My answer to Senator Feinstein when she explained that she crossed
the aisle and voted with the Republicans to approve Fast Track Authority
for the President to negotiate the TPP.
Dear Senator Feinstein,
In response to your letter explaining why you voted for fast track
authority, I agree that trade is crucial for the economy and has been
since the founding of this nation. Our Founding Fathers also understood
the value of tariffs which fund the government and protect fledgling
industries. They also understood the importance of sovereignty and the
negative effects of powerful corporations, i.e. the British East India
Company. They were so enraged about the special privileges that giant
corporations received compared to local businesses that they threw all
the East India tea into the sea. Perhaps you have forgotten the
anti-corporate history which founded this nation.
Previous
trade pacts have not only ruined the American economy, but have also
bankrupted the government by eliminating import tariffs. Previous trade
pacts have moved good jobs offshore and turned the USA into a banana
republic.
You stress the importance of trade for California's
economy, yet conflate that with why the President should have fast
track authority to negotiate secret international trade treaties that
are kept from the eyes of the sovereign people who rule in a Democracy.
Either we are no longer a democracy, or you and the President are
hiding something very foul in the TransPacific Partnership (TPP).
You mention how trade deals in the past have "negatively affected
certain areas of our work force." Those certain areas include good union
jobs. By eliminating good union jobs, the standard of living in the
USA has plummeted. You say that because so many jobs were lost due to
previous trade agreements, you support the Trade Adjustment Assistance
(TAA). There is no point in retraining people for jobs that do not
exist. I have personally seen several of my friends lose their good
jobs and been retrained for jobs that don't exist. Your preference to
mitigate the expected damage from the TPP with TAA retraining programs
is a betrayal of your constituents.
Lastly, you mention how the
TPP is key to our national security and foreign policy objectives. If
by foreign policy objectives you are referring to overthrowing
democratically elected sovereign rulers who block our corporate
exploitation of their natural resources as our CIA has done time and
again since 1953, and the further expansion of our imperialist
incursions into sovereign nations around the world, then you have
obviously drank the kool aide and owe more allegiance to your corporate
donors than to your human constituents.
Please tell me how
allowing corporate interests to override local environmental laws
improves our national security? The way I see it, the USA is far more
secure with healthy local industry and manufacturing jobs and locally
grown food than by sending our military onto foreign soil or by
extrajudicial assassinations by drone. I believe your priorities have
been subverted and you no longer represent the best interests of the
people of California.
Signed,
Your disappointed constituent
• Here is the letter from Senator Dianne Feinstein in response to when I complained about her approval of fast track authority for the President.
Thank
you
for
contacting
me
to
express
your
concerns
regarding
Trade
Promotion
Authority
(TPA).
I
appreciate
the
time
you
took
to
write,
and
I
welcome
the
opportunity
to
respond.
First,
please
know
that
as
a
U.S.
Senator,
I
carefully
review
each
free-trade
agreement
that
comes
before
me
to
ensure
that
the
best
interests
of
American
workers
and
businesses
are
served,
and
that
the
agreement
will
not
adversely
affect
the
U.S.
economy,
human
rights,
labor
rights
or
environmental
standards.
As
you
are
aware,
I
voted
in
favor
of
TPA—otherwise
known
as
fast-track
authority—because
it
grants
the
President
the
ability
to
finalize
the
Trans-Pacific
Partnership
(TPP).
I
believe
that
increasing
free
trade
with
our
neighbors
in
the
Pacific
Rim
is
squarely
in
our
economic
and
national
security
interests.
The
process
of
considering
trade
legislation
has
enabled
me
to
see
the
extraordinary
importance
of
trade
to
California's
economy,
and
I
wanted
to
share
some
of
this
information
with
you.
Today,
trade
supports
more
than
4.7
million
jobs
in
California,
and
nearly
40
million
nationwide.
More
than
75,000
California
businesses
export
goods
out
of
the
state,
and
95
percent
of
those
are
small-
or
medium-sized,
meaning
they
have
fewer
than
500
employees.
Since
2009,
jobs
related
to
merchandise
trade
have
increased
by
11
percent
in
California,
and
research
has
shown
that
firms
that
export
pay
their
employees
15
percent
more
than
those
that
do
not.
Three
of
California's
major
sectors
benefit
substantially
from
trade:
- The
services
sector—both
high-skilled
professional
services
as
well
as
lower-skilled
services
such
as
accommodation,
food
and
administration—have
helped
lead
California's
economic
recovery
since
the
2008
recession.
