.S. soil by signing off on what is called the C-175 document. It has already been approved by U.S. Customs.
Meanwhile, NASCO (North America's SuperCorridor Coalition), another non-profit business organization, has taken on the mission of building an "international, integrated and secure, multi-modal transportation system" from Lazaro Cardenas through Kansas City and up to Winnipeg, Canada. This will allow Mexican trucks to haul goods along a 12-lane superhighway through the heartland of the United States.
Kansas City is now the Mexico/US border. Thanks, Jorge.
” “containers nonstop from the Far East by way of Mexico,” through “a ships-to-rail terminal at the port of Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico,” then up “the evolving trade corridor” to Kansas City, Missouri, where they would have their first inspection.
A Kansas City SmartPort brochure explains further: “Kansas City offers the opportunity for sealed cargo containers to travel to Mexican port cities with virtually no border delays.””
A new way for China to bomb the U.S. ‘What’s that ticking I hear, Miguel?”
Ping
North American Union.
An extension of the notorious Trans-Texas Corridor. Will this thing ever go away?
Welcome to Free Republic :)
I was watching CNN, and employers are practically dancing in the street over H1-B visas. Can't remember the exact amount, but someone with the same skills as an American/legal resident is quite a bit lower.
Now what does Uncle Sam plan on doing with all these displaced workers?
In all honesty who cares where Mexico decides to inspect cargo incoming to their Country?...... That is the purpose of the Mexican Customs in KC is to inspect cargo entering Mexico from the US. If inspected in KC then it doesn’t have to stop and wait customs clearance at the border...
> I was watching CNN, and employers are practically
> dancing in the street over H1-B visas.
No wonder, when a longshoreman earns $140k!
The *Powers that be* realize the opposition to the TTC and will use the influx of 1000s of nasty Mexican trucks to *persuade* people otherwise.
If you can’t beat them, beat them some more.
Our nation is being run by corrupt people who don’t care what we think.
I think it might be impossible to save America Inc. from being irreversibly damaged.
“I was watching CNN, and employers are practically dancing in the street over H1-B visas. “
Did they raise the caps on H1-Bs?
My tagline says it all.
This is why we NEED Duncan Hunter as President. These little deals will kill us all in the long term. He is the only candidate that sees the problem with unfair trade with China and giving Mexico the keys to the kingdom. He wants to keep American jobs here.
“In all honesty who cares where Mexico decides to inspect cargo incoming to their Country?...... That is the purpose of the Mexican Customs in KC is to inspect cargo entering Mexico from the US. If inspected in KC then it doesn’t have to stop and wait customs clearance at the border”
Are you serious?
This proposed customs house will only inspect cargo leaving the US and entering Mexico. Not the reverse of leaving Mexico and entering the US. Or that is what I’ve read thus I don’t really care if Mexico decides to clear it in KC, San Antonio, Alberta, NY, etc. It’s their problem.
JMO and yours may differ.
140k? Yikes!
Well the amount so far is 30,000 visas. They are trying to push for more. Bill Gates was shown at a hearing. I used to have some respect for him.
I’m glad the neo-con’s came along, it was sooo boring living in a sovereign nation without a global economy./sarc.
Read later.
I don’t know what to say.
More on Mexico leasing “sovereign territory” in KC.
This is the first time I have *ever* urged on Democrats in this forum.
If they really want to impeach Bush, this is the issue.
Have a press conference about "selling out the country" and Mexican sovereign territory in Kansas City; and mention that uninspected sealed Cargo, straight from China, will come in Mexican ports and be sent through the heartland. Then replay the clip of the little girl and the daisies from the Goldwater commercial...
Swush Ballows.
NO cheers, unfortunately.
As I understand it, the Kansas City facility is for the pre-inspection of goods traveling from the United States into Mexico. It mirrors facilities in Mexico that the United States uses for the pre-inspection of goods entering the United States from Mexico. It is NOT Mexican Sovereign territory. US laws will apply there.
I take it that you want to remove U.S. Customs officials from all our “sovereign territory” overseas, and return them here?
Since we continue electing globalists, I guess it’s time to develop a ‘Republican’ attitude...
I’ve spent years defending the Constitution and sovereignty of the US, to no avail...
So tell me fellow Republican FReepers, How do I get on the bandwagon to make a fast buck off my fellow Americans while they’ve still got some money to spend???
No, I'm very much approving of double standard which are in my favor. ;-)
(Think of the opportunities for terrorism or for smuggling in gazillions MORE illegal aliens...)
No cheers, unfortunately.
They have been talking about this since I was in college 30years ago. It is no secret.
This first map shows Mexican freight tonnage on US Highways in 1998. Notice how little of it goes to KC.
This second map shows 2020 projections of Mexican freight. Notice how little of it goes to KC.
“take jobs away from U.S. longshoremen in Los Angeles and Long Beach who earn $140,000 a year and replace them with Mexican laborers at $10,000 a year”?
Reminds me of an old “All in the Family” episode in which a newly-hired female forklift driver was going to suggest that a ramp up from the warehouse floor would allow her to pick stuff outa trucks in one smooth move, until Archie complained that moving stuff from the dock to the floor was his entire job. Vivid memories of an old US News story that compared $16 Mexican Chrysler welders output and quality to $36+benefits ($55/hour?) Americans...
And they're such nice, accommodating people, too! (sarcasm)
Slippery Slope Alert
Isn't that special? A nice, central location. And I'm sure any shamnesty law would have a loophole allowing travel to this location to apply for amnesty, instead of going back to Mexico proper.
This is about opening up Western Canada for Mexican freight, IMO. It's a straight shot up I-29 from Kansas City.
Wrong. Having a Mexican customs official located in KC is an attempt to make I 35 the most desirable route to move ag product from the western plains of the US and Canada to Mexico and Mexican ports. It would give that route a competative advantage over the Ports to Plains corridor aka the meat and wheat corridor.
Yea, but the ONE $140K longshoreman pays a lot more taxes than the 14 $10K workers (who will pay NONE because they are all low income).
I say we cede NO property to Mexico.
> Yea, but the ONE $140K longshoreman pays a lot more
> taxes than the 14 $10K workers (who will pay NONE
> because they are all low income).
True, but if the unions didn’t have the ports tied down so tight, the employers would be able to hire the many US citizens who would do the job for a reasonable wage without having to worry about importing cheap labor. There’s no way $140k is the market price for that kind of work — except when the market is distorted by organized labor.
If it is not going to be the sovereign territory of Mexico (where the Mexican customs officials will be doing their inspections) then there is no need for the State Department to be involved.
Additionally, Mexican customs officials can only enforce their law on their territory. Our pre-inspection facilities at airports, etc. are the sovereign territory of the U.S. If it wasn’t we could not enforce our Customs laws.
Damn, at this moment, it has NOT been moved to chat. Miracles do happen.
US Sovereignty being sold down the river ping.
Cheers!
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