Nafta

The debate leading up to the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) presented a classic dilemma: The Clinton Administration and its pro-NAFTA supporters (former Presidents, secretaries of state and Lee Iacocca) argued, inter alia , that NAFTA would create jobs in the United States through increased trade and international economic growth. The anti-NAFTA forces (principally, organized labor and Ross Perot) argued that the cheap Mexican labor and lax environmental standards would inevitably "suck" jobs down to Mexico and away from the U.S. Each side predicted dire consequences if its position did not prevail.

Re "Consider NAFTA a Border Control Tool," Commentary, Oct. 22: Atty. Gen. Janet Reno's theory sounds good. Many months before she was on the scene I wrote an article saying that NAFTA and an improved Mexican economy were the hope to reduce illegals. I have seen the agreement and NAFTA is a Trojan horse. Reno is now part of the Clinton parade of so-called "experts" who are using fear as the motivational force to gain public support for NAFTA. I have spent more time on the border and on the issue of illegal immigration than Reno.

Ross Perot is trying to kill the North American Free Trade Agreement with the same type of misleading advertising that he was so critical of during his run for President. Perot, in his infomercial on May 30, offered no evidence that the American economy will collapse because of NAFTA. Investment in Mexico will continue with or without NAFTA. To date, the Commerce Department attributes more than 650,000 jobs in this country to direct trade with Mexico. What industry or company in this country has created that many new jobs in the last five years?

The membership of United Aerospace Workers (UAW) Local 887 is gravely concerned about possible passage later this year of the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). We feel this measure (if approved as written) would create economic havoc in California--especially in our state's already depressed aerospace industry. Our state's economy is currently in a very perilous condition. Approval of NAFTA would do little more than open the floodgates for California's remaining aerospace industry to close their gates, lay off or displace possibly hundreds of thousands of workers, and move still more machinery, technology and decent-paying jobs to Mexico.

The NAFTA is just another example of Uncle knows best and the Them vs. Us mentality of our government. The horse has long ago left the barn. The export of American jobs has been going on for years. All the NAFTA proposes is to help Canada and Mexico better compete with the Far East and to carve that help in stone. If we added to the balance of trade the value of the jobs already exported to the rest of the world, we would have an incredible trade surplus. For our government to assist in the further theft, pillage and rape of the American worker is treachery.