Republican Colorado Farmers To Trump: Your Trade War Sucks

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by: Colorado Pols

Meat.

9NEWS reports on the less-then-enthusiastic response from Colorado farmers to emergency relief authorized by President Donald Trump to offset losses caused by new tariffs in place as Trump goes to economic war on major trading partners like China:

“To a producer that’s been impacted greatly by the tariff situation it’s really a band-aid,” said Kim Reddin, Colorado Corn Communications Director.

The President announced the emergency aid Tuesday morning. It is meant to help farmers across the country who are hit by foreign countries’ response to U.S. tariffs. The Colorado Corn Growers Association said in a statement that ‘producers have been treated unfairly by China’s illegal trade practices and taken a disproportionate hit with illegal retaliatory tariffs.’

While Colorado Corn is thankful the administration is taking action, the group said farmers in our state need a long-term fix.

“Growers really want, not an aid package or assistance,” Reddin said. “What they’d really prefer is market driven demand where they can go to the marketplace and sell their crop.”

The issue of toughening American trade policies to reduce unfair competition and support domestic production of all kinds is more complicated than some of the other cleanly partisan issues under debate in this election year. The fact is that at least some of Trump’s protectionist moves against other nations like China have support from traditionally Democratic allies in organized labor. The Clinton-era embrace of globalized trade by the Democratic Party hasn’t been enough to destroy the coalition between the party and labor, but it hasn’t been good for it, either–and there are plenty of union Democrats who quietly wish it wasn’t a deplorable figure like Trump taking action to “protect American jobs.”

Here in Colorado, however, the situation is more easily clarified. Colorado exports large quantities of agricultural products, many directly affected by the retaliatory tariffs recently imposed by China and Mexico. Meat prices, as one example are set to plunge as warehouses fill with unexportable product. Much less exposed to tariffs on manufactured goods, the threat to Colorado’s economy from disruption of agricultural exports is quite significant–and politically, more damaging to rural areas traditionally loyal to Republicans.

In short, there’s much more political downside for the GOP in this trade war than upside here in Colorado.

11 thoughts on “Republican Colorado Farmers To Trump: Your Trade War Sucks”

MichaelBowman says:

July 25, 2018 at 10:51 am

The real test will be when the CO Farm Services Agency Director begins issuing the checks. Will they stand on principle and return the money, or quietly deposit their ~~windfall~~ welfare check?

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1. Pseudonymous says:
  
  July 25, 2018 at 11:07 am
  
  "Pay with Cash"
  
  – President Donald J. Trump
  
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Moderatus says:

July 25, 2018 at 11:27 am

I love how you have to grudgingly admit that Trump is doing things unions have wanted for years. Trump will save the American worker and destroy unions by showing how useless they are. There may be some growing pains but AMERICA will be stronger in the end. MAGA!

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1. Pseudonymous says:
  
  July 25, 2018 at 11:33 am
  
  I love how you have to grudgingly admit that Trump is doing things unions have wanted for years.
  
  Trump will save the American worker and destroy unions by showing how useless they are.
  
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2. MichaelBowman says:
  
  July 25, 2018 at 11:55 am
  
  Destroying unions? Like the one he destroyed just before he took the oath of office?
  
  Trump Hotel employees in Las Vegas secure a contract with powerful Culinary Workers Union
  
  For more than a year, Trump and his staff at the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas have fought efforts by employees to join Culinary Workers Union Local 226. But a four-year contract announced by the union on Wednesday will offer Trump employees annual wage increases, a pension and family healthcare, among other benefits.
  
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3. MichaelBowman says:
  
  July 26, 2018 at 5:13 am
  
  Correct me if I’m wrong Moddy, but as a government employee yourself don’t you benefit from union representation?
  
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4. unnamed says:
  
  July 26, 2018 at 6:22 am
  
  Hey MAGAt. Can you tell me what MAGA stands for? I heard somewhere that it stood for Moscow Agent Governs America. Can you confirm?
  
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  1. MichaelBowman says:
    
    July 26, 2018 at 6:30 am
    
    Well, we could have the Republican pedophile (Nutter’s candidate in that race) Roy Moore in the upper chamber. MAGAwd!!!
    
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5. JohnInDenver says:
  
  July 26, 2018 at 12:08 pm
  
  Have you seen a graph of union representation and wages over time, Moderatus?
  
  Middle-Class Decline Mirrors The Fall Of Unions In One Chart
  
  And lower income figures track pretty well, too.
  
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  1. unnamed says:
    
    July 26, 2018 at 12:25 pm
    
    MAGAt-anus can't comprehend graphs. He's the perfect Benefict Donald stooge: dumb, ignorant and ready to parrot whatever Vlad wants him to.
    
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mamajama55 says:

July 26, 2018 at 7:49 am

The meat piling up in cold storage sounds yummy, doesn't it? So after a month or two of 99 cent / # pork, then what?

Meat industry towns like Fort Morgan will be hurt disproportionately. Not only the mostly white working class unionized labor, but also the refugee and immigrant labor in these plants.

This will impact the town economies down the line.

Are we tired of winning yet?

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