IT’S OFFICIAL: MARK KENNEDY ABANDONS MN WORKERS AND FARMERS

07/28/2005

IT’S OFFICIAL: KENNEDY SAYS “YES” TO CAFTA, ABANDONS MINNESOTA WORKERS AND FARMERS

After months of supposed indecisiveness, Mark Kennedy last night cast the vote that made his support for the misguided Central American Free Trade Agreement official and undeniable. Congressman Kennedy, how will you explain your support of a plan that more than 30,000 Minnesota sugar growers opposes? How will you explain it to the tens of thousands of local manufacturers who have lost their job since NAFTA was implemented? You’ve made your choice - Now it’s time to explain it.

Late Last Night, Kennedy Voted for CAFTA…Last night, Mark Kennedy voted for the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which passed by just two votes. The vote came after a long day that saw President Bush, Vice President Cheney and members of the Bush Cabinet pressuring Republicans to support the President and vote “Yes.” [Vote #443, 7/28/05; Star-Tribune, 7/28/05]

…After 200 People Protested CAFTA at Kennedy’s District Office. Earlier this month, nearly 200 people went to Kennedy’s St. Cloud office to urge him to vote against CAFTA. Among the groups represented at the protest were the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition, the Minnesota AFL-CIO and sugar industry workers. [St. Cloud Times, 7/13/05]

MINNESOTA FARMERS OPPOSE CAFTA…

CAFTA Would Ruin Minnesota’s Sugar Market.  Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) says Minnesota’s beet sugar industry, the largest in the nation, could be wiped out under CAFTA. One Minnesota union official added, “If CAFTA is allowed to go through, we will have farmers and workers standing shoulder to shoulder in the unemployment line.” Another Minnesota beet sugar farmer said that under CAFTA, “Most of the towns here are just going to dry up and blow away.” About 30,000 jobs are tied to the sugar industry in Minnesota’s Red River Valley. [Workday Minnesota, 3/6/05; Star Tribune, 3/16/05]

Ø Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Oppose CAFTA. After Sen. Norm Coleman announced a sugar compromise deal with the White House last month, the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers said they still opposed CAFTA. “That’s a short-term fix,” said Nick Sinner, Executive Director of the Association. “We’re looking for a long-term solution to our concerns because CAFTA is a long-term deal.” [The Forum, 6/30/05]

Ø MN Sugar Worker: Kennedy Doesn’t Deserve Minnesotans’ Support If He Votes for CAFTA. Mark Froemke, an American Crystal Sugar truck driver, said “If (Mark Kennedy) votes for CAFTA, he does not deserve the support of the people of Minnesota.” [St. Cloud Times, 7/13/05]

Ø Minnesota Farmer: CAFTA is “Not What’s Best.” David Roche, president and CEO of Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, said recently, “I live and breathe the sugar industry 24 hours a day. CAFTA is not what’s best.” [AP, 7/12/05]

Ø Sugar Growers Say Vote for CAFTA is Vote to “Send Constituents to the Unemployment Line.” Even after the so-called “compromise,” that would limit sugar imports under CAFTA, Phillip Hayes of the American Sugar Alliance said, “It’s not a fix to our problem. It’s a Band-Aid over a gaping wound.” “A vote for CAFTA is a vote to send constituents to the unemployment line,” Hayes said.  [Star-Tribune, 6/30/05; Roll Call, 7/5/05]

CAFTA Threatens Ethanol Production.  Last month, the Minnesota-based Institute of Agricultural and Trade Policy published a report arguing that CAFTA will increase ethanol imports. “By enabling ethanol imports into the U.S., CAFTA undercuts decades of work by farmers, rural communities and millions of dollars in taxpayer investments in federal and state government programs to build the U.S. ethanol industry,” the report stated. “By allowing ethanol imports into the U.S., it will likely limit how high the U.S. price for ethanol will go. This will limit the value of U.S. ethanol and in turn limit the price of corn.” [Institute of Agricultural and Trade Policy, 6/22/05]

Ø Ethanol is a $587 Million Industry in MN. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, “ethanol’s economic impact on Minnesota has created $587 million in output and has created 2,562 jobs.” [http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/default.htm]

MINNESOTA MANUFACTURERS OPPOSE CAFTA…

Minnesota Labor Official Questioned Kennedy’s Motives. Steve Hunter, Secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, wrote, “About 100,000 Midwest machinists lost their jobs to NAFTA - and several hundred St. Cloud machinists lost out, too. St. Cloud and the entire region will continue to lose good-paying jobs if the House adopts CAFTA… With that much at stake, it’s hard to understand Rep. Mark Kennedy’s stated support for CAFTA. Central Minnesota’s farmers, workers and businesses with futures at stake have repeatedly asked Kennedy to reconsider his stance. His reluctance to buck the Bush administration’s strong support for CAFTA is understandable. But it’s tough to justify that reluctance when a vote for the Central American Free Trade Agreement is a vote against prosperity for many in Central Minnesota.” [St. Cloud Times, 7/14/05]

Ø Minnesota Has Lost 86,900 Manufacturing Jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota has lost approximately 86,900 manufacturing jobs since January 2001. [Bureau of Labor Statistics]

Phil Singer
Communications Director, DSCC
202-485-3123 (office)
202-528-1462 (cell)