Indiana Senate Urges Moratorium on Free Trade Agreements

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 16

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on new free trade agreements, to investigate and review current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States with international trade organizations, and to ensure that the agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of Indiana and the United States.

Whereas, Between January 2000 and January 2004, Indiana lost approximately 102,000 manufacturing jobs;

Whereas, Manufacturing results in three to seven jobs created for each manufacturing job;

Whereas, Free trade agreements and policies of the United States with other nations have severely affected United States manufacturing industries and the workers the industries employ;

Whereas, Participation by the United States in international trade organizations may imperil the success of United States manufacturing;

Whereas, Foreign nations, such as China, have engaged in a wide range of unfair trading practices, including the manipulation of currency, subsidization of industries, and the dumping of below-cost subsidized products into the United States market;

Whereas, United States manufacturers cannot compete with foreign companies who pay a fraction of the salaries paid to

United States manufacturing employees, provide no health benefits to their workers, do not have to comply with safety and environmental regulations, pay no pensions, and receive government subsidies; and

Whereas, The citizens of Indiana are harmfully affected by trade agreements and policies between the United States and foreign nations, resulting in the closing of many Indiana manufacturing industries, which negatively affects our families, our communities, and the state when thousands of workers lose their jobs: Therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly

of the State of Indiana, the House of Representatives concurring:

SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly urges the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on all new trade agreements, to investigate and review all current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States in international trade organizations, and to ensure that the agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of the Indiana and the United States.

SECTION 2. That copies of this resolution be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States, members of the Congress of the United States, the presiding officers of each house of Congress, and each member of the Indiana congressional delegation.

Thank you for posting this interesting news.

I agree with Indiana,(Indiana wants me, Lord I can't go back there), with the full context of their appeal, and think every other state the union should do the same.

This is how we control what happens in our country. Not by bitching about "the president did this" , "the president didn't do this, it's all his fault".

All you who agree should turn in your conservative credentials at the security office of the Ronald Reagan memorial.

First of all, having lived in Indiana when they lost far more jobs (late 70's and early 80's) let me remind the Hoosiers that they lost tons and tons of jobs before NAFTA. Kokomo lost all of its Delco Electronics assembly jobs to Mexico long before NAFTA, and there was no NAFTA bill to pay for workers to be retrained. All NAFTA et al did was to formalized the process that was already happening, and will happen no matter what.

Second, let me remind us all that a prime reason why manufacturing jobs have "left the USA" is that fewer workers are needed to make the goods we buy. Even China has lost 10% of its manufacturing jobs over the past few years.

Third, it is my observation that most companies that leave for very cheap foriegn labor soon end up in bankruptcy, or being bought out in a fire sale. Locally I point to Clark Equipment as a prime example. I'm sure we can cite other examples as well.

Fourth, the price of steel has increased some 300% since Dubya slapped tariffs on steel. That means that every manufacturer that needs steel is suddenly unprofitable as (for the most part) contracts are bid out in 3-4 year terms. If you like to spend more money to protect inefficient producers (not to mention insure their profitability) then that's your business. However, at some point I enjoy a $200 27" TV, a $400 PC, and a $50 finely taylored dress shirt.

All true conservatives (you Buchannonites take notice) believe in fair trade, fair on all sides. Those of you who don't believe, your assigned reading will be Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged".

All you who agree should turn in your conservative credentials at the security office of the Ronald Reagan memorial.

Historically, the Republican party had been the protectionist party until TR betrayed his country, performed a Perot and denied the protectionist Taft a certain win. Of course, back then the globalist robber barons benefitted financially from protectionism. Now, the globalists have succeeded in turning protectionism and isolationism into bad words as they bleed our economy dry.

Nevertheless, protectionism and tariffs go hand in hand. Tariffs are the "conservative" revenue source as envisioned by our founding fathers in the constitution. Your "free trade" philosophy is incompatible with tariffs, however it is compatible with the current income tax, which is far from conservative.

I won't be turning over my conservative credentials to any globalist stooge. My conservatism is well founded in historical fact. Your "conservatism" might reject globalist tax theory, but you're a witless enabler of communism through your allegience to globalist trade policy.

"Your "conservatism" might reject globalist tax theory, but you're a witless enabler of communism through your allegience to globalist trade policy."

I've got to wonder what tinfoil hat you're under. How in the world does a proponent of competitive capitalism somehow enable communism?

Are you claiming that the free trader Reagan was a communist?

Tinfoil hats all around!!!

All you who agree should turn in your conservative credentials at the security office of the Ronald Reagan memorial.

Do you love your country? If yes, then why on Earth would you allow our government to be superseded by an international organization? This is not free trade, this is treason. This isn't just about losing jobs, this is about losing our independence. Being conservative means loving your country and desiring to preserve it. Not bowing down and worshipping at the altar of some past Republican president.

