Sample letter to the editor on TILMA agreement: Dear editor, The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention is taking place in Vancouver from September 24-28, 2007. Elected municipal officials from across the province will come together at this meeting to vote on the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). TILMA was signed in secret by the premiers of BC and Alberta without debate in the legislature and could greatly impact the decisions made by our locally elected leaders. The Agreement allows corporations and individuals to sue provincial governments for any provincial or municipal government measure they feel "restricts or impairs" their investment (i.e. their profits). Under TILMA, even measures designed to protect the environment and public health care are vulnerable to attack from corporate lawsuits with compensation penalties as high as $5-million. Many municipal initiatives to promote green buildings or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for example, could be seen to violate the basic prohibitions in TILMA. TILMA also prevents governments from providing targeted grants and loans to foster local economic development and severely restricts efforts to support local businesses through government purchasing decisions. Local governments have been one way that concerned BC residents have been able to respond to the agreement. I am calling on councillors from [your area] attending the UBCM to make the right decision for community choice and vote for a permanent exemption for local governments from TILMA. Sincerely,