Congresswoman Kristi Noem will speak to the public at the Aberdeen Ramkota on Thursday, April 5, at 11 a.m.
Among the questions we pose to our Congresswoman is what action she might rally her fellow Representatives to take to alleviate the negative impacts of the Trump steel tariffs on the local economy. Aberdeen economic development chief Mike Bockorny warned the Aberdeen City Council last night that Trump’s impulsive protectionism could crimp our local economy:
While the discussion with local entrepreneurs hasn’t included calculations on construction costs, Bockorny said the new federal steel tariffs will likely mean higher prices.
“Contractors are saying steel building prices will be costing more,” he said. “We will have to work within the confines of those.”
Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports were announced by President Donald Trump on March 7 as a way of protecting U.S. producers. Bockorny said it will take time to determine the impact on local companies that import those products [Elisa Sand, “Bockorny to Council: Business Development Possible This Year,” Aberdeen American News, 2018.03.20].
Yeah, but Mike Bockorny’s only saying that as part of his collaboration with the Muslim Brotherhood to undermine the Trump Administration, right?
When he’s not pretending his tariffs are about national security, Trump says he’s slapping these penalties on friends and foes alike to fight for “abandoned” companies and jobs. But here in his base’s heartland, Trump’s tariffs abandon local economic development to higher costs.
Maybe Congresswoman Noem can promise as Governor to bring to Aberdeen a steel recycling plant. We could build it next to the beef plant, with EB-5 money from Chinese investors….