North American Union

Harmonizing Laws
 

 

Harmonize :  

2. transitive verb make systems agree: to make rules, regulations, or systems similar or in accord with each other

Harmonization means moving to an international "rule set" - which in reality means moving from U.S. sovereign rule of law to law mandated by an unelected, unaccountable and virtually invisible international organization. 

Rumsfeld, DOD officials attend meeting on erasing North American borders

The public-interest group Judicial Watch has released documents pertaining to a meeting last fall in Banff, Alberta (Canada), called the "North American Forum," which was attended by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other high-level U.S. Department of Defense officials. According to the watchdog group, the meeting was put on by a government agency that wants to "harmonize" the laws throughout North America.

...Chris Farrell is director of research at Judicial Watch. "They want to harmonize -- that's their word -- rules and regulations and laws between all three countries and try to bring them more and more together and try to erase the boundaries and borders between the three countries," he says.

'Smart Border' - 22 Point Agreement

Commentary on harmonization of our financial markets

Real Purpose of the Real ID

FDA - Trilateral Cooperation Charter

Harmonization of tax systems

In 2004 there was a Congressional Budget hearing that dealt with the U.S. tax revenue options.  The purpose of the hearing was to discuss various proposals for replacing the current U.S. tax system and IRS with a different system.  One proposal in particular was the main focus of the hearing.  It was the 'Fair Tax' proposal which calls for a national sales tax on all goods and services to replace the income tax system and the IRS.  The plan was so outrageous,  I wrote a commentary on it - "Fair Warning on the Fair Tax".    Now, almost two years later, I found that Canada has a national sales tax on Goods and Services (GST).    Clearly, the Fair Tax proposal is a "harmonization" of our tax system with Canada's tax system.

Email - Raw Research

 

NAFTA Plus - "Deep Integration"

NAFTA Chapter 11 - "The Blackmail Government Provision"

Most of the legal changes to integrate the countries of North America are being slipped into law unceremoniously so the average citizen has no idea that it is even happening.  This is what the SPP working groups do - negotiate the harmonization of laws to allow for integration of our country.  This was clearly stated in the Congressional Record by Congressman William O. Lipinski, (IL) on February 14, 2001 in his Extension of Remarks  Page E189 and E190
 

   
  • Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that I believe is paramount to keeping our highways and byways safe. The Foreign Truck Safety Act would mandate that all foreign trucks at our southern border be inspected if they have not passed inspection in the previous twelve months. This is necessary because last week a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) dispute panel ruled that our southern border with Mexico should be opened to unfettered cross-border trucking. The new Bush administration also stated they would abide by that ruling and open the border.
  • This ruling means that Mexican trucks , trucks that fail 35 percent of inspections across the border zone, and 50 percent of inspections in Texas, would be free to roam all throughout the United States. Since NAFTA went into effect in 1994, these trucks have been able to cross into a small NAFTA border zone. The border was scheduled to have been fully opened in December 1995, but due to real safety concerns and the high rate of failed inspections of Mexican trucks , the border was kept closed by the Clinton Administration.

.......

  • In addition, since NAFTA was signed in 1993, Mexico has known that it would have to harmonize it's trucking laws and regulations with the U.S. and Canada (whose trucks have as good a safety record as U.S. trucks ), and yet it has failed to do so. For example, the Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee (LTSS) was created by NAFTA to harmonize transportation standards and regulations by the year 2000. However, even though we are in 2001, Mexico does not have vehicle maintenance standards, roadside inspections, safety rating systems, a drug and alcohol testing program, or hours of service regulations. And Mexico has just started the process of mandating logbooks for record keeping, while the U.S. DOT is in the process of upgrading logbooks to electronic record keeping. Most importantly, Mexico allows trucks upwards of 100,000 pounds on its highways, while the U.S. limit is 80,000 pounds.
 
         
The extent that 'harmonization' is taking place can be discerned from a White House Progress Report on the Security & Prosperity Partnership date March 31, 2006
    The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America: Progress
 

Canada, Mexico and the United States share a continued commitment to enhance the security, prosperity and quality of life of our citizens within North America. We recognize that the success of our countries is enhanced by working cooperatively. The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which celebrates its first anniversary this month, provides a framework for us to advance collaboration in areas as diverse as security, transportation, the environment and public health.

