November 14, 2003
President George W. Bush
The White House
U.S. Department of Commerce
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We are extremely disappointed that you have not followed through on your appointment of a "Manufacturing Czar". The rapid deterioration of our industrial base and the massive trade deficit are ruining our country. We need your support NOW!
Warren Buffett recently proposed a system of Import Certificates as a mechanism to balance our trade, in the absence of any realistic plan by Congress, we ask that you vigorously support Buffett's proposal.
· AMERICAN TRADE POLICY IS KILLING AMERICAN MANUFACTURING. THIS MISGUIDED POLICY WILL FIRST DESTROY OUR MIDDLE CLASS AND THEN OUR COUNTRY.
· OUR TRADE POLICY NEEDS TO BE SENSIBLE AND FAIR.
· AMERICAN INDUSTRY HAS OSHA REGULATIONS, EPA REGULATIONS, WORKMAN'S COMPENSATION, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, SOCIAL SECURITY, HEALTH CARE, MEDICARE, AN OUT OF CONTROL TORT SYSTEM, THE DISABILITIES ACT AND OTHER STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. CHINA AND OTHER OF OUR WORLD COMPETITORS DO NOT! AMERICAN INDUSTRY CAN COMPETE WITH ANYONE ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD!
· SOON WE WILL NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO BUILD OUR OWN DEFENSE SYSTEMS. OUR MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY IS ALL BUT GONE. In 2002 China purchased $5.7 billion in machine tools, the US purchased $3.3 billion one step above Italy at $2.9. Does this sound like a country that is taking our unskilled jobs?
· YOUR OWN CONGRESSIONAL REPORT U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE: DATA AND FORCASTS, UPDATED MAY 22, 2002 STATES: "Although no country attempts to balance its trade with each nation, abnormally large or rapidly increasing trade deficits with particular countries can indicate that underlying problems may exist with market access, the competitiveness of particular industries, currency misalignment or macroeconomic adjustment."
· HOW CAN OUR TRADE POLICY BE REASONABLE WHEN THE NETHERLANDS IS THE COUNTRY WITH WHICH WE HAVE THE LARGEST TRADE SURPLUS!
· WE NEED LEGISLATION TO BALANCE OUR TRADE. IF THEY DON'T BUY FROM US, WE DON'T BUY FROM THEM. We support Warren Buffett's Import Certificate plan!
· ON AN IMMEDIATE BASIS, WE MUST ENFORCE THE RULES OF TRADE. CHINA, JAPAN, THE EU AND MANY OF OUR TRADING "PARTNERS" CREATE MARKET ACCESS BARRIERS TO FAIR TRADE WHILE WE OPEN OUR ARMS TO THEIR GOODS AND CLOSE OUR EYES TO ILLEGAL TRADE, EVEN BY OUR OWN LOOSE STANDARDS.
· MOVE TO THE SERVICE SECTOR YOU SAY? ORACLE PLANS TO DOUBLE STAFF TO 4,000 IN INDIA. HOW MANY AMERICANS WON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE JOBS? FOREIGN OUTSOURCING OF ENGINEERS, CALL CENTERS, AND MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONS, ALL ARE GROWING AT ALARMING RATES.
We ask you to support American manufacturing, and we ask you to introduce legislation to make our trade policy fair. USAFAIRTRADE will post on it's website your unedited response in its entirety. Please reply to
info@usafairtrade.com Sincerely,