GreenGram

The Green Party of New Jersey Bulletin

July 2001

INSIDE:

Petitions filed for Candidates

Well, it’s official!  On Tuesday June 26 the last batch of nominating petitions were filed with the state Division of Elections in Trenton to get the Green Party’s candidates on the ballot for the November election.   

More than double the number of required signatures were submitted for Jerry Coleman for Governor and David Alcantara for State Senate (2^nd District), and just short of double for Robert “Gabe” Gabrielsky for State Assembly (2^nd District).

Emily Cook also submitted more than double the required number of signatures to get on the ballot for Princeton Township Committee, and her running mate Jeff Gorman also filed to run in Princeton Township.  (Jeff, with much help, gathered enough signatures in just two days!)

In Atlantic County, Ray Higbee and Mary Snyder filed to run for Freeholder.

Everyone who participated in the petition drive deserves congratulations and the thanks of the Green Party of New Jersey.

“State of the Party” Message from Acting Chair Joe Fortunato

Dear Greens:

I'd like to put a few thoughts on paper about how I see where we are and where we are going as a State Green Party.  Hopefully, this will generate some discussion.

Overall, I think there are strong grounds for feeling pretty good about where we are.  We have more functioning locals, more members and a larger database (over 2,000, I'm told) than ever before.  Clearly, the Nader campaign marked a qualitative change in our level of organization.

The challenge is now to build on the advances of the Nader campaign.  That was a period of expansion for us; now we are in a period of consolidation.  That is, we have to consolidate the many new contacts we made into the Green Party.  Expansion may be more sexy and fun, kind of like the early stages of a romance, maybe, but now it's time to get down to the serious tasks of building solid relationships.

First, let's make sure we consolidate our existing membership.  A renewal letter is going out with this GreenGram.  Please recommit to the Green party with a renewal of your membership.  We have a new dues structure now whereby money collected will be distributed between the state party and locals.  We can build a strong financial base to accomplish a more widespread statewide presence with the financial support of existing and past members.

Second, let's go back and contact all those new people we met during the Nader campaign.  Call them up and ask them how they're thinking about things today. If they have questions about what we did, i.e., if they express concern over the "You elected Bush" propaganda, struggle with them, using our many resources to defeat that argument.  Invite them to join the Coleman campaign or a local campaign in their area.  And please, if you haven't done so already, send the names of all new contacts to Steve at ecovillager@aol.com so that they can be added to our database.

Third, let's strengthen our locals by holding regular meetings and educational forums.  Let's build for these local meetings by advertising them through letters, email and follow-up phone calls in advance.  Some successful forums we've held since the campaign have included topics like Instant Run-off Voting, FTAA/globalization, and police brutality.  Consider holding such forums in conjunction with other organizations, such as POP, labor union locals, student groups or the NAACP.

Fourth, let's start now to build for our September convention.  It will be held on Sunday, September 23rd at the Rutgers Labor Ed. Center.  We still need speakers, proposals and people to help with logistics.  Let's commit to making this our largest and most successful convention to date.

Fifth, let's build the Coleman campaign and the local campaigns with the same enthusiasm with which we built the Nader campaign.  We have an exceptional candidate in Jerry and we need to let the people of this State know that.  The same is true for all of our local candidates.  Let's understand how these campaigns can fit together and can help build the Party.  It's not a question of State vs. local in my opinion.

Sixth, let's improve our internal communications.  Let's make sure we get local news to the Communication Committee on time so that we can have monthly and timely GreenGrams.  An effective Party press is essential to our work.

Seventh, let's intensify our mass work.  I'm glad to see that the labor committee is discussing strike support for the Dunkin Donuts workers.  Let's expand and develop this.  In addition, let's continue to mobilize to strike the death knell for police brutality, racial profiling and white supremacy in NJ.  As many Greens as possible should turn out in Morristown at the Courthouse (with banners and literature) on the morning of the Fourth of July to say to Richard Barrett and his band of neo-Nazis, not here, not ever.  Let's also be in the Federal Courthouse in Newark on July 10th when three Orange police officers are sentenced for violating the civil rights of Earl Faison, a struggle we've been involved with since the beginning.

Eighth, let's have some fun.  Let's socialize this summer.  I attended a small picnic organized by Steinert High School Greens recently.  Let's do more of this.  Veggie burgers are an excellent organizing tool.

If we can do these things, we are surely here to stay.

