I have a feeling I'm being bamboozled lately. What's this thing about Mexican trucks being allowed to cross the U. S. border and bring goods into the United States? Don't we have enough problems with people--mostly illegals--smuggling drugs and people over the border without a free-for-all for Mexican trucks?
This whole issue goes back to 2009 when a pilot program was in place to allow trucks from approved vendors to cross deep into the U. S. to deliver goods. At the time, the albeit new President, Barack Obama, pulled the plug on the program—and Mexico decided to put tariffs on some of their agricultural products being shipped to the United States. Ah, but when a meeting of the minds took place this past summer, the tariffs all but disappeared—and tomorrow, those same (2009) pre-approved vendors will be rolling along our highways.
(I wonder if we boycotted Mexican produce avec tariffs, if their economy would disintegrate.)
So, is this about trade and tariffs? Why isn’t Mexico paying for the monitoring devices to be installed on all Mexican trucks from selected companies south of the border that are allowed entry?
And what about U. S. teamsters and those involved in transportation of goods inside the U. S.? Won't jobs be lost?
So, what’s the up-side of this program for the U. S. taxpayer?
These are some of the questions one would hope that President Obama had considered prior to his taxpayer-paid journey to Mexico to see President Felipe Calderon. There, the two heads-of-states put their heads together to come up with such a plan. Frankly, I am concerned about Mexican trucks' access to U. S. Highways and safety issues.
What is the down-side?
Yes, my thoughts exactly -- the security issue. On occasion, the national news media hits on the topic of a "dirty bomb" being sent through shipping containers to large ports here in the Unites States. What's to keep terrorists from sending one through on a tractor-trailer bound for Texas? They'd only need to get as far as the border to release their evil plans on unsuspecting border inspectors who are looking for Listeria on cantaloupes.
It's obvious to me that Obama was not concerned with these issues--though one would hope his staff was. And mark my words: We haven't just opened the door to foreign trade with a contiguous neighbor--we have opened the door to what remains of our once-secure future.
