The United States promised in the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement to allow trucks from Mexico to carry goods directly to any destination in the country. But opposition from labor and environmental groups kept the program on hold until Monday, when the first Mexican truck crossed the border bound for North Carolina.
Both the House and Senate have passed by overwhelming margins legislation that would kill a Transportation Department trial granting access to up to 100 Mexican trucking companies. (Canadian trucks have enjoyed the run of the country since 1982.) The 75-23 Senate vote, on an amendment to a transportation funding bill by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., came late Tuesday night. The House passed a similar measure 411-3 in May.
"We don't have equivalent standards and most especially enforcement of these standards. … To allow long-haul Mexican trucks under these circumstances would cause safety questions on American roads," Dorgan said in an interview.
Program supporters say safety is a smoke screen for protectionism. In 2006, 23.3% of American trucks flunked U.S. roadside inspections vs. 21.2% of Mexican trucks. "This reeks of protectionism," says economist Barbara Kotschwar of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
sounds like sour grapes on americas part......until you read this
(CBS/AP) A truck carrying mining explosives blew up after colliding with another vehicle in northern Mexico, killing at least 37 people, including three reporters who had come to the scene, state and federal officials said. Soldiers, police, emergency officials, nearby residents and reporters were on the scene Sunday night when the a fire broke out and the truck filled with explosives went off, according to Luis Horacio de Hoyos of the Coahuila state Attorney General's Office. The explosion occurred near the town of Sacramento. Maximo Alberto Neri Lopez, a federal police official, said 37 people were killed and 150 were injured. He said the explosion left a 10-by-40 foot crater in the concrete.
maybe the truckers have a point here
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2 comments:
They want you to "read this" referring to the explosion and use that as part of their campaign of fear and lies to continue to block this program.
The explosion in question was simply and accident, nothing more. The truck did not carry "explosives" but ammonium nitrate. Intense heat from the pickup truck which hit the 18 wheeler and lodged under the trailer is the probably cause of the fire and explosion.
The high fatality count is because of the looky loos who were too close to the vehicles.
More extensive coverage of this event is available at http://mexicotrucker.com with photos from the scene.
well actually bj05 they are not as well regulated as our truckers are. sure some of our truckers get caught trying to skirt the law but i'll bet half of their trucks wouldnt make it past our inspections.
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