SIMI VALLEY : Gallegly Doubtful on Free Trade Pact

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) said Friday that he has “very serious reservations” about the North American Free Trade Agreement and may vote against the trade pact when it goes before Congress next month.

“For every positive issue I see, I have a concern with a contradiction,” he said. “If I had to vote today, I’m leaning against it.”

Gallegly said he wants to see more substantial side agreements on immigration controls. For example, he said he wants to make sure the U.S. will be permitted to incarcerate illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the United States. He said he also needs more assurances that NAFTA would help, not hurt, the U.S. economy, particularly in Southern California.

“It’s going to have a much greater impact on Southern California than anywhere else in the country,” he said.

Last week, Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) announced his support for the trade agreement.

A representative from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce came to Simi Valley Friday to try to persuade local chamber members to phone and write Gallegly in support of NAFTA.

Dick Castner, a senior legislative analyst for the U.S. Chamber, spoke to about 85 members of chambers around Ventura County.

“What (congressional representatives) really pay attention to is what business people in their districts think about it,” Castner said, concluding a 30-minute talk on the potential benefits of the agreement, which the U.S. Chamber supports. “If you guys don’t care about it, it isn’t going to happen.”

Regan Walden wasn’t impressed.

Walden, vice president of operations at Datron/Transco Inc., a Simi Valley communications firm, said he came to the luncheon hoping to be educated on what NAFTA could do for his company. He left, he said, feeling like the recipient of an overly long sales pitch.

“I think this guy’s a lobbyist, trying to get us to lobby our congressman for him,” he said. “Ultimately, this is bad for the U.S. economy.”

But David Hames and Terry Bonham, attorneys at an Oxnard law firm, said Castner’s talk persuaded them to support NAFTA. “I was pretty much undecided before I came, and now I’m leaning in favor of it,” Hames said.

Bonham agreed. “I was in favor of it before I came,” he said. “But now, yes, I plan to write to Gallegly.”