[DIV id=headline][H2]U.S. ID card scheme fatal for tourism: survey[/H2][/DIV][DIV id=author][P class=byline]BETH GORHAM
[P class=source]Canadian Press
[UL class=columnistInfo][/UL][/DIV][DIV id=article style="FONT-SIZE: 100%"][!-- dateline --]Washington[!-- /dateline --] — A bilateral business coalition opposed to U.S. plans for new ID cards at the border says the scheme will erect a wall with grave implications for commerce because most Americans and Canadians won't buy them.
A survey released Tuesday by Zogby International suggests 68 per cent of people in the United States and 54 per cent in Canada would be unlikely to purchase a card to avoid showing a passport at land crossings by the end of next year.
About a third of people surveyed in each country who don't have passports said they'd be less likely to cross the border, a sign of an impending blow to tourism that's been estimated at nearly a billion dollars in the U.S. and twice that in Canada.
[DIV class="bigbox ad" id=boxR][SCRIPT type=text/XXXXscript ads="1"]aPs="boxR";[/SCRIPT][SCRIPT type=text/XXXXscript]var boxRAC = fnTdo('a'+'ai',300,250,ai,'j',nc);[/SCRIPT][/DIV]"Our borders are going to come to a screaming halt because people don't have what they need," said Lisa Katz, who's with the Detroit Regional Chamber.
"This is a sea change for the Canada-U.S. border. This is a big deal."
The coalition supports using an enhanced driver's licence that includes proof of citizenship as a less costly, more practical alternative and hopes the Canadian government will support the idea.
It should take less time to cross the border than navigating the Berlin Wall during the Cold War, said Representative Jeff Morris, a Washington state Democrat who's among dozens of U.S. legislators worried about the security policy.
"I want to ask President Bush: Please tear down this wall," said Mr. Morris. "No one has proven that this will enhance security in any way."
U.S. officials announced in January that Americans returning home from Canada would have to produce new ID cards costing about $55 (U.S.).
If the policy isn't changed, Ottawa may be forced to produce its own version to avoid a passport requirement by Jan. 1, 2008, under an American law tightening security after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Canada has said little about what it will do. U.S. opponents are helping officials north of the border to craft their response, said Ms. Katz.
Michael Wilson, who started as ambassador to the U.S. this week, said less-expensive options need to be considered.
Some American legislators and business groups are also demanding a major analysis of potential economic losses from the new identity card but so far the U.S. administration hasn't complied.
Mr. Morris, who predicted the measure could affect the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, said small towns near the border will be hardest hit.
But while some, like Mr. Morris, would like to see the American security law repealed, others don't think that's realistic.
"We have a security focus (in the U.S.)," said Ms. Katz. "A repeal, to us, isn't a feasible option."
The Zogby survey, commissioned by the coalition of chambers of commerce from both countries, suggested 56 per cent of Americans don't think a special card is necessary to keep the U.S. safe from terrorists.
Only about 20 per cent of Americans have passports and some 40 per cent of Canadians.
The border cards won't be accepted at U.S. airports and seaports, where passports will be required of Canadians starting at the end of this year.
[/DIV]
