Thursday, March 17, 2011

DOT delusional about Mexican highway safety?


In a strange disconnect from reality, the U.S. Department of Transportation thinks Mexican police can (1) enforce highway safety laws and (2) keep good records of truckers' safety records. DOT then thinks U.S. officials can examine those records to identify the safe Mexican drivers that it will allow to drive on our roads.

DOT must believe in Tinkerbell.

Here's what Borderland Beat tells us today about the new police chief in Juarez, which is right across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Less than two days after assuming the position of Public Security Director of Juarez, Julian Leyzaola received his first death threat.
Late Friday night authorities responded to reports of a body dumped next to the San Felipe de Jesus church. At the scene they found a message for the new police chief alongside a man who had been bound, tortured, shot, wrapped in a blanket and left for dead.
The warning, written on a florescent green poster board, read
Welcome to Juarez Julian Leysola (sic), this is your first gift. This will continue happening to all of the snitches.
Signed:
The Sinaloa Cartel
Now, does it sound as if highway safety would be a top priority for Juarez police?

Here is some good advice from The Trucker's Voice:
...get out your ink pens, fire up those laptops and buy extra minutes on your cells and write, email and call your representatives once again about this border issue. Raise hell, tell them you won’t stand still for this.