From: Jason Mark (jason@globalexchange.org)
Date: Fri Jul 12 2002 - 12:49:05 EDT
In this update you will find:
1. Update on Fastrack
2. What can you do to stop Fast Track?
3. Why stop Fast Track?/Background Info
4. ACTION ALERT: NATIONAL ALL CALL WEEK AGAINST FAST TRACK:
JULY 16 -19
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Dear Friends,
For the last 7 months, we have been updating you on the struggle to STOP
Fast Track Trade Negotiating Authority. In December, the first Fast Track
bill went through Congress and we lost by one single vote. In May, the
second bill went through the Senate and passed as well. The Fast Track bill
is still being debated in Congress, in a conference committee where House
and Senate representatives are trying to mesh the two forms of the bill
Together. It is possible that the bill will come out of committee and onto
the House floor for a vote before the August recess, which begins on July
26th.
So, the fight to STOP FAST TRACK is not over, and we need your help to stop
it!
Thank you so much for your continued support. Please pass along this e-mail
to your family and friends all across the country. Together we will STOP
FAST TRACK once and for all!
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WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
There is a toll free number for you to express your opinions to your elected
representatives. All you have to do is call 1-877-611-0063 and you will be
connected to the Capitol switchboard. You may ask for your representative
by name. You can leave a message with the voicemail if there is no person
to answer the phone. You can also call your Representative at their
District Office.
When you get your Representative¹s office, let them know that you want to
convey your OPPOSITION to "Fast Track". Make sure that your Representative
hears that you want them to vote AGAINST Fast Track, and that you strongly
believe the formation of trade policy should be open, transparent and
democratic.
2. VOLUNTEER AT GLOBAL EXCHANGE
In the Bay Area, GX is coordinating nightly phone banks with the assistance
of Public Citizen and local labor unions.
If you don't live in the Bay Area, but would like to do something similar in
your community, we can put you in contact with other Fair Trade groups
across the country that are mobilizing as well. Please call Leila Salazar at
415-255-7296 for contacts.
Also, see the action alert below.
3. MEET WITH YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS
In the short time left, you can try to meet with them when they return to
your district, call the office to set up an appointment with them or their
aides.
4. Send Letters to the Editor about Fast Track.
5. ORGANIZE A TOWN HALL MEETING
***FOR MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND IDEAS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP FAST
TRACK, PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE AT :
http://web.globalexchange.org/gx/fasttrack/ or e-mail us at
ftaa@globalexchange.org
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WHY STOP FAST TRACK?
Fast Track is a fundamentally undemocratic procedure by which the US
Congress surrenders its ability to craft trade policy. If Fast Track
passes, debate on trade bills will be severely limited, and will curtain the
ability of average citizens, like us, to make our views known about the
so-called Free Trade agreements. See
http://web.globalexchange.org/gx/fasttrack/faq.html for more info.
Beating Fast Track is important because it is the first step towards
defeating the planned Free Trade Area of Americas. The Free Trade Area of
America¹s (FTAA) is a multi-national plan to expand NAFTA from Canada to
Argentina. The plan would allow the Presidents of all countries included to
make trade decisions without the consent of their Congresses.
Not only would the FTAA be detrimental to Americans, it would allow foreign
corporations to sue the United States government if they are able to provide
proof that some regulation of the United States limited their profits in
some way. If the trial would go to court it would be up to the American
taxpayer to foot the bill if the foreign company won the case. See
http://web.globalexchange.org/gx/ftaa/index.html for more info.
President Bush is trying to drive "Fast Track" through Congress right now.
On Monday, he was quoted as saying, "Creating more jobs and strengthening
our economy are critical priorities. And Congress can act to create jobs by
giving me trade promotion authority. Expanding trade means new jobs for
American workers. Congress has debated trade now for more than a year. It's
time to stop talking; it's time to start acting. Congress should act to
create American jobs before it goes home for the August recess."
Unfortunately, President Bush has it all wrong! Fast Track (and the FTAA)
will not create more jobs for Americans. It will send US jobs abroad, which
will hurt the US economy. It will export sweatshops and low wage jobs to
countries like Mexico and China, where the rights of workers to organize are
not respected. In addition, Fast Track is a blank check for US corporations
to disregard environmental protections in the US, as well as other countries
around the world. We need to urge Congress to uphold democracy, protect our
economy, and our environment by saying NO TO FAST TRACK!
*******ACTION ALERT*ACTION ALERT*ACTION ALERT************
Via Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch
JULY 16 -19
NATIONAL ALL CALL WEEK AGAINST FAST TRACK:
NO BLANK CHECK FOR CORPORATE INTERESTS!
AFL-CIO SPONSORED TOLL FREE #: 877-611-0063
Join workers, environmentalists, family farmers and concerned citizens
everywhere in telling the Congress to say NO to Fast Track! Fast Track is a
sneaky manuever that gives corporations and their government cronies a free
ride to go over the heads of the American people and devise trade agreements
in their own best interests. Under Fast Track, trade agreements (like
NAFTA, the WTO and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas/FTAA) are
delivered signed and sealed to Congress AFTER they have been negotiated for
an up or down vote by Congress with no amendments allowed and only 20 hours
of debate. Fast-tracked agreements like NAFTA and the WTO brought us lost
jobs, attacks on local environmental laws, the "race to the bottom" in labor
and environmental standards here and abroad and the destruction of more
than 33,000 family farms.
Bush-appointed U.S. trade negotiators are "advised" by more than 500
multinational corporations. Before its recent blowup, Enron was a key
advisor to U.S. negotiators promoting trade in "services" - including energy
deregulation - at the WTO! Under NAFTA, foreign corporations have sued for
billions of dollars in compensation when public interest laws, like bans on
chemicals or Buy America requirements, cut into their profit margin. Fast
Track is a way to make sure that the public remains uninformed of these
corporate boondoogles. When an agreement is "Fast-Tracked," the final
product of these corporate-driven negotiations is steamrolled through
Congress without any chance for debate or changes.
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SAY YOU WANT DEMOCRACY, NOT FAST TRACK!
Call the DC Capitol switchboard and ask to be connected to your Rep:
AFL-CIO Toll Free #: 877-611-0063 OR Capitol direct line: 202-224-3121
CHECK HERE FOR YOUR REGIONAL ALL CALL DAY!
Ø TUESDAY 7/16 - SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST
(AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, NM, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV)
Ø WEDNESDAY 7/17 - MID-WEST
(IA, IN, IL, KS, OH, OK, MI, MN, MO, NE, WI)
Ø THURSDAY 7/18 - WEST COAST AND WESTERN PLAINS
(CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD, WA, WY, UT)
Ø FRIDAY 7/19 - EAST COAST
(CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT)
For more information?
Contact any member of the Global Trade Watch field team at
gtwfield@citizen.org
202-546-4996. You can also check the website at www.tradewatch.org
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