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Sides forming over Central American free-trade agreement, CAFTA hearings to Begin
Sun-Sentinel ^ | 01.27.05 | Shawna Gamache

Posted on 02/02/2005 9:29:05 PM PST by Coleus

WASHINGTON · Congress is gearing up for a battle royal this winter over a pact to slash trade barriers with Dominican Republic and five Central American countries.

Backers of the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, known as CAFTA, sent lawmakers letters Wednesday urging speedy passage to help expand U.S. sales overseas.

The Bush administration seeks congressional hearings as soon as mid-February and approval by summer.

The opposition is lobbying hard too, from organized labor to the American sugar industry. The AFL-CIO and other labor groups have held back firepower against other free-trade pacts, aiming their biggest guns at CAFTA.

There's one more hitch: Guatemala. The Guatemalan Congress passed a law the U.S. pharmaceutical industry considers a rollback of patent protections in CAFTA. Until Guatemala reverses the measure, showing that U.S. trade partners will respect the pact, proponents concede they won't be able to muster the votes for CAFTA.

"We are optimistic that it will be resolved," said Calman J. Cohen, a CAFTA advocate and president of the Emergency Committee for American Trade. "Guatemala's neighbors have been saying: `You're holding up the agreement for all of us.'"

Proponents are racing against the clock.

The deadline expires this summer on the president's power to propose complex trade pacts that Congress can accept or reject without amendment -- a power called trade promotion authority. Congress could pass a resolution denying Bush a chance to extend that power for two more years.

The Business Coalition for U.S.-Central America Trade met with 23 key members of the House this week to push CAFTA, among them U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Bartow).

"We will focus initially on the House, but we're not taking the Senate for granted," said coalition member Cohen.

(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Philosophy; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cafta; ftaa; immigration; lost; managedtrade; trade
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The vote on the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is quickly making its way towards Congress. If CAFTA is passed, it will serve as a steppingstone to the FTAA. With the CAFTA vote on the near horizon, many realize the urgency in publicizing these deceptive trade pacts.

1 posted on 02/02/2005 9:29:06 PM PST by Coleus
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To: Coleus

"Deceptive trade agreements have already sent millions of American jobs offshore, now they are threatening our very freedom."

Nope. Lazy Americans, especially union members, unwilling to work for market wages are sending jobs offshore. If you are an employer who do you want to hire? (a) A guy from Mexico who works as long as you need him to for $4/hour, or (b) some couch potato who joined a union and wants $20/hour + benefits and won't work more than 9 hours a day. If you are honest, the answer is (a). So quit trying to subsidize union duffers with the money of entreprenuers. Sorry, but if companies are forced to pay outrageous wages beyond market, then they will go out of business.

BTW, I checked out the website about stopping the FTAA. It sounded alot like every lefty commie protectionist dork I've ever heard.


2 posted on 02/02/2005 9:49:50 PM PST by New Orleans Slim
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To: New Orleans Slim

I hope the central planning office for free trade in the Americas is placed in Mexico City. Then maybe some will wake up.


3 posted on 02/02/2005 10:11:24 PM PST by endthematrix (Declare 2005 as the year the battle for freedom from tax slavery!)
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To: New Orleans Slim

"Nope. Lazy Americans, especially union members, unwilling to work for market wages are sending jobs offshore. If you are an employer who do you want to hire? (a) A guy from Mexico who works as long as you need him to for $4/hour, or (b) some couch potato who joined a union and wants $20/hour + benefits and won't work more than 9 hours a day."

Get your facts straight. The reason Union members are losing their jobs isn't because of laziness.

It's because of "kickbacks." That's right. They now hire illegals in Vegas at $30 and hour, $20 of which is kicked back to the Unions and honchos.

Pure corruption.


4 posted on 02/02/2005 10:54:27 PM PST by ETERNAL WARMING (We have the best politicians corporate money can buy)
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To: Coleus

BTTT It's time to get on your homeboys and make it very clear there will be no Party voting in the coming elections. They'll either represent the American citizens or we'll elect someone who will.


