Comments on an article in "The McLeod Report", a blog by Philip McLeod (no relation):
Profit = EPCOR
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Local Articles about CETA by Jennifer Chesnut
Jennifer is the one in the centre just to the right of Maude Barlow.
http://londonfuse.ca/blog/canada%E2%80%99s-immediate-and-looming-connection-occupy-wallstreet-ceta
http://www.ecolivinglondon.org/blogs/news-amp-views/protecting-commons-next-generations
http://www.ecolivinglondon.org/blogs/news-amp-views/hey-london-heard-about-ceta-yet
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CETA Actions on October 13 and 15, 2011
CETA is a new trade agreement being negotiated on the quiet between the Canadian government and the European Economic Union. It is like NAFTA on steroids. It would allow huge European and American corporations to compete in our municipalities for local jobs, infrastructure, real estate, and markets for their goods. Health care, education, agriculture, construction, the environment, (and more) would all be adversely affected.
Thursday, Oct.13, 7:00 p.m.
East Village Cafe, 785 Dundas Street
Organizational meeting (30 min.) followed by split into two groups:
East Village Cafe, 785 Dundas Street
Educate and brain storm creative actions in response to the threat of CETA.
East Village Arts Co-op, 757 Dundas Street
Build a giant blue octopus named the “CETApus”.
Saturday, Oct. 15, 10:00 a.m.,
street theatre intervention at Covent Garden Market
The “CETApus” is meant to draw attention to the threat of CETA in solidarity with the Occupy Ontario movement. All those not driving to Windsor or Toronto are asked to gather around the “CETApus” this Saturday morning.
For more information about CETA and the intervention on Saturday go to the blog site via
http://londoncouncilofcanadians.ca/
Please help build the gigantic CETApus!
Re action to educate about CETA on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 in downtown London: construction of a huge blue octopus representing CETA on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. meet at East Village Cafe first (785 Dundas St.), then proceed to EVAC (East Village Arts Co-op, 757 Dundas St.) to make the giant puppet.CETA is a new trade agreement being negotiated on the quiet between the Canadian government and the European Economic Union. It is like NAFTA on steroids. It would allow huge European and American corporations to compete in our municipalities for local jobs, infrastructure, real estate, and markets for their goods. Health care, education, agriculture, construction, the environment, (and more) would all be adversely effected.
We have very little time so pre-planning is essential if we are going to pull this off.
Requirements:
1) recycled/local/renewable materials when possible
2) must be light weight
3) must be waterproof (it is supposed to rain on Saturday – and we want to reuse the CETAPUS in any or all weather conditions in the future).
4) must be able to remove “money” from actor’s pockets (representing removing money and jobs from the local economy).
5) eight tentacles, a large head with googly eyes and a hat
6) must be hand sewn on Thursday night and stuffed
7) must be held up high on poles of some sort – about 10 or 12 people needed
Solution:
1) I have lots of old blue tarps with holes – we can cut them up for fabric (recycled, waterproof, light weight, bright blue)
2) quart plastic storage bags inflated with a straw and sealed for stuffing tentacles –garbage or recycle bags for the head (these must be new bags in order to stay inflated) I will bring these
3) one inch diameter peel and stick round Velcro for the suckers at the end of the tentacles – I will buy these
4) green “money” out of felt, propylene, or other nappy fabric that sticks to Velcro – everyone check out thrift stores for this and bring it to the meeting
5) need people to bring large needles and strong quilting thread if they have it
6) Googly eyes - ?????????? someone volunteer
7) hat ???????????? someone volunteer
8) poles to hold up head and tentacles ????????? bamboo?? Someone (Rebecca has some bamboo)
9) funding – we will ask CUPE to reimburse us for Velcro, plastic bags, and poles etc.
10) 3M tape – Jeremy
Reply if you are coming on Thursday, on Saturday, and/or have materials. We need lots of people. Thank you very, very much.
-- Roberta Cory, Chair of the CoC Design Committee
Monday, October 10, 2011
CALL TO ACTION! RE CETA
Welcome everybody!The immediate outpour of interest and committment to protect the commons and stop CETA in our town is truly beautiful.
