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Edwards Has Some 'Splainin' To Do On China Trade Vote - Kerry Too

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bigtree Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 01:51 AM
Original message
Edwards Has Some 'Splainin' To Do On China Trade Vote - Kerry Too
Edwards tries to widen divide on trade issues
http://www.newsobserver.com/edwards/coverage/story/3307716p-2950831c.html

In the Senate, Edwards voted in 2000 to grant China permanent normal trade relations and entry to the World Trade Organization. At the time, he expressed sympathy for the textile industry, which feared the move would lead to more job losses. But he said the deal would help North Carolina industries that thrive on exports, including agriculture, furniture and high-tech companies.

On the day last summer when Pillowtex announced the shuttering of 16 textile plants, most in North Carolina, Gephardt fired off a statement saying they closed "because they were unable to compete with competitors in China under the unfair trade deals Congress imposed on them."

Edwards also voted for a Senate bill granting President Bush fast-track negotiating authority. But he voted against the final version of the bill that emerged from a House-Senate conference committee.

Several provisions aiding laid-off workers, including some measures authored by Edwards, had been deleted from the bill, which passed in August 2002.


House set to vote on China trade bill Textile Industry opposes
http://www.textilenews.com/Previous/archive5222000/headlines522_2.htm
Chuck Hansen, chairman and CEO of home textiles manufacturer Pillowtex Corporation, said he also doesn’t buy China’s promises of reform.

“I think the comment that they will reform is very laudatory and very worthwhile, but actions speak louder than words,” he told STN Thursday.

“It’s almost impossible for us to ship textile-made products made in the United States into China. So we’re really excluded from their market. They have prohibitive procedural and tariff regulations in place that prevent us from having appropriate access into the Chinese market.

___________________________________________________________________

Memories:

Edwards keeps N. Carolina Democrats guessing
http://www.charleston.net/stories/080903/sta_09edwards.shtml

When textile giant Pillowtex Corp. shut down July 30, the bankruptcy resulted in the biggest mass layoff in the state's history, with nearly 5,000 workers affected. Edwards faced criticism for not doing enough.

On Thursday, the senator traveled to Kannapolis to meet with textile workers who lost their jobs. Emerging from the session, he said he had sent a letter to President Bush pressing him to release $38 million to help laid-off workers continue their health insurance and receive job retraining.

Asked why he did not visit sooner, Edwards said he had been working behind the scenes for months to try to find a buyer for the troubled textile firm.


Death of a giant.
http://www.textilenews.com/index.html

Pillowtex Corporation, one of the largest and most venerable American home textiles producers, sent huge shock waves through the industry and the country July 30 when it announced that it had closed its 16 manufacturing and distribution facilities and had terminated about 6,450 of its 7,650 salaried and hourly employees. With the closing, the 116-year-old company, which boasted such famous brands as Cannon®, Fieldcrest®, Royal Velvet® and Charisma®, became the poster child for the crisis that has hit the industry since 1997.

• Continuing decline of jobs. Including the Pillowtex shutdown, industry employment declined by 50,000, or 10 percent. For the past half century, that's second only to the 13 percent decline the industry experienced in 2001.

___________________________________________________________________


Increasing Chinese textile imports threaten US textile industry
http://www.bizasia.com/trade_/bm9ev/china_us_textile_industry.htm

It was not difficult to predict this: the American textile industry is seeking relief from a deluge of Chinese textile imports. The reason for this surge of clothing is cost: an American textile worker earns in less than two weeks what a Chinese worker earns in a year.

According to the American textile Institute, the US textile industry lost 267,000 jobs from January 2001 through March 2003. Chinese sales of textiles to the US rose by 63 percent to 3.15 billion in 2002.

China’s 2003 textile export figures may increase as little as seven percent this year as the SARS outbreak has stymied buyers from traveling there. Before SARS cut into shipments, in the first four months of this year textile shipments rose 27 percent over the same period last year to US$20 billion.


ATMA announced in late September 2003 that its U.S. textile mill customers have suffered more damage in the past five years than the industry did during the Depression of the 1930s. ATMA's analysis shows that from 1929, just prior to the Depression, to the low point in U.S. textile performance in 1932, U.S. production of cotton fabric dropped from 8.4 billion square yards to 6.3 billion, a decline of 25.3 percent.
http://www.textilenews.com/news/020204_8.html


