Free trade's victims turning against Bush, GOP

The Herald Sun ^ | August 25, 2003 | associated press

[snopercod]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- This year's highly publicized job losses in North Carolina manufacturing, including the Pillowtex bankruptcy, could mean trouble next year for President Bush in a region that was a stronghold in 2000.

Bush won more than 56 percent of the vote in both North Carolina and South Carolina in 2000. But his strong support of free trade has turned some against him in the South, where U.S. trade policies are blamed for the loss of jobs in textiles and other manufacturing sectors.

Andy Warlick, chief executive officer of Parkdale Mills in Gaston County, said he doubts he will repeat his 2000 vote for Bush next year.

"He made a lot of promises and he hasn't delivered on any of them," Warlick said. "I've had some firsthand experience of him sending down trade and commerce officials, but they're just photo ops. It's empty rhetoric."

Fred Reese, the president of Western N.C. Industries, an employers' association, said executives are beginning to raise their voices against Bush and are planning education and voter drives.

"We're seeing a new dynamic where the executives and employees are both beginning to see a real threat to their interests. You're going to see people who traditionally voted Republican switch over," Reese predicted.

The hard feelings were on display days after Pillowtex's July 30 bankruptcy filing, when Republican U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes walked into a Kannapolis auditorium to meet with former workers.

"Thanks for sending the jobs overseas, Robin!" shouted Brenda Miller, a longtime worker at the textile giant's Salisbury plant.

In December 2001 Hayes -- who is an heir to the Cannon family textile fortune -- cast the tie-breaking vote to give Bush the authority to negotiate "fast-track" trade agreements, trade treaties that Congress must vote up or down with no amendments.

At the time, Hayes said he won promises from the Bush administration that it would more strictly enforce existing trade agreements and pressure foreign countries to open their markets to U.S. textiles.

"Are we pleased with the way they responded? Absolutely," Hayes said. "Are we satisfied with where we are? Absolutely not."

Jobs in many industries have fled overseas since 1993, when Congress passed the Clinton-backed North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. About half the textile and apparel jobs that existed in 1994 are gone.

Since Bush took office in January 2001, it is estimated North Carolina and South Carolina have lost more than 180,000 manufacturing jobs.

And even more textile jobs could be out the door once quotas on Chinese imports expire at the end of next year.

Republican U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger voted for NAFTA and fast-track, and has seen his 10th District lose nearly 40,000 jobs, primarily in the textile and furniture industries.

"Certainly, there's a political cost to any controversial vote no matter which side you take," he said. "People are casting stones, but we're trying to pick them up and build something."

Democratic U.S. Sen. John Edwards voted against fast-track in 2002 after voting for an earlier version. In 2000 he voted for permanent normal trade relations with China.

Recently, though, while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Edwards has attacked Bush's trade policies and called for fairer trade measures.

Robert Neal, vice president of the local chapter of the Pillowtex workers' union, said Hayes has worked to try to ease the impact of job losses in his district.

"Though he (Hayes) voted for fast-track, he is really concerned about the workers and their conditions in the state of North Carolina," Neal said.

Not everyone feels that way.

Reese is organizing 1,500 manufacturing companies across North Carolina in an effort to leverage what he calls a new voting bloc.

In South Carolina, voter drives are planned for the first time at Milliken & Co., which has about 30 plants in the state. Mount Vernon Mills of Greenville, S.C., is forming a political action committee.

The company's president Roger Chastain, a one-time Bush voter, doesn't expect to support the president or Jim DeMint, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Ernest Hollings.

"We're basically liquidating our whole middle class, polarizing people on the two extremes, have and have-nots," Chastain said of the manufacturing job losses. "We'll be a Third World country."

[JNB]

Fact, it takes a greater percentage of a familys income to own a home now that it did 40 years ago, that is a fact. Fact, a large majority of familes today have both parents working compared to the situation 40 years ago were a large majority of familes had only one parent working. I gave you facts Dawg, not some warmed over rhetoric that one would hear on talk radio.

[FITZ]

What are you ---- a McDonalds employee or something?

[null and void]

Yeah... because I bet in this year of yours without a job, you've really been beating down the doors to get a job there.

And exactly how do you suppose I know they won't hire an engineer?

I reckon you think as long as YOU have a job everything is A-OK, right?

[jammer]

I do, of course. So, what's your bushbot point? That there are only two positions--agree with pandering or making stupid, hard-ass statements? If his advisors think like that, Bush is doomed.