Joe Fortunato

Call for Proposed By-Laws Changes

The by-laws of the Green Party of New Jersey may only be amended by a vote of the membership at the Green Party of New Jersey annual convention.  Current by-laws require that any proposed changes be published to the membership 30 days prior to the annual convention.  Please submit any proposed changes to Jane Hunter (janemhunter@att.net or 732-560-0276 or 792 Watchung Road, Bound Brook, NJ 08805) or to any member of the Executive Committee by August 1 in order to allow time for publishing the change by August 23, 2001.  This will allow a vote at the convention on September 23.

Call for Nomination of Officers

GPNJ officers are elected each year at the annual convention for a one-year term.  The officers are Chair, 2 Vice-chairs, Secretary and Treasurer.  One of the Vice-chairs is traditionally a member of an "underrepresented group" (minority, female, etc.) and chairs the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee.  Terms are currently limited to two years.  If you would like to run for GPNJ office or would like to nominate another GPNJ member, please submit a brief candidate statement for publication and member review by August 14, 2001, to any member of the Communications Committee.

Jerry Coleman in the News

On June 21, Green Party candidate Jerry Coleman was featured on the front page of the Montclair Times in an article by Steven DeVries.  Here’s an excerpt:

Green Machine:
Jerry Coleman Bids For Governor Post

Jerry Coleman feels that Green is just the color for the New Jersey governor's chair.  The Lawrenceville accountant, activist and Montclair State University alumnus was elected by The Green Party of New Jersey to run as its candidate for governor.  He was one of the party's top vote earners in the 2000 race for Congress, earning more votes than even Joseph Fortunato, the Montclair attorney and state party chairman.

"Basically the will of the party was 'we have to have someone pick up the ball now who is a proven vote-getter and a proven organizer and someone who will help build this thing,'" said Fortunato, now Coleman's campaign manager.  "It's a perfect fit for what we're trying to do, which is develop a base -- not only in the white middle class, but among people of color, among labor and among independents throughout the state."

Twice elected to the City Council in Rahway and even serving as its president in 1994, Coleman explained, he's already faced, albeit on a smaller scale, having to negotiate legislation with members of the Democratic and Republican parties.  On the local level, he found most of the other councilmen to be in favor of providing adequate services to their constituents.  However, Coleman said that if, as governor, he finds members of the New Jersey Legislature who bend to what he called "big business," and reject policies in favor of the people, he's going to make sure the people find out.

"I'm going to put it up there and say either you support it, or your constituents are going to know that you're not in favor of it," said Coleman.

Balking Big Business

"Big business" is a term used by everyone from union sympathizers to the anti-globalization movement to conjure an image akin to the one in Oliver Stone's film, "Nixon," where Larry Hagman and a room full of other oil tycoons fund the winning candidate for president then try to tailor his agenda to their own interests.

It's an image the Green Party wants to stay as far away from as possible.  Coleman said that his campaign only accepts contributions from individuals and fundraisers and not from companies who might return later looking for a favor.  In the long run, the Green Party cannot afford corporate support, explained Coleman.

"You've heard and you've read about companies that dump waste illegally, these people have no conscience.  We just want them to run a clean business, we want to be sure that if you pollute, you've got to pay the loot," said Coleman. He said he wants to run a policy of responsible industry, and if he were to accept funding from businesses looking to buy legislation, that goal would be impossible.

For Coleman and Fortunato, the other parties have taken the long road to the ideals on which the Green Party was formed.  "Three years ago, when POP [The People's Organization for Progress] began to organize," said Fortunato, "Jerry was there.  And now we have the gubernatorial candidates speaking out against consent searches and racial profiling. But it was two or three years ago, before these issues were being discussed on a statewide level, that we
were out there on the picket lines, the meetings and meeting the victims of racial profiling."

Coleman's vision for New Jersey is unique, at times blending nuances of Republican and Democratic ideals or rejecting them flat out.  For instance, his idea for education calls for less government academic control, while at the same time, Coleman feels that a New Jersey state-run health-care system could prove the model of fairness and efficiency for the nation.

"I'm not against insurance agents, but when it comes to some of the basics -- health, education and welfare, those are things we could provide as a government and that's why I say the state of New Jersey could be used as a test state for that kind of a program," said Coleman.  He explained that in a state-run health insurance model, people will still pay a premium, but the
middleman insurance agents and their stockholder-centric interests would be removed from the picture.  This would ensure that everyone has health coverage and would end HMO
discernment over what treatment people can and can't receive, said Coleman.  And of those many agents and claims adjusters, who may find themselves out of work due to an abandonment of their industry, Coleman said they would be needed to work at the new state agency.

