Wigwam @ 44

Not just “this administration.” The Republicans have always felt that way, and Reagan came to office with union busting as his number-one agenda. It started with the air traffic controllers.

Too true. And IIRC, PATCO had backed Ray-guns in ‘80.

If we’ve learned anything from this administration it is that they like playing word games a la Orwell. Black is white, up is down. I’d read this thing replacing every favorable provision with its exact opposite to see the real intent in the document.

Why was everything done in secret? Is there another document somewhere that wasn’t able to be grabbed and shared with everyone?

As far as unions go, I will never believe that this administration would endorse the rights of workers anywhere to organize for better conditions. The only reason a Bush would want workers to organize would be to get them in one place to drop a grenade in their midst.

From Trotsky’s History of the Russian Revolution:

“Merchants and speculators demanded the extermination of the Bolsheviks and – freedom of trade. They raised their voice against all restrictions upon trade whatsoever, even those which had been introduced under tzarism….”

Even trade restrictions which the tzar had instituted were anathema, and the tzar was no flaming progressive! It’s always about freedom of trade with these people so that once a market has been saturated and the economy is in the crapper “trade” can be conducted somewhere else….there’s always another sucker to be fleeced. If everyone would keep that in mind these trade bills would be crystal clear in language and intent.

There is something sinister behind the curtain in this document.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05…..3sun2.html

Wigwam @ 44

Not just “this administration.” The Republicans have always felt that way, and Reagan came to office with union busting as his number-one agenda. It started with the air traffic controllers.

Too true. And IIRC, PATCO had backed Ray-guns in ‘80.

Sigh. Some people have no “class consciousness.”

The daughter of a friend of mine was on welfare in 1980. She supported Reagan because he’d get the undeserving off of welfare and that way there’d be more for her. ;-)

To this day most people consider Reagan a sweet but stern, grandfatherly figure.

While Methanex made sacrifice to the Free Trade Cult, California had another year of MTBE.

After consideration and consultation, on March 25, 1999, Governor Davis ordered state agencies to take the initial steps towards the elimination of MTBE from any gasoline sold or used in the state. To allow time for necessary industry adjustments, the ban would be accomplished in a phase-out fashion by the end of 2002.
[ibid]

And that sacrifice?

Our flesh

[In 1998 the] University of California report … found that MTBE caused: 1) objectionable taste and odor in water at concentrations as low as 5 ppm; 2) acute exposure effects of headache, nausea, vomiting, cough, dizziness, disorientation, or eye irritation; 3) cancer in rats, with the potential to cause cancer in humans.

But hey, let’s look at all the goodies the Free Trade Cult bring to Canada with Ethyl Corp’s lovechild, MManganeseT

Several studies suggest a subtle effect of manganese on behavioral characteristics and learning ability in children. Infants fed formula enriched with manganese have significantly higher hair manganese levels and more trouble with hyperactivity and learning disabilities.

Although infants are unquestionably a susceptible population, the elderly may also be at risk of accelerated neurologic decline from low-level manganese exposure. Victims of Parkinson’s disease may be particularly susceptible.

[snip]

Animal studies have shown that exposure to manganese during fetal development at doses below those which cause other toxic effects retards growth of the testes and reduces testosterone concentrations. The research in male rats is supported by similar findings in human workers. In one study, workers exposed at levels averaging one fifth of the allowable workplace exposure limit had significantly fewer children during the period of exposure to the metal compared to similar unexposed workers. This finding suggests an adverse effect of manganese on male fertility.

Estimates of the amount of manganese that will enter the environment from the use of MMT in fuel are generally quite low. Studies in Canada where MMT has been used for several years in gasoline confirm that exposures are not high. However it is important to remember that environmental levels of manganese are normally extremely low. In the U.S., levels of airborne manganese fell substantially between 1970 and 1982 as a result of air pollution controls. The introduction of MMT would result in almost a tripling of current air levels.

