Candidate Gary Peters wants to revisit NAFTA

[OhioChick]

Thursday May 01, 2008, 7:09 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former state lottery commissioner Gary Peters said Wednesday he would support renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying the trade deal has cost the state manufacturing jobs.

Peters, in a speech to AFL-CIO members in Detroit, outlined a series of economic proposals, including the repeal of tax subsidies for oil companies, the promotion of alternative energy industries and the targeting of currency manipulation by China.

Peters, a Democrat from Oakland County's Bloomfield Township, is challenging Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg in a congressional district targeted by Democrats.

Peters said trade deals such as NAFTA and the Central American Free Trade Agreement need to be revisited to include improved labor standards and environmental protections.

"We just need to have fair rules," he said.

NAFTA expanded trade among the U.S., Canada and Mexico, eliminating most tariffs on a wide range of products from agriculture to cars to computers. But Democrats have said more protections are needed for workers after the loss of manufacturing jobs.

Both Knollenberg and Peters have outlined economic plans to help the state's auto industry and manufacturing sector.

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2008/05/candidate_gary_peters_wants_to.html

[mac2]

1. They assume we want NAFTA in the first place.

We don't and said so in the 2006 election. We can do better on our own. Trade is not in the hands of a trade organization and the President. It is Congress with the permission of the people.

It does not remove borders and destroy our Constitution either.

We can't enforce rights and environmental problems in other countries let alone our own.