This Partnership has increased our institutional contacts to respond to our vision of a stronger, more secure, and more prosperous region. In June 2005, our three governments released detailed work-plans identifying key initiatives that form an ambitious agenda of collaboration. Since June, we have worked to implement these initiatives. Many will take months or years to be completed, but we already note significant results. We ask our Ministers to build on this momentum.

We have discussed how we can ensure North America is the most economically dynamic region in the world and a secure home for our citizens. Today, we exchanged views with private sector leaders on how to enhance the competitiveness of North America.

Building on existing commitments, we agree that priority initiatives warrant special attention in the coming year:

Strengthening Competitiveness in North America. We are pleased to announce the creation of a North American Competitiveness Council (NACC). The Council will comprise members of the private sector from each country and will provide us recommendations on North American competitiveness, including, among others, areas such as automotive and transportation, steel, manufacturing, and services. The Council will meet annually with security and prosperity Ministers and will engage with senior government officials on an ongoing basis.

We are convinced that regulatory cooperation advances the productivity and competitiveness of our nations and helps to protect our health, safety and environment. For instance, cooperation on food safety will help protect the public while at the same time facilitate the flow of goods. We affirm our commitment to strengthen regulatory cooperation in this and other key sectors and to have our central regulatory agencies complete a trilateral regulatory cooperation framework by 2007.

North American Emergency Management. A disaster - whether natural or man-made - in one of our countries can have consequences across national borders. Our vision for a North American response, relief and recovery strategy would ensure that critical equipment, supplies and personnel can be deployed expeditiously throughout North America. We commit to develop a common approach to critical infrastructure protection, coordinated responses to cross border incidents, and coordinated training and exercises, with the participation of all levels of government in our countries.

Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza. Given the highly integrated nature of our economies, an outbreak of pathogenic avian flu or human pandemic influenza in any one of our countries would affect us all. Today, we have agreed to develop a comprehensive, science-based and coordinated approach within North America to avian influenza and human pandemic influenza management. We have endorsed a set of shared principles to underpin cooperative activities by our Governments in all stages of avian influenza and human pandemic influenza management: prevention; preparedness; response; and recovery. Pursuant to these principles, officials will develop, as an immediate priority, incident management protocols to ensure that we are well prepared in advance of an outbreak in North America. For instance, we have agreed to work together to accelerate research, development, production, and availability of human pandemic influenza vaccines, and develop a strategy to best facilitate the sharing of information to enhance the availability of vaccines to the region. We will also establish a small Coordinating Body of senior officials to ensure follow-up on these commitments.

North American Energy Security. A sustainable, secure and affordable supply of energy is key to fueling the North American economy. Collaboration in the areas of innovation, energy efficiency, and technology development, including moving these technologies to market, promotes energy security. Our governments renew their commitment to trilateral cooperation on clean energy technologies, conservation, and market facilitation as a means to meeting our shared goals of energy security and sustainable development. Officials will also examine how this cooperation can be expanded to further our climate efforts.

North American Smart, Secure Borders. Our vision is to have a border strategy that results in the fast, efficient and secure movement of low-risk trade and travelers to and within North America, while protecting us from threats including terrorism. In implementing this strategy, we will encourage innovative risk-based approaches to improving security and facilitating trade and travel. These include close coordination on infrastructure investments and vulnerability assessments, screening and processing of travelers, baggage and cargo, a single integrated North American trusted traveler program, and swift law enforcement responses to threats posed by criminals or terrorists, including advancing a trilateral network for the protection of judges and officers.

The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America represents a broad and ambitious agenda. We instruct our Ministers to develop options to strengthen the SPP and present them next June as part of the second report on progress of the SPP.

President Fox and President Bush were pleased to accept, on behalf of their countries, Prime Minister Harper's invitation to host the next trilateral leaders meeting in Canada in 2007.

 

 
Another harmonization effort was recently uncovered by Idaho Eagle Forum.   It pertains to building codes.  This section was found in Idaho Statutes.

 

TITLE  39
HEALTH AND SAFETY
CHAPTER 41
IDAHO BUILDING CODE ACT
   

39-4116.  LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADOPTION AND ENFORCEMENT OF BUILDING CODES. (1)
Local governments enforcing building codes shall do so only in compliance with
the provisions of this section. Local governments that have not previously
instituted and implemented a code enforcement program prior to the effective
date of this act may elect to implement a building code enforcement program by
passing an ordinance evidencing the intent to do so. Local governments may
contract with a public or private entity to administer their building code
enforcement program.

