Sharing an alert from allies:
Date: Thu, 13 May
2004 14:10:29 -0500
From: "Texas Fair Trade Coalition, Lesley Ramsey"
To:
Subject: CAFTA ACTION ALERT
Action Needed to STOP CAFTA!
Today the US Trade Representative announced that the President will sign CAFTA on May 28, 2004. Under Fast Track rules, implementing legislation could be introduced in Congress any time after this date.
We've got to get our members of Congress to Commit NOW to voting NO on CAFTA!
Call your member of Congress on Thursday, May 20.In the Greater Houston area, contact your member of Congress:
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
7 - CONGRESSMAN JOHN CULBERSON
Phone: (202) 225-2571
In Houston: (713) 682-8828
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
8 - CONGRESSMAN KEVIN BRADY
Phone: (202) 225-4901
In Houston: (281) 895-8892
In Conroe: (936) 441-5757
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
9 - CONGRESSMAN NICK LAMPSON
Phone: (202) 225-6565
In Beaumont: (409) 838-0061
In Galveston: (409) 762-5877
In Houston: (281) 333-4884
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
18 - CONGRESSMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE
Phone: (202) 225-3816
In Houston: (713) 655-0050
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
22 - CONGRESSMAN TOM DELAY
Phone: (202) 225-5951
In Stafford: (281) 240-3700
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
25 - CONGRESSMAN CHRIS BELL
Phone: (202) 225-7508
In Houston: (713) 383-8600
In Pasadena: (281) 991-1300
In Baytown: (281) 837-8225
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
29 - CONGRESSMAN GENE GREEN
Phone: (202) 225-1688
In Houston: (281) 999-5879 or (713) 330-0761
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
31 - CONGRESSMAN JOHN R. CARTER
Phone: (202) 225-3864
In College Station: (979) 846-6068
Or look up your Congress person at: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/fyi.htm
Also, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch is providing a free way to fax your members of Congress about CAFTA. Please pass this information on far and wide in order to generate as many faxes as possible.
Fax Representatives
at:
http://www.citizen.org/fax/background.cfm?ID=316&source=25
Talking points:
First and foremost, we see CAFTA as a referendum on NAFTA. After 10 years of NAFTA, we know firsthand the devastating effects of this policy on working people everywhere. We will not support its expansion.
Second, CAFTA fails to meet any of the baseline requirements for a FAIR trade agreement:
-- It does NOT
include adequate enforcement for violations of internationally recognized labor
and environmental standards;
-- It allows foreign corporations to bring actions against governments that
pass labor, public health or environmental laws that reduce corporate profits,
as they are allowed to do under NAFTA Chapter 11; and
-- It includes rules that promote privatization and deregulation of services
including education, health care, postal service, construction, transportation
and water supply.
Finally, CAFTA is a crucial step toward the even more dangerous Free Trade Area of the Americas--which the Bush administration hopes to finish negotiating this year.
If the person you talk to says the member has not made up her or his mind on CAFTA, remind them that the text has been public since January 28. There will be no changes in the content of the agreement. They need to commit to their NO note NOW!
--
Lesley Nicole Ramsey
Director, Texas Fair Trade Coalition
1405 Montopolis Drive
Austin, TX 78741
tel: (512) 472-1915
fax: (512) 389-2899
email: Lesley@texasfairtrade.org