U.S. Developing Port & Highway 'Master Plan'

The Bush Administration is developing a master plan that will govern future highway- and port-modernization initiatives, a project whose goal is to enhance the private sector's ability to more efficiently move freight across the nation and to ship cargo around the globe.

Those transportation initiatives, however, will not take place in the U.S.

Instead, the projects are for Mexico.

And U.S. taxpayers will foot the $1.3  million bill when the U.S. Trade & Development Agency (TDA) -- a White House agency -- outsources the crafting of the master plan to a private firm, a recently obtained contracting document shows.

As TPR reported in March, TDA is aiding its neighbor to the south because "Mexico has recently suffered from lost manufacturing jobs to Asia and is searching for methods to regain its competitiveness," according to preliminary project documents (see U.S. Helps Fund Mexican Road Projects As Industry Fless to Asia) .

The most recent document, dated June 1, plays down the previous emphasis on the flight of business from Mexico to Asia. Rather, TDA now points out that the U.S.-funded master plan "will assist in the planning and promotion of Mexico's commercial transportation system and the infrastructure that can support increased volumes of trade between Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia."

***Editor's Note: TPR has been waiting three months for a comment on this project from Rep. Don Sherwood (R-Pa.), vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee and the elected representative of the 10th Congressional District where TPR is based.

We're still waiting, Don.***