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Next UPDATED: JUN 6, 2007 FREE TRADE? It is the Republican mantra – free trade. With China the trade is not “free” from two perspectives; both of which have North Carolinians paying the price. First, as noted in previous editions of TPJ, China artificially fixes the value of its currency against the US Dollar. China fixes the currency lower than its true market value in order to make Chinese imports to the US cheaper and US exports to China more expensive. As a result, the US has a massive trade deficit with China, a deficit that grows larger every year. Robert Scott with the Economic Policy Institute explains the effect on North Carolinians (emphasis added): China's exports to the United States of $288 billion in 2006 were six times greater than U.S. exports to China, which were only $52 billion. China's trade surplus was responsible for 42.6% of the United States' total, non-oil trade deficit. This is by far the United States' most imbalanced trading relationship. Unless and until China revalues (raises) the yuan and eliminates these other trade distortions, the U.S. trade deficit and job losses will continue to grow rapidly in the future. The 1.8 million jobs opportunities lost nationwide since 2001 are distributed among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with the biggest losers, in numeric terms: California (-269,300), Texas (-136,900), New York (-105,900), Illinois (-79,900), Pennsylvania (-78,200), North Carolina (-77,200), Florida (-71,900), Ohio (-66,100), Georgia (-60,400), and Massachusetts (-59,300) The 10 hardest-hit states, as a share of total state employment, are: New Hampshire (-13,000, -2.1%), North Carolina (-77,200, -2.0%), California (-269,300, -1.8%), Massachusetts (-59,300, -1.8%), Rhode Island (-8,400, -1.8%), South Carolina (-29,200, -1.6%), Vermont (-4,900, -1.6%), Oregon (-25,700, -1.6%), Indiana (-45,200, -1.5%), and Georgia (-60,400, -1.5%) China's entry into the WTO [World Trade Organization] was supposed to bring it into compliance with an enforceable, rules-based regime, which would require that it open its markets to imports from the United States and other nations. . . . As a result, China's entry into the WTO has further tilted the international economic playing field against domestic workers and firms, and in favor of multinational companies (MNCs) from the United States and other countries, and state- and privately-owned exporters in China. This has increased the global "race to the bottom" in wages and environmental quality and caused the closing of thousands of U.S. factories, decimating employment in a wide range of communities, states, and entire regions of the United States. North Carolinians can thank Bush and Republicans. While espousing “free trade,” Republicans are sacrificing American jobs. _____________________________________________ UPDATED: JUN 3, 2007SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION House Bill 91, REGISTRATION & VOTING AT ONE-STOP SITES, will be heard in the Senate Select Committee on Government and Election Reform on Monday, June 4th at 5:00 p.m. in Room 1027 Legislative Building. The NC Coalition for Same Day Registration is urging as many people as possible to attend the Committee hearing to demonstrate the widespread support for Senate passage of the bill, without amendments. If you cannot attend the Senate Committee hearing on Monday, please contact the Senators listed at the end of this article who are members of the Select Committee. Even if your Senator is not a Committee member, please contact your Senator. If HB-91 passes out of Committee, the full Senate may take up the measure within days thereafter. The NC Coalition for Same Day Registration suggests these talking points: 1. North Carolina consistently ranks among the worst 15 states for voter turnout.
2. About 1 million citizens are not even registered to vote.
3. The NC Board of Elections says counties can increase voter access and still protect against fraud with the procedures in HB 91.
4. Same Day Registration is a tool of empowerment for allowing more African Americans, young people, and others to have their voices heard.
5. Same Day Registration would enfranchise thousands of North Carolina citizens who want to vote but who miss the artificial and unnecessary deadline to register, which is 25 days before the election.
6. Same-Day Registration is especially helpful for young people, people of color, working people, and others with limited time or transportation.
7. Several states use Same-Day Registration, and they have much higher voter participation than NC.
8. Barriers to voting (whether a poll tax or an outdated registration deadline) block the development of a healthy democracy of, by and for the people.
9. For more background, see: http://www.democracy-nc.org/improving/samedayreg.html For Democrats, there is another compelling reason House Billl 91 should become law – to counter the now obvious efforts of the Republican Party, nationally and locally, to suppress voter registration among the young; minorities and those of lower socio-economic standing. Republicans have pushed legislation to make voter registration more difficult, operated illegal phone jamming to suppress the vote, and perhaps most seriously, used the US Justice Department to pursue non-existent voter fraud cases. When a number of US Attorneys, upholding their oath of office, failed to vigorously prosecute, they were surreptitiously removed. A Greg Palast report exposes the motives and scope of the Republican effort to prevent citizens from voting (emphasis added):
Tim Griffin, formerly right hand man
to Karl Rove, resigned Thursday as US Attorney for Arkansas hours after
BBC Television ‘Newsnight’ reported that Congressman John Conyers
requested the network’s evidence on Griffin’s involvement in ‘caging
voters.’ Greg Palast,
reporting for BBC Newsnight, obtained a series of confidential emails
from the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign. In these emails, Griffin, then the
GOP Deputy Communications Director, transmitted so-called ‘caging lists’
of voters to state party leaders. State Senate Democrats should ask themselves one simple question; why would the Republican Party, nationally and locally, work so diligently, including politicizing the Dept. of Justice, to suppress voter registration and voting among minorities, the young and less economic advantaged citizens? The answer, of course, is that these groups tend to vote Democrat. Republican policies for the last seven years have been designed to give a disproportionate advantage to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of middle and lower “class” Americans. There are, of course, many more Americans who have been harmed by Republican policies than the number of wealthy who have gained. Republicans fear the political retribution of the “under classes,” therefore, keeping them off voter rolls and away from the ballot box is to their advantage. In the end, it is about the right of citizenship; the constitutional right to vote. For our Party, it is leveling the playing field against the perverse bastardization of the electoral process by the Republican Party. _____ Senate Select Committee on Government and Election Reform
Co-Chair Sen. Dan Clodfelter (D-Mecklenburg)
– 919-715-8331 –
Danielc@ncleg.net
Last Update: 06/10/2007 |
