Document text
Smith says WTO wasn't worthy of all the attention By PAUL FATTIG CENTRAL POINT -- Many of the protests in Seattle last week over the World Trade Organization meeting were misdirected, says U.S. Senator Gordon Smith. "The WTO does not have the power that many ascribe to it," said Smith during a town hall meeting here Monday. "Ultimately, this conference in Seattle collapsed because the real decision-making is in the capitals of the member nations." About two dozen local residents came to hear the Republican's comments as he fielded questions on subjects ranging from Social Security to the United Nations. Smith, noting that he had no objections to legal protests in Seattle, said the United States has plenty of clout when it comes to the WTO. "I think it's fine that people express their views, their frustrations, their values against what they think the WTO stands for,'' he said. "But in the end, in defense of international trade, our state lives and dies by international trade," he added. "We need a fairer trading system." Yet that doesn't mean that human rights, workers' rights or environmental degradation should be ignored, he added. When it comes to the U.N., Smith said he supported a measure calling for the United States to pay its delinquent dues. "I believe our nation ought to pay its debts," he said. "But I believe we should keep legitimate pressure on the United Nations." He reminded the audience that the U.N. has no power to subvert United States laws. In response to a question from Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker, Smith said the future of Social Security is sound. "In my view, Social Security is looking more and more solid all the time," Smith said, noting that he does not support increasing the retirement age. As for the potential for computer breakdowns at the end of the year because of potential problems with the Y2K bug, Smith isn't worried. "We are well prepared for it," he said, adding that the only exceptions are the Federal Aviation Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. Smith isn't optimistic about the outcome of public hearings being held around the nation, including one scheduled next week in Medford, to gather input about President Clinton's executive order to set aside 40 million acres of roadless areas in national forests. "The hearings are more of a public relations outreach on the part of the administration than it is an open-mindedness on the policy," Smith said. However, he noted the president does have the right to establish a policy for roadless areas. "My question is: Isn't he creating a de facto wilderness policy?" Smith asked, adding that establishing a wilderness takes congressional action. "This strikes me as (the actions of) a monarchy, not a democracy," he observed. "I would rather that he works with Congress." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA