DR-CAFTA Passes House

[BoatBuoy]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration's success in passing a controversial Central American trade bill should embolden it ahead of world trade talks, analysts said on Thursday -- but its credibility may be hurt by how it secured votes.<br /><br />The Republican-controlled House voted 217-215 in favor of the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, in the early hours of Thursday after a final push by Bush and top aides to win over many reluctant Republicans.<br /><br /> Complete Article <br /><br />More jobs gone. I guess Hillary will be blamed for this also.

 

[DJ]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Don't be so quick to blame Republicans or corporations.<br /><br />For most corps., it's about SURVIVAL.<br /><br />Labor costs, in this country, are too high. Besides, Americans do not like American built/designed/owned/serviced products. Look around.<br /><br />Foreign "transplants" here do NOT have the same labor costs as traditional domestics. When the costs do get to high (legislation) they'll just LEAVE. But, we as consumers-don't care. As long as "I've got mine". Yours is next.<br /><br />As long as we have the attitude (not true) that our neighbor cannot design/build/service a quality product, that doesn't say much for us, or our future.

 

[KRS]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

I don't understand the purpose of the post... we all get the newspaper and watch the news... is it here just for those that don't know?

 

[KRS]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

DJ's post wasn't there when I started to respond, and was there after... I get it. The post is meant to stir up controversy and cause contention... GOT IT!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Hey fyrfyter, I trust the news on these posts better than what is on the tube. Nobody here is getting paid to put their point of view across.<br /><br />I'm not sure but maybe the mexicans will now go south instead of north. But I think the sucking sound of jobs leaving the US will be getting louder.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Fyfyter- I am a news junkie myself. I miss a lot of news so sometimes I boats is my only source. SBN will usually bring up a news topic and we'll kick it around. No harm, no foul.

 

[Twidget]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Nah SS, I think the Mexican army is on their southern border, stopping just the sort of thing they do to us.

 

[CJY]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Don't be so quick to blame Republicans or corporations

Why??? Who the heck passed it? <br /><br />

Besides, Americans do not like American built/designed/owned/serviced products. Look around.

Where did you get this one? Given an opportunity to buy American, I think most Americans would choose to support their neighbors. The problem is not the lack of our support, it is the lack of the American produced products because they have left in search of bigger riches. It all comes down to money. The problem is that it is to easy to move South. They move South, make a product for less money, while we pay the same over-the-counter price. This allows the head honchos to put more in their pockets, and this is the bottom line.<br /><br />Allowing good paying American jobs to move south where they can pay labor a few cents on the dollar is the exact reason we have become a "retail" employed nation. <br /><br />Let's just keep opening the doors for them, and maybe we should also pay them an incentive to move out. This last paragraph was sarcasm by the way.<br /><br /> Don't blame the American worker's attitude for the move. That is nothing more than a refusal to see what is really happening here. The rich make ways for the rich to become even richer, at the expense of me and many of you, the middle man.<br /><br />Why not send our kids South for their education next, Just an idea. If we give the government the control of our schools like they want, this may be next (schools must be cheaper to operate south of the border).<br /><br />John

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

NAFTA..CAFTA..SAFTA its all bad for the american workers, it's good for the large corps and their ilk, but its nevertheless bad for the ordinary joe out there.<br /><br />Whats driving this is like DJ said:<br /><br />"Labor costs, in this country, are too high. Besides, Americans do not like American built/designed/owned/serviced products. Look around.<br /><br />Foreign "transplants" here do NOT have the same labor costs as traditional domestics. When the costs do get to high (legislation) they'll just LEAVE. But, we as consumers-don't care. As long as "I've got mine". Yours is next.<br /><br />As long as we have the attitude (not true) that our neighbor cannot design/build/service a quality product, that doesn't say much for us, or our future."

 

[CJY]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Labor costs are to high??? Have you been to the gas pumps lately? Ok, lets pay our workers $3 per week and eliminate health insurance. Our labor costs will be down, but what about the country then. Could you pay your bills on that salary?<br /><br />Bush's enrgy bill that he spoke of during his campaign. Where is it?????????????? He must be saving it for when we really need it. What exactly has he done since being reelected? I kmow, being the President is "hard, hard, work." Perhaps he is sitting in on OPEC meetings trying to figure out another way to bankrupt the ordinary Joe.<br /><br />Saying Americans do not support their own is crazy. We have no choice. Have you ever noticed that nearly all textiles are produced in China. Why??? Because we allow them to ship there product here and they won't allow us to ship ours there, and all of these "AFTA'S" are to blame. It's not our fault there is a huge trade deficit. It is the governements fault for allowing the uneven trading to happen in the first place. You want lower labor costs, stop the "uneven free trade". As long as we allow other countries "unequal free trade" out labor costs will continue to be high and companies will have no reason to stay. How many companies do you think would have left if they knew they could not export their product back to us? NONE!!!<br /><br />Chime in guys, are you not willing to support American products? Two people seem to have lost faith in you. This is somewhat ironic, we buy American designed and owned products everyday, they just make the product overseas because they moved. Example, Nike. Are they not American owned and designed? But, because of "free trade" they move and ship them, back. So you see, it is not that we won't support American made/owned/designed products, American owned and designed continues, the "made" part has changed. Look around, American owned and designed products are on nearly everybody's feet. <br /><br />You may have noticed that I have looked around at your request. You look around, what do we buy that is not American owned or designed? <br /><br />John

