Opinion: President can't be trusted with fast-track power

Not so fast, please, in your enthusiasm for the bill giving President Bush fast-track trade authority, or in your condemnation of U.S. Rep Jim Davis' current position against it.

Many of us who supported NAFTA and free trade back in 1993 when it was ratified by Congress are beginning to feel a little starry-eyed and naive as we look at what it has brought in of 2001.

In 1993, the hope was that NAFTA was ushering in a new age of trade, designed to secure a better economic future for Mexico, Canada and the United States, while also protecting workers and the environment through "side agreements." What has happened in reality? Ask those along Mexico's border where more people than ever are competing for water and electricity while time being exposed to ever higher levels of toxic waste -- in spite of promises never fulfilled for cleanups and loans from the new North American Development Bank.

And now, given Bush's penchant for plundering and pillaging the environment, we are expected to believe that side agreements associated with fast-track can protect the land and labor's interests? If fast-track trade negotiating authority was a bad idea under Bill Clinton in 1997, when it was defeated the first time, it is a calamitous idea under Bush today.

Maybe if some of the polluting factories that dot the U.S. border with Mexico suddenly decided to clean up or if some of the money promised for that purpose ever materialized, those of us who were for NAFTA nearly a decade ago might be encouraged to be hopeful again. In the meantime, stand firm, Jim. Apparently you have seen the light. No fast-track trade authority for Bush.
-- Jean Moore, Lutz

A deadly combination

Re: Jim Davis' flip-flop.

I must chide you for your criticism of U.S. Rep. Jim Davis' decision to switch his position on "fast-track authority" for this administration. I do not doubt that "labor pressure" may have played some role in the timing of his switch.

That is not the point, since he made it quite clear why he was motivated to change. I am surprised that a so-called liberal newspaper like yours could not understand that giving fast-track authority to the current administration with such a slim Democratic majority in the Senate would be like giving a loaded gun to a drunken sailor.

This is the administration bent on herbicidal spraying in Columbia to ostensibly "win" a drug war. This administration's regard for both environmental protection and labor rights in trade agreements is far from convincing, to put it mildly. Fast-track is a useful tool for a president negotiating on a reasonably level playing field. However, it cannot be entrusted to an administration bent on unilaterally getting its way in every international forum or else. Our new energy policy and how it was achieved should be sufficient evidence on that score.
-- Charles R. Hare, Seminole

NAFTA remains a disaster

Your recent editorial on Rep. Jim Davis' policy on fast-track legislation offended me. I normally find your editorial page to be fairly common-sense, but attacking a man for opposing giving fast-track to George W. Bush struck me as wrong.

Fast-track legislation is designed to help a president negotiate treaties without having to deal with congressional objections for problem issues like clean water, clean air or labor rights. You attack Jim Davis for voting in support of such legislation under Bill Clinton's regime when you should be commending him for finally seeing the light.

NAFTA was, and is, a disaster for the United States. Do you think any deal George W. Bush would negotiate for us would be good for, maybe, the loss of another million manufacturing jobs. Free trade sounds nice, but it isn't in working the U.S. interest. Cheaper prices at Wal-Mart don't mean a lot to someone who doesn't have a job.

A generation ago a man could support his family working a 40-hour week in our then-massive industrial economy. Now the average family has two people working, and the work week is growing. Fast-track is about shipping U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas for the benefit of multinational corporations and their stockholders. It is a disaster for most Americans. You owe Jim Davis an apology.
-- John Follman, Tampa

The folly of open markets

Re: Open markets bring trade deficits, letter, Aug. 21.

The letter writer sure had it right regarding the effect "tariff-free" trade has had on closing a huge number of factories in this country and thus eliminating what used to be high-paying factory jobs and related service jobs.

When I grew up in Chicago several decades ago, not all my friends' fathers were engineers, doctors or professional workers as we're trying to make all of our kids today (whether they have the ability or not). Rather, many of my friends' fathers had well-paying factory jobs that enabled them to support their kids and stay-at-home mothers quite well.

Today, we're lowering both the standard of living and quality of life in this country by these much-too-open trade tactics. What we are doing is diluting our natural resources and our technology edge (including the defense industry) by essentially integrating ourselves with these more crowded, poorer foreign countries and their sweat-shop labor factories via international corporations.

This rapid integration with less prosperous countries for more corporate profits benefitting a very few is also directly or indirectly opening up the door wider for more legal or illegal immigration into our country, further diminishing the quality of our existence and further accelerating the loss of jobs for those born and raised here.

