Oklahoma state senate has recalled a bill which would have facilitated the "nafta superhighway"... http://www.lincolnnewsmessenger.com/detail/84695.html Oklahoma Recalls Bill That Would Have Facilitated NAFTA Superhighway Posted by: NAUKILLA <!-- images --> <!-- body --> The Oklahoma State Senate voted to recall a bill that would have further facilitated plans for the NAFTA Superhighway to run through the state. There were fears that parts of Bill 1507, which dealt with Foreign Trade Zones, were tied to the superhighway which is to extend from Mexico to Canada. There were also concerns that this would lead to private property seizures through eminent domain. This is already taking place in parts of rural Texas with the construction of the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC), which is to be the first leg of this superhighway infrastructure. Some have argued that Bill 1507 would have allowed for the creation of foreign owned smart ports. This would have allowed for imported goods to pass through the U.S./Mexican border without going through customs until Oklahoma . This follows in the same line as other proposed inland ports, such as the one in Kansas City. The NAFTA Superhighway will be a borderless open transportation system that will further facilitate the flow of cheap goods from China. Oklahoma has already passed legislation to stop the TTC from coming through the state. The NAFTA Superhighway is t
Ya know, I really can't get overly excited about that highway, God know we need more roads. However, it makes our borders all that much longer and easier to breach by simply pulling over and scooting off the highway. We have way more than enough borders to patrol as it is. Other problems are the "taking" that would be onerous and highly objectionable. I haven't seen anything remotely resembling a show of need that would even come close to justifying the takings. Frankly, I would a whole lot rather see rail instead of pavement, it is a far more efficient way of moving goods. Narrower right of way, easier to control traffic, reducing the need for land. I could envision a major transhipment point south of the border (guarded and inspected by US [har, har] DHS or better quality personnel) move goods from arriving trucks, inspect containers, and load on rail cars for shipment to a SINGLE transfer point mid continent. Why the hell should the US bear the lion's share of the costs and land burdens to make it more convenient for foreign suppliers to make money off our markets? Mexico wants access, let them give something up to get it. The Chinese can finance the Mexican land grab for the transhipment facility, eh? The Chinese imports are only part of the problem, and that won't be dealt with by setting up more (or fewer) inspection points. That is another matter entirely.
