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This information has been prepared by the Economic Globalization Task Force of the First UU Church of Columbus for the benefit of those interested in this aspect of our foreign policy. It is our hope that you will wish to make your views on this important issue to you representatives and Senators.
DEFINITIONS:
Economic Globalization: This is a process of worldwide economic integration which has reached a level of activity that has outgrown national markets through industrial combinations and commercial groupings. Globalization offer huge potential profits to companies and nations, as well as a growing discontent between those who enjoy the benefits, and those who bear its costs (increased pollution, exploitation of workers, destruction of natural resources, widening income disparities). Trade Organizations:
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas)
GATT (General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs)
IMF (International Monetary Fund)
WTO (World Trade Organization)
GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services)
Our focus at present is on the last organization (GATS) because negotiations on these agreements are currently in progress and due to be completed in December. These negotiations have not been adequately publicized nor reported in the media. The negotiations will allow corporations from 137 member countries of the WTO to bid for and take over provision of public services in any other country, whether people want it or not. GATS is paving the way for privatization of public services. Nothing will be exempt: education, health care, social services, postal services, museums, libraries, public transport. Negotiations are taking place behind closed doors with no opportunity for congressional oversight or for public debate. We need to ensure that the agreements contain ironclad protection of the right of citizens to receive good public services, and that governments retain the right to provide these if corporations fail to do so.
Useful web sites for up to date information on this topic are:
www.gatswatch.org
http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaign/GATS.htm
What can individual citizens do?
As a first step we encourage you to send a card to our US Trade Representative, Ambassador Zoelick and let your representatives know you have done so.
************************************************************************
Send this card to: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick Office of the United States Trade Representative 600 17th Ave, NW , Washington, DC 20508
DON’T TRADE AWAY OUR DEMOCRACY – MAKE GATS REQUESTS PUBLIC. It is the essence of democracy to invite public debate on matters which affect the health and welfare of public services. The objective of the GATS is to liberalize services trade, not to deregulate services, many of which are closely regulated for very good reasons.
If the European Commission's GATS requests had not been leaked recently, we wouldn't know they want our postal service and municipal water systems opened up for competition by foreign corporations. Canada has already made commitments of health insurance under the GATS, so Canada's health care system is already in jeopardy at the WTO.
Latin American countries are experiencing an invasion of U.S. health care corporations and Asian countries allow branch plants of foreign-based university and health care chains. We need ironclad guarantees from our governments that no future GATS negotiations would prevent governments from providing good public services to their citizens, including social programs, health care, education, cultural programs, environmental and natural resource protection and municipal services.
Deregulating and privatizing public services are major policy issues that require open public debate. We the people and our elected officials must have a voice. All the GATS requests must be made public.
****************************************************************
Send this message to your congressperson or senator
United States House of Representatives ( Senate zip is 20510 ) Washington, DC 20515
(We recommend you phone, fax or e-mail, since anthrax precautions are still causing long delays in congressional mail delivery)
*******************************************************************************
To the Honorable Rep_________________________________
I have just written to Ambassador Robert Zoellick, United States Trade Representative, about the secret negotiations taking place on the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Here is what I said: " DON’T TRADE AWAY OUR DEMOCRACY – MAKE GATS REQUESTS PUBLIC. It is the essence of democracy to invite public debate on matters which affect the health and welfare of public services. The objective of the GATS is to liberalize services trade, not to deregulate services, many of which are closely regulated for very good reasons.
If the European Commission's GATS requests had not been leaked recently, we wouldn't know they want our postal service and municipal water systems opened up for competition by foreign corporations. Canada has already made commitments of health insurance under the GATS, so Canada's health care system is already in jeopardy at the WTO.
Latin American countries are experiencing an invasion of U.S. health care corporations and Asian countries allow branch plants of foreign-based university and health care chains. We need ironclad guarantees from our governments that no future GATS negotiations would prevent governments from providing good public services to their citizens, including social programs, health care, education, cultural programs, environmental and natural resource protection and municipal services.
Deregulating and privatizing public services are major policy issues that require open public debate. We the people and our elected officials must have a voice. All the GATS requests must be made public. Congress must also demand that these requests be made public. I look to your leadership on this.