[Texas_Dawg]

Huh I guess having 3 tv's, central air conditioning, 3 bathrooms, a DVD, and a microwave in the average standard house today, is much worse than the no central air conditioning and 1 bathroom houses of the 60's.

Ding, ding, ding, ding!! Thanks, Dane. You get the prize.

Man... FR once again proves to me how ridiculously, insanely, totally wealthy beyond belief America is today. We have to be the first society in history where people are "too good" to work some jobs, even while sitting around complaining about not being able to afford the car payment on our 4th SUV.

[JNB]

Actually the average home in the 60s, while smaller, had more land, had centeral H/AC, and 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Yes, property taxes have put a even greater burden on familes today compared to 40 years ago, and thanks for pointing that out.

As for TVs, microwaves and other items, really very minor compared to the expense of a home.

[Dane]

BTW, have figured the avg. square footage between the houses of the 50's and 60's and those of today.

The houses in Leavittown(the quintessential 50's suburb) were tiny. The avg. single family house built today, just from my observation are larger than those built in the 50's and 60's, thus the added cost.

Oh and don't forget to factor the cost of the regulations that have been added since the 60's.

[FITZ]

they would have killed to work for the wages and comfort that a McDonald's offered?

Not if they knew that the $5.15 they would be making wouldn't buy them a house and they'd better hope to find a wife making $10 an hour at least. Sure $5.15 would have sounded great 200 years ago ---- but they didn't have $100,000 homes with $4000 a year property taxes ---- McDonalds jobs won't even pay the property tax ---- I hate to offend you ---but if you're working at one, you might think it's pretty good ---but some of us have enjoyed other jobs where we get more ahead.

[DoughtyOne]

As I stated before and you ignored before, there would be no income tax.

Yeah, right!

Good then we're in agreement.

Good grief, you are such a naif. Don't ever set foot inside the Beltway--you'll never figure out who lifted your wallet.

Once again you're welcome to your third grade response.  If we were able to set up what we have today around 1917, from precisely what I proposed we return to, then it stands to reason we can reverse the process. It worked before.  It can work again.

As long as we have a majority of voters convinced that they're entitled to live off other people's money in one respect or another, you're going to have a frickin'
income tax, doofus.

Once again, this is just stupid driveling nonsense.  When we moved $350 billions dollars of commerce off our shores, tens of millions of citizens bitched and carped about it.  We still did it.  There was no rebellion, so your third grade complaints about objections are just that, third grade complaints.

No.  We won't have an income tax.  Adding in that doofus almost had me convinced though.

There are plenty of folks in DC who will gladly promise you a reduction in income taxes on Tuesday in return for tariff today. But they'll weasel out and say "I didn't
mean THIS Tuesday."

Thank you for that deeply rewarding fairy tale.  You should go into writing childrens books.  You're so in tune with your inner child.

Fight the income tax battle. Don't even consider tariffs, because you'll end up with income taxes AND tariffs.

And I do appreciate your concern for me.  Thanks so much.

[Poohbah]

1. I know what I was trying to say.

Debatable, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

2. I said exactly what I wanted to say.

Very ineptly--IF you actually intended to say exactly what you said. Again, kindly refer to (1) my post and (2) your response.

3. I went back and explained what I was trying to say.

Which you managed to do even more ineptly.

4. You simply refuse to acknowledge that my comments and explanation say exactly what I intended to and you can't be adult enough to admit it.

Perhaps you actually meant to be that illiterate.

If so, you have my condolences.

Perhaps if you weren't on so much medication, or drinking so heavily, there wouldn't be a problem.

Actually, you should quit playing "spank the monkey" to the kiddie porn, D-1(-handed typist).

[null and void]

You can't really believe that no jobs for Americans is a good policy. ~ FITZ

*sigh* As long as he has a job, he can.

And does...

[jammer]

'Scuse me--I called you a BushBot before I read your (great) profile. I guess I misunderstood your post. Sorry. (I still don't understand, but . . .)

[Texas_Dawg]

I reckon you think as long as YOU have a job everything is A-OK, right?

Bro, I can swear on my life that if you ever see me unemployed, which I fully realize is absolutely possible and God could do it tomorrow should He choose... you will NEVER hear me blaming my unemployment on any President or asking for the federal government to do something like put tariffs on Americans to get me a new job. You know why? Because unlike you, I am a conservative.

[harpseal]

See my sane trade policy plan below.

