U.S. Department of Commerce seeks details from EFF on Washington's 7E7 Boeing agreement

Evergreen Freedom Foundation ^ | 8-16-04 | Jason Mercier

[truth49]

OLYMPIA – The Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) received a phone call today from the International Trade Administration (ITA) division of the U.S. Department of Commerce asking for details concerning Governor Locke's 7E7 Boeing contract. This follows on the heels of President Bush's comments at a Seattle Boeing event last Friday, in which the President addressed Boeing's complaints about the subsidies rival Airbus receives: "We think these subsidies are unfair and that [U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick] should pursue all options to end these subsidies, including bringing a WTO [World Trade Organization] case if need be."

Airbus has indicated that if the U.S. pursues a WTO subsidy complaint, it may retaliate with its own WTO complaint against Boeing, in part, for the subsidies granted by Washington state for the 7E7 final assembly.

Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Buffalo's Canada-United States Trade Center released studies concluding that Washington's 7E7 agreement violates WTO rules on government subsidies.

This is particularly troubling considering the state's 7E7 Project Office Coordinator, Robin Pollard, said in a June 16, 2004, interview concerning WTO trade rules and the Boeing agreement: "We really haven't looked at it in-depth."

"As this potential trade war heats up, it is important to remember that the Boeing agreement makes Washington taxpayers liable for any legal (WTO) challenge to any provision of the contract," warned Jason Mercier, an EFF budget research analyst.

"Based on ITA's phone call today it appears the Bush administration is studying its hand prior to instigating any trade actions against Airbus," said Mercier. "It's unfortunate that Washington taxpayers have been placed in the crossfire between Boeing and Airbus due to the failure of state officials to consider U.S. trade treaties, and the lack of oversight exercised by the legislature in allowing this deal to move forward."

[Iam1ru1-2]

demonrats are exempt from obeying the laws.....anywhere because "political correctness", which they embrace like an god, explains that laws, as well as the Constitution, are "living, breathing documents", and therefore can be changed at any time for any purpose. So when Governor Locke, demonrat, allowed this illegal move, he just temporarily changed the law, and then changed it back after the deal was made, so this previous illegal move became law at the time the deal was made. That's why they can sue the people of Washington on initiatives that they passed, calling the vote illegal, even though the initiative process is legal, and has been used for decades. But that doesn't stop the liberal demonrats. Laws to them are meant to be broken, even if they're the ones wrote wrote a law and passed it.

[datura]

1. We all knew Locke is a clueless POS.

2. Boeing can shove it. I'd rather ride Airbus since more of their components are made in the USA.

3. We need the WTO just as much as the UN. GET US THE HELL OUT OF THESE ENTANGLEMENTS!!!