Let's start a trade war.

[Blackstone]

Like with most things, there has to be some middle ground between allowing cheap imports into the U.S. and protecting jobs at home. The U.S. International Trade Commission, which is an independent Federal agency, actually recommended that Obama impose duties for three years starting at 55% to counter tire imports from China, which have tripled over the last 4 years.

Contrary to what you think, U.S. tire companies do make cheap low cost tires. However, they have moved those operations to China and Mexico to take advantage of cheap wages and almost non-existent environmental regulations. The result has been that about 13 U.S. tire plants have been closed and about 15,000 U.S. workers have lost their jobs. Just last year, the Goodyear plant in Tyler, TX closed, putting 1,400 people out of work from its peak production. That plant’s operations went overseas. They were the 2nd largest employer in Tyler. They Tyler, TX plant made low cost tires for the replacement market.

During his presidential campaign, Obama outlined a new, progressive trade policy that would help domestic industries seeking relief from foreign competition. It looks like he is following through on that promise. Since the election, he has also pledged to avoid protectionism to avoid exacerbating the current global recession. It’s going to be difficult walking the fine line between the two.

[Buzz]

Could be the fact that we no longer have a manufacturing class, because the unions have seen to it that all the rank and file laborers have to be paid huge union salaries complete with lavish health care plans and extravagant pensions. So labor has to be outsourced abroad or we'd be paying three times what tires cost now.

Also FYI part of the Obamacare is billions of our tax dollars used for bailing out union pensions that were mismanaged because heaven forbid a union factory worker might be in the same boat as the rest of the country when it comes time to retire or a union exec. can't draw 6 digit annual retirement cash. Obongo doesn't care if the rest of us starve and have to use witch doctors, ju ju pots and gris gris as long as his peeps are taken care of.

You're right. I don't think American laborers should expect to make any more money than those in China. I don't think they deserve healthcare, vacation time, or weekend off for that matter either. Also, I think that the US should repeal every last environmental law, bring our environmental laws and the standard of living of American workers down to parity with the Chinese.

[Bruce MacPherson]

Like with most things, there has to be some middle ground between allowing cheap imports into the U.S. and protecting jobs at home. The U.S. International Trade Commission, which is an independent Federal agency, actually recommended that Obama impose duties for three years starting at 55% to counter tire imports from China, which have tripled over the last 4 years.

Contrary to what you think, U.S. tire companies do make cheap low cost tires. However, they have moved those operations to China and Mexico to take advantage of cheap wages and almost non-existent environmental regulations. The result has been that about 13 U.S. tire plants have been closed and about 15,000 U.S. workers have lost their jobs. Just last year, the Goodyear plant in Tyler, TX closed, putting 1,400 people out of work from its peak production. That plant’s operations went overseas. They were the 2nd largest employer in Tyler. They Tyler, TX plant made low cost tires for the replacement market.

During his presidential campaign, Obama outlined a new, progressive trade policy that would help domestic industries seeking relief from foreign competition. It looks like he is following through on that promise. Since the election, he has also pledged to avoid protectionism to avoid exacerbating the current global recession. It’s going to be difficult walking the fine line between the two.

So if the Rutgers study is correct we will only lose 25,000 more jobs probably lose a share of our export market and have the Chi coms start laying off debt causing even more instability, yipee.

[Blackstone]

Less than 50 years ago, 1/3 of U.S. employees worked in factories, making clothing, tires, cars, furniture, etc. These were good paying jobs that helped fuel our economy. Today, a little more than 1/10 of the nation's 131 million workers are employed in manufacturing jobs. Four-fifths are in lower paying service industries.

Since 2000, more than 1.9 million manufacturing jobs have been lost, most of which have gone to Mexico and China. That’s about 10% of the manufacturing workforce. During the same period, the number of jobs outside manufacturing have only risen about 2%.

Many of the factory jobs are being lost are in response to a sharp rise in global competition being faced by U.S. companies. Unenforced trade regulations have greatly contributed to the problem. Companies continue to look for ways to reduce costs and increase profits by moving jobs abroad to take advantage of lower labor costs, low or non-existent environmental regulations. They are also trying to position themselves to sell products to growing markets abroad, like India and China.

Meanwhile, the loss of good paying jobs continues to erode the standard of living in the U.S. for the average working American.

[subroc]

sounds good. If it is a trade war started by a democrat, it must be good for the nation.

democrats care about the little guy.

democrats are smart.

[zeus3925]

Obama has slapped tariffs on all passenger and light truck tires imported from China. I can think of 4 or 5 reasons that this is a stupid idea but he needs concessions from the unions to float his health care package and keep his base pacified so there ya go, another bold leadership move.

What concessions might that be?

[junfan68]

Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- China announced a probe into the alleged dumping of American auto and chicken products, two days after U.S. President Barack Obama imposed tariffs on imports of tires from the Asian nation.

Way to go O'Dumbass.

[Bruce MacPherson]

What concessions might that be?

The AFL-CIO say they are non negotiable on three parts of the proposed health care legislation.

Employer mandates
No tax on health benefits
Public Option.

Of the three the public option seems to be the biggest problem for them although they would be pretty adamant about the tax on so called Cadillac health plans because so many union workers have them.
It would appear that the public option is probably not going to fly and at this point the President is likely to take what he can get. What does the President have to do to persuade the unions to stay on board?

[Blackstone]

So if the Rutgers study is correct we will only lose 25,000 more jobs probably lose a share of our export market and have the Chi coms start laying off debt causing even more instability, yipee.

That is "IF" the economist from Rugters is correct. Of course, we know economists are alway correct. Only time will tell.

[Blackstone]

sounds good. If it is a trade war started by a democrat, it must be good for the nation.

democrats care about the little guy.

democrats are smart.

It really doesn't matter to me which party tries to correct the trade imbalance that is negatively impacting the average American worker. I don't care who fixes it. I just want to see it fixed.