To: Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA-1), Sen. Kamala Harris (CA-2), The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
NO corporate coup! No TPP, TTIP, TISA. Defend democracy!
As your constituents, we urge you to vote NO on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the TPP (as well as NO on the TTIP and TISA when the time comes). May we count on you to defend our right to consumer, health, safety, labor, privacy and environmental protections? Do not sacrifice our rights to trans-national corporations that would sue governments for potential loss of profit, and thus overturn important regulations in unaccountable foreign tribunals ruled by corporate attorneys. Though the texts are secret, leaks prove that these pacts have little to do with trade but would massively increase corporate power, causing untold misery for We the People on multiple fronts. Please let us know that you will vote NO on the TPP, and also let us know what else you will do to defend your constituents against these corporate coups d'etat.
Why is this important?
On October 5, unelected trade ministers from eleven nations reached a deal with the US on the secretly negotiated so-called "free-trade" agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It would greatly increase corporate rule and decimate democracy by eliminating health, safety, environmental, labor, consumer and privacy regulations, enforcing corporate domination over governments via offshore corporate investor-state tribunals. Despite mainstream media complicity, popular outcry has been huge, nationally and globally, yet our repeated calls to publish the text are ignored. The TPP will come before Congress within months. We are in the fight of our lives to get Congress to oppose the TPP (as well as the equally nefarious TTIP and TISA when they come up. They, too, are being negotiated in secret, and leaks are alarming). Meanwhile, anticipating catastrophe, savvy cities such as Richmond CA are declaring themselves to be TPP/TTIP/TISA Free Zones. National laws take precedence over local laws, so doing so is symbolic. These deals must be stopped!