Coalition Forms to Support NAFTA

A group of local government officials has banded with environmental activists to drum up support for the North American Free Trade Agreement, the plan to open trade throughout the continent.

Three members of the Southern California Assn. of Governments announced Monday the formation of the California Coalition for NAFTA.

Ventura County Supervisor John K. Flynn joined Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Susan Brooks and Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Hernandez in announcing formation of the coalition, which Flynn said would present its opinions to small groups of business leaders throughout Southern California.

“There is growing grass-roots support for NAFTA, especially in Southern California,” said Flynn, who returned last week from Washington, where he said Democratic officials told him the trade agreement would pass overwhelmingly if voted on in private.

“The merits of NAFTA are simply there,” he said.

Congress has publicly hedged its support for the proposal because of efforts to defeat the agreement by unions and other groups, Flynn said.

Flynn said the free-trade agreement would benefit both the Mexican and U. S. economies by generating new jobs and profit through increased trade.

Also, Flynn said, the flux of immigrants from Mexico to the United States would be curtailed in the long run by a stronger Mexican economy.

Activist groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council also agreed to join the coalition, Flynn said.