While President Bush and his counterparts in Mexico and Canada continue to deny that the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) is the beginning of a North American Union, Americans around the nation are expressing their growing opposition to the scheme.
The American Policy Center, (APC) a grassroots activist organization located in suburban Washington, DC has just concluded a survey of one million American households. The survey, titled "Do Americans Support a North American Union" asked a series of questions concerning the SPP and the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC). The survey package also included a four-page report prepared by APC entitled "NAU Fact Sheet", providing details about the SPP, the TTC and how these programs are being implemented quietly, behind closed door meetings like the one just completed in New Orleans.
It is important to note that APC did not select households that might represent specific ideological positions. The chosen households represented neither conservative nor liberal positions. Instead the recipients were a wide verity of Americans who live in the direct path of the proposed Trans Texas/NAFTA Corridor, from Texas to Minnesota.
The questions on the survey were:
1. Have you heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership? 58% of those responding said they had NOT heard of the SPP.
2. Do you think private corporations should have the power to enforce trade policy that may adversely affect our national sovereignty and independence? This question relates directly to the establishment of Public/Private Partnerships between private corporations and government which grant no-compete clauses and Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDA) which provide guarantees by government to the corporations on investment returns. As such, projects like the TTC are not free enterprise but rather government-sanctioned monopolies. As APC explained this process in the survey, fully 95% of the recipients OPPOSED such policy.
3. Chapter 11 of the NAFTA Agreement states that, disputes over NAFTA-related issues will be heard in NAFTA courts superseding U.S. local, state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court. Question three asked, Do you think this would be a threat to U.S. Sovereignty? 91% responded YES.
4. The SPP calls for expanding the U.S. security perimeter to include the borders of Canada and Mexico. Question 4 asked, Do you think it would strengthen U.S. Security to expand our borders to the outer borders of Canada and Mexico? 87% of responders answered NO.
5. Do you think it will strengthen U.S. Border security to allow trucks from Mexico and Canada to travel, free of inspection, up a corridor which has been built and controlled by foreign corporations into the heartland of the United States? Texas Department of Transportation has already signed a 50 year agreement with a Spanish company named Cintra to build the TTC. In September of 2007 the Bush Administration started a pilot project to allow Mexican trucks to cross the U.S. border without inspections and are free to travel inside the United States. Meanwhile, the Senate passed the 2008 omnibus spending bill that "was clearly written and designed to put the breaks on the current pilot program," according to sponsor Senator Bryon Dorgan. Yet, the Bush Administration, under the leadership of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, continues the program, now in violation of federal law. 95% of responders to the APC survey OPPOSED the Mexican truck project.
6. Would you support efforts to replace the U.S. dollar with a common North American currency some call the "Amero?" Though denied by the Bush Administration, there has been much discussion in economic and academic circles about the creation of a North American currency much like the Euro. In October, 2007, during an appearance on the Larry King Show on CNN, former Mexican President Vicente Fox answered in the affirmative when King asked him about the creation of a united currency. In the May/June issue of the Council on Foreign Relations magazine Foreign Affairs, in an article entitled "The End of National Currency" economist Benn Steil said the dollar is "a temporary currency." 92% of survey responders said NO, they would not support such a common North American currency.
7. Do you believe there should be public hearings and debate on this policy before it is allowed to move forward? To date, there has been no congressional legislation, no congressional hearings and no congressional oversight concerning the establishment or operation of the SPP. No federal money has been officially allocated by Congress. No official authority has been provided for the creation of the SPP. Obviously, Americans feel it is wrong to make such significant changes in our national policy without open debate as 95% of survey respondents said YES, there should be debate and discussion.
8. Should the Bush Administration be allowed to move forward with its plans to crate a "North American Community" without Congressional approval? Again, the American people have shown they understand that it is Congress which decides such policy as they responded with a resounding 97% NO to this question.
9. Do you believe the United States should be "harmonized" or merged into a union with Mexico and Canada? The words most often used by the Administration concerning the SPP are "harmonize," and "integrate." The United States is a representative Republic; Mexico is a socialist government; and Canada is part of the British Crown. There are no grounds for "harmonization" unless drastic changes are made to the US judicial and financial system. 88% of survey responders said NO to harmonization with Mexico and Canada.
10. Finally, responders were asked to provide their own comments and thoughts on the SPP. The word most often used was "Treason." Another said, "I want no part of the social health care of Canada and I do not want to incorporate Mexico's turmoil and poverty into our United States." Many others said, "I want secure borders, not easy traffic between the US, Canada and Mexico. Said another, "Bush's actions formulate a horrifying destruction of our proud nation." Stronger language was used by many more responders. Clearly Americans, once they learn about the SPP are strongly opposed.
However, once again this week (April 21-22) in yet another closed door SPP meeting in New Orleans, President Bush and his fellow heads of state from Mexico and Canada continue to deny the SPP is anything more than a "dialog" among the three nations.
"Yet," said Tom DeWeese, president of the American Policy Center, "as the Texas Department of Transportation signs an agreement with the Spanish company Cintra, containing no-compete clauses and guaranteed returns; as the Kansas City council loans $2.5 million to build the inland truck port called KC Smart Port; as the twenty SPP working groups continue to write policy; as the Mexican trucks roll over our borders; as high level meetings go on - the Bush Administration dares to deny that ANYTHING is happening. Why? The responses to APC's survey show why. When Americans understand the truth, they say NO in resounding numbers." Concluded DeWeese, clearly the American people are overwhelmingly opposed to the harmonization of North America. We just want our country -- strong, independent and secure."
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