Posted on 04/09/2004 12:22:04 PM PDT by Havoc
Dear Mr. President,
You don't know me, nor do I expect you to. But I'm one of those voices out here in the ether that actually did vote for you. I'm not one of those seminar caller types nor a Democrat pretending at being a republican to subvert the party faithful in dishonest fashion because their ideas aren't popular enough to win them anything. No, I'm a life-long republican who cherishes the memory of Ronald Reagan and who thought highly of you right up to the time you sunk a knife in my back economically.
Sir I understand it's a hard job being president. I also understand that in IT my job causes me to have to think on my feet and respond to an everchanging environment just to keep it. And while I was busting my behind for a company I happened to love doing a job I happened to love, you decided it's a good thing to do an endrun around equal protection and hand my job to a Mexican worker at 1/3 of the rate I'm being paid. Sir, Retail employees get paid more than that Full time and they're earning below the poverty level. The Job I hold for the moment requires a lot of hard work and problem solving skills, it requires good customer care skills, and it requires a long knowledge of Computers and software I didn't get from a degree but from practical experience.
I worked long and hard for years looking for the break that would get me in the door with my current employer. And I currently have a carreer with them. Or had, rather. I've worked for EDS for nearly 4 years. I will lose my job just short of that anniversary or just after it depending on how the breakdown happens.
I have a handicap that keeps me from driving a car. Not an official handicap, because it's so rare a problem that 1/2 of 1% of Americans have the condition so it doesn't rate being called what it is. I'm a blip on the screen. But, it means I have to live close to my employer and sometimes rely on others to help me get things done. I've lost everything and put my life back together 3 times in 15 years sir. And having just accomplished it again after 4 years with my employer, your policy has killed any protection I might have otherwise enjoyed from having my job destroyed by foriegn competition. And it puts me right back on the brink again. Sir, if I don't stand a chance of winning, it isn't competition - it's fish in a barrel. Where is my equal protection under the law?
The "competition" didn't get hired because of race or creed; but, because of national origin. They got hired because their cost of living is low enough that they can be paid sub-poverty wages to do my job. They are taking my job because they aren't constrained by the laws we have in this country to protect us and preserve our liberties. Lower cost of living, and no laws to constrain them. See, we used to have what was called ANTI-DUMPING laws on the books before Nafta to prevent the subversion of our economy by those who would attempt to compete on an unfair basis and put American firms out of business. We aren't a global economy, the globe is not the United States of America. They don't respect our rights, our Constitution, our laws or ourselves. The average citizen of the world might; but, we aren't dealing with them, we're dealing with the leaders who have their boots on the neck of the citizen of the world.
It seems today that I have to be a Mexican to get a fair shake in America. There are some 8 million of them here illegally as a tax on our system and working here taking jobs that Americans can do; but, which apparently, nobody wants to offer a fair wage for as long as they can get slave labor off the books. That isn't enough though. We need to employ More workers from Mexico, India, China.. As long as we're doing it, sire, why not be obvious and lets put Sally Struthers on the TV to advertise IT Jobs for the people under repressive regimes in africa who can live on 52 cents a day, "the price of a cup of coffee." I don't care what color their skin is, No citizen of the United states could live on that and shouldn't be asked to compete with it. It's too blatently obvious that it's unfair. And that seems to be why it's "good for us all".
Your policy sir. It's you on the tube telling me it's good for me to lose my job to a Mexican worker outside of our system and in a manner with which I cannot compete. There isn't a job comparable to it here that I can take to make up the difference cause those are being outsourced too. Outsourced. How about endran. Because sir, that is what is happening - it's an end run around our system - around our rights, our laws, our constitutional provisions and protections. Your policy has relieved me of my job without due process. It tied my hands before I had a chance to respond. And so many businesses are being forced to do the same thing, that I don't stand a chance any more than those earning 3 times what I do in the same field who have lost their jobs already and have had to take 11k a year Retail jobs just to eat while their houses go up for sale.
I don't have a degree. I don't get retraining. I just get to lose my job at the whim of your policies and will likely lose more than that in the end. You see, I bought a new home too - a year ago. This job made it possible for me to do that. And as with my Job, I had to get a huge break to be able to pull it off. I've been behind you and a cheerleader of yours since I first heard you speak. I understand that the tanking economy isn't your fault. I understand it isn't your fault we were attacked. I understand and agree with pretty much everything you've done to date, sir. This however is in my mind beyond sickening. It is a betrayal of myself, my coworkers and every other hard working IT worker, Auto worker, etc that has lost their job due to this. It is a betrayal by their government and their employer. And it's a distrust you've earned by subverting them and me. For me, it's not just my Government, it's my own party.
Now I've heard all the arguments for outsourcing and all the copout phrases about what we do about companies that have outsourced to the US. Tell me, sir, how many of them outsourced to do an endrun around their system of government, their constitution, their laws and their workers. How many of them outsourced to us to produce goods for their home market. That isn't an argument that flies with me in the face of doing an endrun around us. They've built plants in our land and are working within our market, within it's rules, within our laws, within the constraints of our constitution and are paying a competative wage. Our companies are doing the opposite. And any way you cut it, it is economic and constitutional tyranny. I'm not a single issue voter sir, until that single issue is my life and livelihood.. until members of my own party call me a robber and a thief for expecting to keep my job when I've worked my behind off to do so.
