NY-26: DCCC Hits Lee On NAFTA, Jobs To China

Cute... (0.00 / 0)

too bad NAFTA has had virtually no effect on this very White-Collar/Farmer district. What % of people do you think work in industry in this district? 15? 10?

A disappointing start for DCCC.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 18:45:43 PM UTC

Uh... (0.00 / 0)

Come to Medina buddy. We had Fisher Price here. In 1997, Fisher Price left for either Mexico or China. I can't remember which. With that, Orleans County lost what used to be its largest employer, if I'm not mistaken. Hundreds of people worked there. We had a factory here in Medina - Bernz-O-Matic - that was going to ship 200 jobs to China. Luckily that never ended up happening.

Also, look at Delphi. Look at other employers in the district that have shipped jobs out of town. Look at places like Kodak too. There are even places that might not be in the district but employ people from the district.

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by: robert.harding @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 19:04:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Fisher Price left for China, (0.00 / 0)

mostly. Still employs about 5000 in East Aurora, NY (NY-27). Delphi and Perry's are almost certainly the two biggest manufacturing employers, the latter can't be moved. I doubt too many Kodak manufacturing workers live in Greece, Parma, or Ogden. White Collar, yes, blue collar, no.

My town, which is 25% of the district, is probably less than 2% manufacturing. So...you really think the district as a whole is more than 15% manufacturing?

This isn't 27 or 28 or even 29. This is 26. I absolutely positively stand by my statement that this is a bad choice.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 19:44:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

that should have been 500 (0.00 / 0)

not 5000.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 19:47:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do you even know where the district is? (0.00 / 0)

One of the reasons that my hometown (Rochester) and surrounding areas are dying the slow death they are is because of the relocation of several corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities - previously located in the region. Much of this has been due to irresponsible trade policies that don't take into account their effect on unemployment.

That being said, the path to the future is not "bringing back our jobs" - but training (and re-training) our workforce to take on new and more challenging roles in a post-industrial economy with varied needs.

I supported Mr. Powers - but I hope Alice takes Chris Lee to the mats, and this ad is a nice start.

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by: PineHillsResident @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 19:17:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Am wondering about that (0.00 / 0)

There is no question that the regional economy in Western NY has been hit very hard by manufacturing job losses over the past couple of decades.  Most white-collar workers are savvy enough to recognize that their economic well-being does not depend just on the folks in their Congressional district, gerrymandered to exclude the working class (who vote Democratic).

The classic response to US manufacturing job loss has been similar to your comment:

That being said, the path to the future is not "bringing back our jobs" - but training (and re-training) our workforce to take on new and more challenging roles in a post-industrial economy with varied needs.

But, that "post-industrial economy" or "new economy" or "service-based economy" is looking kinda illusory lately.  Turns out, a lot of those fancy "services" that we have been selling the world are of dubious value, and the world is catching on.  Something to be said in that about a serious role for manufacturing in NYS again-- one that builds on a new green economy, making real goods with real practical use in our day-to-day lives in a sustainable way.  Not post-industrial, but sustainable industry.

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by: robinia @ Tue Sep 23, 2008 at 14:33:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oy (0.00 / 0)

The biggest problem with this ad is that Lee's family employed hundreds of local workers in plants throughout WNY before selling their company to ITT.

The response to this ad will be to use workers from those plants to refute the argument of the ad.  And to raise Love Canal in response.

And NAFTA was passed by a Democratic President and Congress.  Cookie Cutter ad, but dig deeper on Lee.  This isn't the way to go.

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by: Lead Dog @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 19:58:07 PM UTC