Rescuing The Rust Belt

**Terri** · #1 03-04-2008, 09:38 AM

By Thomas Sowell
March 4, 2008

It is fascinating watching politicians say how they are going to rescue the "rust belt" regions where jobs are disappearing and companies are either shutting down or moving elsewhere.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is being blamed for the jobs going elsewhere. Barack Obama blames the Clinton administration for NAFTA, and that includes Hillary Clinton.

Senator Obama says that he is for free trade, provided it is "fair trade." That is election year rhetoric at its cleverest.

Since "fair" is one of those words that can mean virtually anything to anybody, what this amounts to is that politicians can pile on whatever restrictions they want, in the name of fairness, and still claim to be for "free trade." Clever.

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thebaron · #2 03-04-2008, 03:38 PM

Our government's laws have not helped keep the cost of doing business in those regions rising and outdated union groups are still pushing for high rates of pay even when the company is close to going under. Rising prices on products will ensure that less people will buy their products which will reduce the amount of money earned from their investment, so why would they stay and earn less? They are not a charity and nor should they become one.

Our socialist idiots in office will wonder why they don't have any money to pay for their programs when the last "rich" person is either poor or leaves the country! Would last person left close the door on their way out?

FlaJim · #3 03-04-2008, 05:53 PM

The line, "First, let's kill all the lawyers," is from Shakespeare's Richard II, I believe. That's a start.

Next, gut the unions. They've had preferential treatment since the FDR era when the whole entitlement mentality was sown, fertilized, and nurtured.

A remarkably stupid young man called into the Rush Limbaugh Show a couple of years ago to complain he'd just been indefinitely laid off from his $30/hr job at one of the Big Three and now his life was over. He couldn't understand it because he thought he had a job for life, just like his father and grandfather. Guess what, junior? Your great-grandfather might have had a job making buggy whips but he had to adapt, too.

papajaxxx · #4 03-04-2008, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Americans who can vote would do well to start spending more time thinking about economic realities, instead of being swept away by political rhetoric.

FAT CHANCE!

Hence, a Democrat Congress and possible President.

schillerbjr · #5 03-04-2008, 08:21 PM

I must concur with PAPAJAXXX post # 4, well done!!

elmerck1 · #6 03-04-2008, 10:17 PM

The rust has changed to green. A lot of the car manufacturing jobs are now in Al. Tx.Ten. Mexico and Canada, because the unions have voted themselves out of a job. We build Hundais and Mercedes and a few Kias around Lincoln and Montgomery. I noticed that Tex. just got a Toyota Tundra truck plant in San Antonio. We are building the new Virtual Warship in Mobile and Pascagoula Miss, and Nasa has a engine plant in La.and The Space center in Huntsville is thriving, now we have a tanker contract pending for Northrup in Mobile . The people at Boeing got caught stealing from the Gov., so we got the contract down here, on time and on budget. It is getting better down south all the time!!!

**Charie** · #7 03-04-2008, 11:12 PM

It's amazing what not taxing hell out of companies does for a state. I fully expect Wisconsin to join the rust belt soon. I think with our last tax increase we became the highest taxed state in the nation and our earnings are somewhere in the middle. Not good!

Quote:

In short, the rust belts have been killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. That is a viable political strategy, so long as the goose doesn't die before the next election and politicians can avoid leaving their fingerprints on the weapon

A wonderful paragraph! What a way with words!

Amawalk John · #8 03-04-2008, 11:23 PM

No Democrat has any credibility in proposing Democrat-style cures for what ails the Rust Belt.

New York has been losing manufacturing jobs for lots of reasons, including a level of regulation (e.g. state minimum wage requirements) that is higher than federal levels and higher than most states', excessive income, sales, and excise taxes,and other regulations on industry, and a tort lawyer mentality.

Hildebeest was unable to keep her main campaign promise of restoring job growth in upstate New York because of endemic high costs due to government taxes and regulation. Taxes and regulation mean more "rust" wherever they are applied.