Letter: Free trade is too costly for America

Politicians tell us that the first duty of government is to protect the American people.

The EPA is to protect our right to clean air, water and environment. There are agencies that protect the health and safety of the workplace, public health and disease control. So, why are Rep. Rod Blum and his conservative friends blocking regulations and funding for our protection?

The military is to protect our borders, but when someone says we should use the tools the Constitution gives us to protect American jobs and our economic borders, we are told protection is a bad thing. No one said there should be no trade, only that we should have fair trade.

Today, a factory can be set up almost anywhere and raw materials are shipped worldwide. The only difference is the cost of labor in production. All tariffs and currency valuations do is make the price of labor equal throughout the world.

It is said tariffs cost the consumer more money. Compared to what?

We're told there is no free lunch so what is the flip side of free trade? It is unemployment, closed factories, stagnate wages and higher taxes to pay for the poverty imports cause. People don't like our national debt, but almost half our national debt is made up of our trade deficit.

Free trade is far too costly unless you are a multinational conglomerate looking for cheap labor.

Dean E. Owens

Palo