Services
exports
have
been
a
key
contributor
to
that
sector.
For
instance,
in
2013,
California
exported
$114
billion
in
services,
a
58
percent
growth
over
2006.
This
has
translated
to
job
growth:
last
year,
66
percent
of
all
new
jobs
in
California
were
in
the
services
sector.
By
reducing
barriers
to
services
exports,
the
Trans-Pacific
Partnership
is
expected
to
boost
this
critical
sector
of
our
growing
economy.
- In
2014,
California
exported
$174.1
billion
in
total
merchandise
goods
and
over
the
past
10
years,
exports
from
California
to
existing
free-trade
partners
grew
by
50
percent.
If
past
trade
deals
are
any
indication
of
the
future,
then
our
merchandise
industry
will
continue
to
grow
under
TPP.
Today,
California's
exports
of
computer
and
electronic
products
face
tariffs
as
high
as
35
percent,
while
transportation
equipment
and
machinery
face
tariffs
as
high
as
70
percent,
both
of
which
will
be
reduced
under
TPP.
- California
agriculture
also
relies
on
exports.
In
2013,
agricultural
exports
were
valued
at
$21.2
billion,
making
our
agriculture
industry
the
largest
by
value
in
the
United
States.
According
to
a
U.S.
Department
of
Agriculture
study,
under
TPP
nationwide
agriculture
exports
are
expected
to
increase
by
5.4
percent
by
2025.
As
with
our
merchandise
exports,
our
agriculture
products
currently
face
steep
tariffs
in
the
Asia-Pacific
region.
Dairy
products
face
a
tariff
of
up
to
35
percent
in
Japan
while
walnuts
face
a
30
percent
tariff
in
Vietnam.
With
these
tariffs
reduced
or
eliminated,
the
TPP
will
help
California's
farmers,
ranchers
and
producers.
The
bottom
line
is
that
trade
has
been
critical
for
California's
economic
growth,
and
it
will
be
vital
to
sustaining
that
growth.
As
you
know,
past
trade
deals
have
negatively
affected
certain
areas
of
our
workforce.
This
is
why
in
addition
to
supporting
TPA,
I
also
strongly
support
Trade
Adjustment
Assistance
(TAA).
TAA
provides
workers
displaced
by
trade
with
job
retraining
and
other
assistance.
I
look
forward
to
TAA
becoming
law
as
soon
as
possible,
and
as
a
member
of
the
Appropriations
Committee,
I
will
continue
to
push
for
funds
for
the
program
each
year.
Lastly,
it
is
important
to
note
that
beyond
economic
considerations,
the
proposed
TPP
is
key
for
our
national
security
and
foreign
policy
objectives.
TPP
will
require
our
trade
partners
to
raise
their
standards
with
respect
to
human
rights
and
workers'
rights.
Further,
it
will
require
countries
like
Vietnam
and
Malaysia
to
improve
their
laws
and
enforcement
against
human
trafficking
and
wildlife
trafficking,
which
I
believe
are
absolutely
critical.
Additionally,
TPP
will
help
the
United
States
re-balance
our
global
priorities
to
take
into
account
the
increasing
role
of
the
Asia-Pacific
region.
Pursuing
free
and
fair
trade
with
our
allies
in
the
region
is
a
key
part
of
that
re-balance.
By
creating
a
free
trade
zone,
we
will
be
ensuring
its
member
countries
play
by
internationally-recognized
rules
that
we
will
help
establish.
Rejecting
this
trade
deal
would
cede
influence
to
countries
that
do
not
share
our
commitment
to
worker
rights,
human
rights
and
environmental
stewardship.
As
the
information
above
demonstrates,
trade
is
economically
vital
for
California
and
the
nation,
which
is
why
I
will
continue
to
support
Trade
Promotion
Authority.
Sincerely
yours,
Dianne
Feinstein
United
States
Senator
I usually stay far away from the issue of Israel and Palestine because I am an active member
of the Jewish Community and I love my fellow Jews. But as a Buddhist, I
love all beings and wish no harm to any, even those that wish harm to me.
As a mother of 2 sons, I am well aware how children always blame the
other for starting. As a divorcee, I realize how painful it is in the
middle of separating from someone with whom you have shared a home for a
long time. I also know that it is dysfunctional to retain hates,
bitterness, blame, and thoughts of vengeance, and much better for my
heart and whole being to forgive and love.
