Tell Congress "Just Say No" to Fast Track! GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

http://www.notofasttrack.org/for talking points and details about the ad.

Well, we have some good news and we have some bad news. The good news is that hundreds of you have signed on to send a strong message to Congress, and with a few more signatures we reach a point where we can publish the ad as soon as the issue begins to move. Fast Track is facing significant opposition in a jammed legislative calendar with it's expiration only 25 days away! The bad news is that corporate interests are working hard to buy off the same politicians who promised to overhaul our broken trade system. We now need not only to stand firm against the Bush administration, we may need to organize a revolt against the backsliding Democratic leadership.

It was hard to predict a month ago how quickly the Administration would move to ask for Fast Track. Some had even doubted if it was going to happen, given the pre-election Democratic criticism of the current trade model. We planned for a fight before the June 30th expiration and hoped the Congress would also turn away the bad trade deals penned under Fast Track. You know what happened next. With the now infamous "deal" which was cooked in early May between the Bush Administration, Mr. Rangel and Ms. Pelosi the trade deals are being moved forward again, and we fear the Democratic leadership may even promote Fast Track renewal.

We've been heartened by the backlash against this secret deal from many Democrats who remember the promises of November. Many who won in November on the promise to promote a new trade policy have been effective in slowing down the four pending Free Trade Agreements and Fast Track. But we are now beginning to see the propaganda machine cranking up, with recent editorials in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times detailing why we must support our "most faithful ally" Colombia by signing a trade agreement with the Uribe government there.

Only weeks ago the Dem leadership were taking Colombia to task over the proven involvement of so many members of the government with anti-union death squads. Yet from the messages now being deployed to influence opinion, it is now clear that a unified political elite intend to twist arms to keep the current broken trade system. If they are this committed to the worst free trade agreement yet negotiated, you can be sure they won't let Fast Track die without a fight!

We must build pressure the Democratic party leadership to keep their pre-November promises for a wholesale reform of trade policy. If the leadership fails, we need every last name on record opposing Fast Track so that principled congresspeople have cover to lead a full scale revolt. We came within one coerced vote of defeating CAFTA in 2004. With a new congress the terms of the debate should be so much different! But without sustained pressure, the Democrats will fold on Fast Track just like they are doing on the pending FTAs. They need to hear your voice NOW, on their phone, in their offices, and in the pages of their newspapers!


notofasttrack.org
http://notofasttrack.org/go/adtext/c12

A critical moment is at hand when we can make a difference. Why? Because Trade Promotion Authority better known as "Fast Track," expires on June 30th. President Bush must ask Congress for a renewal of this sweeping trade authority. It is important that the Congress use this moment to recapture its control of trade policy.

FAST TRACK transfers the authority to make trade policy from Congress to the President, eroding democratic participation and essential checks on Executive privilege. As a result, the Bush Administration has pursued a corporate led free trade agenda which privileges corporate interests over those of the common good.

When President Bush asks for a renewal of Fast Track, we need to make sure that Congress "JUST SAYS NO!"

We invite you to participate in a Signature Ad to urge members of Congress to "Just Say No!" to renewing Fast Track. Your name will appear in a full-page signature ad in the New York Times shortly after the Bush administration presents its new Fast Track request to Congress, most likely in June.

Since the passage of NAFTA in 1991, the United States has been trading away decent jobs, environmental protections and basic human rights under FAST TRACK with disastrous results throughout the Americas.

NAFTA's 12-year track record documents the tragic results of FAST TRACKING the corporate-led "free trade" agenda:

Environmental devastation in the United States and Mexico.
Privileges extended to agri-business are destroying small family farm production in the United States and over 2 million Mexican corn farmers have been driven off their lands as a result of the inflow of subsidized U.S. corn. This is of particular concern if FTA's are ratified with Colombia and Peru where loss of internal markets will fuel coca production.
People forced to migrate as "free trade" policies deprive them of livelihoods.
Basic human rights of people living in poverty are undermined as access to basic services such as water, healthcare and education are privatized.
Patent extensions on life-saving medicines impede access to generic medicines and threaten public health.

We have an opportunity to bring this disastrous trajectory to a halt.

We are urging Congress to restore the democratic process by taking back their Constitutional obligation to make trade policies that are informed by citizen participation and benefit the common good.

Please join us in sending this crucial message to Congress and getting the United States off the FAST TRACK to economic injustice by joining our signature ad campaign.

Thanks for standing up for trade justice!

In solidarity,
IFCLA
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