Sincerely, ________________________________________Signed___________Date
______________________________________________________________Address
Senator Mike DeWine
Senate Office Bulding
Washington, DC 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-2315
Local Phone: 614-469-5186
www.senate.gov/~dewine
senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov
Senator George V. Voinovich
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-3353
Local Phone: 614-469-6697
www.senate.gov/~voinovich
senator_voinovich@voinovich.senate.gov
Rep Deborah Pryce
15th District
221 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2015
pryce.oh15@mail.house.gov
Representative Pat Tiberi
12th District
508 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Toll-free: 800-660-8244 *
- or if the 800 number is swamped -
Direct Phone: 202-225-5355
Direct Fax: 202-226-4523
(Web site & e-mail) www.house.gov/tiberi
DEFINITIONS:
Economic Globalization: This is a process of worldwide economic integration which has reached a level of activity that has outgrown national markets through industrial combinations and commercial groupings. Globalization offer huge potential profits to companies and nations, as well as a growing discontent between those who enjoy the benefits, and those who bear its costs (increased pollution, exploitation of workers, destruction of natural resources, widening income disparities). Trade Organizations:
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas)
GATT (General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs)
IMF (International Monetary Fund)
WTO (World Trade Organization)
GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services)
Our focus at present is on the last organization (GATS) because negotiations on these agreements are currently in progress and due to be completed in December. These negotiations have not been adequately publicized nor reported in the media. The negotiations will allow corporations from 137 member countries of the WTO to bid for and take over provision of public services in any other country, whether people want it or not. GATS is paving the way for privatization of public services. Nothing will be exempt: education, health care, social services, postal services, museums, libraries, public transport. Negotiations are taking place behind closed doors with no opportunity for congressional oversight or for public debate. We need to ensure that the agreements contain ironclad protection of the right of citizens to receive good public services, and that governments retain the right to provide these if corporations fail to do so.
Useful web sites for up to date information on this topic are:
www.gatswatch.org
http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaign/GATS.htm
What can individual citizens do?
As a first step we encourage you to send a card to our US Trade Representative, Ambassador Zoelick and let your representatives know you have done so.
************************************************************************
Send this card to: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick Office of the United States Trade Representative 600 17th Ave, NW , Washington, DC 20508
DON’T TRADE AWAY OUR DEMOCRACY – MAKE GATS REQUESTS PUBLIC. It is the essence of democracy to invite public debate on matters which affect the health and welfare of public services. The objective of the GATS is to liberalize services trade, not to deregulate services, many of which are closely regulated for very good reasons.
If the European Commission's GATS requests had not been leaked recently, we wouldn't know they want our postal service and municipal water systems opened up for competition by foreign corporations. Canada has already made commitments of health insurance under the GATS, so Canada's health care system is already in jeopardy at the WTO.
Latin American countries are experiencing an invasion of U.S. health care corporations and Asian countries allow branch plants of foreign-based university and health care chains. We need ironclad guarantees from our governments that no future GATS negotiations would prevent governments from providing good public services to their citizens, including social programs, health care, education, cultural programs, environmental and natural resource protection and municipal services.
Deregulating and privatizing public services are major policy issues that require open public debate. We the people and our elected officials must have a voice. All the GATS requests must be made public.
****************************************************************
Send this message to your congressperson or senator
United States House of Representatives ( Senate zip is 20510 ) Washington, DC 20515
(We recommend you phone, fax or e-mail, since anthrax precautions are still causing long delays in congressional mail delivery)
*******************************************************************************
To the Honorable Rep_________________________________
I have just written to Ambassador Robert Zoellick, United States Trade Representative, about the secret negotiations taking place on the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Here is what I said: " DON’T TRADE AWAY OUR DEMOCRACY – MAKE GATS REQUESTS PUBLIC. It is the essence of democracy to invite public debate on matters which affect the health and welfare of public services. The objective of the GATS is to liberalize services trade, not to deregulate services, many of which are closely regulated for very good reasons.
If the European Commission's GATS requests had not been leaked recently, we wouldn't know they want our postal service and municipal water systems opened up for competition by foreign corporations. Canada has already made commitments of health insurance under the GATS, so Canada's health care system is already in jeopardy at the WTO.
Latin American countries are experiencing an invasion of U.S. health care corporations and Asian countries allow branch plants of foreign-based university and health care chains. We need ironclad guarantees from our governments that no future GATS negotiations would prevent governments from providing good public services to their citizens, including social programs, health care, education, cultural programs, environmental and natural resource protection and municipal services.
Deregulating and privatizing public services are major policy issues that require open public debate. We the people and our elected officials must have a voice. All the GATS requests must be made public. Congress must also demand that these requests be made public. I look to your leadership on this.
Sincerely, ________________________________________Signed___________Date
______________________________________________________________Address
Senator Mike DeWine
Senate Office Bulding
Washington, DC 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-2315
Local Phone: 614-469-5186
www.senate.gov/~dewine
senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov
Senator George V. Voinovich
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-3353
Local Phone: 614-469-6697
www.senate.gov/~voinovich
senator_voinovich@voinovich.senate.gov
Rep Deborah Pryce
15th District
221 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2015
pryce.oh15@mail.house.gov
Representative Pat Tiberi
12th District
508 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Toll-free: 800-660-8244 *
- or if the 800 number is swamped -
Direct Phone: 202-225-5355
Direct Fax: 202-226-4523
(Web site & e-mail) www.house.gov/tiberi