Language Won't Solve Problem Of Mexican Trucks

NAFTA has already cost thousands of jobs in the United States, and starting next Thursday it may cost many more. That's the day that Mexican truckers will be allowed to drive their trucks throughout the U.S.

Up until now, they had to unload after crossing the border and let American truckers carry the load in this country. Unions and environmentalists want to keep it that way. They say the change will cost many American truckers their jobs, and also let many unsafe Mexican trucks on American highways. The Teamsters Union has filed suit in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, hoping to stop the change.

The Bush administration has reacted to this in a rather silly way. They say they are going to enforce the rule that says the Mexican truckers must be able to speak English. John Hill, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said, "We have found people in violation of this for a number of years, and we're working feverishly to correct it." Richard Henderson, with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, said, "The bottom line is safety. If (the driver) can't speak English he's not going to know what some of the regulations are."

This is nothing more than a PR attempt to muddle the issue and make the American people think they are addressing the trucking issue. Do they really think the Mexican trucking companies and government can't easily translate the regulations into Spanish? You don't have to speak any certain language to know the regulations.

But this does nothing to address the real concerns of unsafe trucks and lost American jobs. Once again, the Republicans show they are more concerned with corporate profits, than they are with American workers or the safety of the American public on our roads.

This is just one more example of how NAFTA has been a disaster for America. It needs to be repealed as soon as possible.