The Affordable Footwear Act is a misnomer. ("Senators try to boot shoe tax," June 11). The act will doom an already blighted American shoe industry, relegating more manufacturing workers to low-wage, temporary and/or part-time employment while increasing the deficit.
Eliminating the tariff on imported shoes will result in lower prices for consumers — a solution to a crisis that doesn't exist — but proponents of AFA neglect to mention these indirect costs. In effect, the act will trade long-term social and economic stability for immediate consumer satisfaction. There's no such thing as free trade.
