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LetMyPeopleVote

(154,585 posts)
Sat Apr 23, 2022, 08:07 PM Apr 2022

What did Greg Abbott's border inspections turn up? Oil leaks, flat tires and zero drugs

This stunt cost the US billions of dollars and accomplished nothing



https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/21/greg-abbott-texas-border-inspections/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1650641188&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

State troopers ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott to inspect every commercial truck coming from Mexico earlier this month — which clogged international trade with Mexico — found zero drugs, weapons or any other type of contraband, according to data released by the Department of Public Safety to The Texas Tribune.

Earlier this month, Abbott ordered troopers to thoroughly inspect every commercial truck coming from Mexico’s four border states in what he described as an effort to stop illegal drugs and migrants from being smuggled into Texas. His order for increased state inspections was part of his response to the Biden administration’s announcement that it will lift Title 42 — the pandemic-era health order used by federal immigration officials to expel migrants, including asylum-seekers, at the U.S.-Mexico border. The expiration of the order is expected to increase the number of migrants seeking entry to the U.S.

Over eight days, starting April 8, troopers conducted more than 4,100 inspections of trucks. Troopers didn’t find any contraband but took 850 trucks off the road for various violations related to their equipment. Other truckers were given warnings, and at least 345 were cited for things such as underinflated tires, broken turn signals and oil leaks.

DPS Director Steve McCraw said at a Friday news conference with Abbott that the reason troopers hadn’t found any drugs or migrants in commercial trucks is because drug cartels “don’t like troopers stopping them, certainly north of the border, and they certainly don’t like 100% inspections of commercial vehicles on the bridges. And once that started, we’ve seen a decreased amount of trafficking across bridges — common sense.”

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What did Greg Abbott's border inspections turn up? Oil leaks, flat tires and zero drugs (Original Post) LetMyPeopleVote Apr 2022 OP
Abbott didn't have Disney but he has the border Skittles Apr 2022 #1
What? 21% of the trucks were taken off the road? CloudWatcher Apr 2022 #2
Conservatives hate regulations except when they can score political points. Probatim Apr 2022 #3
And Abbot's goal of disrupting the economy to blame it on Biden. keithbvadu2 Apr 2022 #4
Extreme societal cost, while accomplishing nothing. That's what Republicans *do.* Beartracks Apr 2022 #5

CloudWatcher

(1,924 posts)
2. What? 21% of the trucks were taken off the road?
Sat Apr 23, 2022, 08:48 PM
Apr 2022
... conducted more than 4,100 inspections of trucks. Troopers didn’t find any contraband but took 850 trucks off the road for various violations related to their equipment.

What? 850 of 4100 is about 21%. So 1 in 5 trucks coming into Texas were so unsafe they were kept off the road? I'm assuming these were safety violations, not something minor.

Abbott's stunt was stupid, but finding that 21% of the inspected trucks needed to be taken off the road is pretty unsettling.

I'm starting to think we need more enforcement of existing regulations.

And ... some context for my thoughts on truck safety ... this was local news for me: from April 26, 2019 ...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/26/runaway-truck-crashes-into-stalled-cars-near-denver-interstate-70/3585412002/

keithbvadu2

(40,144 posts)
4. And Abbot's goal of disrupting the economy to blame it on Biden.
Sat Apr 23, 2022, 09:51 PM
Apr 2022

And Abbot's goal of disrupting the economy to blame it on Biden.

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