"The stuff about the North American Union seems to be popular among the conspiracy crowd, but there is serious grassroots opposition to the two proposed NAFTA superhighways. The opposition is more developed in Indiana, where they recently had a consulta. The plans for the I-69 NAFTA highway are further along than the plans for I-35."
Who is calling them "NAFTA highways"? That seems to be the term the GOP congressman and Lou Dobbs are using, but in a demagogue-ish way. There have been highways that go into Mexico for the US for a very long time, and they're nice to have. I like that I could drive down to Monterrey if I wanted, and wouldn't have to charter a private jet.
The Trans-Texas Corridor is a proposed width expansion for I-35, which slices through Austin. There's some wisdom in it, too -- having separate lanes on each side for semi trucks seems like a good idea, because I-35 ridiculously becomes a 2 lane at some points, and when it widens into a regal 4 lanes one is often squeezed in between veering, wobbly big rigs, something that's scary as hell.
The imminent domain stuff I don't know much about -- I've heard some folks say their homes would get bought out by the government to make way for the highway's expansion. That would suck if they don't want to move. But I don't know how the age-old issue of imminent domain vs. homeowners becomes a "NAFTA Superhighway" issue when all that I've seen proposed is a widening of I-35.
-B.