  Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 1042 Registered: 09-2005 |
An early Christmas present for the Detroit-Windsor area? U.S. Congress prevents Homeland Security from implementing earlier Sheldon Alberts, CanWest News Service Published: Friday, December 21, 2007 http://www.canada.com/windsors tar/news/story.html?id=deb8af3 a-c53e-4de7-ba4d-0bf714fc19ca The U.S. Congress on Thursday gave final approval to legislation forcing the Bush administration to delay contentious requirements for passports at the Canada-U.S. land border until at least the summer of 2009. The measure, included in a broader U.S. budget bill, will prevent the Department of Homeland Security from implementing the passport rule as early as next summer, said Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, the provision's author. 'BREATHING ROOM' "This buys breathing room to try to find better and more sensible answers for border security, especially on the northern border," Leahy said in a statement. "The passport requirement is the wrong answer to the wrong question. It creates major hassles for law-abiding citizens and communities all across the longest peaceful border in the world." President George W. Bush signalled Thursday he would sign the legislation, which contains much-needed money to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. WILL PRESS AHEAD But Homeland Security officials have insisted they plan to press ahead with implementing other parts of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative despite the move by Congress. The Bush administration and Congress have been feuding for two years over the move to require passports or another approved identity document for Canadians and Americans entering the U.S. from Canada. A year ago, the U.S. began requiring passports for Canadians entering the U.S. by air. But plans to implement land provisions of the program in January 2008 were put off after Congress voted to extend the deadline to June 2009. That earlier piece of legislation, however, gave the Bush administration discretion to begin implementing the WHTI earlier. Last summer, as the U.S. and Canada struggled to meet the demand for passports, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff agreed to a compromise that would have postponed the passport requirement until the summer of 2008. "This takes out the discretion," said David Carle, a Leahy spokesman, who said the 2009 deadline is now mandatory. The U.S. and Canada are in negotiation to allow Canadians to use enhanced-security driver's licences as an alternative to passports, and Chertoff said last week he believed that option remains viable. WALLET-SIZED CARD The U.S., meanwhile, is forging ahead with plans for the introduction of a wallet-sized "passport card" designed to be a cheaper and more convenient alternative for American travellers. Even with the legislation approved Thursday, Congress and the Bush administration remain at loggerheads over Homeland Security's plans next month to begin asking all travellers entering the U.S. from Canada to present birth certificates as proof of citizenship. Homeland Security contends the "first rational step" towards implementing the land rules for the WHTI is to "end the routine practice of accepting oral declarations (of citizenship) alone at land and sea ports of entry." But in a letter to Chertoff, Leahy called the plan "unwise, ill-considered and counterproductive." He has asked Homeland Security to produce the legal basis for its decision "to end oral declarations prior to the date before which Congress has determined WHTI implementation shall not occur." © The Windsor Star 2007 | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 979 Registered: 12-2006 |
Essentially, what Congress did was delay implementation until Bush is out of office, after which (hopefully) the whole stupid idea will die. I don't say this often: Yay Congress! | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4376 Registered: 10-2003 |
Listening to the BBC news today, there was a story that took place where the borders of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic meet. As of today people were walking freely across those borders, no passports, no questions, no opening trunks, no delays -- celebrating the opening of their borders. These are three countries that killed millions of each others citizens in WWII then created cold war borders with barb wire fences, land mines, dogs, snipers and spotlights. We [Canada and the US] have been at peace since 1815, fought together in wars, been cold war allies and are each other's largest trading partners. It is just ridiculous that we do not have an open border, like these former bitter enemies do. We are strangling each other's economies and violating the personal lives of each others citizens. For What?? Tear down that that wall! Join in the demand for a treaty to end this wasteful intrusion into our personal lives and economy. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 4594 Registered: 10-2003 |
^^^What Lowell said (but I don't think that Canada wants our handgun problem...) | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4377 Registered: 10-2003 |
