Hi friends, If you haven't had a chance to speak up yet about the Maine
Jobs, Trade and Democracy legislation, you get another chance! the vote
will be Monday, April 26. Below Matt lists several things we can do before
then. Peace, Katherine
P.s., yay spring, adelante!
------ Forwarded Message
From: "Matt Schlobohm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 14:29:58 -0400
Subject: Funding update on LD 1815
Hi folks,
The legislature met until midnight on Friday night, but the
Appropriations
committee has still NOT made any funding decisions about bills on the
Appropriations table, including LD 1815. They will be making those funding
decisions – including for LD 1815 – on MONDAY APRIL 26. (The legislature is
not meeting this week because of school vacation.)
All of our calls, emails, & letters have been making a HUGE difference.
LD 1815 has definitely been bumped up on legislators priority list & we're
sending a clear message that people want to see this bill funded! Thanks to
everyone for all they have done.
Here are three things people could do between now & Monday April 26 to
help win funding:
I. COME TO THE APPROPRIATIONS committee MEETING on Monday April 26
It would be great to have a good turnout for the Appropriations committee
meeting to decide funding on Monday April 26. I don’t know yet what time
they
will make funding decisions, but I’ll share that info as soon as I get it.
II. WRITE a LETTER TO THE EDITOR IN SUPPORT OF LD 1815
This would be a great week to get letters supporting 1815 with funding into
different papers around the state. Four sample letters are pasted below.
Feel
free to use these, amend them or write your own. If you need info on how to
send letters into different newspapers let me know.
III. Continue CALLS/EMAILS to Appropriations committee members & Legislative
leadership
People should continue making calls/emails & recruiting others to do so as
well. The most important people to call are the Speaker of the House Pat
Colwell, Senate President Bev Daggett, and the members of the Appropriations
committee listed below.
* Speaker of the House Pat Colwell, sponsor of the bill
Phone: 287-1300
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
* Senate President Bev Daggett
Phone: 287-1500
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Member of the Appropriations Committee to call:
Senator Mary Cathcart (D – Penobscot county), Senate chair
Representative Joseph Brannigan (D – Portland), House chair
Representative Richard Mailhot (D – Lewiston)
Representative Scott Cowger (D – Hallowell)
Representative Ben Dudley (D – Portland)
Representative Sean Faircloth (D – Bangor)
Representative Hannah Pingree (D – North Haven)
HOUSE MESSAGE LINE FOR Representative - 1-800-423-2900
SENATE PHONE MESSAGE LINE FOR Senators - 1-800-423-6900
And here are the sample letters to the editor…
************************************************************
Sample Letters to the Editor on Supporting Funding for LD 1815
************************************************************
I would like to commend Maine legislators, especially Speaker of the House
Pat Colwell, for recently passing the Maine Jobs, Trade & Democracy Act (LD
1815). This important legislation is a long term solution that will give
Maine citizens and policymakers a greater voice in international trade
policies and work for solutions to strengthen Maine’s economy and uphold
Maine’s laws.
Trade agreements like NAFTA and WTO agreements are having huge impacts on
Maine’s economy and democracy. Since 2000, Maine has lost more than 12,000
manufacturing jobs to imports. And it is not just Maine jobs that are
threatened by unfair trade policies. Trade agreements undermine Maine laws
and our ability to self govern.
We cannot sit idly by as our economy and democracy are undermined. We need
to proactively respond. LD 1815 does just that. I urge Maine lawmakers to
fully fund this legislation. It is a crucial investment in Maine’s future.
Thank you,
*******************************
I am very concerned about the impact that NAFTA and other corporate trade
agreement are having on Maine’s economy. We’ve already lost too many jobs.
In the last three years alone Maine has lost nearly 18,000 manufacturing
jobs, many of them due to imports and unfair trade policies. How many more
jobs must be lost before we do something?
I applaud Maine lawmakers for recently passing the Maine Jobs, Trade &
Democracy Act. This legislation, sponsored by House Speaker Pat Colwell,
would give Maine citizens a tool to monitor these trade agreements and to
let
our voices be heard for fair trade agreements that look out for Maine
workers
and small businesses.
I strongly urge legislators to fully fund this legislation so it can do its
important work. We cannot afford to lose one more job.
Sincerely,
******************************
Current US trade policies like NAFTA and the WTO agreements don’t make any
sense. Why would you set economic trade policies that encourage businesses
to move jobs overseas, that undermine our sovereignty and local, state, and
national laws and that result in record $500 billion trade deficits. That
is
liking setting traffic policies that encourage speeding or environmental
policies that encourage polluting. It doesn’t make sense!
One of the reasons for our failed trade policies is because the largest
corporations have too much influence while the voices of working people and
average citizens have been left out of this process. Maine just took a
great
step to bring citizen’s voices back into the discussion. By passing the
Maine
Jobs, Trade & Democracy Act, Maine took a huge step forward. This
legislation
will give us a way to understand exactly what these trade deals mean for
Maine and to have a real voice in shaping trade policies that work for all
of
us.
I strongly encourage Maine legislators to fund this legislation.
Yours,
******************************
I am very concerned about the way that NAFTA, the World Trade Organization
and other trade agreements are undermining our democracy and ability to set
laws. These trade deals set up their own court systems – outside of our
local, state and federal system – in which corporations can sue to overturn
national, state, and local laws that threaten corporate profits. Under this
system numerous Maine laws could be challenged.
In one case being heard in a NAFTA court, a Canadian corporation is suing
the
United States for 970 million because California banned MTBE after it was
found to be a public health hazard. Other NAFTA cases have overturned public
interest laws.
State legislators did the right thing recently by passing the Maine Jobs,
Trade & Democracy Act. This important legislation will work to uphold
Maine’s
laws and make sure that we don’t give away our ability to self govern. I
encourage Maine legislators to fund this important effort. It is a tiny
financial investment for a big long term reward.
Thank you,
**************************
Matt Schlobohm, organizer
Maine Fair Trade Campaign
217 South Mountain Rd.
Greene, ME 04236
777-6387
------ End of Forwarded Message