5 posted on 02/02/2005 10:56:02 PM PST by ETERNAL WARMING (We have the best politicians corporate money can buy)
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To: ETERNAL WARMING
The Teamsters in NYC have made tons of money for YEARS by taking payoffs on construction sites. This is how the presidents of the locals get to live in places like Chappaqua and Manhasset.

I support CAFTA, although it has been attempted several times before (CARICOM being the most recent) with little success.

6 posted on 02/02/2005 10:57:19 PM PST by Clemenza (I Am Here to Chew Bubblegum and Kick Ass, and I'm ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM!)
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To: Clemenza; ETERNAL WARMING; Elle Bee; hedgetrimmer
Union Corruption Update
7 posted on 02/03/2005 9:42:24 AM PST by Coleus (Brooke Shields aborted how many children? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1178497/posts)
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To: Coleus
NO NAFTA! NO CAFTA! NO GATT/WTO!

1000+ page documents are not free trade.

8 posted on 02/03/2005 9:43:40 AM PST by Dan from Michigan (Republican Party Reptile)
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To: Dan from Michigan

" 1000+ page documents are not free trade."

Milton Friedman said of Nafta: Nafta is not free trade, it is "managed" trade.

And those few that benefit by it will manage it.


9 posted on 02/03/2005 10:02:59 AM PST by JustAnotherSavage ("We are all sinners. But jerks revel in their sins." PJ O'Rourke)
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To: New Orleans Slim
Nope. Lazy Americans, especially union members, unwilling to work for market wages are sending jobs offshore

Bad lazy Americans. They go to foreign countries and give their lives so others can have better ones.
10 posted on 02/03/2005 10:26:02 AM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: hedgetrimmer

"Bad lazy Americans. They go to foreign countries and give their lives so others can have better ones."

I'm talking about Americans who are lazy. There's quite a few of them. If a Mexican or an Indian or a Chinese guy is willing to work for less, then you have to be too. Don't like it? Start your own business. Of course, they are probably too lazy.


11 posted on 02/03/2005 7:05:00 PM PST by New Orleans Slim
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To: endthematrix

"I hope the central planning office for free trade in the Americas is placed in Mexico City. Then maybe some will wake up."

Well, if tax money is going to support it, and it is cheaper to put it in Mexico City, then put it in Mexico City. I'm sick and tired of the government wasting money.


12 posted on 02/03/2005 7:07:22 PM PST by New Orleans Slim
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To: New Orleans Slim

You know the "americans are lazy" and "start your own business" are the free traders talking points. How about coming up with something original?


13 posted on 02/03/2005 10:06:19 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: hedgetrimmer

I'm sorry if the "talking points" are hackneyed in your view, but they remain true. Why don't you protectionists come up with something better than complaining that you are entitled to your jobs?

The main article cites AFL-CIO opposition to CAFTA and then whines about sugar subsidies being on the block. Great, you guys are defending two big examples of socialism. Why are you arguing in favor of socialism here? Why not complain about market forces on a lefty website where somebody cares?


14 posted on 02/04/2005 2:54:29 PM PST by New Orleans Slim
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To: New Orleans Slim
Why don't you protectionists come up with something better than complaining that you are entitled to your jobs?

I never said this.Why do you assume that someone who is concerned about national sovereignty and despises the idea of a supranational government ruling America is looking for a government provided job? And by the way, if you read these treaties, which I'll bet you haven't , you'll see in the treaties that the government using public/private partnerships will be doing just that in the CAFTA and FTAA countries. In fact through NAFTA the federal government has opened a branch of the Small Business Association in Mexico doing what you say protectionists want but are doing it for foreign people instead. What do you say to that?

The one size fits all response does not promote your viewpoint very well.
15 posted on 02/04/2005 3:09:02 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: hedgetrimmer

As an attorney I've >>DONE<< NAFTA chapter 11 arbitrations thank you very much. (OK, the senior partner argues these, but I've done a lot of work on these.)

There is no loss of "sovereignty" involved in NAFTA. Yes, the US agrees to abide by NAFTA arbitration as a condition for being a member. Much like, if you have a credit card, the contract most likely states that as a condition for using the card you have to waive your right to sue over disputes with the credit card company. Instead, you agree to binding arbitration to settle disputes. Don't like it? Get rid of your credit card. Nobody is forcing you to have one.

