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BajaNews
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New passport policy debated
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20060908-9...
Some say passports will ease crossing
By Diane Lindquist
September 8, 2006
New procedures expected to start in January 2008 that will require all U.S. citizens and foreigners entering the United States to have passports could
help speed traffic through area ports of entry, Adele Fasano, the local director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, predicted this week.
Many San Diego and Baja California political and civic leaders disagree. They fear that waits currently averaging more than an hour only will grow,
thus harming the border economy.
“It doesn't take much to make that border wait totally intolerable,” said Ron Raposa, public relations director for the Rosarito Convention and
Visitors Bureau. “We keep being told things are going to get better, and it just gets worse.”
Fasano, addressing a gathering at the San Diego Chamber of Commerce's Mexico Business Center Wednesday, conceded that a lot depends on the system that
will be installed to read people's documents.
“We expect the technology will be developed so there will be no manual processing by inspectors,” she said. “That will provide a tremendous
improvement in security. And, from my perspective, it won't slow down traffic.”
In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. Congress passed a law to beef up border security.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative portion of the law mandates that the secretary of homeland security along with the secretary of state develop
a plan for citizens of the United States, Bermuda, Canada and Mexico to present a passport or other approved document when entering the United States.
Airports and seaports are to have the system in place by Jan. 8. Land borders are to adopt the program Jan. 1, 2008.
But, said Kenn Morris, director of Crossborder Business Associates and a representative of the public policy institute San Diego Dialogue, “the
technology that's been tested has barely accomplished the goals it's intended to.”
A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office study cited the possibility that wait times might increase, said Jesse Hereford, director of public
policy for the Border Trade Alliance, a nonprofit business advocacy organization.
“While it's hard to find a U.S. citizen who doesn't support tighter security, there's a danger that it may come at the expense of border communities
whose economies depend on vigorous and efficient cross-border trade,” Hereford said.
The GAO report concludes that the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department have a long way to go to implement their proposed plans,
“and the time to get the job done is slipping by.”
Legislation is pending in a congressional conference committee to extend the deadline for implementing the program to June 1, 2009.
The San Diego Chamber of Commerce also is asking that the system be tested before it is put into effect, said Angelika Villagrana, director of the
organization's public policy division.
Customs director Fasano said she does not know how much money will be needed to implement the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Funding,
technological development, and what documents will be permitted and how they will be issued are under the State Department, she said.
“Obviously, there will be a tremendous demand,” Fasano said.
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Taco de Baja
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| Quote: | New procedures expected to start in January 2008 that will require all U.S. citizens and foreigners entering the United States to have passports could
help speed traffic through area ports of entry, Adele Fasano, the local director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, predicted this week.
Many San Diego and Baja California political and civic leaders disagree. They fear that waits currently averaging more than an hour only will grow,
thus harming the border economy.
“It doesn't take much to make that border wait totally intolerable,” said Ron Raposa, public relations director for the Rosarito Convention and
Visitors Bureau. “We keep being told things are going to get better, and it just gets worse.” |
Exactly how does showing passport to the border guard take longer than showing a a drivers license or green card? 
Señor Raposa is blowing smoke.
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David K
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Remember that anyone who passes the drivers test can get a driver's license... Where you were born doesn't matter... In fact, in California they try
and register you to vote at the same time without ever asking for proof of being a legal citizen!
A passport is a photo ID of legal citizens, one item for the border gaurd to look at... A driver's license AND a birth certificate both would be
needed to prove the same.
Don't get me wrong... I want a fast border crossing as much as anyone else... but the days of a the simple question asking you to say you are an
American, without looking at a document, are gone.
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Bob and Susan
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but requiring passports is a joke
does anyone relize how easy it is to get one
this is just another way to keep dollars in the USA
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Cypress
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Passports
I'm with Bob, Susan and Taco de Baja on this issue.
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ArvadaGeorge
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The problems I see is on the Mexican side. If you get stopped going in and show a passport they will want to stamp it.
If you don’t take the time to stop and have your exit stamped. The next time you come in they won’t let you in because you never left;
And the Mexican Border crossing are notorious for not being prepared.
On several occasions I haven’t been able to get my Tourist card stamped in Tecate or Algodones
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Barry A.
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I have been requested to show my passport------
----several times at the Mex. border, and the Canadian Border-------------they have never "stamped it" at either border.
And no, I did not know that Passports were easy to get----in fact, ours took several weeks. Are you saying that they are easy to forge? I thought
just the opposite.
