Support the Middle Class and Oppose Free Trade Agreements
From:The Honorable Michael H. Michaud
Sent By: nora.todd@mail.house.gov
Date: 10/4/2011
Dear Colleague:
As Congress prepares to consider the pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama next week, I wanted to bring to your attention a recently published op-ed by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
As President Trumka explains, the pending trade agreements are bad for the middle class and will not create jobs. In addition, they are vastly unpopular with the American people. Americans oppose free trade agreements for good reasons: they have undermined the U.S. manufacturing sector; they off-shore American jobs; and they benefit multinational corporations at the expense of Main Street.
I encourage my colleagues to read President Trumka’s op-ed and join me in protecting the American middle class by opposing the free trade agreements when they come to the House floor.
Sincerely,
/s/
Michael H. Michaud
This email was circulated by a Congressperson called Michael Michaud, who represents a district in Maine of all places. I did not know that manufacturing was a big interest group in Maine. I've deleted the promised op-ed from Richard Trumka as its contents are perfectly predictable. You can find it at the link.I have two comments on this rather dishonorable email from the honorable Michael Michaud:
First, we can look forward to Michaud introducing a constitutional amendment to change the commerce clause so as to allow the several states to erect trade barriers among themselves, thereby further increasing employment and providing extra super-duper bonus support to the middle class. Indeed, perhaps Michaud will be so clever as to not just stop at states, but to allow trade barriers among counties or even municipalities. Think how rich the middle class would grow! Imagine the fantastic employment levels to be achieved! And, perhaps best of all, think of all the good it would do for the longsuffering Maine orange growers! Don't they deserve some love?
Actually, the fact that we will not see Michaud introduce such an amendment solves the identification problem otherwise posed by the email from his office. To wit, we can be sure that he is a liar rather than a fool.
On a not unrelated matter, it always struck me as deeply inconsistent with the values of the revolution that led to the founding of this country to give people the title "honorable" merely because they manage to get elected to public office. Indeed, one might argue on empirical grounds that the nature of the electoral process practically guarantees that, on average, elected officials will have less honor than the citizens who elect them. I say we should do away with these bizarrely inaccurate titles immediately, just as we did away with other titles lacking any basis in merit, like duke, earl or king, in revolutionary times.
Via Andy Roth and the Club for Growth trade email list.
First, we can look forward to Michaud introducing a constitutional amendment to change the commerce clause so as to allow the several states to erect trade barriers among themselves, thereby further increasing employment and providing extra super-duper bonus support to the middle class. Indeed, perhaps Michaud will be so clever as to not just stop at states, but to allow trade barriers among counties or even municipalities. Think how rich the middle class would grow! Imagine the fantastic employment levels to be achieved! And, perhaps best of all, think of all the good it would do for the longsuffering Maine orange growers! Don't they deserve some love?
Actually, the fact that we will not see Michaud introduce such an amendment solves the identification problem otherwise posed by the email from his office. To wit, we can be sure that he is a liar rather than a fool.
On a not unrelated matter, it always struck me as deeply inconsistent with the values of the revolution that led to the founding of this country to give people the title "honorable" merely because they manage to get elected to public office. Indeed, one might argue on empirical grounds that the nature of the electoral process practically guarantees that, on average, elected officials will have less honor than the citizens who elect them. I say we should do away with these bizarrely inaccurate titles immediately, just as we did away with other titles lacking any basis in merit, like duke, earl or king, in revolutionary times.
Via Andy Roth and the Club for Growth trade email list.
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