Letter to the editor, from The Journal News:

"President Bush and John Kerry have indicated that the effect on jobs of several "free trade" agreements will be an important issue in this election year. But there is no fundamental difference on this issue between these two politicians.

George Bush champions the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, and Sen. John Kerry's voting record is 3-for-3 in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the World Trade Organization and related "free trade" matters.

The flow of jobs overseas isn't the only consequence of so-called free trade agreements. NAFTA has opened our nation's borders to illegal immigration, and the proposed FTAA will worsen this already huge problem.

The issue that should be of greatest concern is the continuing loss of our nation's independence because of these agreements. Recently, we have seen how a NAFTA tribunal was given superiority over our nation's state and federal courts in a dispute involving a Canadian real estate company.

The FTAA will compromise America's sovereignty just as surely as the European Union entrapped its member nations.

Our leaders shouldn't be proposing more of these pacts. They should be withdrawing us from pacts that already unfavorably impact our jobs, borders and national independence."