General Discussion

[Anonymous]

A U.S.-Mexico agreement on today steamrolled the last opposition to Mexican trucking firms getting credentials to haul anywhere in the United States, including trucking meccas like Memphis.

The city is in prime position to be affected because it sits midway from Mexico to Canada on the future route of Interstate 69, also known as the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) Highway. While the highway is years away from completion, sections are in place in DeSoto County, Miss., and Indiana.

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and his Mexican counterpart signed the agreement implementing a key provision of NAFTA 17 years after the landmark trade accord.

It had been denounced by independent owner-operators and labor unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who argued it would increase danger on American highways and take jobs away from America’s drivers.

   http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/06/mixed-reaction-memphis-mexican-truckers-get-ok-ope/

[beast]

Concepts of a North American Union share a number of common elements between them. NASCO and the SPP have both denied that there are any plans to establish a common currency, a "NAFTA Superhighway", or a North American Union in "Myths vs Facts" pages on their websites.[13][37]

NAFTA superhighway
Main article: NAFTA superhighway
Interstate 29 and Interstate 35.

The Trans-Texas Corridor was first proposed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2002. It consists of a 1,200 foot (366 m) wide highway that also carries utilities such as electricity, petroleum, and water, as well as railway track and fiber-optic cables.[8] In July 2007, U.S. Representative and candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election Duncan Hunter successfully offered an amendment to H.R. 3074 , the Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2008, prohibiting the use of federal funds for U.S. Department of Transportation participation in the activities of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). Hunter stated that:

    Unfortunately, very little is known about the NAFTA Super Highway. This amendment will provide Congress the opportunity to exercise oversight of the highway, which remains a subject of question and uncertainty, and ensure that our safety and security will not be compromised in order to promote the business interests of our neighbors.