The Teamsters union this week begins a radio advertising blitz against opening the U.S. border to what it says are unsafe Mexican trucks.

The 60-second commercial will run on radio stations in the Washington, D.C. market. They are running as the House and Senate must work out a compromise on the border opening as part of transportation appropriations legislation.
The advertisements were produced in conjunction with Greener and Hook, a prominent political media firm in Washington, D.C. Below is text of the commercial.
Announcer: Travel on American highways is already dangerous enough. And, if the government doesn't act quickly, things could get even worse. More than four and a half million trucks crossed our border last year. But less than one percent were inspected first. With only 60 inspectors, that's not a surprise. Worst, more than one-third of the Mexican trucks inspected failed. But, very soon, the border is supposed to be completely opened.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress agree - the President should be sure we can protect the safety of our highways before we open the border. The Mexican government should meet their end of the NAFTA bargain and establish a real truck safety program.
Announcer: Tell President Bush: Slow down; keep our highways safe.
The Teamsters union and other labor interests are widely credited for convincing the Clinton Administration to keep the border closed to Mexican trucks except in a narrow commercial zone along the border, despite the fact that the North American Free Trade Agreement called for complete U.S. access by January 2000.
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