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Good afternoon Fair Trade Committee members, I
wanted to forward Bjorn's report on the first meeting of the Maine Citizen Trade
Policy Commission. It is really energizing to know that this is a reality
and that our trade issues are being heard.
paz,
Stefano Tijerina
We had our first meeting of
the Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission this
past Wednesday in
Augusta. This commission was created by all of us through
our great
work this past legislative session passing the Maine Jobs, Trade
&
Democracy Act into law. The commission is now finally up &
running and
set to do good work. It was a real victory to see all of our
efforts finally
become a reality.
The first commission meeting was a real
success. It was very well
attended; there were a lot of great ideas for what
the commission could focus on;
and there was a lot of energy to really engage
trade issues at the state
level. Maine Fair Trade Campaign members Cynthia
Phinney (IBEW 1837 & Maine
AFL-CIO), Bjorn Claseon (PICA) and me gave
educational presentations to the
commission about particular aspects of trade
policy. Commission members were
especially interested in looking at how CAFTA will impact Maine, how GATS (the General
Agreement on Trade in Services) could impact Maine, and how trade rules impact
Maine workers, Maine's economy and Maine laws. There was also a lot of
interest in how trade policies could impact Maine's health care policies such as
Maine Rx and Dirigo Health. Our next meeting will be a daylong trade orientation
and commission
workplan development session in mid November. There will be a
lot of good education
at the next meeting. These commission meetings
are open to the public. I'll
be sure to let people know when the next
commission meeting will be held.
Stay tuned for more information.
We
should all feel proud that all of our work that went into passing this
legislation has made it a reality!! The make up of the commission and the agenda
from the first meeting is listed below.
Maine Citizens Trade Policy
Commission
SENATE MEMBERS
> Sen. Stephen Stanley, co-chair (D-
Penobscot)
> Sen. Peggy Rotundo, (D- Lewiston)
> Sen. Richard
Kneeland, (R- Aroostook)
HOUSE MEMBERS
> Rep. John Patrick,
co-chair (D-Rumford)
> Rep. Deb Hutton, (D-Bowdoinham)
> Rep. Rod
Carr (R - Lincoln)
ME ATTORNEY GENERAL's OFFICE
> Rep from
ME. Attorney General's Office: Elizabeth Wyman
CITIZEN MEMBERS
>
Small business person: Jim Wilfong
> Small farmer: Paul Volckhausen, Happy
Town Farm
> Rep. of fair trade organization, Matt Schlobohm, Maine Fair
Trade Campaign
> Rep. of ME based corporation active in international
trade: Paul Chartrand,
> Chartrand Imports
> Health care
professional: Bob Weiss, MD
> Rep. of Economic Development Organization:
Carla Dickstein, Coastal Enterprises Inc.
> Rep of Organized labor:
Cynthia Phinney, IBEW 1837
> Rep. of Human Rights organization: Bjorn
Claeson, Peace through Inter-American
Community Action (PICA)
> Rep. of
Environmental organization: Mark Haggerty, MOFGA & ME. Sierra Club
>
Rep of ME based manufacturing business w/ 25 or more employees: still to be
filled
EX OFFICIO non voting members from state departments
>
Dept. of Labor - Vanessa Santarelli
> Dept. of Economic & Community
Development - Richard Coyle, director Maine
> International Trade
Center
> Dept. of Environmental Protection - Jim Dusch
> Dept of
Agriculture - Mary Ellen Johnston
> Dept. of Health & Human Services -
Barbara Van Bugel
Citizen Trade Policy Commission
Initial
Meeting
October 6, 2004
Room 127 (Taxation Committee), State
House
9 a.m. - Welcome from
House Speaker Pat Colwell
Remarks by Co-Chairs, Sen. Stephen Stanley and Rep. John
Patrick
Introductions from Commission members attending, including
primary
commission goals.
9:40 a.m. - Presentations by Commission
Members:
James Wilfong, Former
Assistant Administrator for Intl. Trade,
SBA
Cynthia Phinney, Organizer,
IBEW 1837
Matt Schlobohn,
Director, Maine Fair Trade Campaign
Bjorn Claeson, Director, PICA/Clean Clothes Campaign
10:20 a.m. - Discussion of Commission
organization meeting schedule & next
steps, including two public hearings, as
provided by legislation, and
report to Legislature.
11:00 a.m. - Adjourn.
Matt Schlobohm,
coordinator
> Maine Fair Trade Campaign
> 217 South Mountain
Rd.
> Greene, ME 04236
> PH: (207) 777-6387
> FAX: (207)
783-5096
> www.pica.ws/mftc
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