HomeMy WebLinkAbout884 - CONSIDERATION of a resolution regarding the proposed free trade area of the America Trade AgreRESOLUTION NO. 88A
A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE PROPOSED FREE TRADE
AREA OF THE AMERICAS TRADE AGREEMENT.
WHEREAS, the UniYed States Government has been participating in a process to negotiate
a Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA) agreement; and
WHEREAS, the stated intent of the proposed Free Trade Area of tke Americas trade
agreement is to establish the largest free trade zone in the world, stretching from Anchorage to Tierra
del Fuego, and link almost all of the economies of Yhe hemisphere; and
WHEREAS, the City of Boulder wishes to retain the right to impose and enforce local
regulations regarding land use planning, environmental protection and quality-of-life issues; and
WHEREAS, the City of Boulder is concemed that no international trade agreement entered
inYo by the United States should insulate international Yrading interests fi~om local protective
legislation of the sort Chat has YradiCionally been used to regulate domesric businesses; and
WHEREAS, the City of Boulder is concerned that an FTAA trade agreement is likely to
provide international economic interests with the power to sue local governments directly for
potential loss of profits resuiting from the passage of appropriate land use planning and other
ordinances designed to protect iinportant local health and safety, and environmental standards; and
WHEREAS, government enYities are currently allowed to regulate within their jurisdictions,
without causing a compensable taking of private property, to the extent specified under existing
interpretations of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
WHEREAS, the FTAA, depending upon the farm of its final adoption, could supersede
existing constitutional interpretations of a government's regulatory righYs under the Fifth
Amendment and restrict new regulation by state and local bovernments; and
WHEREAS, the City of Boulder is concerned that, depending upon its final form, the FTAA
could interfere with long-established American laws and practices affecting the rights of warking
people to arganize and seek improvements in their hours, wages and working conditions; and
WHEREAS, the Bush administration is pushing for "fast track" consideration of the final
FTAA trade agreement draft, which would mean that the United States Congress, U.S. citizenry,
states and municipalities would have a limited period of time within which to review that draft and
be deprived of any ability to propose amendments to it.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF BOULDER, COLORADO, urges its state and federal elected officials to oppose "fast track"
consideration of any proposed FTAA trade agreement and to actively protest and oppose any
provisions in the FTAA draft that would restrict Boulder's ability to effectively regulate
environmental and quality of life issues within its own jurisdiction.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Boulder urges its state and federal elected
officials to oppose any draft of the FTAA, or of any other proposed international treaty or trade
agreement which would limit the ability of the City of Boulder, within the parameters established
by the United States Constitution, to enact legislation in furtherance of, and consistent with, the
human rights values (including those affecting laborrelations) which are central to this community's
self-identity.
APPROVED this 21s` day of August, 2001.
_~
Mayor
Attest:
City Clerk on behalf o the
Director of Finance and Recor
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