Bush did it again

Dear Editor,

I just read where the Bush Administration did it again; giving the finger to U.S. citizens and taxpayers and a second one to Congress.

On Aug. 4, under provisions of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement -- NAFTA -- he extended for two more years a test program that was to be just one year, allowing long-haul truckers from 100 Mexican trucking companies full access to U.S. highways, although both Congress and the highway safety advocates opposed this action.

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires U.S. drivers to be licensed, certified in their ability to operate their equipment, drug tested and comply with the hours of service in order to make our highways safer. Yet, these foreign drivers do not have to abide by any of these requirements. They will not have to abide to any safety issues, including driver training, ability to read highway signs in English, and have their equipment safety inspected. It's reported he is in favor of doing this with their buses also, and possibly their trains on U.S. tracks. It is not a matter or protectionism or dislike of our Mexican neighbors, but a matter of public safety and national security made clear by Congress, which opposes this action.

By announcing the program on the first day of the congressional recess, the Bush administration effectively prevented immediate congressional action to reverse this decision through legislation. The House committee voted unanimously to end this pilot program and the House floor was to vote on it when Congress returned from vacation, but the president can veto only legislation that passes the House and Senate.

Eight years ago, our nation was not piling up debts (around 11 trillion dollars ) that will possibly crush our children and grandchildren; we were not paying $4 per gasoline and forcing families from their homes because of excess greed by lenders, and we were not bailing out large investment companies and insurance companies with taxpayer dollars. Even many Republicans have abandoned this administration's actions.

(I don't remember any bailout schemes for farmers when they were losing their land in the 1980s because of a recession, so why now because of fear of a recession?)

The challenges for the next administration and Congress will be immense. Change is essential, and I fear the McCain ticket will not give us much change. He has voted 90 percent of the time for Bush administration policies and stated the tax cuts of this administration be made permanent. The problem is that these cuts were for the wealthy and loopholes for the corporations and investment and insurance companies.

The cuts were not for main street, but for Wall Street. I dislike taxes as much as anyone, but you cannot keep raising expenditures and lowering taxes and survive. This policy must be reversed somehow. The Obama/Biden ticket has promised change, not only here in this wonderful United States, but also abroad. I'm willing, with the help of a Congress that favors change, to give them a chance. McCain is now saying he will give us change, but only because this is necessary to get elected. I'm afraid that the two main things he supports (The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and continuation of the war in Iraq) will only bankrupt us more.

God Bless America and long may she stand.

Garnet Henton,

McCook