Court rejects Challenge to Opening US Roads to Mexican trucks under a Bush pilot prog

[Prrkitty]

Court rejects Challenge to Opening US Roads to Mexican trucks under a Bush administration pilot program.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295520,00.html

Quote: The Bush administration can go ahead with a pilot program to allow as many as 100 Mexican trucking companies to freely haul their cargo anywhere within the U.S. for the next year, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request made by the Teamsters union, the Sierra Club and the nonprofit Public Citizen to halt the program.

The appeals court ruled the groups have not satisfied the legal requirements to immediately stop what the government is calling a "demonstration project," but can continue to argue their case.

The trucking program is scheduled to begin Thursday.

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Our borders aren't secure enough as it is and now they are gonna be even more open to people coming in. It not only allows more ways to bring immigrants in but also more ways for terrorists to slip thru.

Are those in charge REALLY this blind?

[biggiy05]

Are those in charge REALLY this blind?

Not so much as blind as they are stupid.

[phattonez]

I have a few problems with this:

1. Traffic near the border is already terrible, especially in California where I would assume most of the shipments would go.
2. Pollution would be tough to mitigate. I don't know how they get in now, maybe it's the same but they just have special licenses?

Anyway, if Mexico really needs to ship goods in, I say let them do it by train and let American trucks haul it to the specific locations. It would be a huge boost to freight truck handlers and maybe we could start upgrading our rail in the country, it's bad enough and this would be a good way to stimulate it.

[slothman]

The allmighty "terrorist" argument.
Good for soundbites but neglegble(sp) in my opinion.

It would be interesting to see how the free trade people like this.

In either case I don't really have an opinion for this.

[Starkist]

The Democrats and Republicans are in a race to see who can sell us out the fastest. When Hillary Clinton takes office in 2009, nothing will really change.

Don't you know that national borders are a relic of a bygone age? We are not US citizens, there is nothing special about the US. We are global citizens, and must join hands with our brethren from south of the Rio Grande.

[ZTC]

The same 'brethren' who's kidnapped a cousin of mine and possibly killed her. I hope the program gets stopped.

[Prrkitty]

Cyborg... honey... are you serious? Your cousin kidnapped? I'm so very very sorry :(

[ZTC]

Very much so, unfortunately. I'd like to get ahold of those (well, I really can't call them 'people'), and butcher em. And guess what, the guy that got her was an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

[Trevelyan_06]

Anyway, if Mexico really needs to ship goods in, I say let them do it by train and let American trucks haul it to the specific locations. It would be a huge boost to freight truck handlers and maybe we could start upgrading our rail in the country, it's bad enough and this would be a good way to stimulate it.

Don't hold your breath for the rail to get upgraded anytime soon. Also, this trucking thing might be replaced by trains anyhow. That is, if the UP, NS, and other major railroads get what they want. They petitioned the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) to let them send all rail cars and locomotives down to Mexico to be inspected and certified to run on American rail. Companies in the country just want to make as much money as possible, can't believe it when they are required to maintain and keep their equipment safe, and don't see why they should be responsible for anything bad they might cause.

[phattonez]

I don't see how they could do that when those rails are already congested enough. Someone needs to be responsible for upgrading rail in this country. The only major rail project that I can think of that was completed recently was on the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles. The ports have become so much more productive since then. I don't know why this wouldn't work in Mexico? Hey, imagine how much safer it would be that way too.