Talking Points

Use the following arguments and background information to draft your letters to government officials, the media, blogs or emails to others who might join the fight. See Facts and Fiction for more.

Background

Mexican trucks are not as safe as U.S. trucks.

Congress knows trucks from Mexico aren't as safe as U.S. trucks. Congress passed laws to make sure our border isn't opened to trucks from Mexico until the U.S. Transportation Department can demonstrate that it won't affect highway safety.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters ignored those laws and opened the border to trucks from Mexico as part of a demonstration project.

Congress passed a law, signed by President Bush on Dec. 26, cutting off money for the demonstration project.

Mary Peters defied that law and continued the program.

Talking Points

Bureaucrats should be removed from office if they disobey the orders of the body elected by the people. Mary Peters defied Congress when she decided to spend taxpayer dollars on an illegal program that endangers the American driving public.

Trucks from Mexico do not have to meet the same safety standards as U.S. truck drivers, nor do their drivers:

U.S. trucks must have antilock brake systems; Mexican trucks do not.
U.S. truck drivers must have pre-employment safety training and drug testing from a certified lab; Mexican truck drivers do not.
U.S. truck drivers lose their commercial licenses if they're convicted of a serious traffic violation in their personal vehicle; Mexican truck drivers do not.
U.S. truck drivers have to stop driving after 11 hours; Mexican truck drivers can drive for 10 hours in Mexico and then another 11 in the U.S.
U.S. truck drivers must meet stiffer physical qualifications than Mexican drivers.

For Arizona

It's an open secret in Washington that Mary Peters wants to run for governor of Arizona. Arizonans should know that she is responsible for opening the border to Mexican trucks and for defying Congress and the law.

Most Mexican truck drivers are against this program just as American truck drivers are. They believe that opening the border to American trucks will destroy their industry just as opening the border to American agribusiness (as a result of NAFTA) destroyed so many Mexican farms.

The Teamsters fought opening the border for many years, and will continue to fight. Teamsters lawyers will be in the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco on Feb. 12 to try to end the demonstration program.