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.
Sincerely
yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
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.
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
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