The US gun problem is the boogeyman created by the closed-border advocates, most often to mask their true concern, loss of some business advantage, loss of border guard jobs, or even old fashioned nationalism, just as the American paranoia of ‘terrorists’ or Canadian job-seekers is tossed up. Truth is that obtaining / smuggling of guns always has been and will continue to be to relatively easy as will movement of ‘terrorists’ / job seekers. Containing their effect will always be the role of law and enforcement and the presence of economic and social justice, something the Canadians have been very adept at all along. To inconvenience millions of law-abiding border-crossing citizens and intrude on their personal liberties, all to the tune of billions of dollars in waste and loss, for the infrequent ~possibility~ of catching a handful of gun-toters is absurd. The price / potential damage / benefits ratios do not add up. If a treaty could be designed, the equivalent of what exists in the European Union, our international metropolitan city would benefit greatly. Laying just a treaty away is a giant economic boon to our region, a rising tide that will lift all ships. Windsor, in particular, is bound to benefit. Cut off from and scorned and derided by the rest of Canada, it has much to gain. | ||
Jiminnm Member Username: Jiminnm Post Number: 1551 Registered: 02-2005 |
The most frequent question that Canadian customs ever asked me on my many excursions into Windsor or Sarnia was - "are you bringing any firearms into the country?" | ||
Homer Member Username: Homer Post Number: 252 Registered: 08-2004 |
Get the same firearms question all the time on the bridge. If I had a gun do they expect me to tell them? "Uh, well, not on me but my AK-47 is in the trunk." | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 172 Registered: 11-2007 |
Actually, a lot of U.S. citizens do admit to having a firearm and they are surrendered until people return. Of course, these are not the people we need to worry about. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 406 Registered: 09-2006 |
Don, is correct, there is a substantial amount of people who do cary firearms into Canada not knowing its illegal until they cross. The storing of them is a common sense solution to the laws of Canada and at the same time allows people to retain them when they return to the U.S. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5802 Registered: 11-2003 |
Gotta to have my piece when I get back to the D. Thanks 401don and welcome to The Forum. jjaba didn't know he couldn't pack heat at the Windsor titty bar. Here's a new trend. Uninvited Mexicans who have been living in USA with good jobs for yrs. with perfect English are moving through Detroit borders to Canadian re-settlement in huge numbers. Canada seems to have open arms. Next time you queue up at Tunnel or Bridge, look for Volvos with Florida plates. The trunks will be loaded down with everything they own. They are good people and we are losing them to this Nationalistic bullshit. Hope they learn how to enjoy high tea with scones and clotted cream, eh. jjaba. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 994 Registered: 10-2003 |
This passport thing is creating a BIG worry in Vancouver, B.C., what with the Winter Olympics coming in 2010, and the tourist industry is in a panic, concerned that making it harder to cross the border, coupled with the decline of the U.S. dollar in relation to the Loonie will wreak havoc in the industry. At this point, I wouldn't like to be invested in a border area Canadian ski resort like Whistler or Apex Mountain..... | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 518 Registered: 05-2006 |
I went through the toll gate in Windsor at 2:22PM today. I made it to through the tunnel and on to Jefferson at 4:05. Longest border crossing I've ever had. Would the passport requirement speed this up or slow it down? Just wondering. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 995 Registered: 10-2003 |
In theory it would speed it up. What kind of proof of citizenship did you have? | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2417 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote: I doubt it would have much effect. They ask the same questions whether you're using a passport or birth certificate... | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 503 Registered: 05-2006 |
I have been using my passport, when entering Canada, for years. My border interview has never lasted more than a few minutes. However, it’s waiting in line behind everyone else that’s the killer. My visits to Canada have dropped from 10 or 12 per year to 1 or 2 (admittedly, the current exchange rate has something to do with that). If requiring everyone to have a passport speeds up border crossings then it will benefit both countries. | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 519 Registered: 05-2006 |
"In theory it would speed it up. What kind of proof of citizenship did you have?" Sorry, I should have mentioned that I have a passport. My time at the customs booth was 30 seconds at the most. Smooth sailing once I made it that far. The problem was getting to the customs booth. Most trunks were opened and the questioning seemed to take forever for most cars. BTW, when I went to Windsor at 11:00AM, the US bound traffic was backed up all the way through the tunnel to Windsor also. I inquired at my destination as to why so many people were going to the US. I was told that it was becasue of the shift in the dollar and it was now a bargain for them to come here to Christmas shop. | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 520 Registered: 05-2006 |
"In theory it would speed it up. What kind of proof of citizenship did you have?" Sorry, I should have mentioned that I have a passport. My time at the customs booth was 30 seconds at the most. Smooth sailing once I made it that far. The problem was getting to the customs booth. Most trunks were opened and the questioning seemed to take forever for most cars. BTW, when I went to Windsor at 11:00AM, the US bound traffic was backed up all the way through the tunnel to Windsor also. I inquired at my destination as to why so many people were going to the US. I was told that it was because of the shift in the dollar and it was now a bargain for them to come here to Christmas shop. | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 521 Registered: 05-2006 |
Sorry for the double post. Don't know how I did that! | ||
Eriedearie Member Username: Eriedearie Post Number: 424 Registered: 08-2007 |
I hope the US will do away with all the nonsense of requiring a passport - EVER! There is no way my parents will invest in a passport. They will never travel overseas or to any other country than Canada. They are in their late 70's and have never had a passport. They only travel to Canada for family get togethers and an occasional couple of days stay at our home. I'm an American citizen living in Ontario. I will never travel overseas - only back and forth across our Northern border. I don't see me spending close to $100.00 for a passport. I have a birth certificate and a driver's license. I've used those forms of identification for over 35 years now. That should suffice. They keep talking about an enhanced form of a driver's license or ID card and a reader to go along with it. They claim they are waiting on technology to advance in order to implement something that will be acceptable. What is the big hold up? Certainly with all the brainiacs around someone should be able to invent a document that would be cheaper so that the masses would be able to comply with this asinine idea. However, I agree with Lowell. I don't see why they can't just "tear down this wall!" | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 522 Registered: 05-2006 |
"They keep talking about an enhanced form of a driver's license or ID card and a reader to go along with it. They claim they are waiting on technology....." Who is "they" ? I'm curious. | ||
Eriedearie Member Username: Eriedearie Post Number: 425 Registered: 08-2007 |
Wash_man - They-as in Homeland Security and their Canadian counterpart. That's what I meant. Sorry 'bout that! | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4379 Registered: 10-2003 |
If Wash_man was held up for nearly 2 hours then so were hundreds of others. Ridiculous waste. Changes to documents will mean little. We will stop, produce them, answer the robot questions and, if the guards are having a bad day or feel like eating an apple, we wait and money is wasted as hundreds of cars idle. [A reason I try to avoid the tunnel if I can. No point in getting asphyxiated by auto exhaust in a back up.] How about just paying a toll and driving away, like crossing from New Jersey to Manhattan? | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3139 Registered: 11-2003 |
What handgun problem? I can easily purchase a handgun at any number of gun shops around town. Ammunition, too! But I agree with what Professorscott said, I feel that this is being done until bush is out of office so that it can be quietly forgotten. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 980 Registered: 12-2006 |
By the way, Lowell, if you really need to go to Canada and not be hassled, try this: Drive up to Marine City (I-94 east to exit 248 which is about 10 miles past Mt. Clemens), turn right, go east for 11 miles, follow signs to "ferry to Canada". It is six bucks to cross, rarely a wait, never a hassle, and the nice folks in Sombra will even give you directions how to get toward the highways. I find you can get to near London on county roads, then take the 401 to wherever. There have been times I have spent less than 15 seconds talking to the customs folks. The extra fare ($6 as compared to a buck something) is no problem to me since I perceive my time is worth something. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5824 Registered: 11-2003 |
Good news from the US passport Office. jjaba was renewed using regular procedures in 14 days, mailed from home to Phila., and back from New Hamshire office. 14 day turnaround. (Dec. 7-21)This was mighty impressive. jjaba is really happy about that. He used Priority Mailings and today can't say anything bad about US Passport Offices. jjaba on the Westside. |