Airborne manganese eventually settles to the ground where it contaminates the surface. A recent study showed strong correlations between manganese concentrations in soil and distance from major roadways. Over time, accumulation near roadways and in urban areas may lead to unacceptably high levels in the soil.

Manganese accumulation in the environment may result in significantly increased manganese levels in living organisms. It accumulates in certain plants, as demonstrated in an experimental study on oats and beans.

A study of pigeons in Canada, where MMT is used, has shown that urban pigeons have higher manganese concentrations in their bodies than rural pigeons, showing that accumulation of manganese is possible.

[psr]

O Canada! Ain’t the Free Trade Cult a gas?

I do apologize for my error: didn’t mind my B’s and T’s.

Silly dirty fucking hippie that I am, I had confused to evil lethal toxic gasoline additive MTBE with the foul deadly poison gasoline additive MMT.

As I was living in Santa Monica when the water tasted funny…from the wells later found to be contaminated by MTBE – I was more focused on the poison my body and I have come to know.

We in California didn’t see much of MMT

MMT is not approved for use in reformulated gasolines in the United States, is banned totally in the state of California, and is very little used by any other industrialized countries. Automobile manufacturers in North America complained that MMT damaged modern emissions diagnostics and pollution control equipment in cars, just as lead did.

Silly dirty fucking hippie that I am, I’d also confused the rat-fucking ghouls at Methanex (noble advocate of the evil lethal toxic MTBE) with the weasel-buggering undead suits at Ethyl
(proud daddy of foul deadly poison MMT).

Virginia-based Ethyl Corporation is the sole North American producer of MMT, known commercially as HiTec 3000, which it distributes through its subsidiary, Ethyl Canada, Inc., located in Ontario. Also a fuel additive which boosts octane in gasoline and thus reduces engine “knocking”, increases the efficiency of gasoline production, and cuts nitrogen oxide emissions, MMT replaced lead in some gasolines as early as 1977. Ethyl was also the primary producer of lead gasoline additive, which was finally completely banned from United States gasoline in 1995, after the damaging effects of lead exposure on children’s brain development was proven.

ibid

Must have been all the MTBE in my Santa Monica water.

I cited the wrong case, but correctly described NAFTA’s lethal consequences:

In 1998, an apparently similar case had been settled in advance of any arbitration covering the merits of the case. Its cast of characters were reversed from the MTBE case: an American company, Ethyl Corporation, sued the Canadian government, under NAFTA Chapter 11, for regulating Ethyl’s gasoline octane booster product MMT (methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl). Canada finally paid Ethyl Corporation about US$13 million dollars and revoked the MMT regulation.

ibid

My bad.

kirk wrote,
“Remember MTBE – the gas additive that leaks underground and spreads into groundwater?

When California tried to ban MTBE, the Canadian manufactures sued under NAFTA.

For a billion dollars.”

as a canuck, i’m appalled that the greedy bastards on our side were content to sue at the expense of the environment. we sure aren’t perfect. as for that billion, well, george bush got it. after the u.s. ignored ruling after ruling by the nafta board, and every other court available with jurisdiction in the softwood lumber dispute over illegal tarriffs, our snot sucking conservative government settled for four of the five billion owing. that stray billion went to the white house, with no oversight by congress regarding its use for “beneficial purposes” or some such codswallop.

be assured that there are lots of canadians scared about the implications of these secret deals. looks like some of the provisions will wipe out affordable medicines for seniors and the poor up here. to say nothing of our resources being opened up to the u.s. with no regard for domestic needs. one of the big fears here is that deregulating energy sector exports would create the freezing in the dark scenario. we have no protections mandating a priority to meet domestic needs.

essentially, if the u.s. sees canadian petroleum as a means to reduce offshore dependence, we would be unable to withhold, even to meet domestic heating needs in winter. i look forward to analysis by those wiser than i and i believe there is more to come on this “agreement” and none of it good for anyone but the robber barons.

And they say oil and water don’t mix.

We want both.

Pretty shaved ape, you sure nailed it on the softwood timber scam. my nation no longer recognizes treaty obligations.

ps – love your Lake name