This is a unified movement of people who celebrate our local economies and are resisting CETA in strong, creative, skilled and practical ways. We are doing this by speaking the truth clearly. We will not back down. We know our lives are all connected and at this juncture, the 1% needs to be lead by the 99. This is such an extensive agreement but we can use that to great organizing advantage. Because of this fact, every Canadian citizen will be adversely impacted by this. The gift/passion/interest you to offer has a home here. We need photographers, singers, artists, gardeners, networkers, members of other community groups, advertising folks, mathematicians, grandmothers, members of business community, political community, service community, everyone of will to find common ground and act on practical solutions. We have a list of 10 working groups we are already putting into action so far just 5 days since our first meeting. Many specific types of work is needed.
So if you want to take action, name what your interest/gift/passion is and we will link you up with specific actions you can take. Or you can suggest your own. The many minds are so much more comprehensive than the 1. How satisfying to feel our citizenship in action. Can you think of a better sense of purpose than that?
Wanna learn more about the effects of CETA on all Canadians lives watch this 6 minute video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQPh_YSnkVI
Read more at the Council of Canadians website at: www.canadians.org
Learn more at the Trade Justice Network at: www.tradejustice.ca
Print off copies of the CETA comics to hand out to other folks.
Do learn the basics about how trade law trumps judicial law. Spread the word in a timely fashion. Think how quickly this knowledge will go viral as we tell 3 people who commit to telling 3 people who commit to telling 3 more...no matter how this package is presented in the media when the Harper government finally tells us (and it will be touted as a grand solution to our economy), remember NAFTA. CETA makes NAFTA look like a little bitty baby. The 9th round of CETA is set to happen in Ottawa from Oct. 17 to the 21st, again behind sealed doors. With zero public input and thus far, zero input from Liberal, NDP, Green party members on Capital Hill. Even they have not been consulted about its specifics, and many politicians have little informed knowledge and critical analysis of trade law.
Here is a listing of the next scheduled events in our area. If you can't come, no prob! Please tell others who desire to be part of the change.
Wed. Oct. 19, 7:00 : Protect the Commons Open Mic
This is a call out to artists, performers, poets, rappers, musicians and other audience participants who want to take the mic for a good cause. Come one, come all as CETA affects every one of us. All proceeds go toward helping to open up the discussion on the proposed CETA agreement. Enjoy a full evening of talent for $3 -$5 sliding scale.
A special blend of CETA coffee will be on the brew. Cost: unaffordable!
Thur. Oct. 13, 7:00 : "Canada's Not for Sale" Open Meeting
This meeting is the culmination of work by the Council of Canadians, London, to invite all Londoners in to learn about and respond to the proposed CETA agreement. CETA or the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement may be ratified by the Harper Government as early as October 17. Many of our MPs and official opposition have not even heard of it, yet it threatens to change the infrastructure of Canada forever. Basically, it puts a "for sale" sign on most of our basic services and resources, curtails our right to local trade, and strikes down existing labour, environmental, industrial, cultural, financial and public sector regulations. Our food sovereignty and farms will be threatened, as will the limited sovereignty of Native Peoples and our Quebecois population. We will lose our right to our own water as well as our ability to recourse for harms done to Canadian citizens by foreign owners. CETA makes NAFTA look good. European's also oppose CETA because it supersedes national & municipal laws hence making democratic political processes obsolete, as it will do in Canada. Come and learn more, voice a response, lend a skill in the effort to make Canadians more aware of what can happen to our country.
Peace and blessings,
The Protect the Commons team (a community coalition led by Council of Canadians and other concerned local organizations and caring Londoners)
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Support an AVAAZ Action vs. CETA!
From Jennifer Chesnut:Dr. Linda Wayne, proprietor of East Village cafe, has taken this very smart action and is encouraging us to follow suit in many as number as we can. I have just requested an AVAAZ campaign to stop CETA as noted below. If a number of us request this, they may do it and they will have a much greater reach than we can hope to achieve since they can reach Europe as well, said by Linda. It is the perfect action in light of what Maude was sharing for getting the word out to Europe about GMO threat to them through CETA and other media buzz. Many of you probably know AVAAZ, but let me be clear here, they get things done and they are a huge global network of intelligent activists. I just read that they have a lot of Ontario members as well.
