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Editorial: Wisconsin vs. CAFTA

An editorial
May 20, 2005

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Christa Wagner, the conservation organizer with the Sierra Club, holds a sign in protest at the Bank of America Corporate Center where Honduran president Ricardo Maduro was pitching the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in Charlotte, NC, on Tuesday, May 10.
Christa Wagner, the conservation organizer with the Sierra Club, holds a sign in protest at the Bank of America Corporate Center where Honduran president Ricardo Maduro was pitching the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in Charlotte, NC, on Tuesday, May 10. (AP Photo/The Charlotte Observer, Yalonda M. James)

As the debate heats up regarding the Central American Free Trade Agreement - the Bush administration's attempt to lower trade barriers between the United States and the Central American countries of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic - there are good signs coming from Wisconsin.

With a vote on the corporate-friendly trade deal expected soon, perhaps even before the Memorial Day break, it is now clear that a majority of the state's congressional delegation will oppose the move to extend the disastrous model for trade relations that began with the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Credit is due U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, for coming out early and aggressively against the proposed Central America Free Trade Agreement. Kind and Kohl have shaky records of standing up for Wisconsin workers and farmers in trade fights, but even they recognized that CAFTA is a bad deal for the Badger State.

Kohl, who has often backed free-trade deals in the past, said he would oppose the Bush administration's trade deal because of his concerns over CAFTA's rules on workers' rights in a region where labor laws fall far short of minimum international standards. "As a businessman I recognize that international markets are important to our economy, but this is yet another trade agreement that lacks significant labor, health, safety and environmental protections," the senator explained. "That sort of trade pact has tended not to work for us."

Kind joined other leaders of the House New Democrat Coalition, which has a record of backing free-trade initiatives, in penning a letter to President Bush that said, "The administration has been asleep at the wheel, wasting time on dismantling Social Security rather than empowering our workers, our students, and our children to be full participants in the 21st century global economy. We believe that economics and trade need not be a zero-sum game; they can be win-win for everyone involved as long as people have the tools to succeed. When the administration wants to get serious about this, we'll be more than happy to work with them on it. But until then, they cannot expect us to be crucial votes for an incomplete trade and economic policy that leaves Americans less able to be creative and innovative."

Kohl and Kind join other Democrats who have records of opposing free-trade deals - Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin of Madison, Dave Obey of Wausau and Gwen Moore of Milwaukee. Moore says, "Free-trade agreements have been touted as surefire methods to increase jobs domestically and improve the economic conditions of partner nations. However, in the case of NAFTA, we seem to have had the opposite. In Wisconsin, there are high levels of unemployment and manufacturing jobs are hemorrhaging at an astounding pace. Mexico has seen real wages decline and small farmers have been squeezed out of business. Because of this, I have serious concerns that CAFTA could harm Wisconsin workers and also serious doubts about its supposed benefits to the working poor of Central America. I do not support this agreement."

As usual, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, is stuck in the pocket of the administration and its corporate allies. But three other Republican representatives - Jim Sensenbrenner of Menomonee Falls, Tom Petri of Fond du Lac, and Mark Green of Green Bay - remain undecided. They need to hear from Wisconsinites in coming weeks. Make the message: No to CAFTA.

Published: 7:42 AM 5/20/05

With a vote on the corporate-friendly trade deal expected soon, perhaps even before the Memorial Day break, it is now clear that a majority of the state's congressional delegation will oppose the move to extend the disastrous model for trade relations that began with the North American Free Trade Agreement.

We Need to Do Something About This and Fast!