Since China entered the trade organization, textile officials in the United States say, China's market share in 29 textile and apparel products has jumped to 45 percent from about 9 percent.
.
And in the four products cited in the industry's petition, China's exports to the United States soared to about 4 billion square meters from 484 million, according to the textile industry. American textile executives are now asking the federal government to put safeguards into effect that China agreed to upon entering the trade organization. According to the agreement, the United States can put quotas on certain Chinese products if there is evidence that the U.S. market is being seriously disrupted.
.
Quotas on the four disputed products were lifted after China joined the trade organization. There are still quotas on other textile imports, but nearly all of them are expected to be lifted by 2005.
.
The coalition is pressing the Bush administration to limit certain imports from China, raising the stakes in the latest of several long-running trade disputes with Beijing. In a petition Thursday, the group also called on the White House to impose safeguards that were agreed upon when China entered the World Trade Organization in late 2001. Industry officials say a flood of cheap imports from China has put some American textile and apparel companies out of business and led to the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs.
http://www.iht.com/articles/104183.html
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Birthmark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 01:58 AM
Response to Original message
1. No doubt we'd get a better deal from *
</sarcasm>
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4morewars Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 02:03 AM
Response to Original message
2. I can 'splain it for ya
These guys are part of the same club. A couple more spineless Washington insiders. For sale to the highest bidder. Business as usual. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss !!!!!
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bigtree Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 02:25 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. I wonder why Sen. Edwards is gettin such a free pass on this in the South?
He seems to have gotten the message on all of the rest of the trade authority legislation after 2000. But it's kind of hard for me to give him a pass on this issue considering that he sold out on the worst trade deal possible for his region.

To those who whose jobs were zapped when we eliminated tarrifs, there is nothing that either of these men could say to satisfy. Maybe though, they can fix this. Doesn't look like many of these jobs are coming back soon, no matter what we do.

I don't think Bush can be trusted to clamp down. He has sanctions available that he refuses to exercise.

Now, Kerry's my candidate. One of these men will likely succeed Bush.

THE RECORDS:

EDWARDS-

-Was not in the Senate when NAFTA passed but voiced "serious reservations" about the deal when he ran for the Senate in 1998.

-Voted to liberalize trade relations with China.

-Initially voted to grant President Bush fast-track authority but voted against the final version of the bill when provisions to help displaced workers were dropped.

WHAT HE WOULD DO

-Sign only trade deals with stricter labor and environmental standards for U.S. trading partners.

-Support tax breaks for companies that keep manufacturing jobs in the United States.

-Create a national venture capital fund designed to steer new business to communities harmed by free trade.

Or, whatever . . .

KERRY-

-Voted for passage of NAFTA.

-Voted to liberalize trade relations with China.

-Voted to grant President Bush fast-track authority.

WHAT HE WOULD DO

-Order a 120-day review of trade agreements to ensure that trading partners are living up to labor and environmental obligations and that agreements are fair and enforceable.

-Refuse to sign any new trade agreements unless they contain strong labor and environmental standards.

-Aggressively seek to open export markets in places such as Japan and South Korea that are now blocked in part by trade rules.


Or, whatever . . .
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4morewars Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 02:47 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. I think you summed it up best....
when you added "or whatever"

Edwards having "serious reservations" to me anyway, means he would go along with it. Either you are for me or against me, no "serious reservations" bullshit.

They both went along with liberal trade policies for China, the world's largest communist nation, but I wonder how they feel about the embargo on Cuba? 'Splain that one to me?

I'm glad to hear Edwards voted against the fast track nonsense, I guess he had "serious reservations"

I just can't help but feeling we are in for more of the same bull shit with either one of these guys, granted my dog would be a better president than bush*, and I will vote for whomever gets the nomination, but I wont be happy about it.

Here in Michigan we've lost close to 300,000 jobs since this junta stole the White House,(the Carolinas have lost at least that many as well) most in manufacturing,most that we won't be getting back anytime soon. So, you can see why I'm no fan of any of these back room trade deals. I'm in favor of FAIR trade, not free trade.
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bigtree Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 11:27 AM
Response to Reply #4
5. Given this sorry choice for labor that is emerging

I think that these labor leaders who have sold their souls to Kerry should sit on him until he promises to make free trade a dirty word.

He needs to attach more than tokenisms to his campaign. There's still time to talk him into a labor campaign. I saw Tsongas turn Clinton into a deficit hawk. It could happen if they keep the pressure on.

Or, whatever . . .


I really like Kerry, btw.

Alright, more than like.
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surfermaw Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 09:50 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. Edwards campaigned against NAFTA in his senate cam[aign
Edwards voted agains trade bills after he became a senator,he did vote fo the china bill..he campaigned against NAFTA as a Senator, there were more trade bill passed on the NAFTA thing and he voted against them...

Why would you pick Kerry over trade bill , heck he has been in the Senate for about 18 years and had seen the NAFTA thing being backed by several President, Bush one did the biggest push for NAFTA, if we would have had democrat control over both houses, this Trade Bill would never gotten out of the house.

Dont peg Edwards who was a freshman Senator just 4 years , for the work Kerry should have taken care of years ago.

