Posted on 09/07/2007 2:56:27 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
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 releaed 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 Congres 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 Association, 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.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
What a bunch of bull. Who was it who approved this treaty anyway? Congress. Now they’re mad because Bush is implementing it?
TANKS...
Stop the New World (B)order!
nice, rude one,
any sources to back it?
NAFTA is NOT a treaty...it is an agreement. If Congress had half a brain and a quarter of a spine it could be scrapped tommorow...and should be.
What President authorized this piece of crap?
Bill Clinton but he got it through Congress due to all the Republicans who voted for it. Democrats voted against it
tommorow = tomorrow. sorry, long week.
Thanks. Who authored it? I’d like to know who is (beside GW) who has been pushing this crap for over a decade. It might help to know in the upcoming battle for our sovereignty.
Mexican vehicles are notorious for being unsafe. Will many Americans need to die on the highways before they are prohibited?
Ping - NAFTA
Please add me to your ping list, bcsco.
“Democrats voted against it”
Wow, didn’t remember that. Guess the Democrats get it right every now and then. Bravo to them for that effort.
If you look at the link to Reagan, there is NO mention of Mexico, only Canada.
It will indeed, take dead children, lots of them, before it happens. It's just like a dangerous intersection, a certain number of people have to die before they put up a traffic signal.
http://www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc0401/article_298.shtml
bttt!
NAFTA is not a treaty, and it was never approved by Congress. Treaties must be ratified by Congress, and since this never was, anything having to do with NAFTA is illegal in my book.
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