When are we going to wake up and consider the long-term diminished quality of everyday life, more rapidly degraded environment and the reduced standard of living caused by more widely opening up our markets, technology coffers and borders?
-- Bernie Browne, Clearwater

Gore doesn't deserve disparagement

I almost choked on breakfast when I saw the Sept. 1 Don Wright cartoon regarding Al Gore in 2004. I have never been this upset with your paper. Why on earth would you print such a ludicrous cartoon? Al Gore has served this country from Vietnam to Congress, to the Senate to the vice presidency. He is a man of honor, integrity, vision and ideas.

In my heart and in the hearts of many others, he is our true president, the one the majority of Americans voted for and the man a majority of Floridians meant to vote for. All Democrats should be dancing in the street knowing that Al Gore will continue to fight for the environment, education, the elderly, minorities, a living wage and Social Security. Why on earth shouldn't he run for president in 2004? The media should focus more on the man and his deeds, than his beard and his weight. How superficial.
-- L. Fink, St. Petersburg

Stirring up drama about Crist

Re: Candidate failed 2 bar exams.

I was both amused and amazed at your large headline on Sept. 1. I love how the newspapers sprint to the negative and scurry to stir up drama. I'm sure every night you all have wonderful dreams of being a very naughty tabloid when you grow up! All the other candidates and political parties love to jump on board and join you in a good feeding frenzy. It doesn't matter if there is an issue or not! Who needs the TV networks for sitcom entertainment. I have my newspapers!

As for Florida Education Commissioner Crist, I admire and respect a person who works hard, never gives up and ends up getting ahead. I can't think of anyone who hasn't failed at something, but the measure of a person is how he gets up and moves on to success. Charlie Crist has shown his dedication to hard work and getting ahead. I'm glad he puts up with the newspapers' and politicians' partisan antics. We need more people like him in public service.

But please don't stop your hard-core partisan political entertainment. You newspapers are much cheaper than paying for cable TV!
-- Linda Madigan, Tampa

What's the big deal?

Re: Candidate failed 2 bar exams, Sept. 1.

So Charlie Crist twice failed the Florida Bar exam. What's the big deal? Some people do not test well. Some people actually get physically sick at the thought of taking tests. It happened to some of my classmates when it was time to take our nursing exams for registration, and they had to repeat them.

And how many times did John F. Kennedy Jr. have to retake the Bar exam before he passed? Wasn't that three times?

It will not make any difference to me at the polls.
-- Anne Beall, Zephyrhills

Judge Crist by his political record

Re: Candidate failed 2 bar exams.

How pompous and myopic of Locke Burt, Bob Poe and Buddy Dyer to suggest that Charlie Crist is unable to fulfill the duties of state attorney general simply due to his bar exam failure 20 years ago. They seem to focus on the distant past as ammunition against Crist -- perhaps it is their only ammunition?

Astute voters would likely focus on more recent accomplishments, such as Crist's years of public service since becoming a lawyer: an unblemished, ethical record in the Florida Legislature. In light of Crist's stellar political record, it is unfair and irrelevant to rely on his bar admission so long ago. Crist is a proven political leader; let the voters guide themselves by that.
-- Todd Smayda, Esq., Largo

A boost to Southern pride

Thank you for publishing Bill Maxwell's superb article, Southerners love their football season (Aug. 29). It made my Southern heart proud to read this article written by a fellow Florida native.

By the way, I'll bet Bill, like me, hates "damned Yankee" comments on how unusual it is to meet a Florida native. When it happens to me, I inform them that, contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of us. I advise them that if they want to meet real Floridians, all they have to do is travel a few miles outside their retirement compounds.
-- R.L. Witsil, Apollo Beach

It's the grubby garb, folks

Re: Neiman Marcus: catering to couture, Aug. 27.

I think the writer misses the point as to what will cause Neiman Marcus' venture in the Tampa Bay area to either succeed or fail.

There are plenty of people here who can afford the price tags associated with this retailer. The question is: Where do you go to wear these high-priced and stylish clothes in Tampa without feeling like an overdressed fool? Other than Bern's, I am unaware of any restaurant with a dress code. Some people dress up for performances at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and Ruth Eckerd Hall and then, more often than not, sit with people who do not have a clue how to attire themselves for an evening at the theater. Unless one is a social siren attending benefit soirees or a member of the elite group of ladies who lunch, the clothes that Neiman Marcus intends to sell here are not for 99 percent of the population.

It's not the price tag, it's the prevalence of the Florida slob beach-attire-for-all-occasions mentality that will undermine Neiman Marcus' attempt to upgrade the locals.
-- Gloria Palmer, Largo

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