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DENNIS
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Can you imagine how this will affect the night-life on Revolution Avenue ? How many of these kids are going to get a passport just to be able to
drink at 18? Not that I care about the economy of Revouution Avenue, I dont. And if you havn't crossed the northbound border around 4 AM Saturday or
Sunday, you have missed a terrible sight. Last chance for drunk macho before leaving Mexico, fights, puddles of puke all over the place, very
aggressive lane changeing.........jeezo, what a nightmare.
Maybe the passport idea is a good thing. I dont care --- I have one.
Later .... Dennis
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DENNIS
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Hi Barry --- We cross posted.
I dont think they're difficult to get. Just takes a little time which can be shortened to one day, I think, by paying more.
But, I can tell you from experience that you dont want to loose one. I recently applied for a renewal and never received it. They are sent out
through the mail like picture post cards. No record of delivery. You almost have to take a loyalty oath to get one at that point. Makes no sense to
me, especially today.
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David K
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Hmmmm... I am not understanding some of this.... If you show a passport to a Mexican official, it is only to prove citizenship, they do NOT stamp your
passport, they issue you a seperate 'Tourist Card' (FM-T).
It took about a month for my passport to arrive... pay more for expedited service if you want, but that is not 1 day... that would be amazing!
It isn't THAT easy... Usually need to make an appointment, you need an original or certified birth certificate and photo ID, plus you give an oath...
and it is over $100 with the photos.
Send any mail that has a passport like it has value (ie. insured, priority mail, return receipt, etc.)... Again, I am not understanding the mail part,
because you go to an area post office for a passport and if renewing, THEY take your old one... it isn't mailed by you. They give you get a receipt.
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DENNIS
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David ----
Unless they have changed their procedure recently, they mail the passport to you, unprotected. The expired document is handed over when applying for
the new one, as you said.
In my case, the replacement passport, that is, replacing the one which I didn't receive, came by registered mail. It is my feeling that they all
should be protected in that manner.
No birth certificate required for renewal.
Years ago, in a more customer friendly time, 24 hour service was available. Im not surprised that it is a thing of the past.
By the way, the receipt which you alluded to has a phone number to call in case you dont receive your passport in a reasonable time. It's a 900
number just like the phone sex numbers. Try calling that from a pay phone. You cant unless you use a credit card. It was explained to me when I
finally got through that the passport agency is making strides to be self-sufficient. So much for taxes.
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Fatboy
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Pre 9/11 I was waiting in the Passport Office up in Seattle to obtain our children's passports and watched as some one was 'checked' for citizenship
who it appears had no proof of such.
From what I could tell was that you brought someone with you to the office and they could then vouch that you are an upstanding US citizen (sp?). They
then ask that person a couple of questions and if it all adds up you are issued a passport.
Yep, knocking down the terrorist one interview at a time....
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rts551
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remember - when using your passport to cross back into the US they not only look at it but scan it into a database for tracking purposes.
Wonder what they think about my coming and goings?
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MrBillM
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Renewal by Mail
Renewal by Mail has been in effect for quite awhile. When I last renewed my passport by mail in 2001, the policy had been in effect for years prior
(or so I was told). It's pretty simple and you receive back the submitted passport, voided with holes punched in it. Or at least it was in 2001.
The passport process is pretty simple, albeit more expensive than in previous years, provided you have a certified copy of your birth certificate. In
the case of my spouse, no birth certificate, other than church, had ever been created. Her process took awhile longer since she had to acquire a
letter from her county of birth recorder that no certificate had been issued and she also had to collect a number of letters from others testifying to
her status. Still, it wasn't that involved and took less than 30 days to collect the required info.
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wilderone
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So, $75 for a passport; $23 for a tourist visa; $50/2 weeks auto insurance; $18 RT toll road charge. Add $40 for a tank of gas and that's $206 and
I'm not even having fun yet. Or rather, that has sucked a lotta fun out of the trip already. For $200 you could fly to Hawaii. There are some
hotsprings on the Big Island that are FREE and FREE camping too; snorkling is great and the water is warm.
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DENNIS
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Thanks MrBill ----
I didn't know it could be done on line. I guess most things these days can. It's my time of the year for immigration renewel .... I wish that could
be done on line, but, no. With all the north of the border chaseing around that needs to be done, I've got it down to 1 1/2 hours. Not bad. One
of these days, I'll have enough patience to get a Sentry pass.
wilderone -------
Seems like a lot of financial prep work, doesn't it. Passports are good now for how long? ten years? If one only goes to Baja once every ten years,
you make a good point. I remember back in the sixties. If we could accumulate $150, we could stay in Mazatlan for six months. I miss those days.