They do activism online, they send out information to their very wide global distribution list (nearly 10 million members strong) and have been known to generate a million signatures in days! They have helped take down so many violations of human rights.
Here is the website "about us" section: http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php
And here is where we can request a new campaign: (I will be sending in my request this weekend). http://www.avaaz.org/en/contact?footer
Lets splash them with requests and when other people ask, what can i do, here is one fast online thing to do. Just requires a bit of typing.
Here is her note to them:
CETA or the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement may be signed in by the so-called Harper Government as early as October 17. Many of our MPs and official opposition have not even heard of it, yet it threatens to change the infrastructure of Canada forever. Basically, it puts a "for sale" sign on most of our basic services and resources, curtails our right to local trade, and strikes down existing labour, environmental, industrial, cultural, financial and public sector regulations. Our food sovereignty and farms will be threatened, as will the limited sovereignty of Native Peoples and our Quebecois population. We will lose our right to our own water as well as our ability to recourse for harms done to Canadian citizens by foreign owners.
CETA makes NAFTA look like a friendly and beneficial agreement yet it did so much damage to the lives of Canadians that Mulroony's Conservative Party was not only voted out, but effectively removed from the political map. As well, European's oppose CETA because it supersedes national & municipal laws hence making democratic political processes obsolete, as it will do in Canada.
Please consider a campaign to reverse or at least call for informed public debate on CETA. Without your help I am afraid that the damage to our democratic system will be historical and irreversible.
Yours, Dr. Linda Wayne, PhD
Monthly Meeting: Tuesday October 11, 2011
Next open meeting of the London Chapter of the CoC
Tuesday October 11, 2011
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Carson Branch, London Public Library
465 Quebec St. (at Dufferin)
Program: Information/discussion re CETA by George Crowell and Jennifer Chesnut
Agenda: Stay tuned
Minutes of last open meeting on September 13, 2011: Coming soon
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Carson Branch, London Public Library
465 Quebec St. (at Dufferin)
Program: Information/discussion re CETA by George Crowell and Jennifer Chesnut
Agenda: Stay tuned
Minutes of last open meeting on September 13, 2011: Coming soon
Update on CETA Activities re London City Council
October 3, 2011Greetings CoC Campaigners against CETA,
I have just learned from Grant Hopcroft, Director of Intergovernmental and Communty Liaison for the City of London, that our City Council unanimously passed this evening the attached resolution (see below) regarding CETA. It comes as a result of the submission I made to the Finance and Administration Committee last Wednesday morning, with discussion continued this afternoon when the Committee supported it and passed it on to the entire Council. I did not get to speak today. I gave a five-minute talk on the issue Wednesday, but no time was allowed for me to answer questions as I had expected, because the Committee was preoccupied with the big new project for downtown development.
The approved resolution expresses concern regarding potential disadvantages for municipalities from the impact of CETA, and recognizes the role of CoC in bringing the issue before them. But it does not ask for the clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA that we requested.
We hope that Maude Barlow will include on her CETA tour in late October a return visit to London, which might come just after the final draft of CETA has been made public. Then we could have another chance to approach City Council, this time not with speculation about CETA, but with accurate information.
Don't forget our regular CoC meeting at 7 at Carson Library, Tuesday October 11. (No rest for the weary.) We will focus for CoC members on the CETA issue, and I will have some exciting developments to report from my attendance this past weekend at the American Monetary Institute meeting in Chicago.
Best wishes,
George Crowell
The following resolution regarding the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union (CETA), BE ENDORSED:
Whereas the Government of Canada and the European Union have been negotiating a trade agreement known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA);
And Whereas the Canada-European Union relationship holds great potential for growing Canada’s trade and collective prosperity;
And Whereas the Council of Canadians London Chapter has provided City Council with information and their concerns regarding CETA negotiations currently underway between Canada and the European Union;
And Whereas the Corporation of the City of London supports the guiding principles as set out by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and endorsed by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO);
Be it Resolved that the Corporation of the City of London requests the Federal Government and the Province of Ontario to continue to ensure that the municipal sectors’ interests are represented in the ongoing negotiations; and
That the federal government’s negotiations ensure that the FCM guiding principles will be fully reflected in any trade agreement reached between Canada and the European Union; and
That the federal and Ontario governments provide FCM and AMO with regular, detailed updates on the status of the European Union trade negotiations to the fullest extent possible.