 

[KRS]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Thx for the response... sometimes I feel overloaded with news, thank you for the alternate viewpoint. Let the discussion continue!!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Prior to NAFTA with Mexico, I did work for a man that did textile work for Century products. The ones that makes childrens things like care seats, carriers and such. He had two shops with 40 machines each and ran two shifts. Outside of his two shops he intalled 140 more sewing machines into workers homes. This was good for the mothers that wanted to stay home with their children. His total employee count was about 320. <br /><br />Six months after NAFTA came into effect, Century pulled out of the town. For a small town of about 3,000, that is a lot of people to be put out of work.<br /><br />So like I say, there is going to be a louder sucking sound of jobs leaving.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

This may be free trade but it is not equal or fair trade. Between these agreements, the EPA, environmentalists and unions, all the mfgr'ing jobs will be overseas. I don't understand these deals as they seem to be bad for america.<br /><br />Have you seen the number of Hyndai's, kia's, audi's, honda's, toyota's, nissan's on the road. Americans almost never consider country of origin when making purchases.

 

[KRS]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Dunno, if we could make it for the same cost, I am sure the manuf would stay here. But let's face it, our workforce just isn't competitive on those products. They would need to work for $2 per hour and no benefits, mandatory 12 hour shifts (starting to sound like central america yet???) and be happy just to have a job.

 

[PW2]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

The whole theory of global trade is that each locale/country will do what it does best and creates the most value in the world economy.<br /><br />That will in turn make products cheaper world wide, and create a tide world wide that will raise all boats--create consumers for worldwide for world wide products, and promote economic and political stability in the world.<br /><br />There are products that Americans are competitive with--Airplanes, pollution control equipment etc.<br /><br />But the days of getting high paying jobs with little or no skill out of high school are over. Globalization is here to stay--Fight it at your peril. Adapt to it, Change with the times, or get left out.<br /><br />It is not painless, of course, but it is here to stay, and on balance a good thing.

 

[DJ]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

I think most Americans would choose to support their neighbors. The problem is not the lack of our support, it is the lack of the American produced products because they have left in search of bigger riches. It all comes down to money.

Not from what I see, on a daily basis. There is NOT ONE domestic nameplate car on my block, except mine.<br /><br />Yes, American workers are too expensive, IN RELATION to other markets. I agree, a trade imbalance is definetely part of the issue. The borders should work both ways in all cases. However, the American consumer appetite is so strong that demanding open borders loses its bite. <br /><br />In other words, we'll buy the stuff they produce anyway.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

"There are products that Americans are competitive with--Airplanes, pollution control equipment etc."<br /><br /><br />Not for long, those days are definitely numbered if the trade policies don't change and the American public don't demand and purchase American made products <br /><br />As far as airplanes go well, one only have to look at Boeing and see how healthy a company they are, Airbus is giving them a hell of a run for their money, and yes both companies are dependent in large upon gov't subsidies to survive.

 

[rwise]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

I beg to disagree that labor costs are to high, its management costs that are to high! Laborers barely make ends meet, while management gets rich!

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

Mexico has nobody to do the work, they are all here now, so we must farm out more to CA. Afterall we don't want us lazy overpaid Americans to be employed, DO WE? rwise hit the nail squarely. Management is grossly overpaid. It is a sin to pay those dollars to any one, including the pro athletes. The NFL and NBA lost my attention, and MLB is closing in on it for the same reason.

 

[DJ]

Re: DR-CAFTA Passes House

I have found that those that complain about management compensation have never been one. Some people think that management is nothing but a big desk/office and a fat paycheck.<br /><br />There's more to it than that.<br /><br />1. Sixteen hour days-minimum.<br /><br />2. Nights/weekends.<br /><br /> (management divorce rates/suicides are much higher)<br /><br />3. The responsibility. If it doesn't fly, you're GONE. NO protection.<br /><br />4. The compensation solely based on the performance of others. That is stress.<br /><br />5. Business travel. That is NOT fun, these days.