The event will bring together governors, premiers, mayors and business leaders from across Mexico, the United States and Canada to consider key issues related to the competitiveness of the North American economy. The summit will also bring together North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO) which promotes trade and transportation connections along the mid-continent trade and transportation route.[1]
A transportation corridor is nearly a quarter-mile wide. It serves vehicles, trains, and incorporates oil, gas, electric, and water lines. Networks of toll roads will function primarily to connect U.S. roads to networks in Mexico, Central and South America, and Canada.[2]
NASC a. k. a. NASCO
(but not the NASCO which runs the MTS Centre here in Winnipeg!)
North America's Supercorridor Coalition "focuses on the needs of the highways it represents, but also on the multimodal corridor as a whole – highways, rail, aviation, inland port intermodal facilities and technology. NASCO’s goal is to make the corridors it represents the world’s first fully international, integrated, intermodal trade and transportation corridor in North America.”[3]
NASCO describes itself as a public/private, non-profit corporation seeking to create an international trade corridor system throughout North America, secure funding for certain projects, and promote the development of International Trade Processing Centers. A lobbying group, linked to other lobbying groups, it is partnered with the North America’s Supercorridor Caucus in Congress and working with Senate committees on a Multi-State International Corridor Development Program. Tim Brown, a Bell County, Texas Commissioner is President.[4]
“NORTH AMERICA'S SUPERCORRIDOR COALITION” is currently a lobby registrant (number 30352189) in the U.S. House of Representatives.[5]
The US Senate website, indicates a registrant/client relationship for which a filing was received by the SOPR. In any case, many registrants have since terminated the lobbying activity with respect to clients listed. The number does not indicate "ACTIVE" or "CURRENT" status, merely that a filing had been received pursuant to the LDA:[6] The registrant is OCONNOR & HANNAN (and the client is NASCO).
NASCO’s brand image was developed by a company called Project Partners[7]. "Project Partners was my ’right arm’ for the International Transportation Forum at AllianceTexas. We could not have done it without them." Said Paula Baucum, Director of Marketing North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition[8].
NAITCP
The NAITCP (http://www.naitcp.org/) is a ‘partnership of cities of Mexico, the United States and Canada linked by a trade corridor that works to promote economic and social development in our region.’ NAITCP just held its 11th annual summit in San Pedro, Mexico, May 11-13. That meeting was called ‘Hemispheria, the North American Convergence Summit,’ and featured working groups on ‘Trade and Transportation Corridors in North America, Smart Borders, and Cultural Integration.’[9]
CNATCA
The CNATCA (http://www.cnatca.org/) aims to encourage ‘continued economic integration between the three North American countries and to foster greater collective involvement in the emerging global economy.’ CNATCA’s project, the Central North American Trade Corridor, extends from Alaska through the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, and Texas, and then south of the U.S. border to Mexico City.[10]
“Lawsuits based on environmental issues have delayed implementation of these provisions, but in June 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that environmental reviews were not required. The latest holdup is an agreement on safety standards, UPI reporting in March 2005, that Mexico would not allow U.S. safety inspectors to check trucks on its side of the border.”[11]
As of June 10th, 2005, President Bush was continuing to demand Congressional approval of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Many legislators (even those who express outrage over present U.S. border problems) had caved, as of June 10th.[12]
morsels
There are only a few reports available on internet with respect to NASC, http://www.copvcia.com/free/ww3/061605_world_stories.shtml, for example.
Resistance in Texas is well organized, check out http://www.corridorwatch.org/.
There is also racist opposition, http://sixthcolumn.blogspot.com/, for example.
Footnotes
[1]http://www.ndpcaucus.mb.ca/thisweek/ThisWeekArchive105.html
[2] http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/nz1896.htm
[3] http://www.catransco.org/Links/Transportation_links.htm
[4] http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/nz1896.htm
[5] http://clerk.house.gov/pd/houseID.html?reg_id=30352
[6] http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/b_three_sections_with_teasers/clientlist_page_N_O.htm
[7] http://www.yourprojectpartners.com/index.asp?page=3#top
[8] http://www.yourprojectpartners.com/index.asp?page=4
[9] http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/nz1896.htm
[10] ibid.
[11] ibid.
[12] ibid.
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