STUDY: BORDER SECURITY HURTING U.S. SOUTHWEST ECONOMY

STUDY: BORDER SECURITY HURTING U.S. SOUTHWEST ECONOMY    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday released a survey of state and local chambers of commerce in the Southwestern border region that detailed local economic fallout resulting from post-Sept. 11 security measures.
   The chamber report, based on interviews with business leaders in the border region, found that gridlock at border checkpoints has impacted manufacturing and retail business, and has also reduced the number of people crossing the border for work, school and tourism.
   “The government’s painstaking scrutiny of people and goods has dealt a massive blow to the Southwestern economy,” said U.S. Chamber president and chief executive officer Thomas Donohue.
   The study, “America’s Southwestern Border after 9/11,” comes as Homeland Security director Tom Ridge prepares for a March 2 trip to Mexico with U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner and James Ziglar, director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The study is available on the Internet at https://www.uschamber.com .