This resolution be forwarded to the Minister of International Trade; our local MPs, the Premier of Ontario, our local MPPs, FCM, AMO and the London Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Top Ten Reasons Why CETA is Bad for Canada
This is an excellent illustrated 4 page publication explaining what CETA is and why it and other free trade agreements are bad deals. "Top Ten Reasons Why CETA is Bad for Canada"
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Presentation to London City Council re CETA
Our resolution is scheduled to be heard by the Finance and Administration Standing Committee of City Council this Wednesday morning. The meeting begins at 10 a.m., and our resolution is second on the agenda. You are welcome to come, but you would need to be there no later than minutes after 10.To: Mayor Joe Fontana
and London City Councillors
From: George Crowell on behalf of
the London Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Members of the Council of Canadians (CoC) across this nation are deeply concerned about the potential impact of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) that is being negotiated, largely in secret, between Canada's federal and provincial governments and the European Union. There has been little public discussion or understanding of this issue, which apparently will have far-reaching, damaging impact on municipalities and local municipal governance. There has been little coverage of this issue, with only parliamentary reports from last year (Sept 3rd, 2010) and leaked copies of the draft negotiating texts, which can be found on the Trade Justice Network website.
We can expect that the text of CETA, like earlier trade agreements, including NAFTA, will be incomprehensible to most people. Their sheer volume, to say nothing of their highly technical language, renders them inaccessible to laypeople. Fortunately, however, through the Trade Justice Network we have access to trade experts who are concerned about public welfare. Their website is a rich source of information on CETA with both clear, simple summaries, and in-depth analysis. We draw on this source and on the Council of Canadians' website for our comments here, and for the resolution below which we ask you to consider, and hope you will pass.
This trade document will impact municipalities in new ways, well beyond its predecessor trade agreements. Especially affected will be (1) procurement, (2) the provision of municipal services—including water, sewage, garbage, public transit, energy, public housing, and much more—and (3) regulation of businesses at the local level. European Union corporations would have full bidding rights on municipal procurement contracts for goods and services, and, as a result, U.S. corporations will also. Foreign corporations are expected to have new powers to challenge contract decisions before trade panels whose decisions would be binding, and municipalities would be subject to heavy financial penalties for trade rule violations, without access to Canadian law courts for relief. Even municipal measures designed to promote public health and safety, and to protect the environment would be subject to challenge under trade rules favouring corporate profits. Municipalities could be held responsible for costs incurred by federal or provincial governments in these investor challenges—unlike other trade agreements where the Federal Government has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle disputes.
Once the terms of this Trade Agreement are in place, it will be virtually impossible to reinstate the abandoned rights of governments.
We are aware that the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) have been working to protect the interests of municipalities from the potential damaging impact of CETA through a set of seven guiding principles. But we are uneasy to see that discussion of these principles on the FCM website, along with other comments regarding CETA on that website, as well as on the AMO website, reflect an inclination not to criticize CETA, but to adjust to its inevitability. Missing is any explicit recognition of the fact that the fundamental purpose of the whole family of recent trade agreements beginning with the 1989 Canada-U.S. FTA, and now including CETA, is to reduce the power of governments at all levels to regulate corporations. The basic reason for pursuing these trade agreements has consistently been to provide advantages to profit-seeking corporations by limiting the ability of governments to act in the public interest.
The Council of Canadians is not opposed to trade or to profit-making businesses as such. We favour open, fair, and transparent trade processes, and thriving businesses judiciously regulated through our democratic institutions to serve the public interest.
