Dear Editor:
As the U.S. debates the pros and cons of the tax system I often pause to wonder how we got into this mess.
When I lived in Michigan and worked for GM the corporation went to the Township Board and told them they needed a $10 million tax break. We set a meeting with the board and suggested they not grant any tax breaks unless they had written assurance GM would keep the factory open. The board panicked, said they had to do what GM requested. Six months later, the factory closed and 3,500 people were permanently laid off even though they, through their union, had given GM concessions on top of the tax breaks. It was reported 33 men and women who felt their lives had been destroyed committed suicide because they lost everything they had worked for all their lives. GM received a tax break - the employees stopped paying taxes from a good paying job.
I read the reports on the demolition of the Safie Mill. Did those workers receive a good wage? Did they pay their taxes? Did the owners of the mill file bankruptcy and go broke before it closed or did they move operations overseas? Did they receive tax breaks? Did they, or others like them, move production overseas and become wealthier by paying slave wages in third world countries?
How much better off would Richmond County be if they tore down the Old Safie Mill and replaced it with a new modern “Safie” Mill, employing taxpaying Americans creating products made in the USA? Would you check the label if they did? I do. Since our government negotiates trade deals, why don’t they negotiate fair trade deals? NOT NAFTA, CAFTA or Fast Track!
Ron Murray Sr.
Ellerbe
I saw today that New Balance is the ONLY shoe maker that has stayed in America to produce and sell.I also saw that a possible trend of companies coming back to produce exclusively in the U.S. may be starting up.
If they do NOT come back,then Congress should put import taxes on them so large that they would be better off coming back.
I saw a comment on here about Jeans.Levi Straus was the FIRST company to leave this country after NAFTA was passed into law.Over 30,000 jobs lost in one move.Of course,the list goes on and on.We need to take care of ourselves for a while.Maybe the world would appreciate us a bit more also if we were to do just that.
you hit the nail on the head with this post,anyone who would not agree with all you said must be a fool. I have always said the playing field with regards to import and export is slanted way down hill in favor of all other nations. Take Korea they have a limit on all imports ,but mostly target the auto market. There is no limits on the amount of cars shipped here by the korean car makers,yet one of my exchange students fathers tried to buy an amercan made car there and was told above the cost of the car there would be an import tax of 18k dollars, making the car cost close to 40k once it got to korea. We have been out sourcing,and nation building ,mnow watching all 3rd world countries growing by leaps and bounds, off the work and loss of jobs in our own country. We will soon reach a point where buy american means nothing anymore. My parents both worked at Safie in the 40s and 50s,and yes life was good for all. the company got into a water dispute with the city of Hamlet ,their water supplier and hamlet would offer no concessions on waters supplied to the mill and the village. The owners told the county they would shut the plant down, which they promptly did. I remember R W Goodman coming to our home and telling my parents not to worry about the money he was owed,and in many cases he passed out money, for food and bills ,to his customers until they could find work elsewhere. So yes Ron there was no unemployed,here in richmond county ,anyone who wanted to work had a job. Something else,Ron we had no social programs, no day care ,no after school programs, no food stamps, no work first, people for the most part were responsible for their own welfare . The churchs pounded people with food and clothes, neighbor helped neighbor,and the community came together as one people and we survived it fine. The people who lived on safie mill village didnt have much, but they did have a lot of pride in neighborhood and self. There were lots of hands ups during this time, but very few handouts. No one ever thought to ask the goverment for anything we just kept on keeping on. Moms stayed home ,kids didnt work except after school for spending money, dads went out and worked in any venue of an honest days pay. It was a bad time in our county,but a good time in history when everyone took care of themselves.
Some people would still look for the cheaper imports, but there is a market for Quality and the idea that fellow Americans would be working. I dont know what both parties were thinking on NAFTA and the other American worker sellouts.
Safie mill was being used by Sara Lee Hosiery at one time and I think that was the last place that used the mill.My great grandma worked in that mill in the 40s and it did quite well.
I absolutely agree that we need to have a NEW trade policy that will protect our manufacturers and at the same time protect the American workers there.I think that the cooperations that left our country need to have import taxes so high that they close their overseas or across the border factories and come back here.
I also think that if we produce American then it needs to be produced by Americans.The illegals need to be carted off,our borders secured better and we need to take care of our own.I think if a Chevy costs 20,000.00 then a NISSAN of the same style should cost 40,000.00.I think that made in China needs to stay in China or cost signifigantly more than the same product made in America.
There is nothing wrong with a global economy because it is nothing new.However,we need to benefit from it and stop giving our products away and stop teaching other countries how to do what we do.
GOOD LETTER MR MURRAY!