Texas firms jump into Cuba business

[Osolomia]

By Bonnie Pfister
Express-News Business Writer
San Antonio, Texas
01/10/2004

As 2003 drew to a close, Texas began to grab some agricultural trade with Cuba just as the Bush administration clamped down on travel there.

In the two years since Congress has allowed American farmers to export to the socialist nation, $328 million in U.S. beans, rice, chicken and other goods have sold to Alimport, Havana's food-buying agency.

Such agribusiness giants as Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill and Tyson dominate the market.

After hanging back, Lone Star State companies have taken the plunge, with Dallas-based Dean Foods signing a $162,000 contract for coffee creamer in November.

Corpus Christi's dry-food packaging firm WestStar Food signed a $1.5 million pinto bean contract with Alimport as well. Two private Texas firms that declined to be named have contracts to deliver nonfat powdered milk and cotton.

Cynthia Thomas, president of the Texas Cuba Trade Alliance, said those numbers are sure to grow.

... But some Cuba-watchers say the Bush administration is discouraging legitimate travel to the island as part of election year posturing.

More...
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=110&xlc=1111399

[Judi Lynn]

1. Glad to see this article touched on Bush's tightening travel ban

on Americans travelling to Cuba:

"Illegal travel, legal travel — they're definitely clamping down," said David Cibrian, a San Antonio-based lawyer with Jenkens & Gilchrist. One client who legally traveled to Cuba nine years ago began receiving queries about that trip last year.

John Kavulich, president of the 10-year old U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, said he receives regular complaints from business travelers who say licenses that previously could be processed in a few days now take several weeks.

"Treasury was instructed by the State Department, which was instructed by the White House, to use every available means to discourage lawful commercial-related travel to Cuba in keeping with overall publicly stated strategy of decreasing the number of individuals visiting Cuba for any authorized purpose," Kavulich said.

Hooray to Texas for not sucking up to _Bush on the Cuba issue. They passed a resolution July 26, 2001, the summer after _Bush moved into the White House, to END THE CUBAN EMBARGO, bless their hearts!

Looks as if they don't stand behind EVERYTHING their ex-governor obsessess over, like keeping Americans out of Cuba!

On edit to add photo:


American D.U.'ers who want to see _Bush have to defend his Cuba policy, please contact your Senators and Representative. This entire subject is going to get fired up again this spring, and they could really use your input in their decision making. Remember, both the House and Senate voted in large numbers last winter to drop the travel ban, and the Cuba item was removed by Republicans in committee, as a favor to _Bush who wants to keep it in to please the rightwingnuts in Miami.

A veto proof majority will keep them from doing this again.

[Osolomia]

2. Dems have an opportunity to do something about this travesty of democracy

What a shame they don't.

[Mika]

3. Texas? Oh my. What next? Florida?

The anti Cuba factions are losing their grip.

Just wish the Dem presidential candidates would get on board the reality bus.
_____


Sadly, only ONE candidate for
US president openly states that he
would end this unjust and insane
policy against Cuba AND Americans.

That candidate is Dennis Kucinich.

-The Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba-
http://www.lawg.org/pages/new%20pages/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mika]

5. Locked? WOW!

It is a shame. Lots of good info there, as well as examples that the repukes don't hold the patent on ignorance, or the inability to read the thread and links Damn!

---

"And the reason Cuba threads usually end up locked, is because they are usually pointless flaming." -Skinner

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Osolomia]

7. But the same topic in GD is NOT "pointless flaming"

even when the originator repeatedly says why he posted it??? Go figure!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1001796

[Judi Lynn]

8. Yes, I saw that! It was a rare moment of revelation

He expected to take up the subject again on a board where the pro-Jesse Helm's position (as in the Helms-Burton Act) usually fares better, as a lot of LBN'ers don't check there.

I didn't use to look at G.D., EVER, because the traffic's so fast at L.B.N.

I guess the first thread wasn't getting the result he wanted.



On edit: adding Cuban computer cyber cafe photo: