Washington, D.C. (November 14th, 2013)— At a Congressional oversight hearing today, Rep. Peter Welch questioned agency officials in charge of border crossings about the NEXUS program that allows for expedited processing for Vermonters and Canadian visitors. Vermonters have contacted Rep. Welch to tell him that it can still take up to 30-45 minutes to get across the border even after they have paid out-of-pocket and gone through the trouble to get a NEXUS card. Rep. Welch emphasized that long wait times at the Canadian border do real economic harm to our state’s economy. Watch here:
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Ryan Nickel
Communications Director, Rep. Peter Welch (VT-At Large)
(202) 225 4115
Go further!
All of these enhanced border slowdowns are silly wastes of time and money.
For hundreds of years, if one wanted to go to Canada they could cross the border with ease.
We used to cross over to Canada to go camping in the 1,000 Islands, or to see the Falls from the Canadian side, or head up to Crystal Beach to go to the amusement park. We’d go to the booth, say hi to the border person, they’d ask us where we were going, what we planned to do, and if we bought anything. No papers required, no passport, no scans of plates, and no face recognition. On to Canada!
Crossing back was the same. The Canadian border person would ask where we had been, what we did, where were were from, and so on. We’d then be waved on into NY.
Easy. Cheap. Safe. Let’s return to it for the next few hundred years.
Keeping us safe
Homeland Security finds it necessary to keep us aware that there are “terrists” out there, and we need the “gubment” to keep us safe.
Economic Impact?
I’d like to know just how waiting an extra 30-45 minutes at the border impacts the economy any worse than the regulatory boondoggle that this Socialist state has created on it’s own.
a long time ago
A long time ago, before 9/11 and the advent of Homeland Security, there was another fast track instituted by Customs and Immigration. I forgot what it was called, but I remember applying for it and then they never followed through with the appropriate stands in the airport. Total waste of time. Then comes Homeland Security and the no fly lists. I was put on it, why?, because my name was similar to someone who had a criminal record. And many folks, particularly those with common names (Smith, Jones, etc) got caught up in this mess. I had to submit reams of paper to the HS and it took 2 years and repeated calls to my congressman’s office to get off this list. Ans still, I would get stopped and frisked for having a 2 oz tube of toothpaste. So really, there are lots of other issues that slow up people at internal checkpoints rather than international ones that hinder travel.
As for the assertion that VT economy is getting wrecked by waiting at the border for 30-45 mins, what an eye roller. What, the Canadians can’t get to Walmart in St. Albans quick enough? Please, it use to take that long 30 years ago when I was coming back from concerts in Montreal. There are tons of faults with the border crossings and the VT one is the least of the problems.
Paranoid capitalism
I stopped flying when they started the new, weird airport security theater. I assume I’m on a no-fly list but don’t know. I don’t really miss it, and airplanes cause enormous damage to the environment.
As for impact – aside from people not moving around as much and spending money on travel, food, and lodging, any slowdown would conceivably “cost money”… that’s why business is always searching for efficiencies. The more people you can get in the door, the more you can sell them. The more people that can visit your website, the more advertisers like your site. The faster you can deal with one customers frees you up to deal with that many more.
So, if you can handle one customer an hour and make $10, it’s in your financial interest to try to find ways to get two, or three, or 60 people through the door an hour, and to earn more.
I really hope we someday get the socialist state mr. mike imagines. Until then, it’s just paranoid capitalism beating everyone down.
As for Welch, I think he’s’ complaining about the new system that guarantees people fast passage if they pay a fee. They paid, and it is still slow for them. I don’t see why anyone should be able to buy their way out of lines. The same system should apply to everyone.
"I really hope we someday get the socialist state..."
Chris’ remark reminds me of a conversation I had with a Texan I met a year ago in October, when we visited the West Coast.
We ran into Wayne (his real name) taking photos at a redwood tree with a tunnel cut through the trunk. We were all tourists, jolly, talkative, and friendly.
At some point, Wayne got into politics, looked me in the eye, and said with great seriousness: “We’ve got to get rid of this guy in the White House, or this country is in big trouble.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “We need a socialist!”
Wayne looked shocked, “We do have a socialist!”
“I wish we did,” I replied.
Then I ribbed him about his hat, which was a red, white, and blue baseball cap with a big lone star on it, and “TEXAS” in bold letters. (Previously, Wayne had asked me to take his photo, “And be sure to get my Texas Hat in the picture!”) “Hey Wayne,” I said, that’s not a Texas hat… Doesn’t a Texas hat have a big brim all around it?”
Wayne looked non-plussed. There was a moment of awkward silence. Then I put out my hand, smiled and said: “Hey, you’re from Texas, I’m from Vermont.” Wayne smiled, shook my hand, and everyone was jolly again.
Impact
“I’d like to know just how waiting an extra 30-45 minutes at the border impacts the economy”.
Let’s see: Say you live in Montreal. It’s a slow Saturday, and “Wifey” says “Hey! Let’s tool down to Swanton. I hear Wal-Mart has a sale on shower curtains.”
You reply “Naah! Last time we went down there, there was too much hassle at the border.”
Capiche?
baloney
There are 3 Wal-Marts in Montreal, so that is just a ridiculous story.
Picky-picky-picky!
So change the name of the store.
laughable....
The store will not matter, they still will come and frankly the VT/Canada border crossing is small peanuts compared to the waiting lines at international and domestic gateways in other locales.
The way it used to be
Once upon a time, I was in a ski instructor course at Jay Peak, but there wasn’t any snow.
So, the whole thing was transferred to Mont Sutton, a few miles across the border.
Coming back, we had 5 people crammed into a VW Bug.
Crossing at Richford, the agent asked where we were from.
We answered: New York, Montreal, Germany, Austria and Austria.
He threw up his hands and uttered “giddoudahere”.
End of story.
you got that right!
I remember crossing the border in a in a van on the way to a concert in Montreal, Clapton I believe, back in the ’70’s.
Customs saw us with solo cups and stuck his head in the window and saw a quarter keg of beer. He motioned us over into a parking area. He came over and told us to finish the keg as drinking and driving was a bad idea. Half hour later, we finished it and he checked to see it was empty and told us to go and enjoy the show. No joke!
The US customs/immigration were always worse re-entering the States.