Trade: TPP about more than politicking

It is shortsighted to argue that the Trans-Pacific Partnership is highly contested because of protectionism and party politics (editorial, 2-24). The TPP is debated because it is problematic, and its details were long kept secret from the public.

Bernie Sanders opposes the TPP not “as a way to make inroads with labor unions and workers,” but because he stands up to corporate domination and abuse.

The TPP empowers international corporations to sue over decisions that jeopardize expected future profits, under Investor State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) provisions. Industry, including big agriculture, oil and pharma, support ISDS’s ability to stomp on local, democratic decision-making.

The editorial cited the America Farm Bureau, a group historically driven by profit logic that sacrifices family farms and encourages the privatization of our food system. In fact, Washington state would see lost jobs, lagging exports, rising inequality and the decline of family farms under the TPP, according to Public Citizen.

It is important to know the presidential candidates’ positions, but Congress can ratify the TPP right now, and the timeline is shrinking. Despite Congressman Dave Reichert’s pro-TPP position, there is room to swing our state’s officials.

Those who value the public interest will vote with sense, against this bad deal.

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Trade: TPP about more than politicking."