Effects of NAFTA in Mexico, California

Pat Buchanan (Column Right, May 4) states that the North American Free Trade Agreement promised a more democratic Mexico, a rising standard of living in both nations, an expanding U.S. trade surplus with Mexico and a reduction of illegal immigration. He believes that these promises have not been kept and therefore NAFTA is a total failure.

Mexico has made enormous advances in democracy, electing for the first time in history governors of opposition parties to important states like Jalisco and Baja California. Unlike before, no one is above the law, not even the brother of the ex-president.

With regard to the Mexican economic crisis, yes, the former president deceived not only Mexican citizens but also foreign investors. However, Ivy League professors of former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari were able to recognize the need for Mexico to devalue the peso, while Wall Street investors did not. Were they too preoccupied with reaping enormous profits? The $50-billion bailout was used to help American investors pull out without suffering the enormous losses they would otherwise have had. With regard to the 550,622 automobiles that Mexico exported to the U.S., perhaps Buchanan should look at the hood ornaments on these. These are U.S. companies using cheap Mexican labor to produce American-designed autos to compete with Asian manufacturers.

With regard to drugs and the consequences associated with this criminal activity, perhaps Buchanan should see it from the Mexican point of view; it is Mexico’s misfortune to have a neighbor with millions of drug users. As far as illegal immigration is concerned, the day the American consumer is willing to pay $1 for a tomato or an apple and there are U.S. citizens willing to spend eight hours a day in the sun stooped in a field picking these, that will be the day that illegal immigration will come to a virtual standstill.

ANTONIO BLANCO

Chula Vista

* “NAFTA Called a ‘Success’ for California” (April 29) quotes Gov. Pete Wilson’s World Trade Commission as declaring the trade pact “an unquestionable success.” (It was refreshing that the article did state that the commission is composed of 13 business executives involved in import/export trade, with the remaining two members being state legislators.)

Would the 1,290 former Compton employees of Lightolier who lost their jobs as a direct result of NAFTA consider it “an unquestionable success”? Or how about the 150 former workers of Capri Lighting, the 1,000-plus Guess workers or the 105 former workers of California Fashion--all of Los Angeles? How about the 1,300 Vans employees in Orange, the 300 at Price Pfister, the 300 at Owens-Brockway, the 250 at Simpson Paper or the 1,450 at General Dynamics?

More than 118,000 displaced workers have sought Trade Adjustment Assistance. TAA is available only to an employee directly affected, i.e., an automobile assembler whose position is relocated to Mexico is eligible but the worker who manufactures the parts to be assembled is not. Nor are the displaced service employees who met the needs of the once middle-class automobile assembler. What standard of living, quality of life, did the jobs we lost provide? Will the jobs we gained support an equal standard?

JACK COX

Secretary-Treasurer

Teamsters Local 572, Carson