Call To Action: Urge Your Representatives To Vote No On CAFTA

Readers,

This is a reminder to please sign the existing Call To Action to urge your Representative to vote NO on CAFTA. For those of you who watch NASCAR, the Kannapolis, NC textile factory mentioned in the following email is the same one Ralph, Dale, and Kerry Earnhardt worked in to support their families before they launched their racing careers.

In addition, here's a link to a November 2004 story on the aftermath of the textile quotas ending, and how the residents of the mill town in the Carolinas are dealing with the loss of their jobs.

Dear Robbie,

On July 30, 2003, 4,300 people lost their jobs in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Increased pressure from cheap imports forced the local textile factory, which once produced 300,000 towels a day, to close. Nearly half of these workers were over 50 years old.

Unfortunately, this story is not unique. As our government negotiates new free trade agreements - specifically, the Central America Free Trade Agreement, "CAFTA" - the incentive to move plants overseas to take advantage of cheaper labor will increase, and the story of Kannapolis, North Carolina will repeat itself in towns all over the United States. But there is still time to act!

Because of problems like this, overwhelming public opposition throughout the Americas has thus far prevented the Bush Administration and Congressional leadership from bringing CAFTA to a vote.

Until now.

The Bush Administration has stepped up its campaign to get CAFTA passed, and the latest word is that the US House and Senate will try to bring it to a vote before the July 4th recess. Please take the time to ask your representatives to vote no on CAFTA.

Increased trade has the potential to reduce poverty and encourage development, but CAFTA is the wrong approach. CAFTA threatens American manufacturing jobs and the livelihoods of rural farmers in Central America who are unable to compete with the heavily subsidized United States ag-businesses. $18 billion in annual subsidies allow US farmers to export their products to foreign markets at prices that are below the cost of production. How can small rural farmers in Central America compete?

CAFTA promises to bring hardship to the working class on both sides of the border.

Please email your Representative and Senators today.

Thank you,
Jenny M.
Care2 & ThePetitionSite Team