Article

2009-03-19 Home Front Economy

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Omoter Speaking for Boskone7794 2009-03-19 02:46|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Does anyone know if it is a verifiable fact that this is in violation of NAFTA? That seems to be a key question. I never trust articles that make sweeping statements at their outset, and then build on the statements.

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2009-03-19 08:04|| 2009-03-19 08:04|| Front Page Top

#2 2008 US trade deficit w/ Mexico: $64.4 billion. 2008 Mexican GDP: $886 billion
US Trade deficit as % of Mexican GDP: 7.27%

Who has more to lose?

Posted by ed 2009-03-19 08:12|| 2009-03-19 08:12|| Front Page Top

#3 We do, when the Mexican economy implodes, their government loses the war with the drug cartels and huge numbers of people flee across the border to AZ, CA, TX and NM, and when cartel violence follows them in increasing tempo.

Posted by lotp 2009-03-19 08:27|| 2009-03-19 08:27|| Front Page Top

#4 Well the huge numbers of illegals and drug cartels are already here. Something like 20% of Mexico's population already lives in the US, legally and illegally. How about using some of the trillion $ stimulus and building a border fence and obstacles, actually enforcing immigration law and work to reduce the illegal alien crime problem and reducing the drain on the US taxpayer? $64.4 billion a year properly applied could go a long way to reducing that problem.

Posted by ed 2009-03-19 08:36|| 2009-03-19 08:36|| Front Page Top

#5 Can't build a border fence, Ed. San Fran Nan said immigration enforcement is un-American. Plus it might impede the migration of the yellow-spotted ground sloth or something.

Posted by Glenmore 2009-03-19 08:58|| 2009-03-19 08:58|| Front Page Top

#6 All brought to you by the Teamsters and their Donk sock puppets.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-03-19 09:17|| 2009-03-19 09:17|| Front Page Top

#7 Something for Arnold and Nacy to chew on:
Costs of Illegal Immigration to State Match Amount of the Budget Deficit
While Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for increases in the sales tax and cuts in services to reduce the budget deficit of $11.2 billion, a population group has noted that the shortfall is about the same as the costs of illegal immigration to the state.

Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) says that a 2004 study indicated that California's illegal alien population imposed a net cost of $9 billion per year on the state's taxpayers just for education, medical care and incarceration. After adjusting the figure for current costs and increases in the number of illegal aliens, it would exceed the states projected deficit, according to Diana Hull, the organizations President, and this is a very conservative estimate.

Other states are taking steps to reduce illegal immigration and the burdens it imposes. Arizona, for instance, passed legislation requiring that employers use the E-verify system to check the work eligibility of employees. Unfortunately, California is going the other direction, and taxpayers get stuck with the bill, said Hull.

The costs of illegal immigration to California are likely much higher. A 2007 study by Philip J. Romero, formerly a research economist at RAND, top economic adviser to Governor Pete Wilson and later Dean of the University of Oregon School of Business, estimated that illegal aliens in California receive somewhere between $10 and $38 billion more in state services than they pay in state taxes.

I believe this was written before the Fanny Mae collapse and the current year CA deficit is around $15 billion.

Posted by ed 2009-03-19 09:22|| 2009-03-19 09:22|| Front Page Top

#8 Seems like a stupid thing to do but, still, I have mixed feelings. Traffic on Interstate 5 in San Diego is already bad enough without thousands of Mexican trucks full of plastic crap from China being added to the mix. I don't believe anybody was thinking about I-5 when they approved NAFTA. This little bit of infrastructure is simply not up to it. Add to that a high probability that those trucks will be carrying cocaine, heroin and marijuana as well as plastic crap from China. They can deny it all they want but I won't believe them. I dunno, maybe some of our businesses can find new markets or, maybe, we could get wise and start slapping some tariffs on China. But I guess that isn't likely with them holding all our T-bills.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-03-19 12:07|| 2009-03-19 12:07|| Front Page Top

#9 I saw somewhere that there are 6 million semis on US roads, of which 98 are from Mexico.

Not 98 thousand, but 98. Less than a hundred. Two-digit number.

Maybe 98 more Teamsters will get trucking jobs as a result of this, but how many thousands of non-Teamsters get to lose their jobs because Obama's "best and brightest" Ivy League minds just violated international law and torpedoed our trade relationship with one of our two adjacent neighbors?

Posted by Mike 2009-03-19 12:49|| 2009-03-19 12:49|| Front Page Top

#10 The lesson on trade wars is that both sides lose, just like in nuclear wars.

Posted by European Conservative 2009-03-19 15:53|| 2009-03-19 15:53|| Front Page Top

#11 After 18 months that program proved that Mexican carriers are as safe as their U.S. counterparts.

Who's conclusion was this and who verifies continued compliance? The same overloaded agencies that can't stop smuggling would then have to ensure trucking safety as well? Or perhaps the various county agencies tasked with such (though what enforcement would there be of violations?)???

NAFTA was a disaster from the beginning. It's only right that Bambi gets to deal with this little Clinton legacy.

Posted by logi_cal 2009-03-19 16:37|| 2009-03-19 16:37|| Front Page Top

#12 My granddad used to say "if trade doesn't cross borders, tanks will"
In my callow youth I thought that was silly, but for some reason I'm coming around to that point of view.

Posted by tipper 2009-03-19 16:58|| 2009-03-19 16:58|| Front Page Top

23:41 mom
23:36 Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)
23:29 Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division
23:08 citigirl
23:05 Thing From Snowy Mountain
22:55 Alaska Paul
22:46 Alaska Paul
22:40 Cyber Sarge
22:34 Mike
22:31 Pappy
22:18 newc
22:14 tipper
22:12 Pappy
22:10 tu3031
22:06 KBK
21:55 KBK
21:22 Old Patriot
21:10 Rambler in Virginia
20:55 Whineter Sproing9941
20:54 Deacon Blues
20:47 Bright Pebbles the flatulent
20:39 Mike N.
20:34 Mike N.
20:30 Nimble Spemble