Actually we need to understand that this will accelerate.
As jobs are lost, social programs such as welfare, food stamps etc must increase to keep people at the minimum acceptable level of poverty. Fraud in social programs such as workers comp and insurance will also increase as people resort to desperate tactics to make a living.
Consequently the regulatory and tax burden of American labor will continue to go up on remaining jobs. This increased cost will cause even more jobs to be transferred overseas until either trade restrictions occur or wages go into free fall.
If wages are allowed to go into free fall ... the repercussions to the economy will be horrific. There will be disgruntled employees who don't understand. Some of these will result in shootings. Many companies will layoff people and hire new people rather than adjust their existing employee's wages down and put up with the resulting attitude problems.
We need to protect our industries now. Immigration needs to stop. Tarriffs need to go up.
It's called competition.
In a free market, the job goes to the lowest bidder.
Unless you're a union thug.
"The United States has borne the major costs of free trade and is in the process of destroying its manufacturing industry. That's not new; it has been going on for 55 years."Manufacturing is being destroyed in the United States because it is AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN a bargaining chip in world diplomacy. In order to gain diplomatic chips we throw in the manufacturing chip as a giveaway." Pierre Rinfret
True! I see them in my backyard.
Deal Hammered Out On Shrimper Relief By MIKE SALINERO msalinero@tampatrib.com Published: Jan 9, 2004
TALLAHASSEE - Florida shrimpers and state lawmakers reached agreement Thursday on how to spend $7 million in federal relief money to help the beleaguered domestic shrimp industry.
The Legislative Budget Commission approved a plan that calls for $4.6 million in direct payments to about 1,100 shrimpers, including those from Alabama and other states with landings in Florida.
The commission also agreed to industry requests that $1.2 million of the federal money go to a marketing campaign. Commission members slashed the marketing money at their last meeting in October.
Congress appropriated $17.5 million in March for the South Atlantic and Gulf shrimping industries. The money is to provide relief for an industry battered by less-expensive imports. China, Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil and other countries have captured 88 percent of the U.S. market by selling low-cost, pond-raised shrimp. At the same time, domestic shrimp prices dropped 40 percent over the last six years.
``Imports have killed the industry. We need all we can get from marketing,'' said John Williams, a Tarpon Springs shrimper and secretary/ treasurer of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Legislators have been skeptical that a $1.2 million marketing campaign can get consumers to choose Florida shrimp.
``When was the last time you were in Red Lobster and asked if they had Florida shrimp?'' asked commission chairman Sen. Ken Pruitt, R- Port St. Lucie.
Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said a $1.2 million shrimp campaign will be like a ``ball lost in the weeds'' competing for public attention against multimillion-dollar advertising efforts.
But shrimpers were united in the need to market the product.
``That will be $1.2 million more than we've ever had before,'' Williams told Lee. ``It's a beginning.''
Joanne McNeely, who heads up seafood and aquaculture marketing for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said the agency has already had success with small shrimp campaigns targeted to groceries. Large grocery stores often have three or more types of shrimp, McNeely said. Florida shrimp is typically more expensive because it costs more to harvest from the sea.
McNeely said many consumers are willing to pay the extra money when they see the department's ``Florida Fresh'' identifier in grocery advertisements. During these promotions, stores have seen sales of Florida shrimp increase 500 to 2,000 percent.
``When we tell them it's Florida, they're willing to pay a little more to have that ocean flavor,'' she said.
Shrimpers said they do not plan to bash the foreign products, even though they believe the sea-harvested shrimp are healthier. Williams, the Tarpon Springs shrimper, said the European Union, Canada and Japan have banned shrimp imports from China and Thailand because of heavy use of animal antibiotics to prevent disease in the densely packed shrimp ponds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration typically checks about 2 percent of imports for chemical contamination, Williams said.
In return for restoring the marketing money, Pruitt insisted that smaller shrimp outfits pay less out of their relief payments toward the marketing campaign than larger harvesters. A shrimper who lands less than 200,000 pounds over three years would get $4,350 instead of $3,500.
Remaining money will go to wholesale dealers, reward compliance with federal regulations to protect sea turtles from shrimp nets and cover administrative costs.
Mike Salinero can be reached at (850) 222-8382.
The problem in shrimping in Florida is the easy availability of foreign farm-raised shrimp. The EPA and other gummint agencies have effectively stopped any shrimp-farming here, and they're going after chicken-farming and beef-farming next! (OK, I was kidding - they're already EPA'd up-the-ass.)
Here's some REAL facts to upset y'all: Jeb Bush refuses to allow off-shore drilling for gas and oil in Florida waters. Off-shore gas/oil platforms generate huge amounts of shrimp and fish. There has never been a serious accident involving gas/oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. The USA is increasingly dependant on foreign oil and gas, and the Gulf of Mexico seems to have as much petroleum as the Middle East. This list goes on and on...
Tarpon Springs (my home!) is also famous for those cheesy sponge-diving movies of the '50s, with guys getting caught in giant underwater clams and such. I really enjoy the sight of the occasional sponge-boat coming in with its' catch displayed.
Paying gummint money (OUR TAX MONIES) to the shrimpers is a short-term helper, but it only helps them go-out-of-business. REAL gummint help would be a philosophy that fills their nets with their own well-earned money.
As I said before, I live on the Anclotte River in Tarpon Springs, one mile from the Gulf. It's pretty much where I wanted to wind-up. No ice or snow! What has happenned to my Industry is something that I should have seen coming, but I missed. I don't look for some Government subsidy to save my Industry, but I'll take anything that gets my employees kids through college. I owe them that.
There is so much opportunity available to us as a Nation, and our own Government bureaucracy is killing it. < /rant >..............FRegards
Notice significantly cheaper shrimp at the markets? No?
These low prices are not being passed along to the consumer. Shrimp is not any cheaper at Red Lobster or at Krogers.
Slap a tariff on the sea bugs!