As the state moves into the health-care profession, according to Coleman, they need to abandon the business of proficiency testing for school children.  "We have to stop this hysteria about testing these kids in these early grades," said Coleman.  "Children in fourth grade are in traumatic situations when faced with the possibility of not going on to the next grade because
they didn't pass the standardized test."

New Jersey students today are taught to take tests, he explained, and teachers are often put under terrific pressure to have their students perform well or face potential job discipline.  This must change, Coleman suggested.  Instead, the Green Party's vision is for each community to take responsibility and plan for its children's education, while at the same time continuing with funding by federal, state and local sources.

Community-based initiatives are a favorite of the Green Party.  Coleman said he recently wrote a proposal which won a tenants association in Paterson $15,000 from the local housing

authority to build and run a store in their own complex.  Such initiatives could be extended to other communities where they could spur entrepreneurial programs amongst the young people, he suggested.

In Santa Monica, Calif., Green Party Mayor Michael Feinstein recently proposed a living wage for the city, said Fortunato, which he felt was a good model of community-based economics and social justice.  Coleman, on the other hand, has his own idea for economic and social justice.

"You have people who are really struggling to pay property taxes, working two or three jobs," he said.  "I've talked to two families, wage earners now, who have to work two jobs just to do two things: keep their kids in school and keep a roof over their heads.  It's ridiculous.

"When we look at the tax base, we want a progressive tax base whereby those who make more are paying more.  We should eliminate a lot of these tax shelters in which you find a lot of the loopholes.  They, meaning the rich and the wealthy, can hide their assets in a lot of different ways so that it's not looked at as just cash.  I also want to look at asset-based taxation, too,
so that those who are wealthy can pay their fair share and not put the burden on the working class of the state of New Jersey."

Copyright (c) 2001 North Jersey Media Group, Inc.

Convention Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are desperately needed to organize our upcoming annual convention.  If you are interested in working on the agenda, setting up workshops, organizing food and refreshments or publicizing the event and working with the press, please contact Jane Hunter at 732-560-0276 or janemhunter@att.net.

"Gabe" Gabrielsky for NJ Assembly

 Platform

·         Build the Green Party

·         Foster Cooperation between the Green Party, the Labor Movement and other progressive social movements

·         Pass pending New Jersey legislation for paid family leave

·         End Police Brutality.  For democratically elected civilian police review boards with enforcement powers and democratically elected chief officers based on the County Sheriff model

·         A living wage for all New Jerseyites

·         Affordable housing for all New Jerseyites

·         Universal Health Care based on the Massachusetts model

·         Massive commercial reinvestment in urban centers

·         Massive reinvestment in Public Mass Transit, Particularly Railroads

·         Strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health Act to mandate democratically elected work place based health and safety committees with the power to enforce the Act based on the Connecticut model 

·         Lifelong Free Public Education, Pre-K through graduate school

·         Equitable funding of public schools through graduated income and corporate taxes rather than property taxes to foster equity in education, so that dollars go where they are most needed rather than to the richest communities

·         Just transition for Salem Nuclear Plant.  Shut it down with corporate responsibility for full compensation of displaced workers until they find equivalent positions

·         End corporate welfare and tax breaks for the corporations and the wealthy

·         Substantially increase taxes on the corporations and the very wealthy

·         Impose substantial fines on corporations that run away to cheaper labor markets

Grassroots – News from the locals

Atlantic County Green Party

The Atlantic County Greens have added a slate of candidates to run in this year’s election, in addition to David Alcantara's candidacy for State Senate.  Joining David in the 2^nd District will be Robert “Gabe” Gabrielsky running for State Assembly.  Running for Atlantic county Freeholder will be Ray Higbee and Mary Snyder. 

Burlington County Greens

The Burlington Greens helped bring campaign finance reform to the doorstep of the county Freeholders in June, as County Coordinator Aaron M. Kromash joined activist Steve Ma and local politician Martha Issod to highlight the need for reforms at every level from federal to local.

In a June 21 press conference outside the County Administration Building, the three presented an "Open Letter to the Burlington County Freeholders" seeking their participation in a proposed town hall-style meeting on campaign finance reform to be held before the November elections.  After the event they delivered the letter personally to Freeholder-Director Vince Farias and lobbied him on the issue.

