Dems have Hall of Fame dinner

February 27, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Brown

YOUNGSTOWN

Members of the Mahoning County Democratic Party met for the annual Hall of Fame Dinner with an emphasis by some on making sure countries such as China play fair in trade practices with the United States.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Avon, served as speaker at the Sunday dinner and took time to speak on his efforts to make sure “countervailing” efforts against countries such as China stay in place. He also highlighted his fight to keep as many jobs at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station as possible.

Brown said China does not play fairly with the U.S. in trade, with imports to the United States that benefit from illegal export subsidies. Brown credits President Barack Obama as the “first president in a long time to enforce trade law” but said more has to be done.

Brown said countervailing duties — tariffs and other duties placed on certain imports — are needed to level the playing field, but a ruling by the World Trade Organization and a federal appeals court have hampered efforts to continue those practices. The senator said he will be back in Washington this week working to make sure those tools are not permanently taken away.

Brown said that companies such as V&M Star and the auto industry need measures such as the countervailing duties to compete against Chinese practices.

“You [China] got into the World Trade Organization 10 years ago, and it’s about time you started playing fair and playing by the rules,” he said. “It is important that we continue our focus on making sure trade laws are enforced. ... I will return to Washington Monday and begin efforts to make sure we continue efforts so that companies like V&M Star can compete against illegal Chinese imports.”

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, also touched on the U.S.’s need to compete with countries such as China in his brief speech to those attending the dinner. He said the United States has to invest in the education of young people through accessible grant money and low- interest-rate student loans to compete with China and India, which both have larger populations than the United States.

“We have to make those investments, and if we put the right people in office, we will make those investments,” he said.

Brown also said he will work to represent the Youngstown Air Reserve Station against any future cuts. The airbase will receive four modernized C-130s under a Defense Department proposal, but Brown is concerned that a reduction in overall number of aircraft could mean job losses for the 910th Airlift Wing that is based there.

“When I look at the skill level there, I know that they will continue to serve the public interest, and it is important that they stay here,” he said.