You know I don't understand this, you keep harping on these doom and gloom predictions. When the economy is bad its because of our evil free trade policies, when the economy is good (well its not it just is ready to go at any moment because of our evil free trade policies).

I remember back in the early 90s hearing all the deficit hawks predict doom and gloom in 5 years or less because of our out of control spending. Same thing with opponents of free trade. In the 80's it was Japan and Germany, now its China and India. Yet its 2005 and our Economy is rip roaring along at a truly remarkable pace.

Are you claiming that the free trader Reagan was a communist?

I'm glad you point to Reagan. Reagan is a perfect example of a free trader who acknowledged the fallacy of free trade. Due to Reagan's efforts, Japan cut back on imports in order to save Harley Davidson. Sort of "protectionism lite." It worked. Harleys aren't exactly the buggy whip industry, either.

You know I don't understand this, you keep harping on these doom and gloom predictions.

Ummm, are you talking about the Indiana legislature that saw enough damage done to their state through free trade treaties that they wrote the resolution that you're responding to in this thread?

Treasonous trade deals in the making Oh yeah, you globalists don't see anything wrong with turning over US military contracts to French companies, do you?

I addressed your feeble points, now its your turn - explain how it is conservative to reject globalist tax policy while embracing globalist trade policy? Discover the historical connection between communists and the end of our protectionist tariffs and the rise of the income tax for yourself then you'll really know something about being a conservative.

Your wrong on every account, Reagan didn't save Harley Davidson, the President of the company did through a series of sweeping reforms that empowered the factory workers to take ownership in the product. Its a classic study in business class. This is another example of what I mean, trust the people to fix there own problems.

Your also wrong about Indiana, the manufacturing jobs were lost for many more reasons that just free trade. Economic shifts from manufacturing to other sectors is one thing (you know kind of like how the automobile put many horse manufacturers out of business, its called progress). Efficiency in the marketplace producing goods is another, there is a myriad of reasons, its just disingenuous to say all the blame rests on free trade. Only people who are trying to bolster a ideology would make such ludicrous claims. Now answer me this, if you cut off free trade that means that all the companies that import jobs to here would be severely impacted, and we import far more jobs than we export, what would you say to the person working at a Honda or Toyota plant? Hmnmm, would you tell them that they have to loose their job because you have this wacky notion that free trade is hurting our economy?

Tariffs saved Harley workers' jobs Or, proof that writing in english isn't your only shortcoming.

Free trade's effect on American jobs

Why free trade hit Indiana hard

Of all of the manufacturing jobs lost, the buggy whip industry isn't mentioned

I have yet to discover a free trader who will address facts and you two are no different.
1. Tariffs are incompatible with globalism. Globalism is not conservative.

2. Tariffs are the constitutionally provided source of revenue for the federal government.

3. Globalists who call themselves "conservative" reject globalist tax policy, but embrace globalist trade policy - contradictory and not conservative.

4. Globalists interpret the constitution to be a buyers club for Americans.

Sorry Indiana. You are your own worst enemy. Just like we here in Ohio are our own worst enemy. Here in Ohio we have Governments, both state and local that keep raising taxes and imposing stricter and stricter regulations on businesses and indiviuals. And you've (we've) got the nerve to wonder why businesses leave our states. It's no wonder to me. In business you have to keep an eye on the bottom line. If that bottom line keeps getting eroded by taxes and regulations, you look to move. Or your close up shop. Plain and simple. Free trade agreements have absolutely nothing to do with it. I have preached for years that if we were to cut our taxes in half and reduce our regulations down to a reasonable level, we wouldn't have room for all the businesses that would seek to relocate to our states. It's known we have the best workers. After all, what the heck can we do for the six months of winter but work.

To have legislatures who are in the process of imposing these regressive taxes and regulations to complain about loss of jobs shows how blind they really are. While pointing at FTA's, they have three fingers pointing right back at themselves. That's where the REAL blame lies.

Sorry Indiana. You are your own worst enemy.

Well, EPA, OSHA, IRS, etc. are all Federal agencies, so the US Government is it's own worst enemy also.

Keep in mind that this isn't really about "free trade." FTAA, WTO, NAFTA, etc. require thousands of bureaucrats to maintain. For one thing, this will cost money. Guess who will be/who is paying for it? Do you think that another layer of bureaucracy (superseding the US government) will be beneficial to the "little guy?" Or to large corporations?

Well, EPA, OSHA, IRS, etc. are all Federal agencies, so the US Government is it's own worst enemy also.

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OK, I agree with that, but there's very little or nothing that Indiana (or Ohio) can do about what the Feds do. But both Indiana AND Ohio CAN control themselves. We don't have to shoot ourselves in the right foot just because the Feds shot us in the left foot. We can still reduce our own self imposed regulations and taxes and reap the windfalls from those. If Ohio and Indiana reduced their taxes, it would force their neigboring states to do it too and so forth and so on. Before you know it, Cahleefornia will be on the bandwagon. Well, I can dream can't I? See ya!

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