Steve Ma is an activist from Metuchen in the midst of a 1,500-mile walk through New Jersey to press the case for campaign finance reform.  Martha Issod is a non-partisan member of Medford Township Council who has previously introduced legislation mandating local campaign finance reform.  The Times (Trenton) covered this event on June 22.

The Burlington Greens also now have their own website at www.burlingtongreens.org

Camden/Gloucester Greens

The Camden / Gloucester Greens are supporting the striking workers of UFCW local 1360 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Mid-Atlantic Distribution Center in Swedesboro, NJ.  The warehousemen and truck drivers are ON STRIKE because they’ve been working without a contract since they organized 3 years ago at this facility, which has been guilty of over 70 unfair labor practices. 

Local Greens also participated in “Rock N’ Register”, a free outdoor concert and voter registration drive sponsored by the Camden county government to get more young adults into the political process.  The group has also adopted its own by-laws, and has its own website at www.camdengloucestergreens.org 

Mercer Greens

The Mercer County Green Party recently finished taping its 8th show for public access cable TV.  The show topics so far include: Homelessness, Non Profits in Mercer County, The Marlboro man in Mercer County, The Mercer County Deer Alliance, Why African Americans should vote Green, The million Mom March/Mercer County interview (30mins), The NJ Food Bank (30mins), and NJ Moratorium (anti Death Penalty).

All shows are 60 minutes except where noted.  In July we will be dedicating two episodes to identity politics.  The first subject will be on why High School students should organize and vote Green.  The other

topic will be why GLBT persons should organize and vote Green.  All tapes are available for purchase by sending in $10.00 per tape and $1.30 for postage.

Students from Steinert High School in Hamilton Township have also started the first NJ chapter of high school Greens.

Hudson Greens

Hudson County Greens created a Voter's Guide/Jerry Coleman flier during the recent Hoboken and Jersey City non-partisan elections.

We recommended -- not endorsed -- 12 candidates in a field of over 50 people in Jersey City to provide a service to the voters in distinguishing who were acceptable in terms of Green Party values.  In 3 of the 6 Wards we recommended more than one candidate, in one ward, we stated that there was no acceptable candidate.  These candidates did not ask us to recommend them -- we used their candidacies to gain public recognition for ourselves.

In Hoboken, in a very crucial race where two reform tickets were running against an extremely corrupt administration we went further and endorsed two candidates -- a candidate from each from the two competing reform tickets -- on the basis of their outstanding and unusual records of public service.

In this non-partisan election, our focus was not on getting any quid pro quo from any candidate, but providing a service to the public in the electoral arena, so that the name "Green Party" stays in front of the public as active in our chosen area, in this case by empowering the citizenry with information.  Our focus was also in raising voter awareness that the Green Party has a candidate running for Governor.

We used the process of sending questionnaires to all candidates and posting their responses on the Hudson Greens web site (www.hudsongreens.org) and also making them available in hardcopy to anyone who wanted a copy.  We distributed approx. 7000 fliers and had letters to the editors published in the local papers.  One of the endorsed candidates from Hoboken brought four people and participated for the entire meeting.  He and the people he brought will be working with the Hoboken Green group that is forming as a result of our participation.

Ocean County Greens

Members of the Ocean County Greens took part in a teach-in and car caravan from Ocean County College to the Oyster Creek Nuclear plant on June 18 to protest nuclear power.

On June 24, the Greens hosted Steve Ma at the home of Rena Amada.  Ma is an independent activist walking across NJ for campaign finance reform.

Committee Activities

Communications Committee

The Communications Committee is actively recruiting members for the Webmasters Council and for the GreenGram editorial board.  Please contact Jane Hunter at 732-560-0276 or janemhunter@worldnet.att.net if you are interested in either of these working groups.

Also, if you know of any GPNJ-related email list server you would like to have listed on our website, please notify Jane by email.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee needs members and a Chairperson.  The committee has essentially two functions:  budgeting and fundraising.  GPNJ is in desperate need of both.

Membership Committee

The annual GPNJ convention will be held on Sunday, September 23, at the Labor Education Center, New Brunswick.  Please mark your calendar and plan to attend!

Policy Committee

The Policy Committee has drafted several position papers on international trade.  They will be published in the GG over the next few issues.  These are drafts and the committee welcomes all comment.  Email Earl Gray at earlgray119@aol.com or the Policy list at gpnj-policy@yahoogroups.com.

