Any relocalization movement will have to build a power base sufficient to override any higher level laws that protect the distance economy, like WTO and interstate commerce laws. There are a lot of efforts begun to do this in various ways, that are important to learn from, no matter how unsuccessful they often are at present. A state has - for a time - outlawed corporate farming. In Pennsylvania recently an attempt at state level to crush municipal laws against factory farms was defeated by organized citizens.
Karl North On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:14:48 -0400 "Simon St.Laurent" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Ryan Hottle wrote: > > *Imagine we put a tax/tariff on all non-local foods. The tax > would be > > assessed to the companies who sold or distributed the food as > opposed to the > > purchaser.* > > It's a fun idea, but unfortunately it can't presently be implemented > > from the local level up. As soon you touch out-of-state products, > it's > interstate commerce, where federal regulations _only_ apply. I > don't > think there's an easy around it - the existence of these kinds of > taxes > under the Articles of Confederation was something the framers of the > > Constitution wanted to prohibit. > > I'd be happy for that to change, or happy to see Congress consider > this, > but unfortunately it's a hard place to start. > > Thanks, > Simon St.Laurent > http://livingindryden.org/ > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County > area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > > _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
