23358: Promocapital: An Open Letter In Support of The HERO ACT S-2261 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: PromoCapital <promocapital@promocapital.us>


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An Open Letter
In Support of The HERO ACT S-2261
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Patrick Moynihan
www.haitianproject.org
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Honorable Bill Thomas
U.S. House of Representatives
Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
2208 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph. 202-225-2915
Fx. 202-225-8798
http://billthomas.house.gov/contact.asp
http://billthomas.house.gov

Dear Congressman Thomas,

Given that I am an educator rather than a textile or trade expert, it may
not be readily apparent why I would request to speak on behalf of the HERO
Act. Since 1996, I have directed Louverture Cleary School, The Haitian
Project's free secondary school for academically gifted children from the
poorest regions of Haiti. The objective of the school is to form our young,
talented students into civic-minded, productive leaders for Haiti - a
country that has suffered far too long from the instability created by an
economically divided society easily exploited by mercurial and divisive
leaders who find little challenge in manipulating the country through
threats of revolution and oppression simultaneously. Therefore, as an
educator, my interest in the HERO Act is very pragmatic. Haiti needs a
stronger, larger middle class to buoy its nascent democracy. Therefore, its
people need jobs. Specifically, our graduates need jobs if they are going to
make a difference.

I also believe extending the HERO Act to Haiti will benefit the United
States. It is in our best interest to work cooperatively with all our
brother and sisters in the Americas to create a more stable and economically
healthy region. No offense to Mr. Frost, Trade Acts, not walls, will make
better neighbors and neighborhoods in the end.

Part of my responsibilities as the president of Louverture Cleary and The
Haitian Project is to work with the business community of Haiti to find
meaningful employment for our graduates as they pursue their university
education. This activity has provided me with the opportunity to visit, on
numerous occasions, factories in Haiti involved in production ranging from
textiles to electronics. While many of our students are employed in retail
companies and others are studying medicine at the top universities in Haiti,
a significant portion work in industrial settings as quality control
managers, accountants and inventory managers. I must say that my visits,
again which are frequent and unannounced, have never left me with the
impressions that I hear stated by some of your colleagues in the name of
protecting the Haitian worker. This leads me to wonder if the negative
descriptions, which have at times been very personal condemnations, used to
describe the working conditions in Haiti are motivated more by politics than
a true interest in helping the Haitian worker. I suppose I would believe the
sentiments of those who oppose Haiti being assisted in finding work for its
people through trade acts such as this one, if those same politicians would
propose opening our borders to allow all the unemployed Haitians, over 60%
of the country, to move here and compete for jobs. At the very least, I can
say that their words have little basis in reality given my experience in
Haiti.

Certainly, salaries in Haiti are very low - too low for the
missionary-minded like my self. However, how will wages ever increase
without competition? We are not counting on altruism in this country to
improve laborer's pay - we should not expect to find it doing so in other
countries. With increased employment comes training and increases in
productivity. Increases in productivity provide laborers with the chance to
organize into unions and demand more of the profits their work produces.
Increased employment also creates stability and funds infrastructure
advancements both of which reduce the risk for investors backing companies
looking for new locations for their factories. This, in turn, increases the
number of companies willing to compete for Haitian labor - the last natural
resource Haiti has to bring to the global market. We can continue to pour
money into Haiti through USAID and other non-self-sustainable programs, or
we can provide ways for Haiti to develop an economy.

We also know that this trade initiative comes with significant requirements
that must be fulfilled in order to "merit" the advantage. These requirements
will encourage improvements in the treatment of labor in Haiti as well as
positively motivate the government of Haiti to improve itself. It is easier
to invite a horse to water than push him there. The HERO Act invites social
and political responsibility by offering a tangible reward for doing the
hard work of maturing a country from revolution into statehood.

As a final point, each day I am approached by at least five people who are
looking for work in Haiti. Depending on their circumstances and education,
their plea ranges from desperation caused by hunger to anger caused by
frustration. It is not easy to watch a country undergo the industrial
revolution starting at its most basic, manual and rigorous level. Yet, it is
more painful to think that people will always starve in Haiti and go without
education with only the hope of getting out to console them. I ask that you
pass this trade act. Let's give Haitians of all economic levels a working
chance by giving them a chance to work.

Humbly submitted,

Patrick Moynihan
President - THP/LCS
815-505-1287
npt@ids.net
www.haitianproject.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::