Trucks
The Teamsters, led by union President Jim Hoffa, are complaining because trucks from Mexico will now be allowed to drive anywhere in the United States.
The Teamsters have over the years endorsed Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush. Many Teamsters have voted for these men and for other candidates such as George Wallace.
The Teamsters have often permitted corrupt leadership.
But the problem is trucks from Mexico.
Right.
We always have to move forward. If the Teamsters have something useful to add to the debate, that’s great. I look forward to Teamsters leadership on a broad array of social and economic justice issues.
As the Teamsters’ membership considers this new trucking development, they should be certain to take a good look in the mirror when considering what has gone wrong.
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From NYT:
A truck carrying ammonium nitrate to a mine caught fire after a highway crash and blew up, killing at least 28 people and injuring some 150, state and federal officials reported Monday.
Authorities said two trucks smashed into each other Sunday night on a busy highway in northern Mexico, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers as well as a small army of police, soldiers, emergency officials and journalists. (more…)
There are several problems with Mexican trucks rolling into the US.
1. The border security can’t and doesn’t fully inspect what comes across now.
2. Highway safety. Those trucks aren’t as safe as ours are supposed to be.
3. The Republican argument has been that the immigrants (economic refugees) are here doing work that American’s won’t. Well, American’s are more than willing to drive those trucks. So, why do we need them?
Errington–1. As John Kerry pointed out many times in 2004, we don’t inspect what comes in container ships either. At our Houston port you can see thousands of these containers. If somebody wants to get something in they can.
2. I don’t doubt the trucks have safety problems.
Here in Harris County, Texas we have a truck inspection unit that does nothing but pull over trucks —American trucks. We have truck drivers driving like AJ Foyt. We have a trucking industry that resists regulation. But now we are told the problem is Mexico.
3. American workers will do any work that pays well. For the right pay they will work in the chicken plants in Arkansas. They will do the construction work that is done in Houston now by foriegn labor. The Americans won’t do it argument is always a lie. ( Of course, the buildings and trades unions kept blacks off jobs for years and years. King used to complain about it.)
And why are so many computer experts and doctors from somewhere else when we refuse to educate our own poor?
That said, those Mexico truckers are people as well and they need work. Maybe we’ll allow them just to drive to Texas, California and other places that were once part of Mexico. That will still give them a large possible route.
Somewhere, and I don’t pretend to have the solution, there is a better way than this zero sum with poor people south of the border. Or poor people in China making toys or nurses coming from Africa.
Maybe it will have do with rich country citizens living more reasonable lifestyles. Maybe it will come when we stop warming the global weather and making moonsoons worse in Bangledesh while going into debt to buy huge tvs and huge cars and then complaining about a guy who crossed a desert full of rattlesnakes to come here and work in a kitchen.
Both parties are selling the poor down the river. It was Mr. Clinton who pushed NAFTA. But borders are opening across the world. You are not going to close the borders any more than you were going to stop decolonization 50 years ago. The crap we spew in the air to warm the Earth does not stop at any border.
The question is how to we do it right.
Thanks for the comment.