[Garth Tater]

And why was the American steel industry no longer competitive Bert? Could it be that the cost of not polluting our rivers and our air is included in the cost of American steel and is not included in the cost of Chinese steel, as can be seen by the toxic stew they live in?

This cost, which we impose on ourselves so that we don't have to live in a hellish environment, puts our manufacturers at a disadvantage to their asian competitors and in this highly competitive world all it takes is a very slight manufacturing cost differential to put a company out of business.

[bert]

Well of course you are right, you have listed several of the factors other than excessive union wages and benefits that contribute to the noncompetitive condition in steel manufacturing .

You failed to note however, that the factors listed are desirable by the American people. That is, Americans have eliminated pollution by eliminating some of the sources. Also, Americans do not dislike and even favor products and commodities like steel that are inexpensive and manufactured elsewhere.

The mills were closed and the jobs ended by consensus of the American people acting through the American political system