Please sign this

[Mack73]

Signed a couple days ago when it was at 1,9xx

This was posted on The Car Lounge - with a huge following, but it didn't seem to pick up momentum....

 

[Fshnfvr]

Done. Thanks for sharing.

 

[AmericaOverland]

thanks Mark- need this thing to viral and get posted on all automotive boards. the more signatures the more likely impact

You want this to go really viral? Get an independent petition set up OFF whitehouse.gov. I'm not going to give them my info so they can come and see if I have anything gray-market.

 

[David Harris]

Signed... Much needed action!

Thanks,

David

 

[ini88]

Please make this a sticky! 1000+ users on EP every time I check it. Each vote would help!

Actually we have more than enough people on this site to sign it. Can you send out a mass email to everyone

 

[77blazerchalet]

The Department of Homeland Security spends a shockingly disproportionate amount of its budget not on security initiatives, but on customs seizures.

Just curious. How do we know that statement is true?

 

[DividingCreek]

As an importer of grey market cars please accept my assurance that it is. Customs has a large division know as SF&F (Seizures, forfeitures, and fines).

 

[77blazerchalet]

Please accept my assurance that as a fan of the Canada / European-only VW Golf Country 4x4, I'd love to legally import one. Problem here is the words "shockingly disproportionate", implying DHS sacrifices safety of the citizenry of the US over pointless enforcement of importation rules. If this statement cannot be proven true in a quick glance at official DHS budget summaries or some kind of credible analysis of those by a news outlet that has been able to back up that statement, then the entire petition, as viral as it has become, risks turning itself into a laughingstock. Sorta like those petitions calling for the ban of dihydrogen monoxide.

Overturning arbitrary rules on import cars is probably a good thing, but if this petition relies on a potentially unsupportable assertion to get action going, that is a bad thing.

 

[ini88]

4k to go, come on people!

 

[jeff_wright]

Signed

 

[DividingCreek]

Please accept my assurance that as a fan of the Canada / European-only VW Golf Country 4x4, I'd love to legally import one. Problem here is the words "shockingly disproportionate", implying DHS sacrifices safety of the citizenry of the US over pointless enforcement of importation rules. If this statement cannot be proven true in a quick glance at official DHS budget summaries or some kind of credible analysis of those by a news outlet that has been able to back up that statement, then the entire petition, as viral as it has become, risks turning itself into a laughingstock. Sorta like those petitions calling for the ban of dihydrogen monoxide.

Overturning arbitrary rules on import cars is probably a good thing, but if this petition relies on a potentially unsupportable assertion to get action going, that is a bad thing.

A couple of things @ play here. I have no idea what Customs spends. I think this petition is more about that its inane that they are trying to enforce a bad law.That said they are a revenue collection agency and that @ times seems to blind them to other things, like enforcing the myriad of laws they are responsible for as our nations gate keepers.. Customs officers are often more intent on making sure you have used the correct commodity code for your import then they are inspecting the cargo.

As far as safety goes 15 yr old vehicles are much safer than 25yr old vehicles,without question this point in the petition is valid. Europe has adopted universal safety standards that are far better than what they were 25yrs ago. Universalization of safety standards that gained momentum in the 80's has come a long way in 25yrs. 25yrs ago bumpers were strickly ornamental trim on european cars. I dealt with grey market BMW imports in the 80's and they all had to have steel bar welded in behind the sleek chromed steel ornamental bumpers to pass here. 25yrs ago europeans didn't have side impact standards and all cars brought into the US back then had to have structural door beams welded into the doors to meet our dot standards, cats had to welded in to meet epa standards.

To give you some historical book marks, 25yrs ago Land Rover North America didn't exist. Range Rover North America was formed 24 yrs ago in 1987. Land Rover North America was formed in 1992 in order that the 1993 defender 110 could be brought in. Scary part is I was out of college and in the work force.

 

[Pskhaat]

I agree with the point made that it may be prudent to include some metrics/quantification on the disproportionate amount of time/effort/budget spent. I agree with the petition, but the figures should be available.

I also have personally banned dihydrogen monoxide in favor of other substances laced with 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine.

 

[77blazerchalet]

...I have no idea what Customs spends. I think this petition is more about that its inane that they are trying to enforce a bad law....

Sorry to be a stickler for details, but in your post #22 you offered us your assurance that the petition statement about the 'shockingly disproportionate' DHS spending was true, but now you say you have no idea what the Customs branch spends.

If the petition is about inane regulation, then that is the way it should be worded. I would have signed such a petition without a second thought, given my knowledge about non-US spec VWs. But when an alarming 'DHS-ignores-terrorists-to-seize-more-cars-instead' statement is thrown in that may actually be false, then you have an end-justifies-the-means situation. If this thing gets to be a national news item and the statement is easily proven false, can anyone imagine the fallout about rubes who will sign anything just to fill up the country with more cars?

If the cause here is bulletproof, arguably it may have shot itself in the foot with a cannon by resorting to an overzealous and thoughtless attention-getting tactic.

 

[DividingCreek]

Sorry to be a stickler for details, but in your post #22 you offered us your assurance that the petition statement about the 'shockingly disproportionate' DHS spending was true, but now you say you have no idea what the Customs branch spends.

If the petition is about inane regulation, then that is the way it should be worded. I would have signed such a petition without a second thought, given my knowledge about non-US spec VWs. But when an alarming 'DHS-ignores-terrorists-to-seize-more-cars-instead' statement is thrown in that may actually be false, then you have an end-justifies-the-means situation. If this thing gets to be a national news item and the statement is easily proven false, can anyone imagine the fallout about rubes who will sign anything just to fill up the country with more cars?

If the cause here is bulletproof, arguably it may have shot itself in the foot with a cannon by resorting to an overzealous and thoughtless attention-getting tactic.

Not my petition. I don't know the author either. I like the thousands of others who have signed it, don't find the petition ideal, but its the only one out there. Most of the congressional bills I have read left a great deal to be desired so its not realistic to expect a laymans petition just asking that our lawmakers consider looking into the current status quo be an end all document. I signed it and have encouraged others to do so in hopes that so attention might be drawn to the subject by some one in our legislature. Clearly a large number of signatures is required to garner any attention. Yes I have imported hundreds of cars and yes Customs does spend a great deal of resources on these old vehicles and I deal with them daily. When I initially read this petition the "shockingly disproportionate" was one of the lines that grabbed my attention as this has been my experience as to how DHS/Customs uses their resources, I have no idea what actual expenditures are nor do I believe that a break out that details how a Customs officer spends his time is/could be broken out on any kind of budgetary spreadsheet. They have a hard on for older imported cars as the petition asserts. The same officer handling personal vehicle imports is responsible for banana's,combines,sneakers,spices,etc. Knowing that, and being someone in that arena daily, yes time and resources spent of 25yr old vehciles is disproportionate to the other responsibilities these officers are entrusted with but actual metrics I'm fairly certain Customs couldn't even break that out. As far as the metrics go I would agree that $ figures would strengthen the authors statements. I don't appreciate being called a rube. If the cause isn't one you support don't sign the petition. If you have even a glimer of hope that the current inane legislation might get some attention drawn to it then contribute @ some level.
Lambasting those trying to affect a change isn't productive.

 

[Corey]

This is an online petition that i am going to print out and send to my elected official.

We see you mr spammer, now go away.