------ Forwarded Message From: Matt Schlobohm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:49:26 -0500 Subject: CAFTA poll shows overwhelming public opposition
Hi all, Check out the results of this recent national poll on CAFTA. It shows overwhelming opposition to CAFTA among the public across party lines. This is an encouraging sign that the corporate trade agenda is losing its credibility and not working for the majority of people. Lets all keep up the pressure and defeat CAFTA! An article as well as a fact sheet on the poll are pasted below. In solidarity, Matt Schlobohm Poll: Most Americans give thumbs-down to CAFTA trade pact By Doreen Hemlock South Florida Sun Sentinnel Business Writer Posted March 2 2005 Adding fuel to the debate before a congressional vote, a poll released Tuesday showed a majority of Americans oppose the proposed U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement known as CAFTA. Only 32 percent support the agreement. The main concern among 800 respondents polled by phone in early February: potential job losses and economic damage in the United States. An anti-CAFTA group, Americans For Fair Trade, commissioned the survey from Republican pollsters Ayres, McHenry & Associates Inc. and nonpartisan research group Ipsos-Public Affairs, both of the Washington, D.C. area. The anti-CAFTA group plans to circulate the results in Congress, hoping it will sway members to vote against the agreement. The poll comes as the Bush administration prepares to send CAFTA to Congress, hoping for a vote by summer. The administration supports the agreement as a way to expand U.S. sales to five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic and also lock in U.S. trade benefits to those nations, bolstering their democracies. But the survey found opposition to CAFTA among Democrats, Republicans and independents of all ethnicities, plus opposition among a plurality of U.S. Hispanics. A tally of responses to different questions showed Democrats opposing CAFTA 53-31 percent; Republicans 47-37 percent; independents 53-32 percent; and Hispanics 47-40 percent, the survey found. A whopping 74 percent of respondents said they'd oppose the agreement if it reduced consumer prices but caused job losses. Other key findings: 69 percent of voters surveyed cited concerns of insufficient labor and environmental protections in CAFTA. 56 percent of voters voiced concern that CAFTA could erode U.S. sovereignty, by allowing foreign companies to sue the United States outside the U.S. court system NEW POLL* SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON: AMERICANS OPPOSE CAFTA REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRATIC AND INDEPENDENT VOTERS CAN AGREE ON ONE THING: THEY DON’T SUPPORT THE CENTRAL AMERICA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (CAFTA)! A RESOUNDING NO! ON CAFTA American voters oppose CAFTA by a solid margin: * A majority of American voters oppose CAFTA! 51% of American voters said they oppose this trade agreement while just 32% support it. After presenting both pros and cons about CAFTA, opposition increased to 54% and support fell to 30%. * Voters oppose CAFTA regardless of their party. Democrats oppose CAFTA by a 53 to 31 percent margin, Independents oppose it by a 53 to 32 percent margin, and Republicans oppose it by a 47 to 37 percent margin. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS Voters see free trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA for what they are: catalysts to destroying U.S. jobs. * An overwhelming 74% opposed CAFTA when asked if they would favor or oppose the agreement if it reduced prices they would pay as a consumer but at the cost of jobs for U.S. workers. * Of those American voters who opposed CAFTA, more than half (52%) cited the threat to the U.S. economy and jobs as their primary concern. MANY OTHER SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH CAFTA When presented with various pro and con arguments about CAFTA, American voters expressed serious concerns with many of the trade agreement’s shortcomings, including: * CAFTA’s lack of requirements for Central American countries to protect the environment and restrict child labor made 69% of voters less likely to support the trade deal. * CAFTA´s impact on moving manufacturing jobs overseas for cheaper labor made 60% of voters less likely to support the trade deal. * CAFTA’s negative effect on U.S. sovereignty by allowing foreign corporations to sue the U.S. outside of our judicial system made 56% of voters less likely to support the trade deal. THANKS FOR NOTHING, NAFTA! CAFTA’s “big brother” and model NAFTA was soundly rejected by American voters: * 51% of American voters say that NAFTA has been bad for the U.S. economy because cheap imports from abroad have hurt wages and cost jobs here at home and that the U.S. should not pursue free trade agreements with other countries in the future. *This poll was commissioned by www.AmericansForFairTrade.org, a non-profit organization, and conducted by Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc. and Ipsos- Public Affairs February 1-6, 2005. The poll has a national sample of 800 weighted respondents, who confirmed that they are registered to vote, with an oversample to yield 300 Hispanic registered voters. The survey was conducted via phone with a margin of error of +3.5% for registered voters and +5.7% for Hispanic over sample. Additional information about this poll can be found at www.AmericansForFairTrade.org. Individuals, groups and other entities are free to cite the results of this poll provided they give proper attribution to www.AmericansForFairTrade.org. -- Matt Schlobohm, coordinator Maine Fair Trade Campaign 217 South Mountain Rd. Greene, ME 04236 PH: (207) 777-6387 FAX: (207) 783-5096 www.pica.ws/mftc ------ End of Forwarded Message
