Steelworkers angry with Bush, nervous about future

Associated Press ^ | Friday, December 5, 2003 Posted: 1:55 PM EST (1855 GMT) | Who Cares?

[.cnI redruM]

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Calvin Croftcheck was faxing handwritten messages addressed to President Bush from union workers, their families and retirees when a worker at the U.S. Steel-owned Clairton Coke Works delivered the bad news: tariffs on foreign steel were being lifted.

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>>>>>>>>"Our union will now work very hard to make sure George W. Bush joins the ranks of the unemployed next year,"

Welfare is like heroin. The junkies never appreciate 18 months worth of fixes. they just gripe about the day you stop being 'The Candyman'.

[anniegetyourgun]

So true. And - AS IF they were going to support Bush anyway....

[RKV]

Steel consumers happy with reduced prices.

[demlosers]

Tariffs are not forever...

[MrB]

This was a STUPID move.

Tariffs are a bad economic idea, and in this case, worthless politically.

The goonions wouldn't vote for him anyway.
Thousands lost their jobs in steel using industries.
And supporting poor decisions and inefficient processes hurts everyone.

[.cnI redruM]

So if tariffs are not forever, and the great crisis in the US Auto industry was back in the 80's, why are foreign pickup trucks still under 25% tariff today?

[.cnI redruM]

herehere!

[squidly]

Correct. Their union had already endorsed Gephardt.

[End Times Sentinel]

So true. And - AS IF they were going to support Bush anyway....

 

EXACTLY!!!  One of their dopey representatives told FOX News (?) yesterday they weren't going to endorse him even if he kept the Steel Tariffs in place, so F-you steel workers!

 

It's all about what's good for them and too bad for anyone else.  Manufacturers and other Steel Consumers be damned.  It's the govts. job to keep only steelworkers gainfully employed?  Guess I missed that part of The Constitution.

 

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

 

So true. And - AS IF they were going to support Bush anyway....

[Wphile]

Steel consumers happy with reduced prices.

Yep, it's a net gain for Bush. Especially if you factor in the fact that the steel workers wouldn't vote for W anyway.

Did you hear what Wesley Clarke said about this? He said that "the lifting of steel tariffs is proof that W takes cues from donors in industry." Oops...the steel industry oppose's Bush on this. I swear Clarke is a complete moron.

[anniegetyourgun]

This was one of those things where W decided to listen to his political advisors over his economic advisors 20 months ago. He should have never done it, but I'm pleased he is lifting the tariffs now. Sigh.... it's tough to find a prez one agrees with on all the issues all the time. But as far as I'm concerned his instincts have, on balance, been good.

[jmaroneps37]

They showed their appreciation for W's dumb tariff move by voting for rendell and endorsing get-fart, so they can make all the threats they want. Unions and Blacks just don't get it. When you're bought and paid for by the rats and they're out of power, you get streisand. Of course when they're in power these groups don't get much from them either but; they don't know that either.

[The_Victor]

"Our union will now work very hard to make sure George W. Bush joins the ranks of the unemployed next year," said Mark Glyptis

You schmucks were going to do that regardless of the tariffs.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

Typical union response,pi*s and moan about everything.They did'nt want to stand behind George Bush,they have no right to gripe.These people are overpaid to stand around and do nothing.They are far more greedy than the corporations they constantly attack.

[xrp]

The unions also said a proposed monitoring program to guard against a glut of foreign steel would not be enough for companies in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to stay competitive.

Hint: Foreigners aren't the problem, since American workers, dollar for dollar, are the most productive workers in the world. Insane government regulations and unions are the problem.

[RKV]

It was pandering to begin with. It was below what I thought of Bush, now I know he is just another politician. Better than the other probable alternative, but you need to be aware of his limits. Same story on 2nd Amendment rights - he is consistent - consistently out of line with the Constitution. And the driver is politics, just like tariffs.

[RKV]

Particularly our environmental laws. Rather than make marginal improvements, they place large burdens on manufacturers which have to be factored in to every plant and equipment decision.

[RightWhale]

"the lifting of steel tariffs is proof that W takes cues from donors in industry."

Clark talks like a Senator already. He'll say any darned thing just to keep peoples' heads nodding in agreement.

[spookycc]

From what I've heard on news networks (including but not limited to FNC), lifting the tariff will actually help a lot of small businesses who use steel in their manufacturing. They were, I guess, paying a lot more for steel while the tariffs were in place.

[desertcry]

They have already given their backing to the demonrat party before W's decision to remove the steel tariff, big loss ha!