I am hardly a fan of the current trade policies. I clearly do not support the transfer wealth from the rich nation (USA) to the poor nations. Thus I favor tariffs on a broad range of goods coming from those nations that use currency manipulation and very high traiffs on US goods. I have been called a lot on these threads but there are not too many who would call me a Free Trader, let alone a "free traitor."

Yes I used economic development zones as a way to demonstrate that such a policy would produce a bigger pie in the USA. And no I do not think the USA should tax americans to subsidize offshore investment.


In no particular order of importance.

1. Get rid of government subsidies for offshore investment of US companies. OPIC is the first such program which should go but support of World Bank programs that subsidize the outflow of Capital would be another.

2. Use tariffs on those nations which are engaged in unfair trade practices such as currency manipulation (China and India for example), those nations which refuse to open their markets to US products (China for example with its 50% tariffs on US consumer goods and non tariff barriers), those nations that subsidize competition to American Industry (airbus for example) and those nations which have slave conditions for their workers.

3. Use tariffs and other means to prevent the relocation of jobs offshore that are essential to the national defense. If necessary take control of the company seeking to export vital technology or industry by means of eminent domain (No I do not like this last option and I will only defend its use as an absolute last resort like say in the case of rare earth magnets essential to smart bomb technology). Provide a hardened, widely distributed infrastructure to supply all that is needed for our military units and civil defense that can be continued to be deployed in the event of any military attack.

4. An immediate end to guest worker programs. If people wish to come to the USA to work and make a life let them immigrate according to the rules.

5 Provide economic development zones where the corporate income tax is zero for operations within these zones. In order to operate in this zone a company must agree to only purchase American components if available and employ only American citizens or legal immigrants in these operations. These economic development zones shall be eventually be expanded to include every bit of every state once the benefits are shown I would like them to be totally implemented immediately but I realize4 that may be overreaching. It must be stated for clarification that simply being in the geographic area of the zones does will not subject any company to any new mandatory regulation. Everything is voluntary for getting the exclusion from corporate taxation. The profit attributable to direct imports is subject to the same rules that exist everywhere else in this nation for corporate taxation. Only free from such taxation is the profit attributable to American content and any American improvement. In short no new mandatory regulation will be a part of this. It is my opinion that there will not be a lack of companies seeking this tax relief. And no the regulation implied is absolutely minimal in order to get this through.

6. Scale back unnecessary regulation including the tort system. Institute a cap on punitive damages, limits on class action suits, and limits on liability to the actual percentage of liability with no plaintiff able to collect if said plaintiff was involved in the commission of a felony at the time of the alleged tort or was more than 49% negligent in the alleged tort. Note that the loser in a frivolous lawsuit shall pay the attorney fees of the winner. There are many other regulatory structures that also need to be included that need to be included such as repealing the Family leave mandate, getting rid of OSHA etc.

7. Increase the domestic content in purchases by the Department of defense and give absolute preference in non-domestic content to proven allies of the USA over say the French or Germans. The only reason any content for DOD purchase may come from non US allies is that content is not available elsewhere and is essential.

8. Do not allow expense involved in moving operations overseas to be included in business expenses under the IRS code.

9. Prosecute for perjury anyone who has made a false statement in order to employ an H1B or L1 visa worker. I will be lenient on the actual perjurer if he/she was ordered to make this false statement and he/she provides testimony to aid in the conviction of the person ordering the perjury. Just because a person is a CEO does not give them a pass on criminal behavior.

10. Prosecute anyone who orders the transfer of vital defense technology or funds a R&D project that could be of use to our military overseas except to strong allies of the USA. Make the necessary enhancements to our espionage laws so that continued support or funding of any R&D in a nation whose government has threatened the USA is guilty of espionage. The UK and Australia come to mind as meeting these criteria for being eligible for transfer of technology first. There will be other nations and a gradation of what can be transferred to which specific nation. Under no circumstances may technology be transferred to any nation whose government has threatened the USA within five years without a complete change of government or specific exemption from Congress and the administration.

11. Deport all illegal aliens immediately and take measures that prevent the entry of any more illegal aliens. Fine all companies knowingly employing illegal aliens Criminal sanctions should be imposed on anyone helping an illegal alien stay in the USA in violation of our laws.

12. Decrease the punishing levels of taxation on companies and eliminate the double taxation on corporate dividends. See effects of item 5 for how minimal this will be if item 5 covers the entire USA. Eliminate all IRS provisions that inhibit free use of independent contractors by businesses for example section 1706.

