North American Perimeter Border

The thickening of the US border with passport requirements and toughened inspection procedures has had a significant impact on cross border social, and more importantly, business transactions. Windsor has been particularly hard hit in our tourist and manufacturing businesses with the casino and local restaurants experiencing significant declines in business and employment. Cross border hindrances to commercial shipments have made us less competitive in the "just in time" manufacturing environment as well costing us factories and jobs.
The casino, alone, has seen a job reduction of 1400 from its high of 5000 jobs pre 9/11.
THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THIS!!!
It is time to pressure our government to accept a North American Perimeter system that eliminates the border between Canada and the US the same as in Europe. We have had a peaceful unarmed border with the US for decades and yet, in Europe, where countries were at was with each other for generations, they have managed to eliminate the border by harmonizing entry requirements to all their countries. Apparently, our Nationalistic pride has prevented our government from seriously solving this issue.
Just think of the savings in time, money and fuel burned while waiting in line at the border.
Just think of the number of more times people would be willing to cross the border if it was much easier.
The Canadian Border Services staff could better devote their time to more productive work and share the perimeter responsibility with their US counterparts. That would allow the US Border people more time to concentrate on illegal immigrants and real terrorism threats (there really have never been any from Canada).
It is time for us all to start to demand that our government properly address this situation and open the borders. It is not just the US that is keeping it thick.