GREENVILLE, SC — U.S. textile leaders met here on August 30 to launch a grassroots campaign to elect Democrat candidate Inez Tenenbaum to the U.S. Senate.
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Roger Chastain, president of Mount Vernon Mills, introduces Inez Tenebaum during a press conference launching a grassroots campaign to elect the Democrat candidate to the U.S. Senate, as textile industry leaders look on. |
Industry executives gathered with Tenenbaum for a press conference that followed a fund-raising luncheon. Many of the textile representatives said they have broken ranks with the Republican Party to support Tenenbaum, the South Carolina’s secretary of education who is running against Jim DeMint to fill Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings’ seat.
The event, organized by Roger W. Chastain, president of Mount Vernon Mills, attracted about 75 executives from textile mills, fiber producers, cotton merchants, textile machinery manufactures and supply vendors to the Poinsett Club.
“When it comes to trade, America comes in last,” Chastain said. “We need Inez Tenenbaum in Washington. Here’s why: Tenenbaum’s opponent, a ‘free trader,’ is no friend of textile workers. His office released an insulting statement that said, ‘We don’t want to go back to having textile mills in the South. There are good-paying, high-tech jobs we would rather have.
“With that attitude the textile complex cannot expect to be properly represented in Washington. Trade agreements that are supposed to be ‘fair’ and benefit both exporter and importer, have been flagrantly disregarded by foreign countries, especially China.”
The event launched the “Textiles for Inez” campaign to promote Tenenbaum’s candidacy.
During the press conference, Tenenbaum warned that the end of global quotas on textiles and apparel at the end of the year will further cost the industry many more jobs. Tenenbaum, and others in the group, have targeted DeMint for positions the U.S. Congressman has taken on trade, including his support of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
“The ‘free traders’ always like to claim the benefit of ‘lower prices for consumers,’ ” Chastain said in a release issued by the group. “We would change that to say, ‘the high cost of low prices.’
“The war against thieves and unfair traders has decimated many textile towns in our state,” he added. “Markets in our own country, for our own American-made products, have literally been given away at the enormous cost of tens of thousands of textile and apparel jobs. We have lost our right to choose when buying clothing, shoes, toys, tools, electronics and much more. It will take enforcement of the laws to stop the robbers. This is why we believe in Inez Tenenbaum. If there is one word that describes her action, it’s, ‘enforcer.’ “
Throughout Tenenbaum’s nine-point “Action Plan to Stop Unfair Trade,” she stresses enforcement of trading laws, Chastain said.
“She says, ‘before we sign an agreement, show me the economic benefits for America,’ “ he said. “Her position is a breath of fresh air. We need Inez Tenenbaum in Washington to represent the best interests of South Carolina and America.”
