Softwood lumber talks with the US

[Twila]

SOFTWOOD TRADE TALKS.....AGAIN


Didn't we win? Why are we negotating with them again? When does the law matter? Or are we simply enjoying the bending over?

 

[no1important]

RE: Softwood lumber talks

I think we like to bend over.......:wink:

No need to negioate at all. We won the disputes and if America don't like it we should start finding other customers like China, India etc to buy our lumber and beef as well.

The days of relying almost exclusivly on the American market should be over, as they sign deals and don't honour them. We are too reliant on them for trade, we should find new countries that trade fair and honour agreements.

 

[Ten Packs]

We've won time and again - and according to the Byrd Amendment, they will KEEP the 5 Billion dollars!!!

....Four-flushers.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Softwood lumber talks

We are negotiating with them again because our ruling elite are dependent on US business contacts for their personal wealth, Twila.

If we really wanted to end this decisively, out chief negotiator would say, "Look, were instituting a 50% export tax on all lumber to the US. We understand that it's disaster season down there and there is no way that you can keep up with demand without our product, but we've had enough. You will have to pay us now, and we know you will because we know that your houses are blowing down. We have TVs up here, you see.

The export tax will be used to develop value-added industry for our lumber, so you might as well start handing out pink slips down at your mills...those jobs are never coming back."

We don't do that though because corporations control our politicians and those corporations depend on the US for their money.

 

[Ten Packs]

Sorry Rev - I got no truck for anyone who kicks somebody when they're down.... and you can "weasel-word" it any way you want, but the scenario you suggest is just that.... booting the least able to defend themselves, in the teeth.

*** BOING! ***

"sorry, wrong answer - but thanks for playing! Now lets meet our next contestant!"


If your plan would put pressure on the Capitol, or the Lobbyists.... I might have some time to listen. But it wont - it will put the heat on Bill and Martha, that go to Home Depot on Saturday, to buy sh*t to fix their place back up...... uh-uh. No Sale.



If you REALLY want to put pressure on "them" - try doing it like the Beef industry in Canada.... here's a post I made earlier tonight, in response to a small-town Albertan (and NOT a kid!) about how he is almost sorry the border has opened... because the Packing Plant in High River has more than doubled it's size and employment in the last two years!



Here's my reply:

Syl, chris, buddy.... don't discount what Brew is saying; be cautious in telling an Albertan about the cattle-business, especially a "small-town-boy". It's a bit like telling a BC'er about logging or salmon-fishing.

Early in the spring of 2004 (some scant 15 months ago) a Meat-processing plant was built (hurredly!) about halfway between Vernon and Kamloops, in a tiny place called Westwold..... but Westwold just happens to be at the end of a relatively short back-road to the internationally-known Merritt/Douglas Lake cattle country.... home of Canada's largest single ranch, ever.

"The Douglas Lake Ranch, located 230 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, is Canada's largest cattle ranch. It stretches from a point 26 kilometres southeast of Merritt almost to Vernon and is home to a herd of about 22,000 cows and calves. It was established in 1872 by rancher James Douglas, incorporated in 1886 by its second owner, Joseph Greaves, and made famous as Canada's biggest ranch by its second-to-last owner, Charles (Chunky) Woodward of the Woodward's department store empire.

http://www.niho.com/Press/VanSun-Nov12-2002.htm

When we drive by there on a Monday, rather than the usual Sunday, there are a good two dozen vehicles in the employee parking lot - in a place where, two years ago, there was nothing but 8" thick Ponderosa Pines and scrub-grass.

NO, it's not the biggest operation in the world..... but it just sprang up in the last year - and how many MORE like it, all across Canada??? If the U.S. won't let us ship beef on the hoof, well then we will just slaughter and process up here, and send the finished product, instead.
Business is business.... for the two dozen cars in the lot in Westwold, how many spots are now EMPTY in Oklahoma, Texas, or Montana?


Ain't Isolationism great????

 

[no1important]

RE: Softwood lumber talks

But Ten Packs, sometimes the only way to get through to a bully is to "kick them when they are down" as I know as a tax payer of BC I am still waiting for California to pay their very very long over due hydro bill.

I also saw on KTLA news the LA area power consumption is way way up and I hope they don't ask for more power since they don't seem to pay their bills.

I would not mind seeing a 50% export tax on our lumber reguardless anyways as due to the Byrd act they are stealing money belonging to us. We need to recoup it.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Softwood lumber talks

Ten Packs, they've been kicking us when we're down for years. How many in the logging industry have been unemployed because of their illegal tariffs? How many farmers and ranchers have gone tits up because of BSE? Hell, how many small lumber yards and small contractors have been put out of business by that Home Despot that Bill and Martha are going to?

I'm suggesting that it's time we kick back.