Hi friends -
How nice to do that last night, for those of us who were there, and we
missed you, Jimmy, Jon, Janet, Alex, Sara and Rachel.
Here's the list of legislators some of us said we'd call to invite for
Friday, and a pasted invite letter again for your info that they've already
received, once by mail, once by email.
Please call now, if you haven't. There's no problem if someone receives
two calls!
Some of us are working to streamline the script for Friday, and will
advise. If any readers from last night can't come on Friday, please remind
me of that, and we'll re-cast.
Thanx, Dennis
Invitees/inviters to 1/30 mtg:
Mary Cathcart Kathleen Caldwell
Sara Stalman
Sean Faircloth Margaret Baillie
Richard Rosen Margaret Baillie
Sara Stallman
Dennis Damon Janet Redman
Bob Kates
Ed Youngblood Janet Redman, Meredith DiFrancesco
Jacquelyn Norton Margaret Baillie
Robert Crosthwaite Janet Redman
Eugene Churchill Meredith
Hannah Pingree Alex Lounsbery , Kathleen Caldwell
Ted Koffman Janet
Geoff Gratwick Margaret
Daniel Tremble Margaret
Laura Fortman (ME D.O.Labor Commisioner) - Kathleen
Geoff Gratwick - Dennis
January 8, 2004
Dear
We would like to invite you to a report of the Maine FTAA
Reality Tour to El Salvador, ³Winners and Losers: A Window on Maine¹s
Future.² The presentation will take place on Friday, January 30, at the
Unitarian Universalist Church on 120 Park Street in Bangor, at 7 pm.
The FTAA Reality Tour to El Salvador is a sixteen-person
delegation from Penobscot and Hancock Counties who toured El Salvador for
two weeks in October. The delegation sought to explore whether this free
trade ³success story² might provide a window on how our own economy and
society may be affected by global trade pacts.
The groups represented a spectrum of organizations concerned
about Maine jobs, services and the preservation of natural resources placed
at risk by international trade agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA (Central
American Free Trade Agreement) and the proposed FTAA (Free Trade Area of the
Americas).
Organizations in which the delegates are active include the
Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods, Union River Watershed
Coalition, Maine Global Climate Change, Maine People's Alliance, Food and
Medicine, H.O.M.E. Coop, the Bangor Clean Clothes Campaign, Environment
Magazine, Maine Fair Trade Campaign, PICA, Teamsters Local 340, Greater
Bangor Area Central Labor Council, the Bangor-El Salvador Sister Cities
Project, and the office of U.S. Congressman Mike Michaud.
The delegation would like to share its findings through what we
hope you¹ll find to be an engaging and informative multi-media presentation
which includes photos, narration, excerpts from meeting transcripts, and
personal stories. The delegation has put together a written report as
well.
The delegation has worked closely with the Maine Fair Trade
Campaign (MFTC), which is a statewide group concerned with the impact of
free-trade policies on the State of Maine. Representatives from this group
would like to familiarize you with proposed legislation, the Maine Jobs,
Trade and Democracy Act, which relates to these same issues.
Rep. Michaud will be in attendance. We¹re inviting area state
legislators, Bangor City Councilors, and others interested in trade issues.
We anticipate enough time to have a good exchange, following the
presentations, about free trade as it affects Maine.
We hope you¹ll be able to come.
Sincerely,
___________________________
___________________________
Dennis Chinoy
Katie Greenman