Caucuses

Labor Caucus

The Labor caucus has been actively working with the Camden/Gloucester Greens to discuss ways in which the Green Party can support the striking UFCW workers at the Dunkin Donuts distribution center in Swedesboro (Gloucester county).  The caucus is working on a leaflet which Greens statewide can use to distribute in front of Dunkin Donuts stores to show solidarity.  Marty Nolan of the Camden Greens recently paid a visit to the striking workers.  His thoughts:

“There were about ten or so picketers out there.  They have a RV setup with the inflatable rat crowning it and signs galore.  The picket line is running 24/7 and yes, they are allowed to leaflet the local outlets.  My visit was well received and they were happy to see the leaflet Kati Sipp and Nick Alpers designed that some of us will be using.  I also took the opportunity to tell them about the Greens and pass out some info.  Right now they are out 29 days.  That’s basically a month without a paycheck and this will more than likely last longer so our support is helpful.  The plant continues to run using scabs from temp agencies and DD trucks pass the line every several minutes.”

Directions to plant: 295 South to exit 11, Rt. 322 east to first light.  Make right on Berekely then a right on Arlington follow Arlington and you can not miss them.  OR, Turnpike South to exit two, then Rt. 322 west to Berekely, make a left, then make right on Arlington and go straight.

Report on ‘Stop the FTAA’ Seminar

On June 12 in New Brunswick the Green Party co-sponsored a seminar, “Derail Fast Track!  Stop the FTAA!” which was attended by about 85 activists.  (The FTAA is the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, which would expand NAFTA to include all of North and South America)  Perhaps the most impressive part of the meeting was the list of sponsors and co-sponsors.  This included about 12 labor unions and union oriented organizations.  The top environmental organizations were also represented, including the Sierra Club and NJ Environmental Federation.

Jim Mohn of the Greens invited the entire NJ Congressional delegation to send observers, and Congressmen Menendez and Pallone and Senator Torricelli complied.  Congressmen Pallone and Pascrell have circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter opposing Fast Track, and about half of the NJ delegation have signed on plus Sen. Torricelli.  Derailing Fast Track is clearly winnable and without Fast Track, FTAA gets very shaky. 

Four of the activists who were present at Quebec told personal stories about the massive protest and the police attacks.  At every place that the World Trade Organization has met, from Seattle to Florham Park, NJ, massive demonstrations greeted the delegates.  We have driven them to such despair that the next meeting will be in Qatar, a feudal nation in the Persian Gulf where demonstrations are forbidden.

Two speakers, Alesha Daughtry from Global Trade Watch and Ruth Caplan from Alliance for Democracy were well-informed and described the dangers of FTAA which includes a serious loss of sovereignty as well as an expected loss of jobs.  [NAFTA has caused a loss of 766,000 jobs so far - 19,000 in NJ.]

GATS [General Agreement on Trade in Services] another aspect of FTAA will put all of the public services at risk of privatization.  This would include schools, hospitals, transportation, waterworks and even the Postal Service.  GATS would undermine laws passed by cities, states and counties.  As a result we have available 2 suggested Resolutions opposing FTAA and GATS - one from the City of Burlington, VT, and the other from the city of Vancouver.  We encourage all activists to persuade their town councils to pass such resolutions.  This is an issue cutting across party lines since it involves loss of political sovereignty.  Copies are available from Jim Mohn 201 861-7360.

Sponsors of the “Derail Fast Track, Stop the FTAA!”  were:  NJ Mobilization for Global Justice. NJ Jobs With Justice, Democracy and Corporate Accountability Project, Bergen Action Network, NJ Industrial Union Council

Co-sponsors were:  Bergen Central Trades Council, BMWE, Burlington Central Labor Council, CWA local 1058, CWA local 1084, District 1199/AFSCME, Green Party of New Jersey, Los Amates and Garden State US-El Salvador Sister Cities, Mercer County Central Labor Council, NJ Citizen Action, NJ Environmental Federation, NJ Sierra Club, NJ Peace Action, NJWEC, Pace 2149, Peace Works, Rutgers Mobilization for Global Justice, Unitarian Universalists for a just Economic Community, UNITE NY/NJ Region

Draft Policy Paper:  INTERNATIONAL TRADE — FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas)

Oppose FTAA Provisions

Submitted by the Policy Committee

Statement:

The Green Party of New Jersey disavows the provisions being prepared for the FTAA (Super-NAFTA), and calls for a new Bretton Woods Conference.