We are aware of the letter sent in August 2011 by the Federal Minister of International Trade, the Honourable Ed Fast, to the president of FCM praising FCM for its cooperation with the CETA negotiation process, assuring that municipal concerns will be honoured, and stating that CETA will create jobs and prosperity for Canadians. In our view, these assurances should be approached with scepticism. There is no doubt that CETA would provide benefits for some Canadian corporations, especially those that have global reach enabling them to compete for procurement in Europe. But small local businesses that provide excellent service at the local level would likely be squeezed out by large foreign corporations, undermining the promising new “buy local” movement. Trade agreements have been consistently promoted with glowing promises of jobs for Canadians, but there has been a record of many jobs lost here, especially as a result of FTA and NAFTA. Perhaps foreign corporations winning procurement contracts in Canada might hire Canadians, but likely with lower wages and benefits.
We ask you to give serious consideration to the potential disadvantages of CETA which far exceed those mentioned here, as you can see from viewing the Trade Justice Network website. This issue is becoming increasingly urgent, since the planned final round of negotiations regarding CETA is scheduled for October 17-21 in Ottawa. We offer the following resolution which we hope you will pass. Similar resolutions have been passed by some twenty other municipalities in Canada.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS the government of Canada and the European Union have been negotiating a trade agreement known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (the “CETA”); and
WHEREAS the European Union and European corporations are insisting on full access to procurement by sub-national governments - including municipalities, school boards, universities, hospitals and other provincial agencies - which could significantly reduce or eliminate the right to specify local priorities and/or standards when public money is invested in goods, services or capital projects; and
WHEREAS Canadian municipalities have expressed growing concerns with trade agreements and their potential impact on municipal programs and services and local autonomy; and
WHEREAS under CETA, unfettered access to Canadian municipal procurement by European corporations may encourage privatization and reduce economic development options for local communities; and
WHEREAS under CETA, foreign corporations that have won contracts may bring in their own labour force and may not be required to hire Canadian labour and/or management; and
WHEREAS the government of Ontario has been actively involved in negotiating CETA with the European Union:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of London ask the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to request:
The Province of Ontario to provide a briefing on the scope and content of trade negotiations with the European Union;
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities to urge the Government of Canada not to provide the European Union access to sub national government procurement; and
The Government of Ontario, along with the other provincial and territorial governments to negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Film: "The Economics of Happiness"
7:00 p.m. Thursday Sept. 29, 2011 at Wolf Performance Hall, London Public Library:
http://catalogue.londonpubliclibrary.ca/record=g1002920&searchscope=0&SORT2=R
http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/
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Revenues: (from you & I for services of water, power, sewers, garbage & parking)
Less: expenses to operate the above.
Equals Profit.
When run as a public trust, as it is now, the object is to break-even plus have a little extra profit for a reserve.
If there is a big profit, more so than there is today, then dividends could be paid out.
Nice idea, however the "big profit" would start with higher revenues - so we all pay more for our services. It is that SIMPLE!
With EPCOR taking a slice of the profits in their share of dividends we end up paying more for our services so that EPCOR can have a share in “OUR” profit for the City of Edmonton to offset THEIR taxes.
Why would we do that?
Profit = Jobs for EPCOR
Revenues - Expenses = Profit
The "expense" part of the formula includes wages which equates to jobs in the City of London.
In the EPCOR scenario, EPCOR takes care of a portion of the wage expense and jobs move to Edmonton.
I think that Mayor Joe has been talking about bringing jobs to London versus exporting our jobs to Edmonton!
Dead?!
Why did this matter even come up?
In Mayor Joe's words "I think we have more pressing matters to spend our time on!"
Purchase of London Assets by EPCOR
Assets of the City of London allow us to have financial credabilty in money markets. We have a high bond rating should there be a need to borrow.
When assets are sold and the money is used to buy other capital assets, there is a significant transfer loss for the selling and buying of assets.
At the end of the sale & purchase transactions we are financially worse off.
The "gamble" is that the "new assets" will provide London with a high return. If they do not - especially in the short term, London ends up heading for a lower bond rating and higher interest rates should we have a need to borrow.
In Summary for the EPCOR "deal"
1) Higher cost of services for Londoners & Londoners end up paying to offset Edmontoner's taxes.
2) Loss of London jobs
3) London bond rating falls - London pays a higher interest rate to borrow.
EPCOR - Three Strikes you are out!