Where are the regulators?

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While the 2008 presidential election is 13 months away, the campaigns are in full swing. Many are talking about the war in Iraq and health care, especially if you are a Democrat.

If you are a Republican candidate, you talk about border security, the war on terror and that you are pro-life (excluding one candidate). All important issues of course, but one subject that both sides do not fully address is free-trade as it relates to national security, national sovereignty, food safety, U.S. jobs that have left the country, and it is the U.S. military, taxpayer and consumer who are left paying the bill.

On Wednesday alone, just one day, there were well over one million products recalled from China, from baby cribs to lead painted jewelry. While the consumers are put at risk over and over again with cheap and dangerous imports, where are our representatives in Washington? Where are the regulators?

On the food import side, agriculture and consumers need to take notice. On Tuesday, former FDA officials blamed the agency’s middle and upper management for its unwillingness to change. Benjamin England, a former regulatory counsel and 17-year veteran at the FDA, said the agency failed to act on more than 100 proposals for change, and he described the current food import system as outdated, inadequate and wasteful.

On the security and sovereignty side of free trade, we must continue to point to China; our trade deficit is pushing near $300 billion annually. In 1999, our trade deficit with China was $6 billion per month or $68 billion for the year. That year we were told that China is the salvation to agriculture.

Remember: In the year 2000, we would grant them Permanent Normal Trade Relations, and the Chinese would import our excess eggs, pork and grain (One Chinese, one egg). Time has proven this false. The last time trade with Red China was nearly balanced was 1985.

In military terms, picture it this way — the $300 billion trade deficit is the equivalent of 60 new aircraft carriers per year leaving our country and going to Communist Red China. America right now maintains 12 active aircraft carriers. To quote a line from the movie “Dances With Wolves,” ... “Good Trade?” No, this is not a good or safe trade. This is a massive exchange of wealth and power. In exchange, we received cheap lead-painted toys at Wal-Mart and tainted pet food, with hardly a word from our leaders. What would this be called during the Cold War?

The people of America and especially rural people need to ask leaders why we continue to purchase goods and services from countries that use our money and technology to later destroy our form of government and way of life.

One solution is agriculture through local food and local fuels or regional fuel systems, instead of purchasing foreign oil ... look to regional fuel systems for powering America. The following are just a few examples, using renewables of corn in the Midwest for corn-based ethanol and soybean-based diesel fuel; in the far South, using sugar cane ethanol, in the western forests use scrap wood for fuel, in the Southwest use solar-based energy, in the upper Midwest look to wind energy for electricity. A discussion on coal-gasification for fuel and nuclear power for electricity is needed. This strong support would help our trade balance, employment, and get money away from countries who wish our destruction.

Keith Bolin of Manlius is president of the American Corn Grower’s Association.