Michael Hill's estimated that 90% of people in his station just pumping gas in Washington State United States - Canada south of the border is Canadian.
Latitude 49 degrees north of the gas, he said, about $ 1.30 per gallon, more expensive than in the United States. However, this is not the only product that Canadians seeking to visit Washington State: beer, wine and milk is significantly cheaper (beer and wine in the United States alone, there are about half the price).
Add a strong Canadian dollar, the result is a critical element of the economy Whatcom County towns. For example, Brian town, population just under 5000, generating more than $ 225,000 gallons of gasoline every penny tax, which is about 30% of the street maintenance budget.
This is why Hill and others troubled by the concept of fee land into the United States. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security in its 2014 fiscal year budget proposal to require a study permit fees in the country's land border crossings.
"This is a deterrent," Hill said, standing fully stocked with wine, a reader board that says: "Thank you for Canadians."
"They should do anything they can get them here to buy more," he added.
From the northern states, vowed to block it requests that members of Congress among the lonely sparked widespread opposition. The cost, they say, would hurt the community boundaries, relying on the people, goods and capital between the U.S. and Canada move.
"Such charges will be levied as greater economic integration, we seek an obstacle, and wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said earlier this month," the last thing is absolute, we should do our economic growth, signed 18 Republican and Democratic House members.
U.S. Democratic Senator Patrick 莱希佛蒙特 sponsored Internet cafes Homeland Security immigration reform bill amendment. The senator also promised to stop any research funding. In the House, Washington state Rep. Susan DelBene introduced a bill to stop the creation of the charge.
Amendment this week, New York Democratic Rep. Bill Owens to stop the study was introduced to the House Homeland Security Appropriations bill.
Legislators and people from south of the border, although not show such strong opposition, highlighting the North-South divide, how to pay for cross-border infrastructure.
Who represents a district in Texas, including McAllen and near the border areas, Democratic Rep. Ruben E. Hinojosa said the toll revenue stream is good if used to improve infrastructure.
Hinojosa said: "I will support the toll fees only in obtaining funds will be used to upgrade our facilities, our agents to provide better equipment, or for hiring more agents in our border crossings, . "
Currently, it costs the country not enter the land. Air and sea ports have a cost less than $ 2, which is included in the ticket price.
The proposal would mean the creation of a pilot project to test all the necessary steps to create a charge - in fact collect the money. The proposed fees will be offset to provide screening and border infrastructure costs. Customs and Border Protection does not specify the cost of the study.
Members of Parliament from the northern states to respond quickly to support the idea of ??not occur this fiscal year, said Ken Oplinger, Bellingham, WA / Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce.
But he believes that because of expensive border security measures have been implemented since September 11, the idea of ??a comeback in the future unless there are other sources of funding does not depend on a border fee.
One of the busiest border crossings in northern - Peace Arch - located in Whatcom County. It connects Washington state and British Columbia. Border areas, but farmland, there is no wall or fence and grazing cows. About 12,000 people cross the border every day, according to CBP figures.
Oplinger has two major problems. Smaller is that people will refuse to pay tolls to stop visiting Whatcom County all together. He was more worried, however, this is to increase the waiting time at the border. He said that cross-border traffic just before full recovery until September. 11 volumes, and added that in the summer weekends, waiting to enter the United States up to two hours. He was worried that adding a mechanism to collect the fees will mean more waiting time.
Border fee, although local, already exists in the southern border. In Texas, the local municipal government user fees as a bridge, connecting Mexico and the United States
Ken Morris, president of market research firm in San Diego multinational group, the future borders in the public and private sector partnership, unless the government acts to improve the ports of entry. For example, a private company, the establishment of a port into the booth and roads, and to charge a fee to recover the investment.
"I think it is inevitable that more border areas and those who use these tools not want to use it, that is their choice, but they should not be put elsewhere capacity of at least look at that option," he said. "For these regions, the ability to charge fees, we need to have good analytical, create a good policy."
Cited 2009 University of Texas study, Morris said, the charges at the border does not affect the traffic flow have a negative impact, but provides sources of income in order to build more border infrastructure.
In the nation's busiest border entry in California's San Ysidro, 50,000 vehicles and 25,000 pedestrians northward from Mexico each day. In the past few years, the U.S. Congress has sent a lot of money to improve infrastructure. In his last Budget, President Obama requested for the $ 22.6 billion U.S. dollars, to continue to improve.
During this period, the waiting time every day people face.
"People are tired of waiting," Morris said.
 
 



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