Political Quotes

“Cane sugar refining has been around in America since the beginning of the Republic. Christopher Columbus introduced sugarcane from West Africa to Santo Domingo on his second voyage in 1495. Our Nation's leading cane sugar refiner, Domino Sugar, which is headquartered in New York City, has been in business for nearly 200 years. Domino's Brooklyn refinery has been in operation for 119 years. The refining industry is an important part of our economy, employing thousands of Americans in good-paying manufacturing jobs. The Domino employees at the Brooklyn plant, for instance, make about $40,000, on average. Domino alone employs over 800 people in New York and 2,000 nationwide. Refined Sugar Inc., located in Yonkers, employs another few hundred. These refining jobs are, for the most part, located in inner cities and along urban waterfronts where other manufacturing jobs are scarce. But the refining industry is on the brink of collapse. In the last 10 years, the number of cane sugar refineries nationwide has been cut in half, from 22 to 11.”