Saturday, February 13, 2016
Trump Lashes Out At Carrier During Republican Presidential Debate
The only candidate to raise as an issue at tonight's Republican presidential debate in South Carolina the announcement by Indianapolis-based Carrier that it would be laying off 1,400 workers and closing its operations here in Indianapolis and shipping them off to Mexico, along with hundreds of other workers at its facility in Huntington, Indiana. Trump said he would work to build consensus with Congress to impose tariffs on Carrier for any of the HVAC units its tries to ship back to this country from Mexico.
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10 comments:
I thought it was just me looking to find the Indiana governor, the Indianapolis mayor, the City County Councilors, or any Hoosier politician having anything of substance to say on this matter.
As usual from our quisling Hoosier Democrat and Republican political ruling class when it comes to protecting the rights of the people and upholding the rule of law: all we can "hear" and "get" so far is...CRICKETS.
But good Lord, these self-interested privileged politicians can screech and hyperventilate about why their salaries should be raised [I say CC Councilor salaries should be reduced!], the career political class can explain away their many bennies no taxpayer footing the bill for same could ever hope of getting for themselves of their children, free sports tix, etc., but damn, don't bother to try to save the few remaining jobs that haven't been carted across our non-existent borders thanks, in major part, to Democrat Bill Clinton and his American jobs-draining NAFTA.
C'mon, Gary. You know that free trade benefits all consumers with greater choice & lower prices. Conversely, tariffs, subsidies & quotas benefit the inefficient yet politically-connected producer. GM is a perfect example: instead of competing by making superior cars, it used its political muscle during the 70s & 80s to restrict Japanese imports because the imports were gaining market share.
I would agree with ANON 1:40, other than some, "awe shucks" type remarks the local Reupublicrats are silent on the issue of the trade deals. America's industrial base has been economically bombed. Factories move off shore,, products are transported and sold here, profits are moved off shore.
Ross Perot many years ago warned of the giant sucking sound of American jobs going south because of NAFTA.
Just calling something "free trade" does not make it so nor is is true that this alleged free trade "benefits" consumers. Go tell the one thousand plus Hoosiers, themselves consumers, they are benefitted by losing their jobs to Mexicans who will work for far less and who will receive far less in company benefits. What a stupid thing to say in your commentary, Carlos.
Look at Obamacare, which is actually a tax increase masquerading as "health care". The alleged 40 million uninsured remain uninsured while those who were already "insured"- and forced to lose their previous coverage- face ever-increasing premiums with lessened services. All the while, the established ruling political class exempted itself and its servants.. uh, it's staff.. from the laws everyday Americans are forced to obey.
"Free trade" was the lie Democrat Bill CLinton employed to sell NAFTA to "Republicans" and the general public; the mildly educated heard the phrase "free trade" and were stupid enough to believe it. Like Obamacare, Clinton's NAFTA has harmed millions and millions of Americans with its wholesale national financial coup d'etat moving industries and money to the southern continent and to the Asian nations.
Sending manufacturing to Mexico does not work. Look at Kitchen Aid/Whirlpool who moved refrigerator manufacturing down to Mexico in 2005 and then moved it back to the US about four years ago. The company had so many warranty repairs related to the Mexican suppliers supplying sub-standard compressors that they choose to move manufacturing back to the US.
The idea that a consumer picks a refridge costing in the $800 to $3000 range based on a reduced labor cost of less than $50 is a sham. The Carrier brand will suffer due to this move, a telling sign will be increased warranty costs which will be initially concealed by the executives who made the decision to move.
Free trade is about a foreign manufacturer making a product good enough for the United States; it should not be about moving manufacturing facilities. (think of LG which now holds a large share of the US market).
Anon 1:40, the blame isn't just with Clinton, our two carpetbagger Senators from Indiana Voted for NAFTA,Richard Lugar thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, and the carpetbagger Coats, went right along with the other koolaid drinkers!
We gotta do something about these people, Coats is in the Senate, and the Mick from up north is doing nothing but saber rattling, talks cheap!
IndyRob, are you on drugs? Sending manufacturing to Mexico works just fine, your anecdotal evidence aside. I can provide hundreds of examples from companies like Levi Strauss, Chrysler and many others that suggest you do not have a clue.
anon 8:10,
I am not on drugs and your example of Levi is a very poor one.
Levi has been losing market share for years, they are still a very big company, but dropped out of the top 100 of the fortune 500 and their market share has been steadily dropping over the last 20 years. In 2004, Levi had 14.4% of the US market, in 2014 their share was down to 12.4%. Globally, in 2004, their share was 7.2%, in 2014 it has dropped to 5.3%. Sill a big company, but Levi Strauss is fading fast. Levi's used to be the best jeans available, now they are just jeans comparable in quality to wrangler, LL Bean, and a lot of others.
Chrysler in 2000 had 14.5% of the US market, in 2015 they have 12.4%. Their market share has dropped as well. I think you also should look at the warranty costs per vehicle with Chrysler, they have some of the highest costs in the Industry, higher than Honda, Ford, Toyota, and GM.
Levi jeans are cheap and sold at Walmart
Anon1108, of COURSE the workers who are directly impacted are hurt. Certain domestic industries always suffer when trade occurs with a foreign nation that possesses a comparative advantage. However, it is precisely BECAUSE of that comparative advantage that prices decline for all consumers.
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