Edward is honest and will fight for american jobs...Will Kerry, if so why didn't he do something in the past 18 years,since several presidents have been in favor of the Bill?
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bigtree Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 11:12 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Kerry is honest and will fight for American jobs
Edited on Thu Feb-19-04 11:12 PM by bigtree
Bush is dishonest and will not fight for American jobs.

Edwards: "freshman Senator just 4 years"

Kerry:

-Swift Boat officer, serving on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. He received a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat.

-spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War; testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he asked the question of his fellow citizens, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

-As a top prosecutor in Middlesex County, Kerry took on organized crime and put the Number Two mob boss in New England behind bars. He modernized the District Attorney's office, creating an innovative rape crisis crime unit.

-In 1984, after winning election as Lieutenant Governor in 1982, Kerry ran and was elected to serve in the United States Senate. Now serving his fourth term.

Legislative Accomplishments of John Kerry:

Cosponsored Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bipartisan deficit reduction Act. Kerry was one of the earliest Democrats to sign on to the effort to address the growing budget deficit.

Secured assistance for families of Agent Orange victims: Kerry cosponsored and worked to pass the Agent Orange Benefits Act to extend health care benefits to children of Vietnam Veterans who suffer from spina bifida. <1995 VA-HUD Approp>

Passed international anti-money laundering law: John Kerry proposed and passed anti-money laundering amendment that forced negotiations with foreign banks to keep records of US currency transactions of $10,000 & up and established penalties for countries engaged in money laundering. <1988: S Amdt 3697, HR 5210, #374, passed 85-3>

Introduced bill to significantly increase commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS: Kerry introduced, along with Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act. The bill would increase the U.S. governments funding of international HIV/AIDS efforts from approximately $1.7 billion in 2003 to $1.9 billion in 2004. This effort led to the unanimous passage in May 2003 the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act of 2003. AIDS activists characterized Kerry as one of Congress top leaders on HIV/AIDS policy.

Passed law addressing nurse shortage: Kerry introduced and passed the Nurse Reinvestment Act, to address the current shortage of Nurses in the medical profession.

Expanded early childhood development efforts: Kerry introduced legislation to expand state and local early childhood development efforts, including education, child care and health care for children between birth and six years old. At the end of 2000, a version of this bipartisan legislation was signed into law. .

Strengthened protection of seals, dolphin, whales and other marine mammals: Kerry sponsored legislation that extended and strengthened laws protecting Marine Mammals from commercial fishing.

Introduced plan that expanded childrens health insurance coverage: Kerry and Kennedy drafted an innovative plan to help states expand health care coverage for children in the 104th Congress. Their plan served as the framework for the Childrens Health Insurance Program in 1997


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bigtree Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-19-04 11:16 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Kerry Unveils Plan to Create Manufacturing Jobs During Visit to NH Factory
Kerry Unveils Plan to Create Manufacturing Jobs During Visit to NH Factory
Criticizes President Bush for Standing By While Jobs Are Lost
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_1021.html

October 21, 2003
SALEM, NH -

John Kerry today unveiled an agenda to revitalize the manufacturing sector in America and bring back the jobs lost during the Bush Administration. During a visit to National Aperture, Inc. in Salem, New Hampshire, Kerry called for a new direction from the current Administration and a policy that include tax cuts to create manufacturing jobs, investment in research, development and new technology, better trade enforcement and help with rising health care costs.
“Of the more than three million jobs lost since this Administration took office, two and a half million have been in manufacturing. In New Hampshire alone, the toll has been one out of every five manufacturing jobs—vanished without a trace. Today, manufacturing employment is at a more than fifty year low,” said Kerry. “I believe manufacturing in America can come back and shine as never before. But it won’t happen with the failed policies of the past. We need a President with the courage to fight for our economic future.”

“Manufacturing employment has fallen each and every month of the Bush Administration. Month after month, the job losses roll on,” said Kerry. “The problem is not just that this President’s policies are unfair or that they have driven us back into the days to deficits, debt, and doubt. The problem is that his policies just haven’t worked. And George Bush isn’t facing up to it.”

John Kerry plan to restore and revitalize the manufacturing sector of our economy includes:

Providing New Tax Cuts to Create Manufacturing Jobs in America and Closing Loopholes that Reward Moving Jobs Overseas. Kerry proposed a new jobs tax credit that would refund the payroll taxes for two years for any new employees hired at a manufacturing company and closes loopholes giving tax incentives to move jobs offshore
Invest in Research & Development and Give Tax Incentives to Help Industries Upgrade and Better Train Manufacturing Workers Double funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership that helps small and mid-size manufacturers stay competitive. The Bush Administration has proposed a 90% cut.
Increase and Better Enforce Our Trade Laws to Assure America has a Level Playing Field
Provide Relief for Manufacturers that Provide Quality Health Care and Pensions.

