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News about the NAFTA Superhighway and the Kansas City SmartPort

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Kansas City SmartPort Uncovered!
Pieces of the NAFTA Superhighway are falling into place, behind the scenes.
The Winners:
China & Corporate CEO's
The Losers:
US Citizens & Mexican Citizens



Since the passage of
NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Act) there has been talk of a “superhighway”, or a series of “superhighways” that allow the efficient movement of cargo and laborers within North America.

Although there have been denials of such a highway, the North American Super Corridor Coalition (NASCO) exists to promote just such a system of highways.  One piece of it is in progress in Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City SmartPort is an “inland port” that is proposed to handle  Mexican customs and inspections.  It is to be the link between seaports in Mexico and major truck, air and rail lines in the United States, all the way to Manitoba, Canada.  (Another piece of the NASCO super corridor, is the Trans-Texas Corridor-the TTC)


Here’s the troubling part. After cargo arrives at Mexican seaports (mostly from Asia), it is to be shipped to Kansas City, and from there to the rest of the US and Canada. The cargo will be approved and screened for security in a Mexican port. Trucks and rail are to be inspected for safety in Mexico.  According to press reports, there will be a US “border inspection" when the cargo reaches the Mexican border. 

However as we now know, a very small percentage of cargo is inspected by Homeland Security. They will rely primarily on the port personnel in Mexico. The vast majority of cargo will 
 pass through the border unimpeded and will not be inspected. We will be relying on other countries to keep us safe from terrorism, nuclear waste and semi-trucks full of illegal immigrants, guns, drugs or other illegal cargo.

Other problems with the “SuperHighway “ and SmartPort that concern many Americans are:

      U.S. Sovereignty. A Mexican customs office is planned for  Kansas City (with the innocuous name of Kansas City Customs). If the U.S. State Department approves it, this will be  the first foreign customs operation on US soil, and there is a concern that Mexico will have sovereignty in their facilities (ie, Mexican customs office will not be subject to US laws). This is currently on hold by the US State Department. 

U.S. jobs will permanently be lost
.
Good paying union jobs in the US for American truckers, railway workers, airline staff, warehouse personnel and dockworkers will permanently shift to non-Americans. For example, the Mexican Ports that are being developed are funded and run in part by a Hong-Kong shipper. Additionally, the Texas-Trans Corridor (a piece of the superhighway) is to be contracted out to a Spanish company to build and operate. We don't know how many TTC related jobs will go to US Citizens, and how many will go to foreigners. The profits from privatizing highways will flow out of our country, and we will lose tax revenues as well!

En
vironmental Issues. Mexico does not require the level of emission controls that the US does. As more Mexican trucks enter and traverse the United States, more pollution will accompany them. 

·         Concentrated level of pollutants in Kansas City. Additional pollutants and ozone concerns are raised by the planned increase in rail and truck traffic in the Kansas City Area. Locomotives-which are too expensive to shut down-usually run 24 hours a day, and are one of the worst polluters in the transportation system. Mexico does not currently require the same level of emission controls as the US does.
 
 Kansas City taxpayers are providing a loan (and the property) for the construction of the Mexican customs facility!

Emminent Domain. New highways like the TTC, will take up to a million acres of land through the use of emminent domain.

PPP-Private Public Partnerships. This is how much of the superhighway system will be built. Private companies will lease the highway infrastructure, and they will recoup their investment plus profit with tolls and receipts from concessions (gas stations, restaurants, etc.) American highways will be effectively owned, controlled and maintained by foreign companies that will make a profit. For existing (not new) highways, taxpayers will literally pay for the same highway twice.  See privatization section of this website.


Join us in
taking action so that the Citizens of the United States are involved in these and other decisions affecting our sovereignty, jobs, the environment, immigration and homeland security.




Hot News...


EXCLUSIVE REPORT
Only on StopSmartPort.com!
Whats coming up the Pike to Kansas City?
July 13, 2008


landlinemag.com, 07/18/2008
What would those tolls on I-80 pay for?...  $83 billion to rebuild the road... 

kansascity.com, 06/17/2008
KC Mexican customs operation pushing ahead...Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport site could be considered for a Mexican customs house.

nauwarroom.org
NEW anti NAU site launched-fight back!

landlinemag.com, 7/11/2008
House stalls PA Turnpike Lease-it may be a dead issue

texasturf.org, 07/13/08
TURF goes to Washington-Terri Hall takes the anti-TTC message to 12,000! 

***Kansas Legislators Special Reports***
new website section


 07/11/08
November Patriots sponsor project "unelect" in Salina, Kansas-contact Richard Fry to volunteer or for info

REVOLUTION MARCH Banner ||| www.revolutionmarch.com.com

 infoshop.org, 07/01/08
Fighting the NAFTA Superhighway -Indiana I69 protests continue

mansfieldnewsmirror.com, 06/27/08
Border Patrol targeting Mexican truckers -smuggling guns, drugs and people into the US.

senate.gov, 06/25/08
Press Release-67 Senators urge fix to Highway funding shortfall...

landlinemag.com
, 06/27/08
CA Toll Road Hearing-PPP asking Feds to Overrule State about State highway 241...
Public hearings sure to go ballistic

lakecities.com, 06/26/08
TX GOP convention addresses Superhighway and SPP
Schlafy says NAFTA superhighway part of NAU

texasturf.org, 06/26/08
TXDOT selects private Spanish company to develop TTC-69...

TURF responds to announcement... 

landlinemag.com, 06/25/08
Senators want Highway Trust fund fixed!!!...50 billion short for 2009 Highways....

etruth.com, 06/23/08
Indiana toll road ire aired ...

Long lines, high fuel prices... 

news.yahoo.com, 6/12/08
Teamsters Hail Setback for I69 TTC!   Existing roads to be used, no new highway! Tolls and foreign funding still in the picture

***Kansas Legislation Special Reports***


corridorwatch.com
, 06/10/08
TxDOT Announces Significant Change of Plan:
Separate TTC-69 Corridor Dropped
In Favor of Following Existing Highways

Public Outrage finally heard!

Privatization News From Landlinemag.com
-Foreign Investors Line up to Lease Alligator Alley...French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Australian and US companies interested
-TTC (Texas Trans-Corridor) draws 27000 public comments

miamiherald.com, 06/01/08
Public cools to plan for privatized Florida toll road...
Looking for 50 yr lease of Interstate 75

topix.net, 05/26/08
Planned Leasing of Alligator Alley Florida to be discussed at FDOT workshops..
May 27 & May 29 Open to Public

05/26/08
Take the
Ohio transportion Public Opinion Survey

PPP's are the opposite of free trade and capitalism. In fact, they are government sanctioned monopolies. This is the premise of an intriguing article by Tom DeWeese-founder of Freedom 21-in the Borderfire Report (May 14, 2008).


More Privatization News:

Alabama-ppp for connecting highway could be a non-profit!

Indiana-Citizens' group plans "X-69" shutdown of I-69, NAFTA superhighway expansion/construction in SW Ind.

Pennsylvania Turnpike-highest bid for 75 yr. lease by Spanish toll road operator and U.S. based Citibank
 




bizjournals.com, 05/19/08
Sebelius veto stymies Gardner  intermodal project ...
vetoed construction backing


nevadaappeal.com
,05/16/08
Nevada DOT board backs public-private partnership project on I-15...2 lanes to be operated by private company

tollroadnews.com
,05/15/08
Two remaining bidders for the 75 year lease concession on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Cintra and Macquarie  are out; Spanish and Australian firms are bidders.

tulsabeacon.com, 05/15/08
NAFTA bill killed in Oklahoma Senate ...foreign trade zones need fixing

borderfirereport.net,05/14/08
Public/Private Partnerships: Government-Sanction Monopolies ...giant wealth transfer scheme from US workers to corporate leaders and third world peoples

MORE news at the Page 1 Archives

Latest News
From the KCSmartPort.com website:
>>kcsmartport.com
May 2008 E-News
KCSmartPort lays the tracks for multi-modal 

>>kcsmartport.com
March 2008 E-News
 Kansas City Southern featurensd in USA Today-50% of Revenues are from Mexican operations
>>kcsmartport.com
January 2008 E-News
775 new jobs created in 2007 by frieght projects in KC Metro

>>kcsmartport.com
August 2007 E-News
KC Metro Area ranked Top
Major Market for business development
>>
World Trade: 5/01/07
Executive Overview:What Business Leaders Need to Know About Gulf Coast/Inland Ports



>>May, 2007, Gutierrez

Shipping Central:
SmartPort Goal-national leader in distribution and warehousing
March,2007, Logistics Today

>>
Intermodal Connections Take Off: Airport intermodal expansions across the Midwest pave the way for regional economic growth.

>>>12/06

DOC Grant Proves Successful for Area Companies:
explore business opportunities in Mexico and Central America

KC 5th in U.S. for logistics infrastructure
Kansas City Logistics Hub will be recognized as the heart of the coast to coast rail corridor...
-11/14/06

>>Checkout KCSmartPort  Media Coverage
-9/27/06 CNBC

>>10/26/06
KC SmartPort Selects New Chairman 
John E. Wagner, Jr., president of Wagner Industries, Inc. accepted the KC SmartPort Board of Directors’ nomination...

>>
2007 Transportation Outlook

>>10/2006
Port Security Bill to Improve Global Supply Chain Security

>>9/2006 U.S. Dept of Commerce Funds Assist Area Companies in Entering Mexican Market 
Four area companies...


>>9/1/2006 $750,000 Dept of Transportation money ...Shipment Tracking System Moves Ahead...


Click HERE for
Archived News
From Kansas City SmartPort
2004-june, 2006


Check the current KCSmartPort.com E-News!

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