Same thing with NAFTA - no country is going to agree to a free market area if there is no supra-national forum to settle disputes. If the US (or Canada or Mexico) doesn't like it, then they leave NAFTA and forgo the benefit of the free market. Submission to NAFTA arbitration is voluntary.

Moreover, we reap a lot of benefit from NAFTA arbitration. NAFTA chapter 11 has allowed many US corporations to knock down bogus environmental and labor protections in Canada and Mexico. These protections, nominally for the environment and labor, really functioned as an ersatz tarriff blocking US competition. You see, everybody wins under NAFTA - that's why neither Canada, Mexico, nor the US has left.

Don't let lefties fill your head with paranoid rhetoric about "one world government" and loss of "sovereignty". This sort of garbage is spewed by marketplace losers that can't compete.

If your job is about to go to Mexico, I recommend offering to take a pay and benefits cut. Lots of employers are more than willing to stay in the US if they can contain labor costs. In fact, when you factor in sunk capital, higher education levels in the US, and various hassles that result in dealing with another nation, you will still be able to command a higher wage than your Mexican counterpart. Yes, I know a pay cut sucks, but that's the market.


16 posted on 02/04/2005 3:26:21 PM PST by New Orleans Slim
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To: New Orleans Slim
no country is going to agree to a free market area if there is no supra-national forum to settle disputes

That sir is loss of sovereignty. US citizens did not vote on allowing a supranation agency to manage our trade. Many congressmen who voted for NAFTA apparently never read it or deny knowing what it would do. A few multinational businesses are benefitting from NAFTA, especially those with capital to invest in foreign markets which are insured by the US government (a subsidy btw which flies in the face of the idea of "free market").

We have had our food security impaired because under NAFTA rejection of low standard or contaminated produce can be considered a trade violation, where before NAFTA it was only a health and safety issue.

Since your livelihood depends on NAFTA arbitrations, its hard to believe that you might consider that other Americans have a completely different viewpoint of the legality and Constitutionality of NAFTA, and do not want it continued. Please don't tell me to lower my salary or get a different job. That is not the topic here.
17 posted on 02/04/2005 3:35:38 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: hedgetrimmer

"That sir is loss of sovereignty."

Please define 'sovereignty' since I don't think that we are talking about the same thing. One attribute of sovereignty is the ability to enter into binding agreements like treaties. Says so in the Constitution.

"US citizens did not vote on allowing a supranation agency to manage our trade."

Read the constitution. US citizens "vote" on treaties via their representatives.

"Many congressmen who voted for NAFTA apparently never read it or deny knowing what it would do."

What is your point? Most legislators only read summaries of legislation. And if the legislator is not a lawyer, it might not help even if they did read it.

"We have had our food security impaired because under NAFTA rejection of low standard or contaminated produce can be considered a trade violation, where before NAFTA it was only a health and safety issue."

Give an example, please. NAFTA allows for legitimate use of laws to protect safety. 10 to 1 any law that was ruled against in arbitration (a) went to far, and (b) was a giveaway to agricultural interests.

"Since your livelihood depends on NAFTA arbitrations..."

Small part of my practice. I work in the litigation department of my firm. But my job and expertise does put me in a better position to judge the truth of concerns about NAFTA than "other Americans".


18 posted on 02/04/2005 3:47:24 PM PST by New Orleans Slim
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To: New Orleans Slim
sovereignty: freedom from external control: "autonomy"

Does NAFTA protect autonomy, no. Does it integrate our economy especially with Mexico, yes. Does economic integration lead to loss of sovereignty, yes, the European Union, once just a trade organization is debating a constitution that gives it sovereignty over member states. As an attorney you must know why they EU constitution would talk about member states and not member NATIONS.
19 posted on 02/04/2005 4:13:38 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: Dan from Michigan
NO NAFTA! NO CAFTA! NO GATT/WTO!
1000+ page documents are not free trade. >>

Nope, it's managed trade, a bureaucracy in of itself. And UN American
20 posted on 02/20/2005 9:53:38 PM PST by Coleus (Abortion and Euthanasia, Don't Democrats just kill ya! Kill babies, Save the Bears!!)
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