Posted on 08/25/2003 2:05:47 PM PDT by 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."
My co-workers are from over the entire planet. Every continent except Antarctica. Several of them are here, legally from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They are americans. They are no longer Nigerians, Vietnamese, El Salvadoran.
They are american as you or I, more so than "little man dawg". They love this country. They work hard, and they care about others. I suppose it's our fault that England isn't offering up 10 cents an hour workers, child labor, and high tarriffs. Perhaps we should encourage that, so some dipsh#t, has no straw man argument to confuse the issue.
Funny you say that because my last roommate was white. He was always yelling at the pizza delivery guy, his mom, his sister, doormen, etc. Then he moved out and in desperation to fill the room before I had to pay for it, I had to settle for another guy who swears he's American, but he looks like a damn Chinaman to me. (He keeps telling me that's because his dad was from China but I'm keeping my eye on him nevertheless.) So anyway, this new roommate is a really nice guy (I wonder what his motives are) and is never yelling at anyone and always pays me for the rent on time and when his Chinawoman fiance comes over she's always nice and considerate and doesn't act like a total snob like my white roommate's white, American girlfriend. Yeah... this sneaky Chinaman is what some might call a good guy but I felt a hell of a lot better about my country and my comfort zones back when my apartment was 100% pure and white. Who let these people in here anyway?!?
Just a question... why should the federal government force me to pay you (or anyone) $100K when someone else is willing to do the job I need done for $40K?
You mean... economists?
I am curious how much income does your family receive?
Mrs. Dawgg and I have a combined total yearly paycheck of $28,850.00. That is Gross BTW or more to the point before taxes are taken out.
My Daughter goes to private school. My mother and father both worked when I was young and Mrs. Dawgg and I have always worked.
Sometimes the economy has a downturn and business reacts by trimming down the costs and looking for new ways to make money.
It is sad really and it would be truly wonderful if everyone got everything they wanted but sometimes reality comes crashing down and reminds us there are no guarantees, no matter what any politician tries to tell you!
Excuse me, "little man" - but what risks did you take to start that employer's business? Come up with the idea? Mortgage everything you owned? Spend the sleepless nights wondering whether the payroll and taxes could be covered? Looked at a valued employee who was going through a personal crisis and underperforming while you decide how much you can tolerate - all while wanting to be supportive and helpful?
You have no right to demand any more than that employer can afford to pay for that function simply because you are of Northern European ancestry, and through a stroke of good luck, you happened to be born behind American borders.
Ohhhh ship! We're all doomed.
So this isn't about you and your job? It's about you wanting to save our country now? That's nice of you.
ABB. (Anyone but Bush) I was fooled once, not again.
So you would vote for Al Sharpton instead?
My co-workers are from over the entire planet. Every continent except Antarctica. Several of them are here, legally from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They are americans. They are no longer Nigerians, Vietnamese, El Salvadoran.
They are american as you or I, more so than "little man dawg". They love this country. "
(Sigh) Dogbyte you do realize that Texas Dawg's foray into racism is the very essence of "Sarcasm" don't you? Or, did you miss the entire "Merchant" tirade earlier in the thread?
Can you spell clueless? Come on I know you can!
Gee dude that sucks, what do you do for a living? I imagine I could make that much working at Wally world. Ever thought of changing careers?
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