I did it right. I've busted my backside under an ever increasing workload, kept my promise to my employer and my client. Never missed a metric, never dropped the ball for either of them and have always exceeded expectation as a member of one of the best teams on this planet in my humble opinion. My job is gone not because we didn't produce and not because either couldn't afford it; but, because Mexicans work cheaper and don't have our protections, laws, rights or constitution. I have a strong work ethic and a loyalty to my company that even now makes me shudder to say a bad word about them. I have no illusions; but, I was raised that if you do your best it pays off. I know now that if you do your best, you get kicked in the teeth just as hard, and if you get ahead a little bit, the government will be there to kick you back down. I appreciate how hard your job is. Mine is pretty dang hard too. But how about you and everyone in government work for $600 a month from now on like the Mexican workers replacing us. How about you all work for the income you're forcing me into. If it's good for us, it should be good for you too. You, and all the ivory tower types in our party that hiss at me for being upset over losing my job and wanting to defend myself. How would that be, sir? I'd just as soon see little Tommy Daschle and Ted Kennedy go fly a kite as hear them spout one more offensive evil lie about you. But I'd just as soon, too, see you join them holding the string if you're gonna ruin me and tell me it's good for me. How about if we just outsource your jobs too - oh, wait, that would be unconstitutional too, wouldn't it.
I thought corporations were legal fictions. You're giving corporations human chacteristics now?
Only if you give me back all the taxes the corporations paid.
Contrare' - you said you're at war with the government and that is we the people - of the people, for the people, by the people. If the government is us, and you say the government will or must lose, then you say we lose by default. You made the statement, wear it.
So, the government is us, the people, but the corporations are not people? Just some evil malevolent force?
Yep, they're people too. And nobody is keeping them from making a living. All we're discussing is what is an ethical living and what isn't. It's obvious from numerous examples that there is such a thing as profiting unethically. And there is a track record of correcting it. You want to obfuscate that fact and beg pitty and understanding all of a sudden when all along, you free traitor types tell us you owe the worker nothing. It isn't our job. We have no right to expect that when you give us a carreer and a retirement plan that if we do our job we'll ever see retirement if you get greedy in the meantime and decide not to pay it. It's pretty much bait and switch. Sucker them in the door at the best price you can get, work them like a dog and cut them loose before you have to pay up on your agreed obligation. It isn't like there's not a trackrecord to point to. Ya'll decide you want a 10mill bonus this year so you put a percentage of your workers out on the street and force the rest to take up the slack at threat of their jobs - productivity suffers along with quality of service. We lose respect for the company, hate the job, and don't care any longer what gets done for you. That's your product. But it's people you are warring against - not the government. And your reputations are of your own making. So let's not play at victimhood and being misunderstood. Enron Higher ups made record earnings for themselves, record bonuses and perks while they shafted the workers and cooked the books. They just got caught. Not all are crooked, they just let their ethical issues take the logical next step. If people don't matter and what you therefore do to them doesn't matter, then embezzlement and cooking the books and all manner of other things don't really matter either - you're only hurting cattle.. right.
I support not subverting our economy in the name of profit.
I would say if you're going to hire Mexicans in Mexico to do the labor, then you have to level the playing field - you have to spend exactly the same you'd pay stateside across the board - taxes, benefits, wages, etc. That is so you can't endrun the system and put others out of business by unfair competition. Competition is fine - it's when it's unfair that it's problematic. As I've said in my letter, if I can't win, it isn't competition. It doesn't mean I have to win. If you bring four guys to a monopoly board, and take one of them aside, blindfold, gag him and defen him with earplugs, then tie his hands and set him in "competition" with the others, it isn't competing - it's cruel and unusual punishment. Which is why it boils up revolution.
Then you would also have to restrict the importation of any product that a foreign company made which used Mexican workers.
You mean like antidumping laws and tarrifs to level the purchase price at a competative norm. Gee, seems we used to have that before all this stuff came about. And we've built ourselves into a superpower under those rules. Hmm.
Is that what you're suggesting? Would that solve your problem?
I don't think you're looking for a solution or capable of granting one; but, what I stated above would end outsourcing and free trade - so I'm for what I proffered above.
Yes. The officers did these things. They did them, not the corporation. They got caught and deserve the punishment they get.
Here was the rest of my post:391
I love that you guys think the government can fix the "fair trade" problem or the outsourcing problem.Government will always lose to the corporations. And if the government ever wins the collateral damage will hurt far more of the little people than will be helped.
Did the government beat Microsoft in the bid anti-trust case from a few years back?
Did that really help the little people?
The government will lose whenever it goes up against the corporations because it is going up against the market.
You know, the market. Millions of people and companies making millions of transactions everyday.
Jimmy Carter restricted oil company profits in the 70's. Did the government win? Did it help the little people?
Yeah, gas lines and fuel shortages. Victory!!!
So you agree corporate tax rates of zero would be good?
I support not subverting our economy in the name of profit.
So that's a yes?
Does this only apply to cheaper Mexican labor?
What about cheaper American labor? Is it unfair if EDS dumped you for a new college grad? Would that be unfair?
The government caused the outsourcing problem by a treaty and dissolving prior trade laws. All they have to do is reverse that. And, yes, they can do it. You act like it just created itself.
In other words he kicked your butt.
His income is enhanced through bureacratic voodoo and the leverage of government unions (even though he may not be a member). His position is not threatened by either anti-American globalism or domestic market forces.
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