wrote in message
oups.com...
The I-68 procedure has only been in place, in the past, for the
smallest boats. I'm surprised that your Maxum apparently fell into that
category. Over 30-feet, we have always had to pay an annual fee of $25
for customs inspection and buy a decal.


My Maxum was 32 feet. And we never determined the need for the I-68 on boat
size (to my recolllection).


I'm absolutely confident that the terrorists hoping to cross into the
US from Canada won't be doing so on a 38-foot Bayliner or a 42 Grand
Banks.....or if they are they won't land anywhere near one of the few
Customs offices in the area. Darn. They'll just have to cross one of
those unpatrolled little side streets where it's "Whiterock, BC" on the
north side of the road and "Blaine, WA" on the other.

Agreed to a point. But why ignore the water access?



Our borders are a seive, and (especially the Mexican border)
deliberately so. The wages of the poorest 20% of Americans are
artificially deflated by competition from illegal aliens, (willing to
work without benefits, off the clock, and for a fraction of minimum
wage)....thereby saving all employers some money- whether they directly
employ the illegals or not.

Agree to a point. We need to use the cheap Mexican labor but do so with
some control.
Right now they can purchase a SS number and green card and they are set to
go.

The manual labor jobs taken up by the Mexican immigrants are not wanted by
most Americans. These jobs are honorable and necessary.


I believe that the US will eventually learn from the European
experience and deal with terrorists
as criminals, rather than military agents of the currently-out-of-favor
dictator in whatever country we randomly choose to name. The smoke and
fumes surrounding the crackdown on recreational boaters is a poor
excuse for genuine efforts to control the borders.


I disagree. It is a good start.