Critics attack trade proposal
Some manufacturers say Central America deal would hurt work force, fail at broadening U.S. sales. By Lisa Zagaroli / Detroit News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Trying to turn up the heat against U.S. trade policies that translate into lost jobs instead of increased exports, a group of small- and medium-size manufacturers said Tuesday that they would more aggressively oppose trade agreements because they believe the country's middle class is being destroyed. The small manufacturers feel overshadowed by major business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, now led by former Michigan Gov. John Engler, which support free trade pacts like the one now being considered in Congress. The Bush administration is promoting the Central American Free Trade Agreement with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Both sides are still trying to get a concrete majority before a vote is taken in the coming days. Its opponents say they have at least 190 solid votes against CAFTA in the 435-member House, including 23 Republicans. They think the case against CAFTA has been proven by the results of the decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement among Mexico, Canada and the United States. Some of the loudest opponents of CAFTA have been farmers, particularly sugar producers, and textile workers. "The trade agreements should not be a suicide pact," said Dave Frengel, a Pennsylvania businessman representing Manufacturers for Fair Trade. The business organizations -- representing 8,500 companies -- sent a letter Tuesday to President Bush opposing CAFTA. "Although you promise that CAFTA will open big new foreign markets for U.S.-made goods, the opposite is clearly true," they wrote. "CAFTA is simply the latest in this series of outsourcing deals that are gutting our domestic manufacturing base." Michigan alone has lost some 230,000 manufacturing jobs over the last six years as companies transfer jobs to countries with lower wages. Laurie Moncrieff, president of Schmald Tool and Die Co. in Burton, said that despite her company's own attempts to venture into overseas sales, she opposes the kinds of trade agreements the United States has negotiated recently. "The folks in Washington need to wake up and recognize that they (other countries) don't want our tooling and products, they want to steal our intellectual property and employ their own people," she said. "Washington is under the belief that they want to develop these countries so they'll buy our products. Instead, the multinationals are manufacturing overseas and selling in the United States."
I get a kick out of this...Organized labor groups (unions) are bad...Organized business groups (unions) are good...
"Washington is under the belief that they want to develop these countries so they'll buy our products.
This is the scam Washington wants us to believe...Washington doesn't believe this for a minute...
Instead, the multinationals are manufacturing overseas and selling in the United States."
And of course, this part is the truth...And the free traitors in Washington know this as well...
Which trade policies haven't increased exports?