An Update On "A Discourse With Senator Lautenberg On CAFTA

Here is an update from my discourse with Senator Lautenberg from June 16th. The "caring" Senator has gotten back to me about my reply to his letter. Look familiar? It should, the jackass sent me the same exact form letter he sent me the first time. I doubt he, or anyone on his staff even read my letter! They likely put it in a scanner and scanned for key words to see what I was griping about and then sent me the appropriate form letter. To me, it is obvious that the Senator cares very little about what his constituents have to say about important issues. Since this is the case, vote against him next election time. I know I will. See the return letter below, and our prior discourse under the June 16th heading.


Responding to your message

June 23, 2005

Dear Wayne:

Thank you for your correspondence expressing your views about theU.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). I appreciate yourinput on this important issue.

Please be assured that I share your concerns about CAFTA. I, too,worry that CAFTA might exacerbate the pervasive social and economicinequality already present in many of the Central American countries. Iworry about whether CAFTA will perpetuate or perhaps worsen the currentpoverty plaguing many citizens of Central America. I also worry thatCentral American products could put U.S. producers, including those inNew Jersey, out of business, because Central American firms havecheaper labor costs. U.S. firms competing with Central American imports haveclearly registered this concern. As the negotiations progress thisyear, I will continue to monitor the labor standard provisions of theproposed agreement, as well the environmental standards and exportsubstitution rates.

Despite these reservations, CAFTA could generate economic benefitsfor the region. Economists indicate that though the effects of thetrade agreement might be small on a macroeconomic level, they will increasethe profits to the local firms affected by the regional trade. ForU.S. producers, access to new markets for goods such as agriculturalproducts could become advantageous. In general, U.S. companies couldbenefit from the opportunity to increase their foreign investment in thisregion. Finally, CAFTA may reinforce political stability in these fiveCentral American countries by providing institutional structures thatwill reinforce recent progress made in efforts to strengthen the rule oflaw and to fight terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking.

Thanks again for contacting me. I will carefully monitor theprogress of the CAFTA negotiations to ensure that any new trade agreementmeets the highest standards for labor, environmental, and social protection.