Report, testimony back on MCTPC Portland Public Hearing on CAFTA:

The Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission held another outstanding public hearing on CAFTA and other international trade issues Tuesday April 19, in Portland. More than 75 people turned out for the three hour hearing and offered an impressive array of testimony.. some 30 people weighed in with their comments, questions, concerns and recommendations.. More testifiers were waiting in the wings, but were not able to speak as the hearing had to end by 10pm. There was not a single testifier who spoke in favor of CAFTA.
Numerous speakers.. made it very clear that the debate is not about being "for" or "against" "trade"- or" globalization". The real debate is fundamentally about what kind of rules govern trade and globalization, who gets to set those rules, and who wins and loses as a result?. It is a debate about what kind of trade agreements and what kind of global economy we are going to have, and who trade and the global economy should work for...... Whose Rules?

Here is a list of all the testifiers and the topics they spoke about in the
order they testified (and the testimony, if- and- as it becomes available.) Many thanks to everyone for offering such excellent testimony.

* Andrea Quaid, Statement on behalf of Congressman Mike Michaud: Trade agreements and their negative impacts on Maine jobs.

* Representative Mark Bryant, Maine State Representative from Windham: human costs of bad trade policies and concerns about job losses and loss of democracy.

* William Slavick, Pax Christi: Catholic perspective on need for just trade policy and worker's right and ecological sustainability.

* Marga Huntington: Trade rules impact on water in Maine; request that commission look into how to protect Maine water and look into options for excluding local and state measures from coverage under trade agreements,International trade lawyer opinion on Maine water contract .

* Debbie Leighton, Women's International League for Peace Freedom: Trade impact on women; request that commission include a gender analysis in evaluating trade agreements.

* Martha Spiess, Brunswick PeaceWorks: Trade & GATS rules impact on Maine's ability to regulate(written presentation) gambling. (oral presentation)

* Pauline Michaud, Southern Maine Clean Clothes Campaign: Concerns about loss of democracy and impact of trade rules on Anti-Sweatshop Purchasing bill.

* Herschel Sternlieb, used to run W.S. Libby Company: Structural problems in US and global economy and suggestions for how to fix them

* Marjorie Phyfe, Dirigo Alliance: Threat of trade agreements to our democracy and serious threat posed by investment and takings, provisions in these agreements and its potential impacts on domestic law.

* Greg Field, Peace Action Maine, Statement on behalf of Peace Action Maine board: relationship between trade and globalization policy and increased militarism and repression.

* Pat Carleton, PACE Local 9: Impact of trade related job losses on his hometown, Maine communities in general and experience in the Dominican Republic. Need to maintain a manufacturing base in the United States.

* Tim Boynton, Teamsters Local 340: Outsourcing of Sikorsky helicopter ; trade related job losses.

* Chris Miller, small business owner: Negative impact of intellectual property rights rules in CAFTA.

* Ken Carstens, Negative impact of CAFTA on people in Maine and El Salvador

* Tom Whitney, pediatrician: devastating health impacts of CAFTA on Central America

* Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self Reliance: Impact of GATS; CAFTA rules on local and state zoning and development policies; loss of democracy, sovereignty; Walmart's use of trade policy to push their agenda.

* Marji Greenhut, inequality; instability caused by trade agreements threat of genetically modified seeds.

* George Caffentzis, USM Professor: trade agreements as capital flight agreements; discrediting pro-free trade arguments based on consumers winning as a result of free trade.

* Paul Cunningham, Need for fair trade agreements, impact of trade policy on immigration and creating economic refugees.

* Mike Roland, UFCW #1445: AFL-CIO dislocated worker unit: Real life impacts of bad trade policy for working families in Maine, need for rules on markets so markets actually work for ordinary people.

* Tom Ewell, Maine Council of Churches: Faith based perspective opposing CAFTA; Central American Council of Churches opposition to CAFTA.

* Burt Wartell, Southern Maine Central Labor Council: broad critique of current trade model; current trade deals give corporation powerful new rights and take rights away from citizens; workers; recommendation to oppose CAFTA and for state legislature to make trade procurement decisions.

* Brian Banton, Recommendation that commission adopt benchmarks and a standard for what a fair and acceptable trade agreement would look like for Maine, use this fair trade agreement to evaluate future pacts.(Competing Visions for the Hemisphere)

* Richard Rhames, small farmer: impact of trade deals on farmers; life death impacts of public policy decisions.

* Heather Blanchard, Preble Street Consumer Advocacy Project: Impact of trade policies and poor and homeless people.

* Emily Posner, repression required to implement this model of trade and corporate globalization.

* Bruce Gagnon, Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space:Connection between military power and trade globalization; need for economic convergence.

* Charlotte Davenhill, requested that commission investigate trade rules impact on social security and healthcare.

* Steve Burke, small business owner: apparel mills shutting down; small businesses and consumers don't see benefits of trade deals or cheaper costs of production for big businesses; need for a new model.