[CTC] What's driving Seattle's opposition to international trade pact? Income inequality, Bellevue rep says

[Arthur Stamoulis]

More great work from the Washington Fair Trade Coalition…

“I don’t have average constituents saying ‘Do pass the trade agreement,” he said. “I do have average constituents beating down my door, saying ‘Don’t you dare vote for that.’” 

http://m.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2015/04/10/whats-driving-seattles-opposition-to-international.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+industry_2+%28Industry+Banking+%26+Financial+Services%29&r=full


Friday, April 10, 2015, 2:28pm PDT
What's driving Seattle's opposition to international trade pact? Income inequality, Bellevue rep says
Steve Wilhelm
Puget Sound Business Journal

The massive Trans Pacific Partnership is in “real trouble,” and much of that is because average voters find nothing in it for them. 

That’s the view of Rep. Adam Smith, a Western Washington Democrat representing the Ninth Congressional District. He spoke during a University of Washington conference on intellectual property protection in India Friday, and touched on the controversial TPP in response to a question. 

“I don’t have average constituents saying ‘Do pass the trade agreement,” he said. “I do have average constituents beating down my door, saying ‘Don’t you dare vote for that.’” 

Regional debate about the 12-nation TPP trade agreement has been fiery recently, with the Seattle City Council last month unanimously voting to oppose it in the current form <http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2015/03/30/seattle-city-council-unanimously-opposes-trans.html>. Most large businesses and many government leaders support it. 

Smith, who was on crutches after recent hip surgery, said a major reason for the anti-trade agreement stance is the huge disparity between the pay for people at the top of the corporate ladder, and those at the bottom. 

Because of that, regular workers think the only benefits of the TPP will go to corporate owners.

“To our average person out there, TPP is another example of how corporations are for the super rich and not average people,” he said. “Does it make sense for CEOs to be making $40 to $50 million a year, when you have people working for you who don’t have health care?” 

He said this issue of income disparity is so significant, that it’s understandable why so many workers see no reason to support it. 

“How do we fix that so that when workers come into my office,” he said, “they think TPP is a good deal?” 

His Ninth District includes Tacoma and Bellevue, the latter of which is one of the state’s wealthiest cities. 

But Smith added that flattening that disparity will be part of the solution to people's suspicions about trade agreements. 

“Pay them...Pay the workers more money, pay them overtime,” he said. “You don’t need to pay CEOs $50 million.”
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