<strong>13</strong>-06-27-pp1-16_Layout 1 6/26/<strong>13</strong> 6:04 PM Page 66 <strong>June</strong> 27, <strong>20<strong>13</strong></strong> <strong>Park</strong> <strong>Slope</strong> <strong>Food</strong> <strong>Coop</strong>, Brooklyn, NYThe <strong>Coop</strong> Gets New Air-Conditioning UnitsDuring the week of <strong>June</strong> 17,<strong>20<strong>13</strong></strong>, the <strong>Coop</strong>’s air conditioningsystem was replacedby RAC Mechanical, the <strong>Coop</strong>’sservice maintenance vendor.Five new air conditioning unitsreplaced the original system inthe 784 Union St. building (the“new” building, including theshopping floor and the secondfloor office, meeting and childcarerooms). The original system,installed in 2001, cost$20,000 to repair last year. Thenew, more energy-efficient system,cost $115,000 and shouldkeep the <strong>Coop</strong> cool for manyyears to come. ■PHOTOS BY DEB PARKERRead the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
<strong>13</strong>-06-27-pp1-16_Layout 1 6/26/<strong>13</strong> 6:04 PM Page 7<strong>Park</strong> <strong>Slope</strong> <strong>Food</strong> <strong>Coop</strong>, Brooklyn, NY <strong>June</strong> 27, <strong>20<strong>13</strong></strong> 7By Carola BurroughsNever heard of the TPP? Nosurprise, as much of it istop secret. It stands for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a tradeagreement the Obama Administrationis negotiating with10 other countries—11 ifJapan joins, as is expected inJuly. The TPP would cover 40%of global trade.Trade agreements are notsomething the average consumeris used to thinkingabout. But if you’re concernedabout the environment,our food supply, healthand in general, our ability tomake choices about thingsthat affect our lives (e.g.GMOs, fracking, health careand energy), that will have tochange! For example, underthe North America Free TradeAgreement (NAFTA) that linksCanada, Mexico and America,an American company isthreatening to sue Canada forQuebec’s moratorium onfracking and could collect acool $250 million if the casemoves forward and it wins.MEMBER SUBMISSIONThe Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): A Bad DealThese cases are tried in secretinternational tribunals headedby three unnamed privatesectorlawyers under noobligation to disclose the fullterms of their decisions.So it’s no surprise if you’venever heard of this loomingthreat to much of our way oflife. Representatives from 600businesses have access to itstexts and are actively involvedin shaping the agreement—instrictest secrecy—while thepublic, the media and evenmembers of Congress aregiven no access to it whatsoever.The only reason we know asmuch as we do isthat some smallportions of its 29chapters wereleaked. What cameto light reveals a“Mother of All TradeAgreements” socomprehensive andoutrageous that TheNation describesit as “NAFTA onSteroids.” It would:• Give foreigncorporations theright to sue ourgovernment outsidethe U.S. courtsystem for whatthey might make if they didn’thave to obey our labor,health, safety and environmentallaws. In recent history,this has had a chillingeffect on passing such laws inthe first place.• Open us to natural gasexports, increasing frackingacross the U.S.• Offer benefits for companiesto move offshore, sendingwell-paying jobs tolow-wage nations and loweringworking conditions andlabor rights.• Prevent re-regulationof Wall Street banks, hedgefunds and insurance companies.• Extend patent expirationdates, blocking access toaffordable, generic medications.• Displace family farmersin favor of agribusinesses,concentrating global foodsupplies and creating pricespikes for the world’s consumers.• Curtail internet freedoms,forcing providers tomonitor and report our activitiesand treat insignificantviolations the same as bigtimefor-profit scams.• Limit food labeling andpermit foreign food importswithout any safety checks.• Limit how our electedofficials can use our tax dollars.For instance, it couldban Buy America or Buy Localinitiatives.• Outlaw the ability of participatingnations to regulatecross-border finance.• Establish the legal rightto override sovereign U.S.policies at the federal, state,local and court levels.What Can We DoAbout This?President Obama is notonly in favor of finalizing andpassing the TPP, he has indicatedthat he will ask Congressfor Fast Track Authority(FTA) to do so. FTA eliminatesCongress’ Constitutionalright to amend trade agreementsin favor of Executivepower, allowing Congressonly a yes-or-no vote. Luckily,FTA expired in 2007.Now it’s up to usto both educateand pressureCongress tovote against theFast Track andagainst the TPP.Here’s what youcan do:1) With oneclick, you can sendan excellent online letterto your Congressionalrep asking for a draft of theTPP text, which should beaccessible to them as wellas to you, the public:www.act.stopcorporateabuse.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=115892) Most importantly, weneed to write, call and preferablyactually visit our representatives’offices and urgethem to vote against both FastTrack and the TPP. Emphasizethat their Constitutionalpower to debate and amendtrade agreements will be sidelinedby Fast Track, and pointout all the ways TPP coulddestroy the fabric of our lives.You can use this lobbyingtoolkit: www.sierraclub.org/trade/toolkit/toolkit-2.aspxTo get more involved withthis critical issue, join theSierra Club’s Atlantic (NY)Chapter TPP Task Force bysigning up at: www.nyc.sierraclub.org/tpp-resources/ART BY MICHAEL J. COHENAdditional Actions andInformationPublic Citizen TPP websitewww.www.exposethetpp.org/Sign avaaz.org’s one-million-personpetition atwww.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_corporate_ death_ star/to governments negotiatingthe TPP. This petition calls onthem to make the processtransparent to all and rejectlimits to regulate in the publicinterest. ■Based on an article by StephanieLow entitled “TPP: A Bad Deal forthe 99%” that appeared in theClinton Chronicle.VALET BIKE PARKINGIS HEREON SUNDAYS!Every Sunday, April 1–November 7–November 18, 24,from 3:30–8 p.m.,<strong>Coop</strong> members can leave their bikes withour valet parking service, which is likea coat check for bikes. Working members willcheck in and watch your bike for you.Just drop off your bike, stroller, scooter orpersonal cart, do your shopping or your shift,and hop back on.No locks, no worries, no theft.Service operates rain or shine.Look for us in front of the yellow wall.(Note: no bike check-in after 7:30 p.m.)Valet bicycle parking at the <strong>Coop</strong>is brought to you by the PSFCShop & Cycle Committee.Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
Change language