Speech #1090060646

I know firsthand. as many Mainers do. that with these layoffs and closures. when these businesses go under because of unfair trade deals. so does the heart and souls of these communities. In Maine alone. since 1998 and to late 2004. the Federal Government had documented 11.724 workers who lost their job due to trade. Although the real undocumented number is much higher. it has been estimated that 24.000 Mainers have lost their jobs due to NAFTA alone. The number serves to demonstrate yet again what people in Maine already know through our own tough experience. The economy continues to struggle and our workers see fewer good prospects.