JOHN KERRY OUTLINES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO RESTORE MANUFACTURING SECTOR
Criticizes President Bush for Standing By While Jobs Are Lost

Since the beginning of the Bush Administration, more than 2.5 million manufacturing jobs have been lost – an average of nearly 80,000 a month. The Bush Administration has not cracked down on countries that violate trade agreements or undermine American exports by manipulating their currencies. They have not stopped the incentives that encourage companies to move abroad. And thanks to their reckless fiscal policy, Japan and China are now the largest holders of U.S. debt, giving them more leverage over our economy. John Kerry is outlining a four point plan to revive manufacturing in the United States.

(1) TAX BREAKS TO ENCOURAGE MANUFACTURERS TO STAY IN THE U.S. AND TO CREATE NEW JOBS.

Stop Incentives to Move American Jobs Abroad. John Kerry will save jobs by ending the unpatriotic practice of U.S. corporations moving jobs offshore (known as inversions) to avoid paying their fair share of taxes and assure these inverters don’t get government contracts or any other perks or incentives from the government.

A New Manufacturing Jobs Credit. John Kerry supports the Crane-Rangel-Hollings legislation, which provides a corporate rate reduction to manufacturers who produce goods in the U.S. He has proposed a new jobs tax credit (payroll taxes for two years for additional hires) to encourage manufacturing companies to expand in America.
(2) STRONG ENFORCEABLE TRADE THAT WORKS FOR AMERICA.

Assure Trading Partners Play by the Rules. Some nations have consistently violated agreements by the World Trade Organization, such as taking unfair actions to block U.S auto companies from selling in their markets. This Administration has not used the available remedies to crack down on these violations and help U.S industries, John Kerry would.

Stop Countries from Manipulating Currency. John Kerry believes we must use the full force of the World Trade Organization to take on countries, such as Japan and China, that are manipulating their currency to undermine U.S. exports.

Enforce and Strengthen Intellectual Property Protections. In the 21st economy, the U.S. relies more heavily on international partnerships and joint ventures. Intellectual property protections are essential in this environment so that companies can share their technology without losing control of it.

Break Down Barriers in Key Export Markets. This Administration has done little to open key export markets in places like Japan and Korea. For example, auto exports to Japan are still essentially blocked by complicated rules. John Kerry would use the available tools, including Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, WTO remedies, and diplomatic measures to open these markets.

Review Existing Trade Agreements and Require New Agreements to Contain Labor and Environmental Standards. John Kerry will also order an immediate 120 day review of all existing trade agreements to ensure that our trading partners are living up to their labor and environment obligations and that trade agreements are enforceable and are balanced for America’s workers. He will consider necessary steps if they are not and he will not sign any new agreements until the review is complete. John Kerry will also not sign any new trade agreements unless they contain strong labor and environmental standards.
(3) ASSURE A STRONG MANUFACTURING SECTOR FOR THE FUTURE.

Tax Incentives and Subsidies to Develop Energy Efficient Products. Kerry will create hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs by investing in the new energy opportunities of the future. His plan provides tax credits and subsidies to manufacturers to develop new energy efficient automobiles and appliances.

Double the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). We know that the MEP helps make American manufacturers competitive. Yet this Administration has proposed to cut it nearly 90 percent. John Kerry has proposed to double funding for the MEP and he would make it easier for small manufacturers to get loans and encourage investment by getting rid of capital gains tax for equity investments.

Assure Better Training and Retraining Programs for Manufacturing Workers. To keep the manufacturing sector strong, America needs a workforce with cutting edge skills, training, and knowledge. Kerry would: (1) assure adequate Trade Adjustment Assistance to help workers transition; (2) encourage students studying high-tech fields to work in the manufacturing by repaying a portion of student loans if they do; and (3) encourage better math and science instruction in our schools.
(4) RELIEF FOR MANUFACTURERS THAT PROVIDE QUALITY HEALTH CARE AND RETIREMENT.

Supporting a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit That Rewards Retiree Coverage. Kerry believes a prescription drug benefit should relieve employees from high drug costs by counting retiree coverage toward any cost-sharing. In the current benefit it does not.

Controlling the Cost of Health Care - Saving Workers Up to $1,000 on Health Care. We need to stop the spiraling cost of health care to assure our employers can stay competitive in the global economy and so families can afford health care. Kerry has proposed a new 'premium rebate' pool that will give employees up to $1000.

Cutting Greed to Bring Down Rx Prices. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) process hundreds of millions of pharmaceutical claims, giving them lots of leverage. Kerry’s plan would require transparency rules to clearly show what PBMs receive from the industry.
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PROGRESSIVE1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Feb-20-04 04:52 PM
Response to Original message
9. Edwards is not all that he claims to be afterall.
:eyes:
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