Posted on 05/30/2007 6:22:13 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A proposed North American “super corridor” would relieve overburdened highways and promote economic growth in three countries, supporters say.
But others wonder whether the proposal might bring in cheap exports and put unsafe Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.
The issue takes center stage at a three-day conference that begins today in Fort Worth, Texas. More than 350 transportation, logistics and economic development specialists from the United States, Canada and Mexico are meeting.
The conference is sponsored by Dallas-based North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition.
The nonprofit coalition, whose members include public- and private-sector organizations, wants to develop an integrated transportation system linking the three countries.
The corridor includes interstates 29, 94 and 35, giving North Dakota and Minnesota a stake in the outcome. The project has drawn heavy criticism, including claims that it threatens U.S. control of its own borders.
Such claims are “extremely inaccurate, false and unhelpful to the country’s actual needs,” said Francisco Conde, the coalition’s director of special projects and communications.
The real issue is that the U.S. Interstate Highway System, completed in 1970, is increasingly overwhelmed by the country’s growing population and economy, he said.
The transportation system needs to be expanded for growth to continue, he said.
North Dakota and western Minnesota have less immediate need for the super corridor than the southern Great Plains does, said Jerry Nagel, president of Fargo-based Northern Great Plains, which seeks to maximize the area’s potential through regional collaboration.
The existing highway system in this area is still adequate – which isn’t the case in the southern Great Plains, where some highways are stressed by heavy traffic, he said.
Texas lawmakers for months have wrangled over construction of what is known as the Trans-Texas Corridor.
Plans call for a transportation network across Texas, including a 10-lane highway with six lanes for automobiles and four lanes for trucks. Freight and commuter railways and a utilities corridor are also part of the proposal, which would stretch the system from Laredo, Texas, to Canada.
The idea has sparked controversy in Texas, where rural interest groups are opposed to paving thousands of acres of farmland for transportation.
There aren’t any plans for super corridor-related construction in North Dakota, said Bob Fode, director of transportation projects for the state Department of Transportation.
David Martin, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead, said his group supports the super corridor project. The region’s continued growth requires expanded transportation opportunities, he said.
North Dakota Commerce Commissioner Shane Goettle said a transportation corridor would help the state. Both North Dakota and Minnesota are exporting more to Mexico and Canada, according to U.S. government figures.
From 2001 to 2006, North Dakota increased its exports to Mexico from $38 million to $55 million and its exports to Canada from $394 million to $727 million. In the same period, Minnesota exports to Mexico rose from $435 million to $595 million, with exports to Canada rising from $2.6 billion to $4.1 billion.
The proposed super corridor worries the American trucking industry.
“We are concerned about the safety standards of Mexican trucks,” said Thomas Balzer, managing director of the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association.
There’s also concern that Mexican truckers will improperly carry goods between U.S. cities while they’re in this country with international shipments, he said.
Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said it likely will be 20 years before the project has any impact on Minnesota.
He said it’s too early to know how such a corridor would affect the Red River Valley, but there are some concerns over how an influx of Canadian and Mexican imports could affect North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota’s economies.
“There’s a lot of concern out there with some people about Canadian cattle, and hogs and wheat. You’ve got a different situation on the Mexico border,” Peterson said.
“It depends on where it goes and how it’s developed.”
Actually, you are mostly correct. Just follow the money trail and find out who stands to profit the most with this project. You can bet it won’t be the laborers, small businesses and villages along the way.
EZPass for the Border
Mocny confirmed that DHS had chosen the radio transmitter technology, called RFID, for use in the new cards. Separate lanes will be set up at land border crossings for cardholders who have gone through a voluntary pre-screening process.
Snip...Kraninger, for her part, is betting millions of Americans won't mind having a government-issued radio transmitter in their pockets if it'll save time at the border. Hundreds of thousands of Americans use the same technology every day in their cars to drive through the fast lanes at tollbooths. "It's the same risk people use in other contexts," she says, "like the use of an EZpass."
(Kathy Kraninger, director of DHS's newly created Screening Coordination Office)
FAST Moves to Mexico
"The Homeland Security Department is expanding its trusted-vehicle program to Mexican ports.
The program uses wireless radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags to identify and speed border crossing for trucks and drivers that the department has registered as secure."
There are SENTRI Lanes and FAST lanes all which use RFID tags.
U.S. and Mexico Agree on Border Safety and Security Measures
-- Ensure the expansion of Secure Electronic Network for Traveler's Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) lanes at six additional land ports of entry this year
-- Ensure the expansion of Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lanes at five additional land ports of entry on the southern border this year
You really have no knowledge of what you're talking about, do you?
That’s pretty sad. You can’t even come up with your own stuff and have to play second fiddle.
You’re “the winner” in my book!
Wow! Eleventy jillion. And who might be the one who pays your keep?
Hey, good news. Your eight hours is almost up. You did such a good job today, why don’t you give yourself a raise.
Actually they should be noted for abuse as they add nothing to the thread except the ability to troll... JimRob should look into them...
Trade is one thing, the erosion of our borders is a real issue, whatever you call it. We are losing jobs overseas, we are in an incredible trade deficit worldwide. These problem are mathematical. If money goes out, and less, and less comes in, well, it doesn’t take a brain to see what will happen.
These corridors are a symptom of our trade hemorrhage, trinkets come in (cheap goods) and capital flows out. The trinkets devalue as soon as they are bought, the capital can be invested by foreigners and will grow in value.
All of this is bad.
This is a worthwhile discussion, and could have been interesting except for two sad morons who think they are "clever," but they are not. Thomas Jefferson would spit on the two of you, honestly. Your trolling ruins this board.
It's terrible, we're up to 4.5% unemployment.
These problem are mathematical. If money goes out, and less, and less comes in,
Actually, the same comes in as goes out. You might want to look up the term, "Balance of Payments".
it doesn’t take a brain to see what will happen.
You're proof of that.
this super corridor was cooking in the u.s. congress for the better part of two decades.
but our media failed to inform us of the details.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.