Millions of us are against the TPP and our calls, letters, protests, blogs, tweets and other obvious means of objection are NOT being respected by our leaders, the people we "elected" to represent us!
Here is a copy of a letter Bill Nelson sent in reply to a concerned activist who had contacted him and voiced his objections to the TPP: (I removed the gentleman's name to protect his privacy)
Dear Mr. X
Thank you for contacting me regarding legislation that would renew our country's Trade Promotion Authority, or TPA.
This legislation renews the President's authority to negotiate and expedite free-trade agreements as long as they meet strict standards set by Congress, standards that ensure compliance with strong U.S. labor and environmental protections.
I believe such agreements are a necessary component of keeping our economy strong. And under H.R. 2146, Congress still maintains its authority to reject or approve such an agreement. I supported this bill, which passed the House of Representatives on June 18 and the Senate on June 24, 2015.
I appreciate your taking the time to inform me of your views on this issue.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
Well, Senator Nelson, I disagree with you as do MILLIONS of Americans and people across the world who will also be effected by this legislative monstrosity. You are an elected official. You were selected BY THE PEOPLE to represent THE PEOPLE and look out for our best interests. In your reply posted above, you stated that "I believe such agreements are a necessary component of keeping our economy strong". You're wrong. It isn't. I'll tell you what IS: regenerating local economies. For example, Worker Cooperatives that bring us towards a democratically just, sustainable and ecologically healthy future! This economy is broken. It works for few and exploits BILLIONS of people globally. We need a new economy based on equality, social justice and sustainability. I have recently joined BALLE
"Now is the time for an alternative economic development framework. In the past two years we witnessed the near collapse of global financial markets and the highest national unemployment rate since the early 80s. In the wake of this crisis, we are challenged to find a sustainable and democratic way to generate wealth in cities. The kind of questions we need to answer are:
What is an appropriate path to economic development for deindustrialized cities where the loss of a manufacturing economy has left many people adrift?
How can people who live and work in cities build robust local economies that are based upon democratic principles? And, what role can rooted institutions play in helping to reorganize local economic activity so that communities have greater control?
Worker cooperatives, when configured in a network with rooted institutions, can promote progressive, place-based, and endogenous economic development. In this guide, we explore the worker cooperative network as a neighborhood, municipal, and regional strategy for generating wealth. We present two examples: the well-established Mondragon Complex in Spain (Mondragon) and the nascent Evergreen Cooperative Initiative in Cleveland, Ohio (Evergreen). Drawing from these two cases, we then put forth a general framework for building a scalable cooperative network in post-industrial American cities. What is economic democracy? Economic democracy is a socio-economic arrangement where local economic institutions are democratically controlled. These economic institutions include business, f inance, research and development, and education sectors. Economic democracy does not reject the role of markets, but rather de-emphasizes the primacy of the profitmaximizing motive among economic decision makers. One means to achieving economic democracy is through cooperative ownership of the local economy by all who participate. In this case, a wide ownership structure can force a realignment of interests that helps reconcile conflicts between the owners of productive assets and their laborers. Shared ownership of the local economy helps root wealth in communities, keeping resources from “leaking out” of the area. Cooperative businesses are one of the more natural firm types that fits within the model of economic democracy, be they worker, producer, consumer, or housing cooperatives."
Excerpt from Regenerating Local Economies: Environment, Equity and Entrepreneurship in America’s Post Industrial Cities A publication series produced by the MIT Community Innovators Lab with support from the Barr Foundation
https://colab.mit.edu/sites/default/files/Sustainable_Economic_Democracy%20(1).pdf
Www.occupybusiness.net
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