BUNKERVILLE | God, Guns and Guts Comrades!

Hot Air UPDATE:   The first Mexican truck admitted with full access to US highways arrived 10 weeks after Obama imposed new fuel-efficiency regulations on big-rigs and other heavy transport trucks, along with new emission targets.  Officials of the trucking industry lined up shoulder to shoulder with Obama for a photo op in August, when the new regulations were issued, but a few journalists who still retain critical thinking capabilities reported that the industry officials’ complaisance was not replicated among independent owner-operators.

Besides fuel-efficiency regulations, the US trucking industry has also been hit with a new set of safety regulations.

The first Mexican carrier is set to roll deep into the U.S. interior within days, but American trucking union leaders and two California congressmen aren’t giving up on stopping the cross-border trucking program. CNS News . But first, because Mexicans would not pay for meeting our EPA standards, we will. Nice. Then we have the security issues, but hey, what’s a few more Mexicans, terrorists, or whatever.

U.S. pays to upgrade Mexican Trucks

In the latest effort to accommodate its cherished trade partner in the south, the U.S. government is paying to upgrade outdated Mexican trucks that hemorrhage illegal amounts of exhaust on their trips north to deliver merchandise.

Since the Mexican truckers have no intention of fixing the problem, Uncle Sam has stepped in to save the environment. U.S. taxpayers have picked up the cost to replace old mufflers on dozens of trucks and many more are scheduled to be upgraded by the middle of this year. The unbelievable story was reported this week by an Arizona newspaper that says replacing the old mufflers with new catalytic converters will reduce harmful diesel emissions by up to 30%. Full story here  Judicial Watch H/T:Commie Blaster Spending Money Like Water

From earlier posting from Bunkerville: Mexican Truckers say they cannot meet U.S. EPA Standards

Mexican government says it will ease its trade sanctions against U.S. imports only after its trucks are allowed to cross the border.

Last month we posted a story: Obama to lift ban on controversial border trucking program  with Mexico. Now there is a new wrinkle to this story. It turns out the Mexican diesel fuel does not meet the EPA standards. Anyone want to make a bet  there is an EPA waiver? 

The Obama administration announced a proposal last week to resurrect a controversial program that gives Mexican cargo trucks access to American highways.  (New York Times, Jan. 6, 2011) This announcement comes after a two-year ban of the cross-border trucking program with Mexico and was made the same day President Obama appointed William Daley to be his White House Chief of Staff.  (NBC Chicago, Jan. 6, 2011) Daley, who served as Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton, is considered one of the “architects” of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect in 1994.  (The Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2011)

According to a NAFTA arbitration panel, a cross-border trucking program included in the agreement requires the United States to allow trucks from Mexico and Canada access to American highways.  (Secretariat File No. USA-MEX-98-2008-01)