 

(2)  By January 1, 2005, local governments that issue building permits and
perform building code enforcement activities shall, by ordinance, adopt the
following codes as published by the International Code Council
together with
any amendments or revisions set forth in section 39-4109, Idaho Code:
    (a)  International Building Code, including all rules promulgated by the
    board to provide equivalency with the provisions of the Americans with
    disabilities act accessibility guidelines and the federal fair housing act
    accessibility guidelines;
    (b)  International Residential Code, parts I-IV and IX; and
    (c)  International Energy Conservation Code.

 

A search was done to determine when the International Building Codes of the ICC were first inserted into Idaho law.  The initial reference was found in the 2000 legislative session in House Bill 611. 
 
H0611...........................................................by BUSINESS
BUILDING CODES - Amends existing law to provide for the adoption of the
latest edition of the building code as published by the International Code
Council; to provide accessibility standards for those with disabilities; to
increase the membership of the Idaho Building Code Advisory Board; and to
provide a minimum level of certification for all building inspectors.

 
 
 

 

So who and what is the International Code Council?

International Code Council

Origin

The International Code Council (ICC) was established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI). Since the early part of the last century, these nonprofit organizations developed the three separate sets of model codes used throughout the United States. Although regional code development has been effective and responsive to our country’s needs, the time came for a single set of codes. The nation’s three model code groups responded by creating the International Code Council and by developing codes without regional limitations the International Codes.

(Side Note:  In the 1960's a small development of California style stucco homes with no insulation were built in Idaho Falls, ID.  Needless to say, they were a disaster.  They had to be retrofitted with insulation to make them livable.  That housing development became a low-income (read... trashy neighborhood) because the quality of the homes were not suitable for Idaho's climate and therefore were not saleable except to the lowest end of the market.  It would seem then that the movement to a single set of codes would be a step backwards if regional variations in climate are not accommodated) 

 

ICC Press Release on agreement with Mexico  

ICC 'Partners' With Mexico To Develop Codes  (See page 3 article in ICC July 2005 Newsletter)

As part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed May 9 between ICC and Mexico's National Commission of Housing Development, ICC will provide technical assistance to the Mexican government in developing a residential building code.... 

"Signing this agreement is a concrete step in support of the housing sector within the framework of the Housing Sector Program strategies" says Mexico National Housing Commissioner Carlos J. Gutierrez Ruiz.  "This is also a great opportunity for the International Code Council and the National Commission of Housing Development to establish the basis to participate in the development of instruments to promote quality and safety in residential buildings in Mexico."

Apparently Canada is not quite ready to sign an MOU adopting the ICC building codes yet - but it would appear that they are moving in that direction:

October 2005 - Canada set to adopt new building code.

 

ICC Foundation

The ICC even has their own Foundation to promote the ICC standards for 'sustainable development'.   See the Powerpoint Presentation.      Recovered:  March 2, 2011

ICC Foundation 'Partners'

Noteworthy 'Partners':  

Organization of American States (OAS)
Pan American Union of Engineering
Standards Council of Canada (SCC)

 

The following is relevant only to the extent that it involves the ICC but I don't care.  I have to call attention to this.  IMHO it's outrageous and an obvious conflict of interest. This shows how corrupt these people are.  James Witt becomes the CEO of ICC then hires himself to consult with ICC and then announces it on his website!  AND... he is going to work closely with himself to achieve the goals...ROLF LMAO. 

James Lee Witt Associates

Washington, DC, June 11, 2003 - James Lee Witt, the former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been named Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council (ICC). In this capacity, ICC has also retained the services of James Lee Witt Associates, LLC (JLWA) to assist them in public safety and emergency management issues. Witt will bring over 25 years of leadership in the field of emergency management to the world class organization that is setting the standard for building safety. Witt and JLWA will assist the organization with its vision of growth as a national and internationally recognized authority on building safety codes.

In addition to his duties as CEO of the ICC, James Lee Witt will remain in his current position as President of JLWA and will work closely with the ICC to achieve their overall goals and improve its member services.

 

This reminds me of another similar scam I uncovered while doing some research for Idaho Eagle Forum.  It concerns land use planning and regionalization in Boise, ID.  It seems that fraud is becoming institutionalized in the United States.