The Detroit News. September 24, 2019

Congress should mass USMCA trade pact

Before Congress gets entangled in a battle over impeaching President Donald Trump, it should move to approve a new trade pact with Mexico and Canada. The window appears to be narrowing for getting anything productive done in Washington, but this is one piece of business that is essential to maintaining America’s decade-long prosperity streak.

It should get top priority.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was negotiated a year ago to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and has been awaiting action in Congress. Democrats demanded stronger enforcement guarantees for the pact’s labor provisions, as well as stronger environmental protections.

Last week, Trump agreed to changes to address their concerns, which also included a clearer process for resolving disputes between nations.

Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who served under the Obama administration and is a backer of USMCA, told The Detroit News this week he believes the changes will win over enough Democratic votes to secure passage in the House.

Moderate Democrats from export-reliant districts are pushing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the agreement to a vote and he expects passage by the end of the year.

Hopefully he’s right.

With Democrats lining up to begin a divisive impeachment inquiry, the economy will need some show of stability from Congress.

Finalizing the trilateral agreement with America’s most important partners would at least give business certainty the trading environment.

That’s particularly essential to the domestic automobile industry, which, along with agriculture, is most impacted by the trade deal.

USMCA is not perfect - it meddles too deeply in the labor and environmental policies of other nations and raises too high the U.S. content demands before a vehicle can be considered made in America. But it does address some of the deficiencies of NAFTA, including strengthening intellectual property protections.

And it allows the auto industry and others to make future production plans with a clearer understanding of U.S. trade policy.

That - along with a resolution to the trade war with China - would give the economy a boost at a time when the turmoil in Washington might make investors nervous.

Pelosi and House Democrats should not let this vital trade pact fall victim to Washington’s partisan wars. This shouldn’t be about granting or denying Trump a key economic victory heading into the 2020 election.

It should be about doing what’s right for America’s manufacturers, farmers and workers.

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The Mining Journal (Marquette). September 23, 2019

State public education budget a good place to start

Although it seemed to satisfy few, the budget underwriting state support for public schools was approved by the Michigan Legislature late last week. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has complained the funding was insufficient to the needs districts face, is expected to sign the measure into law.

The minimum per-pupil grant, which most schools receive, would increase from $7,871 to $8,111, The Associated Press reported, or about 3%.

AP noted that wealthier districts would get $8,529, a 1.4% hike, or $120 more than the current $8,409 allotment. Districts’ reimbursements for special education would rise by 2 percentage points, or $60 million.

The AP coverage included comments from a pair of key lawmakers deeply involved in budget negotiations.

“This budget, when you consider the status quo, funds education at a truly fantastic level,” said Rep. Aaron Miller, a Sturgis Republican.

But Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. of East Lansing - the top Democrat on the Senate budget committee - criticized GOP lawmakers for touting “record” spending on schools, likening it to a legislative “participation medal” because tax revenue routinely rises due to inflation.

“This is largely a status quo budget. It’s basically an inflationary increase. It doesn’t do much more than that,” he said.

Would we have liked to see a more substantial increase in spending for education? Of course. But 3% isn’t bad given the condition of the state’s economy. Put another way, it’s a place to start.

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Traverse City Record-Eagle. September 24, 2019

Catching our equilibrium this fall

We Michiganders don’t need a calendar to tell us which season is upon us.

We adopt a more flexible approach than the Lighthouses of Michigan calendar of 2019-2020 will allow.

Several weeks ago, we felt the nip in the air, cursed airborne leaves and hankered for cider.

Last week we turned our faces into 80-degree days and baked peach pies.

We’re used to finding our way through in spite of the calendar, not because of it.

But the calendar can carry a helpful reminder, come autumn.

Fall - its not the season you’d typically associate with balance.

Yet Monday marked the equinox, a twice-only a year occurrence of circadian equality.

Officially we have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.

Unofficially, this can wobble a bit.

Even so we should revel in this cosmic balance while we can.

Steadying influences will strengthen us to face our polar solstices, the extremes of the longest and shortest days and nights.

But in fall, we can wish for the winds of rationality to blow through our government; the patter of practicality and acorns to sound as November Tuesdays approach.

But today, the leaves can fall, the gas prices rise; we are steady.

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