To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Say not so fast to fast track
Objects to Fast Track and the Trade Treaty known as the Trans Pacific Partnership. Please sign petition and call your Senators and Congressperson at the US Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121. Ask whether they read the entire text and that we oppose Fast Track, losing national sovereignty and more corporate giveaways. Ask for a copy of the entire text and see what they say.
Why is this important?
We have heard little about Trans Pacific Partnership and Fast Track most of the last two years, it has been inadequately disclosed to both the American public as well as to our Congresspersons who will nonetheless be asked to vote to put TPP up on Fast Track. It has been introduced by Senators Hatch & Wyden. TPP is a corporate Coup d'etat. It is NAFTA on steroids. NAFTA aka North American Free Trade Act promised to create good American jobs and financial strength but failed to do so. 600 Corporate interests and 12 Nations Reps have negotiated something that is labeled as a trade agreement but from what we know it would more accurately be identified as a treaty; a treaty for the sovereignty of multinational corporations. Corporate negotiations have occurred under a veil of secrecy lacking transparency with little interest by most of the well known media to inform the general public.
Since NAFTA, personal household income has been stagnant yet corporate earnings have consistently risen . Before NAFTA , 30% of the American work force belonged to unions now it’s down to 11% .NAFTA has been a disaster despite rosy promises during the Clinton administration. NAFTA was fast tracked . TPP and Fast Track is a race to the bottom. Communication Workers President Larry Cohen has said “We have one message: No more fast Track. We need Fair Trade, ” In the wording of the current treaty, the corporations address the notion of an investor state that would have the right to sue any level of government for regulations while bypassing our judicial system through a corporate tribunal like Judge Judy. Any community which would attempt to uphold safety standards which corporations see as hindrances to their profitability and want to sue for lost future profits ( opportunity costs) would be a target. Already, Corporations should not get exemptions from disclosing the toxic chemicals used in their hydraulic fracking process (Haliburton exemption) we know fracking fluid includes Benzene compounds but the exact compounds are not required to be disclosed so when fracking fluid runs into public drinking water and destroys the underground aquifers there is not enough proof to win a suit against the frackers. We need to maintain our ability to strengthen safety and environmental standards. We need our elected officials to pay attention to our interests.
Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) was quoted “Having seen what I’ve seen, I would characterize the TPP as a gross abrogation of American sovereignty,” he told The Huffington Post. It is unforgivable that under Fast Track, elected Representatives of the US Congress would be granted only limited access to view sections of the document and then only after abiding by restrictions being 1) prohibition from taking notes or photos 2) prohibition from bringing assistants 3) prohibition from viewing the entire text and 4) with one hour time limits as well to view !
Considering Pres. Obama’s campaign promises of transparency , it is truly bizarre that the President would ever ask Congress to consider accepting a treaty or trade agreement without adequate time to study the corporate draft and allow for the usual debate process associated with representative democracies, republics or constitutional monarchies . The TPP corporate draft may well be characterized as the antithesis of the Declaration of Independence and Magna Carta. It does not deserve Fast Track, we the people deserve representation, TPP corporations have shown countless examples of disregard for citizens right’s to safe food, water, air to breath, environmental standards, health , jobs , living wages, medicine, internet accessibility ,alternative energy production, energy distribution and our financial stability . For over 240 years we’ve presumably elected officials to look after our interests.
Although President Barack Obama originally ran for office on a platform of improving government transparency and lambasted Hillary for Bill Clinton's signing of NAFTA, the contrast between reality and those earlier promises are startling. Many Democrats and some Republicans have either signed or voiced their opposition to Fast Track. Fast Track calls for a yes or no vote by the legislator without the usual debate process and no amendments allowed. Congresswoman DeLauro of Connecticut and 150 House Democrats took the bold move and signed a letter to oppose Fast Track. Corporate giveaways must end now.
Since NAFTA, personal household income has been stagnant yet corporate earnings have consistently risen . Before NAFTA , 30% of the American work force belonged to unions now it’s down to 11% .NAFTA has been a disaster despite rosy promises during the Clinton administration. NAFTA was fast tracked . TPP and Fast Track is a race to the bottom. Communication Workers President Larry Cohen has said “We have one message: No more fast Track. We need Fair Trade, ” In the wording of the current treaty, the corporations address the notion of an investor state that would have the right to sue any level of government for regulations while bypassing our judicial system through a corporate tribunal like Judge Judy. Any community which would attempt to uphold safety standards which corporations see as hindrances to their profitability and want to sue for lost future profits ( opportunity costs) would be a target. Already, Corporations should not get exemptions from disclosing the toxic chemicals used in their hydraulic fracking process (Haliburton exemption) we know fracking fluid includes Benzene compounds but the exact compounds are not required to be disclosed so when fracking fluid runs into public drinking water and destroys the underground aquifers there is not enough proof to win a suit against the frackers. We need to maintain our ability to strengthen safety and environmental standards. We need our elected officials to pay attention to our interests.
Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) was quoted “Having seen what I’ve seen, I would characterize the TPP as a gross abrogation of American sovereignty,” he told The Huffington Post. It is unforgivable that under Fast Track, elected Representatives of the US Congress would be granted only limited access to view sections of the document and then only after abiding by restrictions being 1) prohibition from taking notes or photos 2) prohibition from bringing assistants 3) prohibition from viewing the entire text and 4) with one hour time limits as well to view !
Considering Pres. Obama’s campaign promises of transparency , it is truly bizarre that the President would ever ask Congress to consider accepting a treaty or trade agreement without adequate time to study the corporate draft and allow for the usual debate process associated with representative democracies, republics or constitutional monarchies . The TPP corporate draft may well be characterized as the antithesis of the Declaration of Independence and Magna Carta. It does not deserve Fast Track, we the people deserve representation, TPP corporations have shown countless examples of disregard for citizens right’s to safe food, water, air to breath, environmental standards, health , jobs , living wages, medicine, internet accessibility ,alternative energy production, energy distribution and our financial stability . For over 240 years we’ve presumably elected officials to look after our interests.
Although President Barack Obama originally ran for office on a platform of improving government transparency and lambasted Hillary for Bill Clinton's signing of NAFTA, the contrast between reality and those earlier promises are startling. Many Democrats and some Republicans have either signed or voiced their opposition to Fast Track. Fast Track calls for a yes or no vote by the legislator without the usual debate process and no amendments allowed. Congresswoman DeLauro of Connecticut and 150 House Democrats took the bold move and signed a letter to oppose Fast Track. Corporate giveaways must end now.