Passports for Gas Station Trips?
President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Vicente Fox just wrapped up a two-day summit in Cancun, Qunitana Roo, Mexico. Among the issues discussed between President Bush and Prime Minister Harper was the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's passport or other "secure document" requirement for Canadian visitors entering the United States. This plan is still scheduled for implementation in 2007, with little hope of modification before then.
The world's most extensive bilateral trade relationship spans the 6 416 km border between Canada and the lower 48 states, as well as the 2 475 km border between Canada and Alaska. The fee for a U. S. Passport is $97, while the fee for renewing a Connecticut Driver's License (a currently acceptable form of identification at our border) is $66. Such a substantial increase in the costs required for a successful border crossing and re-entry to the U. S. could prevent many citizens from enjoying the continental mobility we should enjoy as citizens of free societies. Another absurdity of the new regulations is that residents of some towns and villages (Estcourt, ME and Campobello Is., NB, for example) on both sides of the border would need a passport to simply fill up their gas tanks. In both cases, the nearest domestic gas station is at least 50 km away and, in the case of Campobello Is., NB, includes one or more ferry trips.
The security features proposed for the new "laser visas" (fingerprints, retinal scans, etc.) should instead be incorporated into all new state, provincial and territorial driver's licenses. This would allow an efficient, single form of identification which could be more easily accessible to all citizens. In addition, the security features could make fake ID's increasingly difficult to produce, which could help in the fight against underage smoking and drinking, which all states, provinces and territories are pursuing.
The world's most extensive bilateral trade relationship spans the 6 416 km border between Canada and the lower 48 states, as well as the 2 475 km border between Canada and Alaska. The fee for a U. S. Passport is $97, while the fee for renewing a Connecticut Driver's License (a currently acceptable form of identification at our border) is $66. Such a substantial increase in the costs required for a successful border crossing and re-entry to the U. S. could prevent many citizens from enjoying the continental mobility we should enjoy as citizens of free societies. Another absurdity of the new regulations is that residents of some towns and villages (Estcourt, ME and Campobello Is., NB, for example) on both sides of the border would need a passport to simply fill up their gas tanks. In both cases, the nearest domestic gas station is at least 50 km away and, in the case of Campobello Is., NB, includes one or more ferry trips.
The security features proposed for the new "laser visas" (fingerprints, retinal scans, etc.) should instead be incorporated into all new state, provincial and territorial driver's licenses. This would allow an efficient, single form of identification which could be more easily accessible to all citizens. In addition, the security features could make fake ID's increasingly difficult to produce, which could help in the fight against underage smoking and drinking, which all states, provinces and territories are pursuing.
posted by E. J. Neafsey | 11:27
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