Eagle Pass International Bridges and economy choked by sequestration cuts
By: Ricardo E. Calderon
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
As the Sequestration cuts in specified federal spending took effect on midnight, Friday, March 1, 2013, one of the hardest hit federal agencies by these cuts is the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection Agency responsible for inspecting all automobiles, commercial trucks, trains, airplanes, ships, and pedestrians arriving at a United States port of entry, including the two City of Eagle Pass International Bridges Nos. 1 and 2.
Severe personnel cuts have caused U.S.-Mexico border crossers to experience long hours to cross into Eagle Pass, Texas, as long as four to five hours when it used to take 30 to 45 minutes before the sequestration cuts.
The long four to five hours needed to cross into the United States at the two Eagle Pass international bridges has brought many complaints from Mexican citizens and businesses that these delays are excessive and affecting their daily lives and the costs of doing business and delivery of goods and products on time.
Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 1 only has two lanes opened instead of the normal four lanes since the federal sequestration cuts took effect on Friday, March 1st while the Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 2 has only three lanes opened instead of the normal five lanes.
“I can not believe the United States government and Congress would allow their front line of national security be compromised and jeopardized by these sequestration cuts at the international ports of entry such as Eagle Pass and everywhere else,” said a concerned Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico businessman. “These longer times now required to enter the United States has increased my business costs of shipping goods and products such as higher diesel fuel consumption, overtime pay for my employees, and delay timely manufacturing schedules of my customers in the United States,” added the Piedras Negras, Coahuila businessman.
“I ran out of gasoline while waiting in line in Piedras Negras, Coahuila trying to cross into Eagle Pass, Texas on Saturday, March 2nd, costing me $50 to hire a young man to run to a nearby PEMEX gas station to fill up my spare five gallon gasoline can. I was late for an appointment in San Antonio, Texas. This is terrible and is going to affect the economies of both the United States and Mexico. People are going to think twice before deciding to come visit the United States if they have to wait four to five hours just to cross the international bridge,” said a Monclova, Coahuila citizen.
Eagle Pass retail stores, restaurants, and businesses are also suffering severe economic losses from the slow crossing times at the international bridges. Many Mexican citizens who normally take advantage of the weekend to do their retail shopping in Eagle Pass stores decided to turn back instead of waiting such exorbitant hours trying to cross the international bridge. “Our gross retail sales were down by 30% this weekend compared to the previous week before the sequestration cuts took effect,” said one Eagle Pass retail merchant. “We can not sustain these drastic decreases in retail sales for more than a month. If Congress does not act immediately to remedy the situation, many local retail businesses will go out of business and lay off their employees at a moment when businesses were just recovering from the recession,” said another Eagle Pass retail merchant.
“Congress better get their act together immediately, otherwise, they won’t have much of a country to represent with higher unemployment, an economic recession or maybe even a depression, and social disorder within society. Not to mention lowering of the guard at the country’s front line of national defense and security at all international ports of entry such as Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico,” said one Eagle Pass citizen. “Congress is choking Eagle Pass’ economy as well as the country’s just because the Republicans can not stand to see President Barack Obama succeed leading the United States into economic recovery and prosperity,” said one Eagle Pass businessman. “Congress needs to understand that the election is over and the American people want economic prosperity and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness,” added an Eagle Pass businesswoman.
