Leftist Democrats can best govern by understanding exactly how their proposed and applied legislation affected three hundred fifty million Americans. NAFTA was this nation’s worst legislated trade agreement. It has caused untold financial ruin. You will notice in [the Oct. 14] Moultrie Observer, a rousing article about the Georgia teachers retirement plan at financial risk. The national news writer does not include NAFTA as a possibility for this unfunded liability.

The writer stated that the plan’s investments under reacted to expectations. In layman’s terms that means the national economy since NAFTA (1994) has been held captive by the permission given under NAFTA, to manufacturers to leave America and go abroad seeking cheap labor.

The writer then goes on to blame the Georgia legislators who failed to cough up funds to prop up the plan. Never considering that NAFTA caused considerable drain on the State of Georgia finances, to fund not only the teachers retirement, but teachers’ salary demands also.

I recall many of Georgia’s programs cancelled, while the Democrat controlled congress ignored the effect NAFTA was having on this nation’s economy. A disaster that continued for 24 years. Only now (in 2018) Congress will have the obligation to approve what this President has been effective in accomplishing, NAFTA’s revision favoring America.

With jobs returning and U.S. economy gaining financially, the national news writer should know the teachers retirement plan can be funded. I fault the writer for her concern for retired teachers for her inability to understand the obvious, that being states’ budget process. Most states’ constitutions require a balanced budget.

Tom Rogers

Moultrie