Obama proposes fee for Canadian visitors to the U.S.

[PCAS]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/obama-proposes ... 1-838.html

TORONTO - President Barack Obama is floating the idea of charging a fee for every Canadian entering the U.S. by air or sea.

The proposal is outlined in the 2012 federal draft budget he submitted to Congress on Monday.

The $5.50 fee would not apply to visitors arriving in private vehicles.

Visitors from Canada, Mexico and a number of Caribbean countries are currently exempt from "passenger inspection fees."

Obama's budget blueprint proposes lifting those exemptions and using the revenue from the charges to support air passenger inspections which have recently grown more intensive.

The proposed fee comes just a week after Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama agreed to a deal that would establish a North American security and trade perimeter.

According to Statistics Canada some 16 million Canadians flew into the U.S. in 2009.

[2.5milefinal]

Whatever it takes to keep everyone safe eh...

[MrWings]

This has nothing to do with security.

It is about every Canadian doing his or her fair share to pay down America's debt.

[Benwa]

Just imagine if the Republicans came up with such a proposal !!!

There'd be some flag burning all over Canada.

[Conquest Driver]

Looks like it's time for a $5.50 fee for Americans visiting Canada under the same conditions.

[Rowdy]

Heres a better proposition. Ditch some of the overpriced screening!

[niss]

Just imagine if the Republicans came up with such a proposal !!!

There'd be some flag burning all over Canada.

Just imagine if we were the first to come up with this proposal, what would the yanks be doing then?

Whatever happened to Nafta?

[Lost Lake]

F#&*K him.. I'll go to Castro and send him an email from there, how I'm donating $2 or $3 G's to the Cuban economy. Come on, the only reason I go to the states is to spend money. Starting to sound like some 3rd world countries i've been in. Hey, wasn't he born in Indonesia?!!!

[C-FABH]

Considering that transborder passengers already pay $28.00+ in US taxes (Animal/Plant Inspection Fee, US International Transport Tax, US Immigration User Fee) plus Canadian taxes (Air Travelers Security Charge and GST), plus any applicable AIF.... it is no surprise why so many people are opting to head south across the border to places like Bellingham and Buffalo for their airline travel.

[modi13]

The US already charges a navigation fee for any aircraft overflying their airspace without landing (it's waived if they land and the passengers are able to contribute to the American economy). Now we'll be charged whether we land or not. Damned if we do and damned if we don't.

[Gannet167]

The fee applies to anyone crossing their border - Americans as well. It's up to them to put fees on their border, it's their right. If you don't like it, pay the extra $1000 and fly direct to Mexico, or don't go at all. It's still cheaper to drive there (no fee for cars) and take a flight to wherever you're going (in part because they charge far fewer taxes and fees than Canada does).

[PCAS]

...or if you're travelling for a vacation, consider visiting somewhere within our own borders?

Canada needs a warm destination that we can call our own and spend our own Canadian dollars! Turks and Caicos?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/turksandcaicos/

[sanjet]

All good! $5.50 US by next year would be around $2 Canadian?

[Sky Pilot]

Sad to see the US turn into a police state. When I was a young lad, we lived near the border and would frequently go out on Sunday drives into the "Big City" of Walhalla, ND. The customs officer would just wave us through. Not now, they'd likely want to give my Granny the "Rubber Glove"

As for the $5, well if Canada Customs didn't charge Americans a $200 processing fee for guys that had 15 year old DUI's.....

It's time for both sides to "take back our Government". The average citizens (other than in Kentucky and Tenessee perhaps) are not in agreement with the government's Fear Campaign.

[The Old Fogducker]

"Police State?"

Maybe you explain how the USA is a so-called "police state" in your opinion. Makes for a dynamic statement, but how have you concluded that the US meets the definition.

Also, why should we let drunk drivers onto our roads? Don't we have enough already?

The Old Fogducker

[Conquest Driver]

As for the $5, well if Canada Customs didn't charge Americans a $200 processing fee for guys that had 15 year old DUI's....

.

I suspect the reason for that is that the Americans would charge far more than $200 for a "waiver of excludabilty" in the same circumstances. Plus, I think the American waiver takes something like 6 month to process. Canadian pardon or no pardon, it wouldn't matter.