This'n'That; February Fourth [Impeachable?; Courses; Borders]

Regime Tells Issa: 'Go Pound Salt!'
    Rep Darrell Issa is the incoming 112th Congress' Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  As such, the committee is the Congress' investigative arm and has broad jurisdiction in overseeing governmental operations.  The Chairman is empowered to issue subpoenas without a prior committee vote.
    In recent weeks Rep Issa sent two letters to the Dep't of Homeland Security, requesting documents concerning political interference with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the agency.  The Issa requests were ignored by career employees who were instructed not to search for the requested items. 
    In July, the A.P. reported top DHS officials told career employees to steer sensitive FOIA requests to Obama’s political advisers for unusual scrutiny.  FOIA requests by lawmakers, watchdog groups and journalists were subjected to the special political reviews.  In his response to the deadline snub, Issa demands a set of key documents in two days, including e-mails between key DHS officials and 'barack-ingham Palace.'

'The Great Courses' Logo

The Great Courses
    Well, I finally succumbed!  Last week I finally broke down and ordered from my most recent 'The Great Courses' catalogue.  Just because I'm price-driven and because I was intially just checking them out, I ordered one of the cheapest courses:  A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition.  The package arrived this past Monday; well protected with bubble-wrap in it's UPS box.  The package included 12-30 minute lectures on 6 CDs and a course guidebook.  The guidebook includes a blurb on each of the 12 lectures, a timeline of the era, biographical notes on each of the major players and a bibliography.  Thus far, I've read the guidebook twice and enjoyed both!!  I originally ordered the course as entertainment during our vacation drive-time.  I sincerely doubt that the course will wait that long; I'm anxious to get into it!!
http://www.teach12.com/greatcourses.aspx?ai=16281

Trucks Awaiting Border Crossing

Southern Border Security NO LONGER Necessary
    'Team Sorobama' still seems hell-bent on giving the country to the illegal aliens!!  Now the big thing is to re-start a program initiated during the Bush Era (09/2007) and later scrapped by this regime as one of Soros' first acts (02/2009).
     The issue I speak of is the "Cross-Border Trucking Demonstration Program."  The genius Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, has issued an edict resurrecting a 'failed program' with a new name:  "Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program."  This new 'give-away' of American trucking and warehouse jobs--released Jan. 6--has several regulatory enhancements not included in the demonstration program, including:

1. All vehicles will be equipped with electronic on-board recording devices to allow monitoring of drivers’ Hours of Service and compliance with U.S. cabotage laws.
2. Each driver will have their combined U.S. and complete Mexican driving history checked to ensure that they have no history of unsafe driving that would disqualify them under U.S. standards.
3. The safety records of each company kept by the Government of Mexico will be examined in addition to any U.S. operating history the company may have, and
4. Each driver will have his/her English language proficiency and knowledge of U.S. traffic laws verified before being allowed to operate within the U.S.

    At worst, this program will be devistating to the American economy, the American jobs market and the American population in general!  While it should reduce Mexican tariffs on U.S. goods moving into Mexico, the added value will not equal the negative monetary effects of Mexican drivers 'jumping ship' while driving in the United States.  Historically, Mexican commercial drivers have a very poor safety record, added to their complete disregard for traffic laws in general; American traffic laws in particular.
    At best, the program will cost fewer American jobs than U.S. truckers expect.   Hopefully, this program will too, be scrapped before the highway devistation reaches 'national disaster' proportions!!
    Folks, I've seen these drivers in action!!  It ain't a pretty sight!!  As a 'Crete Carrier' driver with over ten years of commercial experience, I've delivered to all the border-cities; routinely to Laredo and Brownsville, Texas.  The Mexican driver has complete disregard for the laws of either nation; 'getting to the docks first' is the only policy the Mexican driver understands-complies with!!  This is to be a reciprical program, I know of no American truckers who want to-or will-drive into the Mexican interior; we have a greater respect for life-particularly, our own!!
    With Ciudad Juárez earning the title:  "The Most Dangerous City in the World,"  it's murder rate rivals that of other dangerous cities in the world and is more typical of regions where government has collapsed.  From 01/01 through 06/07/2010, there were 1,100 homicides in Juárez; a greater rate than San Pedro Sula, Honduras, (119 per 100,000); San Salvador, El Salvador (95), and Caracas, Venezuela (94).  Who--in their right mind--would even consider delivering to El Paso, Texas; the American city 'just across the crick' from Juárez?!?!
http://www.landlinemag.com/Special_Reports/2011/Jan/010611-Cross-border-trucking.shtml
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hoffa-deeply-disappointed-in-mexican-trucks-proposal-113036019.html
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2011/1/6/LaHoodrevealsconceptsfornewcross-bordertruckingprogramMexicostressesimportanceofnewpact.aspx
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_15241689
Til Nex'Time....