Debate heats up over CAFTA trade pact

Palm Beach Post ^ | March 22, 2005 | Susan Salisbury

[w6ai5q37b]

A battle is heating up over the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement, which could come before Congress for a vote as early as this spring or summer.

The nation's 19-state cane and beet sugar industry, including sugar cane growers and processors in Palm Beach County, say the pact threatens the 146,000 jobs created by U.S. sugar production.

"We are doing everything we can to defeat CAFTA," said Carolyn Cheney, Washington representative for the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida in Belle Glade. "We believe CAFTA is another NAFTA in disguise."

Meanwhile, the debate is expected to begin in earnest next month.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has scheduled a full committee hearing on CAFTA for April 6. Grassley made the announcement last week after Guatemala became the third country of six after El Salvador and Honduras to pass legislation implementing CAFTA.

[w6ai5q37b]

Here is a picture of CAFTA

[New Orleans Slim]

What are you saying? 20 Greeks are going to jump out of CAFTA? Or are you saying free trade is a bad thing (in which case go sign a union card and join the Democrats).

[sanchez810]

Im pro-free trade

[sanchez810]

I hope it passes.

[sanchez810]

The socialist wing of FREErepublic

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Or are you saying free trade is a bad thing (in which case go sign a union card and join the Democrats).

Wish I had said that. Maybe you can spring it on Willie Green the next time he posts one of his Go Pat Go articles.

[ClaireSolt]

Two things about the sugar farming in Palm Beach county. First the work is done by migrant farm workers, and second, there is a huge controversy about the fertilizer nitrate runoff.

[hedgetrimmer]

CAFTA will supply "convergence funds" to the "poor" nations modelled on the European Union.

Since we are considered a "rich" nation, American taxpayers will front the bill for the "free traders" jumping onto the CAFTA bandwagon.

Convergence funds are a form of wealth redistribution that the EU uses to get countries to sign their trade pacts. Convergence funds are patently socialist, and harm the American citizens when we are forced to pay without our consent to subsidize the "free traders".

Is not this fiscal shift between nations exactly the intention of the European regional development fund and the convergence funds? The previous Government signed up to those and were in favour of them. They shift funds from wealthier nations to poorer nations in Europe to try to create the convergence that he has described.

--British Parliament

[sergeantdave]

This is the Euro-weenie harmonization cult that considers 10,000 pages of rules managed by 1,000 unelected bureaucrats under CAFTA to be "free trade."

[w6ai5q37b]

The socialist wing...

"Free trade" is actually socialism.

[sanchez810]

whatever. dude.