Oxford defends record on jobs: Critics assert ties to outsourcing

[Freddie Stubbs]

By BEN SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/03/04


U.S. Senate candidate Cliff Oxford has campaigned against the "outsourcing" of American jobs, but critics say his business record is not unblemished on the issue.

Oxford's former company, STI Knowledge Inc., helped train foreign workers to do telephone help jobs. He sold the Atlanta-based business to investors led by an entrepreneur with experience in outsourcing jobs abroad. Now Oxford's old company plans to open a call center in India.

In response, Oxford said he never outsourced jobs while at STI. In fact, Oxford said he stopped 150 jobs from being sent to India. And he said selling training programs to benefit foreign call-center workers isn't the same as trading American jobs for cheaper labor overseas.

"We didn't outsource one job to India," Oxford said. "I'm not saying it's unholy to go overseas. It's unholy for the government to do nothing while jobs go overseas."

more: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/election/0804nation/04senoxford.html

[flaminbats]

1. Anyone still voting for Majette??

:shrug:

she may have a good voting record in the House, but only Oxford has provided a rational for being Senator.

[Charlie Brown]

2. I am voting for Majette

She stated long ago she would not support the Federal Marriage Amendment, whereas Oxford said as recently as June that he wasn't sure how he would vote on it. Majette has been on the court bench for 12 years now, so she has a proficient understanding of the law/Constitution and the protections it grants. I didn't care for how Oxford went after Majette on the national sales tax and her voting record in the debate last night. She simply stated congress should investigate the sales tax further, and Oxford immediately accused her of being a Republican. The sales tax is a peripheral issue that probably wouldn't fall on party lines. There was no need for that accusation. I view millionaires who run for office on their own mony with extreme distaste, and if I vote for Oxford in November, it will be reluctantly.

[flaminbats]

3. That depends...

"The sales tax is a peripheral issue that probably wouldn't fall on party lines."

Obviously a new source of revenue will be needed to fund the War on Terrorism, to help balance the budget, and to eventually provide universal healthcare in America. But Majette and her Republican friends seem to be advocating this regressive tax as a substitute to the current tax system, not merely as a supplement to it.

When asked what should be done to provide coverage to the uninsured, she only advocated increasing funding for Medicaid and the VA. But she did not support expanding eligibility for uninsured workers who pay taxes, often without getting necessary medical treatment for an illness!

Cliff Oxford supports opening up the Federal Employees Health Plan, like Kerry does. He also supports repealing all of Bush's taxcuts that went to those who are in the top 2%. Majette says she supports additional taxcuts for people at every income level, which would mean huge tax increases on all incomes for future generations. Unlike Majette, Oxford will push for a deadline to pull out our troops from Iraq!

I agree neither candidate is great, but I think the election results will surprise everyone! May the best candidate win...

[RubyDuby in GA]

4. I decided on July 21

that I would rather pull my own fingernails out than vote for Majette. Cliff Oxford got one vote this morning from me.

[flaminbats]

5. How endorsements effect my vote...

As you probably remember, I supported Finkelstein in the primaries. He and House Speaker Coleman endorsed Cliff Oxford. But then Chip Carter and Mayor Franklin endorsed Majette.

This convinced me to take a fresh view of both candidates, and to give both a second chance to win my vote for the runoff. During the last weekend I checked both of the websites of these candidates and closely followed the debates. Neither website had anything new to offer...Oxford had a broad description of his new healthcare plan, and Majette had some new endorsements to announce.

After watching the debates..I began to favor Oxford. I reviewed some old AJC clippings with Majette's votes, and read all of Oxford's 45 page job plan on Sunday. By Monday I had made up my mind. I was impressed with Majette's endorsements and voting record, but not with her campaign. If she had been preaching the same type of message or rationale as Oxford and Finkelstein, then she would of won my vote in both the primary and runoff. But she has said nothing about setting a deadline in Iraq, providing healthcare for the uninsured, or how she plans to vote in the Senate if Bush wins! Finally, her newly discovered support for the VAT became strike three in losing my vote! :nopity: