By George F. Will George F. Will Columnist covering politics and domestic and foreign affairs Email Bio Follow Columnist April 5 at 7:53 PM The president has received from one of his employees, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a report that probably tells Ross’s employer what he wants to hear: that imports of cars — “The Audis are coming! The Audis are coming!” — threaten “national security.
The Utah Republican, he of the white shirts, blue suits, subdued ties and measured words softly spoken in stately cadences, lacks the demeanor of a brawler spoiling for a fight. He has, however, just picked one concerning a small sliver of something vast — crony capitalism disguised as patriotism. Lee’s Open America’s Waters Act of 2019 would repeal the Jones Act’s requirements that cargo transported by water between U.S. ports must travel in ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, U.S.-registered and U.S.-crewed. Colin Grabow, Inu Manak and Daniel J. Ikenson of Washington’s Cato Institute demonstrate that under — and largely because of — the Jones Act, the following has happened:
A hog farmer in North Carolina purchases corn feed from Canada rather than Iowa because delivery costs make the Iowa corn uncompetitive. A Hawaiian rancher flies cattle to West Coast feedlots and slaughterhouses to avoid Jones Act shipping costs. Although the United States is the world’s second-largest producer of rock salt, Maryland and Virginia buy theirs for winter use from Chile because of Jones Act shipping costs.
The central banks (fed) based the entire currency on debt (anti-value). Thats why there is perpetual debt
lets not forget the impact of the Jones Act on Puerto Rico & elsewhere. Time to end it--if US Merchant Marine can't compete there are better ways to assist than a highly regressive tax on island 'protectorates'--
It also impacts the cruise industry.