Contact your governors

[msgadget]

Now would be a good time to contact your governors to see what they've done to protect your state's sovereignity.


, Public Services and Democracy from WTO Services Expansion

Citing concerns about the threat to Maine's sovereignity and public services, Governor Baldacci removes Maine from parts of WTO services agreement.

AUGUSTA, ME - As an intensified new set of World Trade Organization (WTO) services negotions occurs this week in Geneva, yesterday Maine Governor John Balcacci took groundbreaking action to safeguard Maine jobs, public services and democracy from World Trade Organization (WTO) services expansion. In a letter to the United States Trade Representative Rob Portman, Governor Baldacci stated that Maine would not be covered by the WTO's far reaching service sector rules in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Citing concerns about the threat to public services and Maine's sovereignity, the Governor specifically safeguarded Maine's ability to set it's own policies in the realms of health care, land use, education and libraries by removing Maine from coverage under these sectors of the WTO agreement.

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[Zookeeper]

1. Do you know if that will be, or can be...

challenged by the WTO or the U.S. government?

[msgadget]

2. I don't know but I'm thinking that it can be

Even Newt Gingrich warned against the far reaching affects of joining the WTO - that it was far more than a trade agreement.

Ron Paul says Our membership in the WTO is unconstitutional, which is to say illegal. The Constitution grants Congress, and Congress alone, the authority to regulate trade. Congress cannot cede that authority to the WTO or any other international body, nor can the President legally sign any treaty that purports to do so. When Congress in essence transfers its authority over trade matters to the WTO, it acts illegally.
(http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2005/tst022805.htm )

[Zookeeper]

3. Every once in a while...

when people in the desert southwest get worried about running out of water for their lawns, golf courses and swimming pools, the idea of diverting the Great Lakes arises.

I did a bit of research and found that a few years ago an agreement was reached to protect the Lakes. It states that any attempt to divert, bottle, transfer or sell water from the Great Lakes would require the approval of the governors of the surrounding states and Ontario.

HOWEVER, I also found a source that claimed the agreement could technically be negated by NAFTA. It was also suggested that if anyone gets approval to use the water, it could open up a whole host of claims by other countries, especially Mexico due to their proximity and water shortages.

Thanks for posting this thread. I think this is an issue of which we need to stay aware.

[msgadget]

4. Thank YOU

for being the only person to respond to it! :) If politicians and candidates aren't mentioning the devastating affects WTO, NAFTA, FTAA, etc. they're not addressing the issues that concern us head on. And, we're so desperate we're willing to accept ABB but we have to be much more vigilant than that.

Edit for AnybodyButBush=ABB, not ABBA! :eyes: