LETTERS

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Polis ‘Smart Track’ Position an Insult 

It’s quite insulting that Congressman Polis assumes those who voted for him are stupid enough to buy his relabeling of Fast Track as “Smart Track.” These semantics are little more than cynical pandering and obfuscation. Fast track represents the Obama Administration’s attempt to skirt the Constitution and ramrod the Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress and down Americans’ throats.

Put simply, TPP is a top-secret plan to hand enormous power to the world’s most powerful corporations. We know this because leaked texts show us what is in store for democracy, our future and the fate of the planet should TPP pass. If not for recent leaks of the TPP text, even Mr. Polis would be largely in the dark about the extent to which TPP represents the most brazen corporate coup since the insertion of ‘corporate personhood’ into U.S. law.

Many worked hard to elect Polis hoping he would represent the majority of his constituents. At first he seemed to be doing that. Sadly, Mr. Polis’ multi-millionaire bias has come through and is slapping us in the face now that the legislative rubber has hit the road on TPP.

Nor is TPP about advancing “innovation” and “non-outsourcable jobs” as former Polis staffer Shawn Coleman recently claimed. Rather, as Nobel Laureate and former World Bank Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz flatly states, “We are in a situation where the jobdestroying aspects of these agreements is assured to be greater than job-creating aspects.”

TPP seeks to undermine protections in food safety; environmental quality, medicine and intellectual property, rendering governments and the citizenry that elects them unable to meaningfully regulate those sectors.

Please contact Mr. Polis at http:// polis.house.gov/contact/ or 303-484- 9596, and tell him not to sell us out.

Ken Bonetti/Boulder

Smart Track is Fast Track 

Congressman Jared Polis says “Fast Track” is passe and he now supports “Smart Track.” Smart Track is a euphemism to distract and refocus opposition to “Fast Track” for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Smart Track is a transparent attempt to give Fast Track a more acceptable and gentler appearance (www.exposetheTPP.org). Polis touts changes such as more transparency in Smart Track. While transparency is welcomed it does not change the basic tenet of Fast Track which is to transfer congressional power to the president. This will result in Congress having only an up or down vote on TPP with no amendments allowed. To give the president Fast Track authorization would allow the President to sign-off on trade agreements for three to six years. In other words, the next administration would continue to exert authority on several future trade agreements currently being negotiated.

Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, regrets not having done more to strengthen side-agreements within NAFTA. He now calls the TPP “NAFTA on Steroids.” Kristinn Hrafnsson of Wikileaks calls it “…a coup d’etat of corporations… .” TPP is a giveaway to the multi-national corporations, a hijacking that will result in the exploitation of the middle and working classes, environmental degradation, increase the price of medications, threaten net neutrality and most dangerously allow these multi-nationals to sue governments in secret tribunals for laws which they believe impede their future profits.

It is a “free trade” agreement with 29 chapters, only five of which deal with trade. It is secret and was engineered by 600 corporations.

Multi-national corporations already buy elections. Politicians become beholden to corporations. The TPP will only embolden them further in their greed and pursuit of profits.

Congressman Polis, do the right thing. Vote ‘No’ on “Fast Track” and “Smart Track.” Fair trade not “free” trade.

Elizabeth Hondorf

Troops needed In Afghanistan 

The Obama administration finally listened to our military leaders, and they are now planning on leaving 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through 2016 and probably beyond. Originally they were going to draw down to 5,500 troops.

The Taliban continues to pose a threat in Afghanistan and ISIS could rear its ugly head. Our troops could be needed to quash enemy attacks in the region.

Compared to our prior strength of 100,000 troops, the U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan might not have the numerical strength to counter the Taliban throughout the country, and we cannot count on the Afghan army to stand up to the Taliban. General Joe Dunford, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, stated Afghan troops will not be capable to conduct meaningful operations in Afghanistan once U.S. forces leave. We should keep the 9,800, troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2017, and then re-evaluate the situation. We need ongoing capabilities to conduct special operations and surgical air and missile strikes to support the troops.

The release of five top level Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo will come back to haunt us when they return to Afghanistan to continue their destabilizing activities and attacks on our forces and Afghan citizens.

Our national security is partially dependent on maintaining a significant military presence in Afghanistan.

Donald A. Moskowitz/Londonderry, NH