Custom Plan Would RESTRICT(CLOSE) Border Crossings

ConcordMonitor ^ | December 20, 2002 | AP

[fight_truth_decay]

BANGOR, Maine - The U.S. Customs Service is planning to close eight private border crossings in Maine that have been open since the early 1970s or longer.

Plans also call for limiting access through four other ports staffed by customs agents.

Earlier this week, Sen. Susan Collins asked customs officials to delay the closings from January until May to avoid serious problems for the state's lumber industry.

"There's a lot of commerce there and a lot of family livelihoods at stake," said Elizabeth Swain, a Portland consultant who is representing the Maine Border Issues Task Force, a group of Maine lumber companies that would be affected by the order.

The customs order "would have far-ranging impact on landowners and contractors who have been used to traveling across the border not limited to times of day," she said.

Last week's order means that so-called woods ports at Ste. Aurelie, Daaquam, St. Pamphile and Estcourt Station will be open only during posted hours.

Eight other private-road, unmanned crossings at Boundary Pond, St. Zacharie, St. Cyprian, St. Juste, Lac Frontiere, Chouinard Road, Lowelltown Road and Bowmantown Road will be permanently closed.

Anyone entering the United States from Quebec after Jan. 26 will be required to report for inspection at Coburn Gore, Jackman, Daaquam, St. Pamphile, Ste. Aurelie and Estcourt Station.

Jackman and Coburn Gore are open 24 hours a day. The other sites only are open most weekdays from 5 or 6 a.m. until 2 p.m.

In a letter to Commissioner Robert Bonner of the U.S. Customs Service, Collins urged customs officials to delay the closing order for four months.

"Such a delay will allow for the harvest and shipment of lumber, which has already begun for the season," Collins wrote. "To deny the industry at least this accommodation would cause severe economic impact to the region and result in an unnecessary loss of the lumber resource."

Swain said task force members believe changes can still be made.

"We're hopeful, if not confident, that it will not become such a severe problem for those who live and work along the Maine border with Quebec," she said.

[fight_truth_decay]

Collins is a "liberal" Republican..Maine Democrat landslide 2002

[Henrietta]

Yes, and while the Customs service is busy closing private border crossings up North, millions of illegal aliens stream across our southern border each year. We are putting border controls on Afghanistan's border, but neglect our own.

What the heck is going on here? Anyone??

[Anarchist]

Collins is just looking out for home state interests here. Very liberal Democrats and very conservative Republicans do the same. It's a matter of jobs.

Most voters are not ideological as we are. Jobs and prosperity are the issues that matter most to most voters, not ideological purity.

In New England terms, Collins is conservative although by my terms she's liberal.

If we're to maintain a majority, we have to accommodate RINOs like her. Better to have a majority with some RINOs on board than being an ideologically pure but impotent minority.

[janetgreen]

millions of illegal aliens stream across our southern border each year

"Compassionate conservatism" via Dubya.

[Slipjack]

All Border Crossings need to be CLOSED and SEALED for the next several Years until we ROUND ALL THE ILLEGALS (50,000,000 +) in this county from Main to the California, which in turn includes all of the Fruits, and Nuts in California.

[Amerigomag]

Collins is just looking out for home state interests here. Very liberal Democrats and very conservative Republicans do the same. It's a matter of jobs

You betcha. Trent Lott immediately comes to mind.

[holyscroller]

Whoa! Hey guys, we meant the SOUTHERN border. It's not the Canadians invading us and filling up our schools, hospitals, ER's, welfare programs, etc. The Canadians are pretty nice people. (But their government stinks.)

[holyscroller]

Pingaroonie!

[biffalobull]

Whoa! Hey guys, we meant the SOUTHERN border. It's not the Canadians invading us and filling up our schools, hospitals, ER's, welfare programs, etc. The Canadians are pretty nice people. (But their government stinks.)

Thank You Holy, and likewise with the Americans.

Tell me, is their someone in your immigration dept., who has been off his meds.for a few weeks.?

Regards.

[Brian Allen]

<< The Canadians are pretty nice people. [But their government stinks] >>

The Canadian Peoples' gummint represents the the Canadian People.

It is the one they deserve.

[sweetliberty]

Ummm, this is all fine and good, but shouldn't we be starting with a real problem border, like the SOUTHERN one???

[fight_truth_decay]

Remember it came out later that one of the hijackers spent some time in Canada..there are known cells in Canada.If the US cannot trust Canada to police force these illegals then falls on the border patrols..now with more cells discovered that were earlier not disclosed there is more concern with movement back and forth.

The "captured" Millenium Bomber tried to get into the US from Western Canada. The majority of illegals that are moving back and forth into this country on the Southern borders already work here..doing jobs American born do not want to do..a workforce in place in the U.S.

[RnMomof7]

Yes, and while the Customs service is busy closing private border crossings up North, millions of illegal aliens stream across our southern border each year. We are putting border controls on Afghanistan's border, but neglect our own.

yea all those "illegal" Candians being smuggled across the borders...

The agenda is open borders with Mexico..I would suggest we may end up wanting to cross into the vast regions of Canada to get away from the 3rd world Banana Republic here...who would have thought it?