Floridians should be troubled that Sen. Bill Nelson chose to vote in favor of CAFTA. This fatally flawed trade deal will do much more to send American jobs, rather than American-made products, to Central America.
CAFTA also will undermine our nation's security by leaving Central American workers and businesses helpless against predatory Chinese-export competition. The region's economies will be hammered, and political radicalism will surge -- along with immigration to the United States.
Agricultural groups, textile manufacturers, businessmen from many domestic industries and labor unions have mobilized to defeat CAFTA. When election time comes, they won't forget legislators such as Nelson, who chose to stand with the out-sourcers.
KEVIN L. KEARNS, president, U.S. Business & Industry Council, Washington, D.C.
Have we become so numb and obsessed with making money that endangering our already-fragile environment and continuing to abuse workers with unfair labor-wage practices is acceptable?
How is CAFTA even considered fair when the United States will give up more jobs, supervision and regulation than it will gain?
My guess is that it's because large multinational corporations seek to gain millions of dollars from not having to abide by fair-wage standards and environmental-protection laws that are enforced here.
I would rather see Americans keep their fair-wage jobs instead of losing them to the lowest bidder in Central America.