THE PROBLEM:

The sponsors of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are now preparing a new western hemispheric Trade Treaty, the FTAA, which will update and expand all of the existing provisions of the WTO and its approved and unapproved previous trade treaties.  The Model of Development being used by the WTO and its associated extra-legal organizations (IMF, OEDC, and the World Bank), and which will be expanded in the FTAA, is one which has as its goal "The massive transfer of political, economic, and social power away from national governments and into the hands of global corporations and the trade bureaucracies they help create.  This transfer of power is producing dire consequences for the environment, human rights, social welfare, agriculture, food safety, workers' rights, national sovereignty, and democracy."  With the inclusion in FTAA of an expanded GATS agreement (General Agreement on Trade Services), all public goods and services (parts of "the common") which traditionally have been seen as the proper functions of government will be considered as profit-making commodities to be privatized.  The WTO and its trade "treaties", NAFTA and FTAA adhere to an ideology of Corporatism, advocating expansion of Free Trade, Corporate Power, Corporate Welfare, Commodification of public goods, Privatization of public functions, Devolution of government power, Diminishment of government size, and Deregulation of government overview.  Under the coercive tactics of the IMF and the World Bank, countries throughout the world are being forced to adopt export-oriented production favoring the theories of specialization, and demonizing the principles of self-sufficiency.  To diminish national government power over corporations, the FTAA can use the following coercive "power tools" to enforce any of its 19 sub-agreements.

1.  Legal Standing

1. Gives Foreign Corporations more power than domestic corporations;
2. Most Favored Nation Status; corporations in signatory countries are given preferential treatment with regard to their investments;

3. National Treatment Status; countries must ensure that foreign-based corporations will be treated "no less favorably" than domestic companies,
4. Quasi-Diplomatic Status; grants foreign corporations' key personnel (executives, managers, specialists) free and unrestricted entry.

2. Performance Ban:

Forbids all performance standards, such as:

1)      Employment levels

2)      Local Hiring Quotas

3)      Joint Ventures

4)      Location of Headquarters

3. Expropriation Rule:

The “Taking Rule” (Compensates for expropriation, even lost or unrealized profits.)

4. Suing Government:

1. "Investor-State Mechanism," to sue government directly for any violation of the expropriation rule; two options: i. Sue in U.S. COURTS, or ii.  Sue in an International arbitration panel (WTO).
2. No reciprocal right for government to sue corporation.

5. Reverse Discrimination (Subsidies Code):

Discriminates against domestic companies, by forbidding subsidies and incentives.

6. Policy Handcuffs:

Restrictions on what government can and cannot do.

7. Rollback Legislation:

Can strike down any law, policy, or program that violates a WTO rule.

8. Lock-In Provisions:

Applicable for it least 20 years.

9. Sub-National Governments:

All rules apply to all levels of government.

THE SOLUTION:

We call for a new Bretton Woods Meeting, an international convention with all segments of society at the table, to work Out ways to reform the WTO and its trade treaties so that it and they reflect a radically different hierarchy of values that places democracy, social equity, ecological sustainability, cultural and biological diversity, and national and regional economic and food safety above the welfare of global corporations.  Any trade treaties produced in the future must contain:

1. Trade-linked enforcement of worker rights and workplace standards;
2. Trade-linked enforcement of environmental, agricultural, health, and safety laws and regulations;
3. Tough rules of origin;
4. Continuation of preferential procurement rights;
5. Guarantees that national, state, and local governments may establish more stringent standards that international standards;
6. Guarantees that national, state, and local governments may condition market access on the meeting of process and production standards;
7. Guarantees that national, state, and local governments may adopt and maintain natural resources, energy, and agricultural policies which prescribe conditions of trade in order to promote resource conservation and sustainable development;
8. Strict limitations on the "temporary entry" of persons to provide services and the prohibition of entry to affect a labor dispute;
9. Public access and open dispute resolution mechanisms;
10. Broad designation of the superiority of international environmental, health, and safety agreements, and international labor and human rights agreements over any trade treaty terms.

Derived from:

1. International Forum on Globalization, The Free Trade Area of the Americas, Maude Barlow, (2001).
2. Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, MAI and the Threat to American Freedom, 1998

Calendar

Activities of Interest to Greens

Calendar

GPNJ Meetings and Activities