Editorial voices from elsewhere
Editorial voices from newspapers around the United States:
The presidential campaign is over, and hopefully the flirtation with trade protectionism has ended as well. The new Trump administration will not be able to deliver on its promise of a reinvigorated economy if it also sticks to its pledge to curtail trade.
That was the message Ford Motor Co. CEO Mark Fields delivered at the Los Angeles Auto Show recently.
Ford Motor was a favorite whipping boy of Donald Trump on the campaign trail. As a candidate, Trump blistered the automaker for moving car production to Mexico. But as Fields said then, the reality of labor contracts with the United Auto Workers union and federal emissions and fuel economy rules make profitably producing small cars in this country nearly impossible.
What is particularly worrisome to Fields, and should be to everyone else, is Trump’s campaign pledge to add a 35 percent tariff on cars and trucks built in Mexico and imported to the United States.
That would seem to be in direct violation of the North America Free Trade Agreement and the rules of the World Trade Organization. And it would also be terrible economic policy. It would surely ignite a trade war, with Mexico slapping tariffs on auto parts imported from United States manufacturers.
Trump has also suggested a 45 percent tariff on goods imported from China, which is rapidly becoming America’s most important trading partner. That, too, would have disastrous impact on U.S. workers and economic growth.
And it would drive up prices for a wide range of consumer goods.
America always loses when it engages in trade wars. Trump and his team should focus on growing the economy through smarter tax and regulatory policies, rather than throwing up barriers to trade.
The nation just finished Thanksgiving, a holiday that increasingly is under siege, despite its prominence in the history and mythology of this country. This has less to do with how the holiday story of Pilgrims and Native Americans is perceived. Rather, we are thinking about “Christmas creep.”
Christmas creep is defined as the tendency for advertising and decorations associated with the Dec. 25 holiday to appear earlier and earlier. It’s a phenomenon that has been building. Most of the time, Halloween has helped serve as a roadblock when it comes to Christmas creep. But the public is seeing Christmas creep in stores, even before the jack-o-lanterns, ghosts and black cats come down.
And perhaps it’s worse on television, where packages are seen with red ribbon or holly-jolly people wearing sweaters before there’s even a hint of frost in the air or a brightly colored leaf dropping from the tree.
We recognize that railing could make us sound a little like Ebenezer Scrooge. And there are other holidays and seasonal events that push the boundaries as well. School advertisements seem to be popping up just a couple of weeks after students were released for summer vacation. But do we have to trample over Thanksgiving to get consumers ramped up for the holiday season?
We don’t think so.
We want to add our voice to that of local law enforcement cautioning drivers to avoid drugged driving.
The long-running drug problem in our communities has led to growing alarm about crashes resulting from drivers who are driving while under the influence of drugs. The number of drugged crashes has increased 25 percent since 2012. This year alone there have been 3,574 such crashes.
As the holidays approach, it is more important than ever for drivers to be alert and avoid any medications or alcohol that could impair their driving. Be aware of how alcohol and medications might interact with each other, too.
The volume of cars and truck on the road in upcoming weeks will be greater, so it’s important to pay attention at all times when behind the wheel. Enjoy a safe holiday season by avoiding those things that can impair your ability to drive.