13. Eliminate the minimum wage so that the worker can be paid based on productivity. Overtime compensation will remain the same but instead of 150% of the "wage" the worker would receive 150% of the production pay. If one through 13 are enacted # 14 becomes an irrelevancy as no one will be working for that low a wage.

Now since I started posting this plan another idea has come up that in my opinion is a very good policy that stands on its own. Now I give credit to Jim Gibson and Freeper Ed_in_NJ for coming up with the idea, separately to the best of my knowledge. However I can be corrected on that. The tariff phrasing is from Jim Gibson.

“I suggest that the US Customs Department charge a $1,000-per-container inspection fee on every container entering the United States. This fee would be used to completely fund the cost of inspections. If we assumed that a four-man team could fully inspect two containers a day or about 500 per year, it would require 48,000 inspectors. Allowing for at least 2,000 support personnel, we would need at least 50,000 workers. Because these workers would require high intelligence and skill levels they should earn at least $30 per hour. At 40-hour weeks plus benefits, I estimate the cost per worker to be over $75,000 per year, all paid by the foreign manufacturers. Even so, this would still leave over $2.25 billion to cover all other costs. Any revenue not used would be used to compensate American workers displaced by foreign imports. “

I urge and encourage everyone who agrees with this plan and or the terror tariff idea to communicate this to every politician you can think of.

[Poohbah]

I didn't vote for Perot ---- but I'm wondering if he wasn't the one to vote for ---- at least he did see the value in having some jobs for Americans.

You realize that he's outsourcing BIGTIME to India, right?

[Junior_G]

Am I supposed to cry for you? Do you understand what life was like for the Americans that created this country for you? Do you realize they had many times in their lives where they would have killed to work for the wages and comfort that a McDonald's offered? The whining and class warfare from the "little men" at FR is what is truly a joke. You don't even realize that there are just as many conservatives and people on FR that are making no more than a lot of these people whining about being unemployed (on the freaking internet!) yet they actually believe in conservatism unlike these people whining and blaming George Bush and capitalism for their problems.

Don't cry for me----I've got a job that pays decent wages. Yes, I know that the quality of life now is better than it was 230 years ago-----what's your point? I try to live at least somewhat in the present. Do you support reparations too?
And I hate to be the one to break it to you, but free trade is not a conservative ideal----it's a Republican ideal, as well as a Democrat ideal.

[lelio]

Hey, bro... hate to break this to you, but most people like it when the value of their home goes up.

Depends what you mean by up. They're going to have to live somewhere and unless they move from Manhattan to the boonies they're not going to be able to profit much. If they've bought multiple properties and don't have to live in one their financial situation has improved. However that's not the case for a majority of Americans.

Also, he's shown that the median price of a home divided by the median income has gone up from 2.5x to 3.6x. Does that mean the "value" of their house has gone up? What if car prices have gone up from 0.1x to 0.5x your income, has its value increased?

Also for a 1960 income to increase from $2k to the present $40k only requires a 7% yearly increase. People are paying that much in mortgage interest.

[FITZ]

Huh I guess having 3 tv's, central air conditioning, 3 bathrooms, a DVD, and a microwave

I think you're making a very common mistake that many Americans make today. They think they're wealthy because they have many consumer items, they don't realize the difference between spending money and investing money. How many of those 3 tvs, DVDs, and all the other gadgets are purchased with credit cards? People might feel rich when they just "invested" money into a car they will pay for over the next 5 year and with their 30 year home mortgage loan. In the 60's people had more real money, they paid with cash and often their home loan was the only debt they had.

[Texas_Dawg]

As long as he has a job, he can.

You are honestly telling me there is not a restaurant, store, home owner, golf course, convenience store, etc., etc., in your area that will not give you a job?? Am I supposed to believe THAT?

[JNB]

Most familes do not have 4 SUVs, TVs and DVDs are less than $100 a peice, and they amount to little more than toys, the average home sold in the 60s was a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom home, and the list I showed was the median price of existing homes. Again, the home price to median family income radio was 2.8:1 in 63 and was 3.6:1 in 01. As Dane pointed out, not only that, but property tax burdens are greater too now, not to mention far higher medical expenses as well. These are facts, and I showed you the figures.

As for new cars, keep in mind that many new cars are leased, and that savings is around 3% today, compared to over 10% 40 years ago.