Later .... Dennis
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gnukid
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
So, $75 for a passport; $23 for a tourist visa; $50/2 weeks auto insurance; $18 RT toll road charge. Add $40 for a tank of gas and that's $206 and
I'm not even having fun yet. Or rather, that has sucked a lotta fun out of the trip already. For $200 you could fly to Hawaii. There are some
hotsprings on the Big Island that are FREE and FREE camping too; snorkling is great and the water is warm. |
You make a point but let's take it a step further; Hawaii is among the most expensive places to visit or live in the U.S. in terms I recall it being
ranked 2nd or 3rd most expensive place to live in the U.S. after N.Y. The flight is about 5-6 hours from L.A.X., the closest departure point versus 3
hours to cabo from LAX, more expensive to other islands, maui etc... The traffic in many locations is horrendous adding hours in traffic to beach
trips.
The costs noted for the mexico trip you noted may be extrapelated to a 6 month period of travel or multiple trips. The passport cost is generally a
given cost since you should have one and that cost is for multiple years. Baja Auto insurance may purchased for 6 months at similar rates to the 2-3
week rate. Visa is good for 6 months. Hotsprings or thermal vents at the shore exist all over Baja... etc...
So, go to Baja more often and watch your costs drop and your fun go way up.
I have friends here in SF who started the 3-4 club, they go to hawaii every week for 4 days and spend 3 days here-you buy a travel coupon book. Whew
that's a lot of travel.
It's my 6th year doing 6 months a year in baja and I am having a lot of fun. Though my problem is I am having a lot of trouble deciding whether I
prefer to go fishing or surfing or sailing or exploring or reading, or just plain ol' story tellin' and relaxing in my free time.
Hasta pronto en la playa amigo,
Paul
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ElGato
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 Perhaps passports are becoming outdated. For instance if you live
in Europe and are a member of the European Union country, which most are, you don't need a passport to travel between countries. You could travel from
Britain to Italy and just show an ID card. I hope we can do something like that for travel to Mexico and Canada. I just want something I can carry in
my wallet not an additional document.
Baja Joe  |
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wilderone
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"Hawaii is among the most expensive places to visit or live in the U.S. in terms I recall it being ranked 2nd or 3rd most expensive place to live in
the U.S. "
True - but as a tourist for 10 days, if you know how to do it, it costs very little. When I go to Baja I camp in remote places and it costs nothing.
The Volcanos Natl Park has a nice campground which is free. There are numerous county and state parks which have great BBQ and restroom facilities
which cost $5 or $10/nt. now. When I went 3 years ago, they were free or $5/nt. There is a nice hostel for $17/nt. on the Big Island, with
transportation service to Volcanoes; and another for $10/nt with breakfast. I know of an old sugar plantation building with rooms for $24/nt.
There's a macadamia nut farm with free camping if you pick fruit for 2 hours/day. And no passport needed.
Anyway, the point is, for the thousands who want to travel to the famed Baja peninsula for the first time, I just think that's a big outlay of cash
for essentially nothing. Yeah, you can use your passport for 10 years IF you're traveling somewhere where you need it . But that 6-month MEX visa
equates to about $46 each year if you travel often. And the highway snipers, cops on the take, and Mex. 1 with all it truck traffic makes me think
twice about going there now. A LOT more stress and expense associated with Baja travel now. And if the Mex. tourist bureau is paying attention, they
need to consider the current realities. I just came back from a week in the Sierra Nevada - free hot springs, free camping, wonderful creeks, lakes,
hiking, views, solitude, etc.
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Paulina
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Hmmmm... I am not understanding some of this.... If you show a passport to a Mexican official, it is only to prove citizenship, they do NOT stamp your
passport, they issue you a seperate 'Tourist Card' (FM-T).
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Hi David,
When we got our FM-Ts in Aug. the offical at the San Ysidro crossing asked for our passports, gave us the paperwork for the visas, then he kept the
passports while we went to the bank. When we returned from the bank, he then stamped our passports and gave them back.
This is the first time we've had our passports stamped and were a bit surprised. So now I guess since we didn't have them stamped upon exit we are
still in Baja...so I better go start packing!
I wonder where would one have their passport stamped upon leaving?
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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