Title: Trade: Wisconsin Editorial

Editorial: Doyle should reject deals
The Capital Times - Wisconsin

An editorial
May 15, 2004

Despite the fact that the North American Free Trade Agreement and other
international trade deals have done severe damage to the manufacturing
and agricultural sectors of states across the country, the Bush
administration continues to push for new agreements that pose new
threats.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is adding insult to injury
by pressuring governors to sign onto the so-called "procurement
chapters" of several new trade agreements, including the Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and a new deal between the United
States and Australia. What is so very troubling is that these chapters
limit the ability of governors and state legislators to use procurement
policies to protect local workers and businesses.

Local, state and national governments use procurement policies as
economic development, environmental conservation and consumer protection
tools. Procurement policies require states to buy goods and services
from local firms - or, at the least, from domestic firms - and can also
require that state contracts go to firms that pay fair wages, treat
workers well, respect the environment, and avoid doing business in
countries that do not respect workers' rights and human rights.

When states sign onto these "procurement chapters," they effectively
sign away their sovereignty and endorse limits on their ability to
display flexibility and solidarity with local workers and businesses
that pay taxes, contribute to communities and act responsibly.

Luckily, a number of governors are waking up to the threat. The
governors of Pennsylvania, Iowa and Minnesota have recently removed
their signatures from these procurement chapters, signaling their
concerns that the agreements undermine their ability to do what is best
for their states.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has not backed off,
however. As the CAFTA and U.S.-Australia deals take shape, Gov. Jim
Doyle is being pressured to sign onto the procurement chapters of those
trade agreements. At a time when other governors, who have researched
the procurement rules and determined that it is unwise to sign onto
these chapters, are removing their names from the agreements, Doyle
should not go the other direction.

If Doyle has any doubts, he should simply call the governors of two of
our neighboring states, Iowa Democrat Tom Vilsack and Minnesota
Republican Tim Pawlenty. They will explain to him that it is a bad idea
for Wisconsin to give up basic sovereignty in order to be part of a bad
deal that would ultimately cost this and other states jobs and
opportunities.

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